45 runs scored, 95 hits, six home runs, and 58 RBI. Ho-Hsin Whales, last seasons (1998-2000) Over the winter between the 1997 and 1998 seasons, Traxler drove a sugar beet truck to make money. He started the 1998 season with the Somerset Patriots of the newly formed, independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Though primarily playing at first base, Traxler also was used as a designated hitter for the team, which played all its games on the road since its new stadium would not be finished until 1999. In 37 games, he batted .256 with 12 runs scored, 33 hits, five home runs, and 26 RBI. Traxler's contract with Somerset included a clause that allowed him to opt out if he got offered a spot on a team at a higher level. He took advantage of this clause in early July, when he went to Taiwan to join the Ho-Hsin Whales of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. In 43 games, he batted .287 with 17 runs scored, 37 hits, two home runs, and 21 RBI. In 1999, Traxler returned to Somerset. On June 19, he hit two home runs in an inning against the Bridgeport Bluefish at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. For the season, he batted .250 with 34 runs scored, 97 hits, 12 home runs, and 61 RBI in 109 games. Though the scorecard still described him as 5'10" and 200 lbs, author Bob Golon described Traxler as weighing more than 250 lbs. Manager Sparky Lyle later said, "He was by far the best hitter we’ve ever had here." Traxler returned to Sioux Falls in 2000, playing with the Canaries until the team released him on June 28. In 28 games, he batted .222 with 10 runs scored, 22 hits, three home runs, and 12 RBI. Final years Following his playing days, he became a hitting instructor in the Dodgers minor league system. He served at Great Falls in 2001 and 2002, then helped the Vero Beach Dodgers in 2003. Though he remained in Vero Beach in 2004, it was for the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Dodgers. After the 2004 season, the Dodgers did not renew Traxler's contract. Traxler planned to look for another position at the upcoming Winter Meetings. On November 4, 2004, Traxler was taken to North Central Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, with alcohol-related liver disease. He slipped into a coma before dying 15