Commish's Baseball Blog

C-Bay's 2012 ABL Draft

2012-02-07T20:01:00.003-05:00

1. Jonathan Papelbon
2. Chipper Jones
3. Rafael Perez
4. Aroldis Chapman
5. Vinnie Pestano
6. Ryan Theriot
7. Shelley Duncan
8. Jason Bourgois
9. Mark Melancon
10. Jim Thome
11. JP Arencibia
12. Chris Perez
13. Trevor Cahill
14. Jason Bay
15. Max Scherzer
16. Lonnie Chisenhall

Adjustments before first game: Dropped 12th Pick Perez and 15th Pick Scherzer. Picked up Jarrod Saltalamachia and Angel Pagan.

B-Mets Games in 2011

2012-01-15T21:14:00.005-05:00

From the Pocket Schedule of their 20th Season
1. April 14th, New Hampshire, L, Home Opener
2. April 30th, Akron, W,
3. May 1st, Akron, L, ABL Spring Slam
4. May 11th, New Britian, L
5. May 21st, Harrisburg, L
6. May 30th, Altoona, L, Memorial Day
7. June 19th, Trenton, L, Father's Day
8. June 30th, Bowie, L
9. July 1st, Bowie, W
10. July 5th, Portland, L
11/12. July 14th, New Hampshire, L & W, (DH)
13. July 15th, New Hampshire, L
14. July 17th, New Hampshire, W
15. August 12th, Richmond, L, ABL Night
16. August 16th, New Britian, L
17. August 25th, Altoona, L, Jose Reyes Rehab
18. August 26th, Altoona, W, Jose Reyes Rehab
19. September 2nd, Reading, L
20. September 5th, Reading, L, Final Game

Made the goal of twenty game mark even though the club wasn't that exciting. Couple of highlights included seeing Brad Peacock pitch for Harrisburg along with B-Met prospect Matt Harvey and the Jose Reyes Rehab stint.

They played much worse when I was at NYSEG Stadium. They were 5-15 (.250) when I was in the stands, 65-76 (.461) overall.

Check out fellow ABL manager Lenny's similar account here

Moneyball!

2011-10-13T14:31:00.011-04:00

When Moneyball came out in theaters a few weeks back I was there on opening day. I hadn't read the book yet so I went in with an open mind. I was actually entertained and thought it was neat how like us on the tabletop Oakland A's GM Billy Beane was looking for new ways to value players. If you like baseball, you should check out the movie.

Then I had surgery last Monday October 3rd and my daughter Alexei bought me the book Moneyball. Knowing I'm not an avid reader but she was hoping with my time off from work I would delve into the book and learn more about the topic.

So far to her surprise, I've already reached page 142 and I'm currently reading the chapter about filling in Giambi's hole in the lineup. As expected the book as been a lot better due to the fact a book can go into detail.

Some highlights so far:

Bill James played tabletop

In chapter four:
"As James later admitted, the desire to win these games had been a chief motive for his original rethinking of the game. Before the sophisticated baseball fantasy leagues there had been sophisticated table-top baseball games. I used to be in a table-game league, James confessed to hit readers a decade later. This was ten, twelve years ago....It was during this period, in trying to win that league, that I became obsessed with how an offense works and why it doesn't work sometimes...with finding what information you would need to have to simulate baseball in a more accurate way. I had thought about these things before, of course, but to win that damn [table league] I had to know."

Stealing could be riskey

In chapter six:
"True, he stole some bases, but stealing bases involved taking a risk the Oakland front office did not trust even Johnny Damon to take. The math of the matter changed with the situation, but, broadly speaking, an attempted steal had to succeed about 70 percent of the time before it contributed positively to run totals.

Make the Big Trade

In chapter nine:
"By the middle of June, six weeks before the tradling deadline, he was walking into Paul DePodesta's office across the hall from his own and saying, "This is the time to make a fucking A trade." When asked what was meant by a "Fucking A trade," he said, "A Fucking A trade is one that causes everyone in the business to say 'Fucking A.'''

A's draft Jeremy Brown from Hueytown, A.L. where the Legend is stationed

In chapter eleven:
"Especially Brown, the bad body catcher from Hueytown, Alabama. Everyone had laughed when the Oakland A's drafted Brown in the first round. Every day Brown was more interesting to Billy."

ESPN Baseball Podcaster Host Keith Law

In chapter twelve:
"The first thing J.P. Ricciardi did after he took the job was hire Keith Law, a twenty-eight-year-old Havard graduate who had never played baseball, but who wrote lots of interesting articles about it on baseballprospectus.com."

I'm made my daughter Alexei proud and finished this book on October 20th from cover to cover. She says she might have to frame it. I'm glad she challenged me to read it. It was interesting, funny and very imformative.

Brooklyn 2011 September Trip

2011-10-10T20:17:00.004-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Brooklyn September 2011 Trip:

MCU Park (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Staten Island Yankees (Yankees) at Brooklyn Cyclones(Mets)
New York-Penn League (Single A- Short Season)
Date: September 4, 2011

After some breakfast in the hotel we all to include Alexei, Tia, Patsy, Nancy and I headed towards Coney Island for a day in Brooklyn. We drove to the New York Aquarium and checked out all kinds of sea creatures. We saw Sharks, Sea Lions, Walruses, and tons of odd looking fish. After the water fun we headed to the boardwalk to check out the beach and surrounding sights. Plenty of ladies to enjoy with their bikinis as the place was happening for a warm Sunday on Labor Day Weekend. We walked down to the outside of MCU Park and then decided to enjoy some Coney Island traditions. Alexi and I went on a wild river ride while the others enjoyed some games at the amusement park. We grabbed some ice cream as Alexei grabbed some ‘real” Italian ice and relaxed on the boardwalk until it was time to head to the park.

We headed to MCU Park home of the Brooklyn Cyclones for another NY-Penn League clash against the Staten Island Yankees. The hottie Brooklyn Beach Bums welcomed us in the ballpark with a nice baseball give away as the team store advertised their big sale. I was planning to stop a tradition of buying a cap at every game that I attend but the $10.00 Brooklyn cap was too good to pass up. As we checked out the park during the pre-game the clouds started to roll in off the Ocean which provided a more comfortable environment along with the ocean breeze. Top of the first and its game time and the Baby Bombers came ready to play as great looking prospect Mason Williams lead off with a single and a steal of 2nd base. Culver doubled to plate Williams for a 1-0 lead. Tyler Austin ripped an RBI double as Gumbs added an RBI single to make it 3-0 Yankees after just half inning. During the inning Frankie Viola took a trip to the mound as the Brooklyn pitching coach trying to calm down the young Vazquez. Brooklyn came back and scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on a Lucas RBI single once again crappy defense allowed the runners on base to advance. Patsy and I noticed how the rows at MCU Park were much shorter compared to the Bank Park which improved the enjoyment of the game. Good pitching inning in the second as the crazy on field DJ named King Arthur needed some help realizing he has a microphone in his hand. Tia’s mom Nancy arrived in the 3rd inning with some tasty freshly squeezed lemonade as Tia brought a delicious Nathan’s hot dog with mustard. Settling in enjoy this park and game more than the previous days as the Cyclones pull within a run on Lucas RBI double to plate Muno. Baby Bombers make it 4-2 on a deep home run to left off the bat of leftfielder Wilson. Patsy and I both commented on we enjoyed the seats right behind home a few rows back compared to our seats at Staten Island. The cap off the inning the hottie beach bum cheerleaders performed in our row between innings. I was quickly becoming a Brooklyn Cyclones fan.

Bottom of the 4th inning and the hometown Cyclones erupt with a four spot playing small to take the lead 6-4 for the first time in the game. The Cyclones Program was once again free with Jose Reyes on the cover and much more impressive compared to the Baby Bombers. There was plenty of league and New York Mets information throughout the document. One interesting note was the fact that MCU Park has the deepest Centerfield in the New York –Penn League at 412 feet. For comparison sake, Citi Field is only 410 feet. As the game progressed into the 5th inning the atmosphere did turn a little carnival like with beach balls going through the stands and thunder sticks being handed out to one section. An interesting twist was the constant Latin music you could hear from the Boardwalk just behind right field that kept clashing with the tunes from the stadium speakers. A happening place for sure and a New York buzz for sure. 6th inning was wrapping up with a 6-4 Cyclone lead as Alexei made it clear that the ballgame was more enjoyable instead of roasting on the boardwalk in the sun earlier in the day. 7th inning stretch came as once again God Bless America was sung and then Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Brooklyn added a run in the bottom of the 8th inning on a Taijeron solo homer as Brooklyn held on to the 7-4 victory. We fired up the GPS and she gave us a wild ride as we headed to Manhattan and went by ground zero before taking the Holland Tunnel into New Jersey. The Big Apple is well the Big Apple! I learned a quiet trip to Williamsport, P.A. is much more my speed as the year pass us by.

Top of the 5th inning and the Cyclones take the lead back on a deep two run blast off the bat of Zapata for a 6-4 Brooklyn lead. Patsy and I noticed some odd bugs that started dropping out of the sky and some of the fans around us said that is a normal thing. The fans didn’t seem to be in the game much as there was tons of socializing and getting up for some grub. You did hear the occasionally “Let’s go Yankees” chant. The scoreboard continued to flash throughout the game like there was a “short” in it or something. Pasty and I got up and started to move around to different spots throughout the park in the later innings as I left the old lady keeping score high and dry. Brooklyn added a run in the top of the 7th inning as pinch hitter Brown singled in Harrison for a 7-4 lead. 7th inning stretch time and “God Bless America” was sung by the same goodfella that sung the National Anthem before the game. After a little “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, Cella Luna was played like we were home back in Binghamton. The Cyclones would add four more runs as Patsy and I headed back to Clark, N.J. The Cyclones went on to win 11-4 in a ballpark that honestly wasn’t that impressive and the overall game experience not that enjoyable. Hoping Sunday’s game on Coney Island would have a better feel to it.

Staten Island 2011 September Trip

2011-09-17T16:48:00.007-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Staten Island September 2011 Trip:

Richmond County Bank Park at St. George (Staten Island, N.Y.) Brooklyn Cyclones(Mets) at Staten Island Yankees (Yankees)
New York-Penn League (Single A- Short Season)
Date: September 3, 2011

Before heading to the city for the rest of Labor Day weekend with the family and the in laws I caught a B-Mets game on Friday night with possible rain coming on the final game of the season on Labor Day. The B-Mets lost to the playoff striving Reading Phillies 4-2 in a playoff “type” ball game. The next morning we woke up quite early as Patsy and Tia’s mom Nancy came over for our trip to the city. After some breakfast at the Spot Alexei, Tia, Patsy, Nancy, and I headed south towards Hoboken New Jersey. The girls wanted to check out Carlos’ Bakery in Hoboken that is featured on the TLC show Cake Boss. Overall the GPS did quite well but we did get a little lost when we got close to Hoboken due to some construction. We eventually made it there and the girls started their two our wait in line to purchase some cupcakes. Patsy and I checked out the river park on the Hudson River with a nice view of Manhattan and grabbed a slice waiting on the girls. The girls were happy when they finally were able to purchase several boxes of goods and needed a bite to eat. After grabbing some pizza and checking out the view we headed for our hotel about thirty minutes away in Clarke, N.J.

After a little R&R Patsy and I headed thirty minutes east towards Staten Island the home of the Baby Bombers. We went over the very narrow Goethals Bridge into Staten Island for $8.00 made our way through a very nice area. Then as we got closer to the park we hit the ghetto and saw a few she-males working the corner, some straight hookers, and a dude smoking a “crack pipe” as he crossed the street. We finally made it to the park and grabbed some parking for another mere $8.00 in the Staten Island Ferry Parking lot. We checked out the view as the ballpark sits right on the Hudson River and as you could see the Statue Liberty out in the distance. Patsy and I headed into the park after a smoke as we both grabbed a team cap in the team store. We grabbed some hot dog and fires and searched everywhere for the condiment stand that we later found out did not exist. It appears almost everyone in attendance purchases the all you can eat option and the majority does not purchase food at the regular concessions. The game got started as the crowd was still filing in the ballpark. It was a hot and muggy night and pretty crowded for a minor league game. The home town Yankees get it going in the top bottom of the first inning the New York - Penn League with a walk to Culver who swept second base and went to third on a pass ball. A ground out to 2nd base have the home town Baby Bombers a 1-0 lead.

One thing I notice was the similar programs that SI Yankees put out compared to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. Turns out they are managed by the same management company. No scoring in the 2nd inning as the Yankees mascot named Scooter the Holy Cow entertained the crowd. Patsy and I both noticed the very busy atmosphere with people constantly getting up and down. It turns out in the all-you can eat line you can only grab on item (i.e. hotdog) and drink at a time. A large family we’ll need to go back several times to get food for everybody. The top of the 3rd and Brooklyn gets the bats going as one run scores on another passed ball to tie the game. Frenzel ripped a single to plate two more Clones as Harrison finished the scoring for a 4-1 Brooklyn lead. The kid behind us was really into the game and getting loud throughout the night. He sounded like he was from the movie “Sandlot”. “Put it in his ear!” The Baby Bombers came back and scored two in the 3rd inning as more sloppy baseball was played. Brooklyn leading 4-3 as the elderly lady next to me was scoring the game and kept looking on my scorecard to stay on top of it. After the bottom of the third inning the place erupts as current Yankee Robinson Cano comes onto the field to greet a fund raiser top seller of the year. Bottom of the 4th inning and 2011 1st round draft pick Dante Bichette Jr. ties the game at four a piece with a long homer to left field. You think the B-Mets have a lot of fireworks? Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night at the Bank at St. George fireworks are blasted over the Hudson River after Baby Bomber games. For Bichette Jr. just called up from the Gulf Coast Yankees, it was his first N.Y.-Penn League homer.

Top of the 5th inning and the Cyclones take the lead back on a deep two run blast off the bat of Zapata for a 6-4 Brooklyn lead. Patsy and I noticed some odd bugs that started dropping out of the sky and some of the fans around us said that is a normal thing. The fans didn’t seem to be in the game much as there was tons of socializing and getting up for some grub. You did hear the occasionally “Let’s go Yankees” chant. The scoreboard continued to flash throughout the game like there was a “short” in it or something. Pasty and I got up and started to move around to different spots throughout the park in the later innings as I left the old lady keeping score high and dry. Brooklyn added a run in the top of the 7th inning as pinch hitter Brown singled in Harrison for a 7-4 lead. 7th inning stretch time and “God Bless America” was sung by the same goodfella that sung the National Anthem before the game. After a little “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, Cella Luna was played like we were home back in Binghamton. The Cyclones would add four more runs as Patsy and I headed back to Clark, N.J. The Cyclones went on to win 11-4 in a ballpark that honestly wasn’t that impressive and the overall game experience not that enjoyable. Hoping Sunday’s game on Coney Island would have a little better feel to it.

2012 Ballpark Calendar Club

2011-09-17T11:57:00.005-04:00

Once again my good tabletop baseball friend Johnny Mac of the Triple Play Baseball Forum and other Delphi Forums delivered to my door step the next installment of the Ballpark Calendar Club. The calendar every year is outstanding and makes a great addition to my baseball themed office.

I would like to thank Johnny Mac for his kindness and it just shows how great this hobby can be. John and I have never met or even chatted on the phone for that matter but it seems like I known him for years.

Keep Rolling...

Negro National League - Game # 2

2011-08-28T19:56:00.010-04:00

St. Louis Stars at Homestead Grays

Starting Lineups
St. Louis Stars
Cool Papa Bell CF
Willie Wells SS
Wild Bill Wright RF
Frog Redus LF
Double Duty Ratcliffe C
Candy Jim Taylor 3B
Sammy T. Hughes 2B
Bill Taylor 1B
Bill Drake P

Homestead Grays
Tubby Scales 2B
Oscar Charleston CF
Josh Gibson C
Buck Leonard 1B
Judy Johnson 3B
Vic Harris LF
Sam Bankhead SS
Jimmie Crutchfield RF
Ray Brown P

Recap
Hometown Grays get it going early in the first inning on a Buck Leonard Sac Fly to plate Tubby Scales for a 1-0 lead. Grays add another run in the 4th inning after a Judy Johnson one out double followed by two singles from Harris and Bankhead for a 2-0 lead. The story of the game was the pitching of Ray Brown on the bump for the Grays as he went the distance and worked out of trouble with five walks to shutout out the Stars.

Notes
Chapter two of the book was about Bill "Plunk" Drake. Drake was a tough as nails pitcher that was known for brushing back hitters out of the box. Ironically he happended to start in this game also for the visiting Stars. Drake said in the book " You should have seen Cool Papa Bell. He joined St. Louis after I left. I used to get a little shaky myself when he got on first base. I knew he was going to steal. He'd just be standing there like that, and then he'd be gone."

Homestead pitcher Ray Brown was the star of the game. Ray Brown is a Hall of Famer and was the ace pitcher of the Grays of the late 1930's and early 1940's. He had an average fast ball, but a grade-A curve ball and control. He used a knuckler later in his career. An excellent athlete, he often played outfield or pinch-hit between starts.

Up Next
Chapter Two: David Malarcher
Chicago American Giants at New York Lincoln Giants

Negro National League - Game # 1

2011-08-21T12:28:00.004-04:00

Kansas City Monarchs at Hilldale Daisies

Starting Lineups
K.C. Monarchs
Bullet Joe Rogan CF
Heavy Johnson LF
Turkey Stearnes RF
Buck O'Neil 1B
Bobby Serrell 2B
Newt Allen SS
TJ Young C
Jose Mendez 3B
Chet Brewer P

Hilldale Daisies
Rap Dixon RF
Fats Jenkins LF
Jud Wilson 1B
Martin Dihigo SS
Biz Mackey C
Chancey White CF
Ghost Marchelle 3B
Frank Warfield 2B
Nip Winters P

Recap
Hometown Daisies score in the bottom of the first as 1st basmeen Jud Wilson takes Chet Brewer deep for a solo homer. Monarchs tie it at one on a Jose Mendez RBI double to plate Young. Three straight singles by the Daises to load the bases in the bottom of the 2nd inning and Frank Warfield hit a Saf Fly for a 2-1 lead. Biz Mackey led off the bottom of the 4th inning with a triple nad then scored on a White Sac Fly for a 3-1 lead for the Daisies. lefty southpaw Nip Winters was strong on the mound going the complete game allowing only four hits while striking out six.

Notes
Chapter one of the book discussed the overall history of the league as Rube Foster was a huge pioneer. It was interesting to learn that several teams wanted to sign negro league players but nobody step up till Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson.

Hilldale catcher Biz Mackey was the star of the game. Mackey is a Hall of Famer and was considered one of the top three defensive catchers in the history of the Negro League. At one point or another, Mackey played every position during his prime. As a hitter, he had no weaknesses. In 80 games against white professional, he batted .385!

Up Next
Chapter Two: Bill Drake
St. Louis Stars at Homestead Grays

Strat-O-Matic Negro League Project

2011-08-20T19:35:00.011-04:00

After purchasing the book "Voices from the Great Black Baseball Leagues" by John Holway on a recent Philly Ballpark trip, I decided to put the Strat Negro League Baseball Set to use.

The overview of the project:

I've broken down the teams into six clubs using rosters supplied by Splat on the Strat-O-Matic Fan Forum. The teams will play each other once for a total of five games. The 2nd place and 3rd place teams will meet in a one game Semi-Final. The winner will then face the division winner in a best of three championship series. If the finals goes the full three games it is expected nineteen games will be played. All games will be played using card/dice with current ABL Manager Lenny Saaf's Strat Basic Travel System.

This project is about reading and learning more about the heros of black baseball. If you know me, I'm not good at starting books and finishing them from cover to back. One of the few book I've finished was Strat-O-Matics Fanatics by Glenn Gluzzo. I'm trying something new to motivate me through the process. There is nineteen chapters in the book. My plan is to read a chapter and then play a game in the Negro National League. The project could take several months to finish since finding time to read and roll a solitare game isn't much when the ABL is in season.

My goal is to update the project on the blog as I read the book and play the games.

My daughter Alexei has challegned me to see this project through to its completion. I let her know I'll do my best. :) My goal is the end of 2012 :)

Thanks,
Commish

Oneonta 2011 August Trip

2011-08-04T19:53:00.004-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Oneonta August 2011 Trip:

Damaschke Field (Oneonta, N.Y.) Webster Yankees at Oneonta Outlaws
New York College Baseball League (Summer College)
Date: August 2, 2011

What a couple of weeks it’s been and this trip was a nice one to cap off the recent run of ballparks with a championship on the line. This trip was the 6th different ballpark in eleven days as Lenny swung by and picked me up as we headed towards Afton. Once we arrived in Afton we hooked up with Shawn and Antman and headed up to Oneonta to catch game two of the best of three NYCBL Finals. Oneonta was leading the best of three finals one game to one with a chance to claim championship with only seventeen players on the roster.

This marked my first time to Damaschke Field in 2011 and it was summer college playoff baseball as the back drop. We noticed a decent crowd was filing into the park as the Dawg had to grab a parking spot on the road. We grabbed out tickets and headed over to the first base bleachers. The National Anthem was performed by a Tuba ensemble that gave it an old time baseball feel. The Webster Yankees were the Western Division champions from just outside of Rochester, N.Y. as their lead-off hitter Bostick struck out he tossed the bat to the 2nd batter a good looking prospect in Bick. Scoreless through one inning as both pitchers looked on top of their game early on in the must win game for the Yankees. Another 1, 2, 3, inning in the top of the 2nd inning as Lenny commented on the Outlaws retro style Oriole looking batting helmets as they came to the plate. Outlaws go down in order in the bottom half of the 2nd inning as Lenny asks “Is that legal?” His question was in reference to the fact that the Webster Yankees were all decked out in full Yankee gear from head to toe. Yankees get a lead-off walk aided by an error and score a run on a double play for a 1-0 lead through three innings of baseball.

Bottom of the 4th inning and the Outlaws tie the game 1-1 on a Barbosa single and a swipe of 2nd base as Chase Compton drills a double to right center. In the same inning with Outlaw DH Matt Chavez at the plate, he hit a foul ball that bounced off the grandstand pole and came right at us. Shawn jumped up and grabbed the foul ball with one hand for his first foul ball caught ever at a ball game. Regardless if the Outlaw one a championship on this night Shawn was one happy fan in the stands on this great evening for baseball. Outlaws scored two runs in the 5th inning on a BU Bearcat Manhouri RBI double and Asuaje RBI double for a 3-1 lead. Chase Compton continued his hot hitting with a deep drive over the right fielders head to plate another BU Bearcat in John Howell for a 4-1 lead. Outlaws add another run as they put the game in cruise control until the 9th inning. Oneonta closer Brady Wager quickly got the first two outs as the excitement grew louder and the crowd was getting pumped up only one out from a championship. 2214 fans mostly rooting for the hometown Outlaws went nutz when a Webster Yankee hit an apparent line drive out to 2nd as the Outlaws raced out of the dugout to celebrate the title. Wait! Wait! The umpire calls the batter safe with no catch stating it hit the ground. All the Outlaw players must return to the dugout for a do-over. The Outlaw closer didn’t disappoint as he struck out the next batter for the Outlaws to claim the championship as the second dog pile was created by the pitcher’s mound. The Oneonta Outlaws claimed the 2011 New York College Baseball League crown as Outlaw 1st baseball from Louisiana Lafayette Chase Compton grabbed M.V.P. honors. Icing on the cake was that Shawn finally grabbed a foul ball at a baseball game. His smile with the ball; priceless!

Elmira July 2011 Trip

2011-08-02T16:30:00.005-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Elmira July 2011 Trip:

Dunn Field (Elmira, N.Y.) Newark Pilots at Elmira Pioneers
Perfect Game League (Summer College)
Date: July 29, 2011

After three parks in three days earlier in the week Alexei asked me if I wanted to take a little road trip with her to catch a ball game. We thought about going to Oneonta to catch some NYCBL Playoff baseball as the Outlaws were in the Eastern Division Finals but the rain wasn’t looking good so we decided to head west to Elmira. We left in a hurry at 5:30ish for a 7:05 first pitch at Dunn Field in a Perfect Game league contest between Newark and the hometown Pioneers. We had a smooth ride their but I did get a little lost after I missed the turn coming off Route 17. Alexei’s cool iphone app saved us and directed us to the ballpark nestled along the Susquehanna River.

After picking up our pink general admission tickets we grabbed some hot dogs and burgers and headed up to pick a spot underneath the historic grandstand. There was a decent crowd on hand compared to the previous Perfect Game League game I attended with Shawn in Cooperstown on Scout Night. Alexei right away commented how neat she thought the old time grandstand looked and liked the Hall of Fame Bullpen Theater seats. Quiet start for both clubs as the lefties on the hill looked sharp through the first two innings of baseball. Alexei was in a baseball mood as she asked questions and I taught her the ins and outs of scoring a baseball game. Speaking of scoring, the Pioneers went off in the bottom of the third inning sending 11 men to the plate to score six runs. The big blow came from no name on the roster number 19 with a base clearing three RBI double. As the Pioneers scored runs some bug dude with his pants falling down would run across the concourse waving a Pioneer flag. I noticed the small dimensions of the diamond with 325 down the lines and 385 in center with a twenty foot wall in left field. I was telling Alexei in the 4th inning this was like going back in time compared to the last three parks on the Philly trip with no video board at the park. The visiting Pilots finally get on the board with a run after a HBP and error and pass ball allowed Brown to score to make it a 6-1 game. Now that sounds like Summer College Baseball manufactured run.

Bottom of the 4th inning and a routine ball bounced over the 3rd basemen’s head for a single. It looked like the worse field conditions I’ve seen so far this summer. I think the field needed some water and a little tender loving care. Lots of foul territory at the park also like a lot of the older parks. I can remember big time Section 4 football games being held at Dunn Field before the astro turf fields were constructed in the greater Binghamton area. Bottom of the 5th inning and Alexei scores a batter as I grab us a couple of slices of Pudgies Pizza. Pioneers score four more times in the 6th inning as notice at least four bad bounces on the infield. Normoyle had the big blow with a 2 RBI single for a 10-1 lead after six innings of baseball. Neat promo at the park as the 9th batter for Newark was the strikeout guy. If Brown was struck out by a Pioneer during the game then everyone would be able to purchase $1.00 Beer and $1.00 soda for the next half inning. When the Pioneers scored ten runs the scoreboard only went to 9 so they put a “1” in the 10th inning and “0” in the “R’ column to make ten on the board. Ferri came in for Elmira to close out the game striking out two as the Pioneers surged towards a playoff spot while father and daughter enjoyed some quality time together.

Allentown July 2011 Trip

2011-08-02T15:05:00.004-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Allentown July 2011 Trip:

Coca-Cola Park (Allentown, P.A.) Pawtucket Red Sox (Red Sox) at Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies)
International League (Triple A)
Date: July 27, 2011

Tia and I woke up for our 3rd day on the tour as we left the King of Prussia Philly area headed into the mountains in Bucks County. Our destination was a shopping area called Peddler’s Village nestled in Bucks County about thirty minutes north of King of Prussia. We arrived at the shopping area and started to tour the colonial looking specialty shops. I think we both felt the place was a bit creepy in the sense not a lot of folks were out shopping. Not as creepy as the stop in Cooperstown at the Family Museum back in early fall of 2009. It turned out to be a pretty neat place and I suggest anyone who has a chance to check it out. I was able to pick up some new dice for the ABL and also picked up an interesting Negro league voice book in a cool book store. We ate in a restaurant called the Cock & Bull for lunch that was very tasty indeed. After finishing up our shopping we headed for our hotel in Allentown before catching our third park in three days.

Once we arrived at the hotel I checked online to see when the gates open without any luck and Tia had to call the stadium. They were basically said come early since we are sold out tonight because Roy Oswalt is making his first rehab start of the year. We were like “sweet”. Ok, maybe I was a bit more pleased with the situation than Tia. The ballpark was located in an odd spot off a busy area much like the Vestal Parkway and away from downtown Allentown. The traffic was pretty backed up going into the ballpark as the only parking was in the stadium lots. We parked our car for $3.00 compared to $15.00 the previous night in Philly and walked across the street to the ballpark. The stadium only had two entrances to get in the ball park. You entered in the right field gate or a gate behind home if you had suite level seating. The place was mobbed as you might expect as bubbles were coming out of these machines as you entered the ballpark. I headed straight for the merchandise shop to pick up my Pig cap. Tia helped me select the cap this time around as there were tons to choose from.

After purchasing my Pig cap we grabbed some dogs and headed to our seats two rows behind the Lehigh Valley dugout. Tia was like, “Are we really this close? Not sure if I want to get clocked with a foul ball.” I didn’t realize we were that close but our options were limited since we had to purchase them off stub hub because they draw so well. Luckily no balls came are way throughout the night but we were on our toes when lefties stepped in the box. We both agreed we just ingested some of the worse hotdogs ever at a ballpark but the cheese fires almost made up for it. Then finally the Iron Pigs took the field as Roy Oswalt trotted out right in front of us out to the mound as the crowd gave him a roar. Oswalt pitched a perfect 1, 2, 3 inning with two strikeouts for a good first inning. In the bottom of the first inning I noticed former Cubbie great Ryne Sandberg and ABL 1991 playoff M.V.P. patrolling the third base coaches’ box as the manager of the Iron Pigs. Oswalt struggled in the top of the 2nd inning with a couple of walks but managed to escape with no damage done. Bottom of the 2nd inning and Delwyn Young went yard for a solo homer to right center. The Pigs added two more runs as Paw Sox starter Weiland struggled with his control walking three batters in the inning and hitting another. The Bullpens in leftfield were a little unique because they were side by side but on a level plane allowing the home team relievers a better view. There was grass seating in left center as the wall climbed double the size out in right field. Another 1, 2, 3 inning by Oswalt on the bump as plenty of Phillies trade deadline talk around us as it seemed everyone in the area was in tuned with the Phillies. Oswalt finally made a mistake in the top of the 4th inning as hot prospect Lars Anderson sent a changeup deep to right field over the wall for a round tripper. Oswalt was done after four innings and much like Syracuse when Strasburg would leave the game some folks headed for the exits. New pitcher Edell came in for Lehigh Valley and struck out Jose Iglesias of the Paw Sox and smoke come out of a coffee cup in Right Center after every strikeout for a Pigs pitcher.

Bottom of the 6th inning, Tia and I got up from our dugout seats and started to roam the ballpark to check out other seating areas. Tia and I both thought the ballpark was kind of crammed and even a bit small on the layout for a Triple A park compared to other Triple A parks we have visited in the past. One thing was for sure the mascot was very active and entertaining much like the Phillie Phanatic just down the road. As we moved around the park we noticed some neat seats right behind home much like the ones in Anaheim where fans are almost below the field with an interesting view. We heard from a few folks that seats are tough to get as the Pigs averaged over 9,000 fans in 2010 and for a last place club to boot. Pete Orr who played for Syracuse last season lead off the 7th with a single then stole second base. He was doubled in by Josh Barfield with two outs to make it a 4-1 Iron Pigs lead. Aumont came in the 8th and then finished with a perfect 1, 2, 3, 9th inning as Hector Luna was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. The Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs increased their lead in first place as Tia and I decided this park was ranked lower than the previous two on the trip and folks in Allentown just aren’t as friendly as the people in Philly. The big accomplishment of the trip was we did it again with three parks in three days with no complaints about a “Jumbo Hot Dog”.

Philadelphia July 2011 Trip

2011-08-01T16:42:00.007-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Philadelphia July 2011 Trip:

Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia, N.J.) San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies
Major League Baseball
Date: July 26, 2011

Tia and I woke up for our 2nd day in the Philly area with happier thoughts after we saw the weather report of sunny skies for the next two days. We went back to the King of Prussia mall and enjoyed the mall the second time around finding neat things to purchase here and there. We decided to catch a movie for our afternoon activity as we watched Kevin James in Zookeeper. It wasn’t as funny as Horrible Bosses during our Scranton trip but actually wasn’t too bad. After talking to the concierge at the front desk of our hotel we realized we needed to leave the hotel between 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. to not get stuck in the prime rush hour traffic as we headed into south Philly. We headed down and this time we prepared for some bumper to bumper action and we did a little better arriving at our destination around 4:30 p.m. We also parked in the naval lot as instructed by several bloggers vs. the main stadium lots and we realized the benefits once the game was over.

After paying $15.00 to park the car a few blocks away we headed towards the sports complex to check out all the different stadiums. Along with Citizens Bank Park there is Lincoln Field the home of the Eagles and Wells Fargo Arena that is home to the Flyers and Sixers during the colder months. We walked around the outside of the park snapping photos until we heard an announcement that the left field gates were now open. We headed there as you could enter Ashburn Alley and check out batting practice and grab a bite to eat. As we entered it was interesting that they patted me down but must have felt Tia was not a security risk as she avoided the pat down. I grabbed a Phillies blue cap after much debate as Tia had her eye on some BBQ. We headed to Bulls BBQ a place I’ve heard ESPN podcaster Eric Karabell talk about several times. We grabbed a pulled Pork sandwich and Turkey sandwich that were both very tasty. After enjoying the grub the rest of the park opened up as we toured each level and took several photos. We decided on some desert with a Phillies helmet sundae as we enjoyed the view from our Terrace level seating with the first pitch only moments away.

As the starting lineups were announced there was some minor disappointment as San Francisco starter Tim Lincecum was scratched due to the flu and former Channel Cat Barry Zito would get the start in his place. Young red hot Vance Worley would toe the rubber for the hometown Phils. The Giants came up flying with a leadoff double by Torres who eventually scored on a Panda Sac Fly to left. Phillies responded in the bottom of the first inning as Ryan Howard ripped an RBI double and Raaaaauuuuuul Ibanez went yard with a three run shot for a 4-1 lead. The Beer vendor was entertaining playing with the crowd and even threw out some jokes “Difference between me and my wife’s boy friend?” “30 minutes.” Both clubs went down in order during inning two and three. Ryan Vogelsong who Tia and I saw before the game throwing a side session was one of the players along with John Mayberry Jr. I chatted with back in 2011 during my snow trip to Syracuse. At the time they were both playing for Lehigh Valley and wondered why I wasn’t at the mall with my family instead of freezing my butt off at the ball game. They both have advanced their careers a bit since that chilly April afternoon. And right on cue John Mayberry Jr. went yard with a solo homer in the bottom of the 4th inning that traveled 416 feet to give the Phillies a 5-1 lead. At that point Tia mentioned that Citizens was giving Citi Field the home of the Mets a run for their money in food offerings. Vance Worley was on his game as he struck out the side in the top of the 5th and all were looking. Top of the 6th and the couple behind us started chatting with me about scoring a baseball game and that it was a neat thing to do. The gentlemen as originally from Plattsburgh, N.Y. and is now a concert promoter in the Philly area. He also stated how he loved the home of the Camden Riversharks on the river and how it was a fun place to catch a game. Between innings a special guest was put on the big screen as Jimmy “Super Fly” Snuka was in the house for the game.

Bottom of the 6th inning and a first for me at a major league game as Chase Utley blasted a ball deep to center that went off the triangle as he motored around the bases for a inside the park home run. 45,000 plus went nuts as even Tia jumped out of her seat in excitement. Everyone around us was excellent and friendly taking baseball. A much different feel than New York, I guess that’s why that call it the city of brotherly love. Aaron Rowand added a pinch hit homer in the 8th inning for the Phillies as Ryan Howard countered for the hometown club with a solo blast of his own to deep center. Raul Ibanez made the defensive play of the game in the top of the 9th inning climbing the wall to rob Pablo Sandoval of extra bases. Vance Worley went the distance on Italian Heritage night to pick up his 7th win of the season. The game was completed in a crisp two hours and eight minutes as the large crowd went home happy. We headed back to King of Prussia to catch the highlights on Baseball Tonight. One more park to go in our three day tour as we head north to Lehigh Valley.

Camden July 2011 Trip

2011-08-01T15:47:00.003-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Camden July 2011 Trip:

Campbell’s Field (Camden, N.J.) Long Island Ducks at Camden Riversharks
Atlantic League (Indy)
Date: July 25, 2011

Tia and I headed down to the Philadelphia to embark on our 2011 version of three ballparks in three days tour. We arrived at the huge King of Prussia Mall in time to grab some lunch. We checked out some shops and then headed to our hotel right next to the Mall. We decided to get on the road just past 5 p.m. for a 7 p.m. first pitch in Camden, N.J. According to the GPS and map quest we were looking at about a twenty minute ride. We were both in for a surprise as we fought through 75 minutes of bumper to bumper rush hour traffic as we headed towards the Ben Franklin Bridge. We finally made it to the bridge and across as the directions we actually very easy to the ballpark. We arrived at the parking lot and we awed a bit by the size of the bridge compared to Campbell’s Field. We knew there was rain in the area but were hopeful we would be able to catch some baseball.

We headed into the stadium as I realized the entrance was very similar to Syracuse’s Alliance Bank Stadium with the stairs that lead up to the main concourse. I grabbed a red cap with the “C” with the shark bite before heading to our seats down the first base line. Our seats were almost covered from the upper level but not completely if the wind shifted you were going to get a little wet. We both were kind of stunned a little bit on the view of the Ben Franklin Bridge up against the stadium. I guess it just one of those things that are hard to describe. I ventured around the ballpark to take in the sights and capture some pictures. One thing that was odd was the majority of the concessions were only opened up on the third base side of the concourse. Maybe they knew it was a pretty good chance of a rainout. We did manage to grab a slice to pizza and hang out under the dry concourse hoping the rain would pass.

The rain delay officially started at 7:05 p.m. as the tarp was put on the field. They stated over the loud speaker only a brief shower was passing through and we would get to see live baseball. I was looking forward to seeing former ABLer Lew Ford of the Long Island Ducks and 2010 MLB player Pedro Feliz for the hometown Sharks play. Some Long Island Ducks players had some fun during the delay spraying some Sharks fans with a super soaker. After over an hour of waiting for the rain to stop the rain only got worse as they called the game at 8:24 p.m. Even Tia was disappointed we drove through all that traffic to not be able to catch a game but at least we saw something different with the ballpark’s unique location on the Delaware River bank. We headed back to King of Prussia and closed the night out by grabbing a bite to eat at Hooters. Oddly enough the girls in Hooters had chests flatted than mine but at least the food was tasty on a downer for day one of the Philly area ballpark trip.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre July 2011 Trip

2011-08-01T13:40:00.009-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Scranton July 2011 Trip:

PNC Field (Mossic, P.A.) Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals) at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Yankees)
International League (Triple A)
Date: July 23, 2011

Tia’s and I took a quick trip down to Scranton as we started our vacation before heading down to the Philly area for three days the following week. Tia came home from work Friday and said she just wanted to go somewhere and do something crazy. We considered driving to Tennessee to drop Chad’s car off to check out Hagerstown, M.D. and Nashville, T.N. We quickly realized that was an impossible task with us leaving the next Monday for city of brotherly love. We checked out if Hornell, Jamestown, Erie, or Pittsburgh was a possibility. Erie was actually sold out for July 23rd game and Pittsburgh’s hotels were all booked up so were ended up in Scranton to catch the Yankees.

We headed about an hour south on a hot steamy day in the middle of a heat wave with temperatures in the mid 90’s. We checked out the shopping in and around the Montage Mountain area. Tia found a nice Babe Ruth painting to add to our Living/Yankee room. We than checked out a funny flick called “Horrible Bosses” before heading down the hill to PNC Park. We headed into the stadium and up to our seats in the upper deck behind home plate. We quickly decided to move down the third base line to get out of the direct sunlight. I noticed the right center field video board was not working and the center field board was about 50 percent in operation as I wrote in the lineups. The game started between two south paws as Tom Milone looked good early on for the visiting Chiefs. Tia already started bitching that she likes games in September due to the cooler temperatures. Can you say “Jumbo Hotdog!” I agreed after the next half inning that this one might have been the hottest night game we have ever attended. We decided in the top of the third to move up to the top row to enjoy a little breeze as the offense started in the game. Steve Lombardozi went yard to lead off the inning with a homer to left field. Hot prospect Chris Marrero made it 2-0 with a solo homer of his own to give the visiting Chiefs 2-0 lead. Yankees battled back in the bottom of the 2nd inning as Doug Bernier lead off with a single. Greg Golson smacked a triple to right center to plate on run and Montero delivered the ground ball to short to plate Golson to tie the game at two. In the 4th Tia made a run for a tasty Philly Cheesesteak in the scorching heat that hit the spot. There was great looking play by young 2nd basemen Luis Nunez in the top of the 5th inning on Steve Lombardozi line drive. Bottom of the 5th and Doug Bernier the veteran shortstop starts another rally for the Yanks. Bases loaded for Jesus Montero and he ripped a double down the line to plate two runs for a 4-2 lead. Jordan Parra added a RBI groundout in the same inning for a 5-2 Yankee lead.

As the Yankees chased Syracuse starter Tom Milone the bullpens settled down on the hill. I left in the 6th inning to grab Tia some ice cream as she scored the ball game ABL style for a few batters. We both noticed the music selections during the game was more like music Alexei listens to and Latin music was lacking. I settled back in as once again God Bless America was played during the 7th inning. I personally think Yankee Stadium is more than enough for that particular tribute to 9/11. Awesome double play started in the top of the 8th as Luis Nunez earned a second “star” in the SCORECARD for the hometown Yankees. Tia started freaking out in the 8th a bit as some apparent bats were trolling the stadium looking for a snack. Yankee closer Kevin Whelan then took the ball in the 9th inning and had a 1, 2, 3 inning as the Yankees held on for a 5-2 victory. After Greg Golson made the catch to end the game we heard “New York, New York on the p.a. system even though we were in P.A.” It turned out to be a pretty entertaining game on a steamy night in July. We wrapped up the trip the following morning with a quick stop by the Mohegan Sun Casino at Pocono Downs as Tia cashed in on the penny slots with a $144.00 winner. As Josh Whetzel told me a few years back, “A happy momma is a happy house.” Philly trip up next.

Cooperstown July 2011 Trip

2011-07-11T19:51:00.007-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Cooperstown July 2011 Trip:

Doubleday Field (Cooperstown, N.Y.) Amsterdam Mohawks at Cooperstown Hawkeyes
Perfect Game League (Summer College)
Date: July 4, 2011

As the July 4th holiday weekend approached and the local hockey team's Calder cup victory in the review mirror. Slowly but surely the attention started to switch to America’s past time. I was able to catch two B-Mets game back to back on Thursday June 30th and Friday July 1st. Shawn, Stacy, and little Aiden joined Lenny and I for the crushing defeat of 14-6 given by the Bowie Bay Sox affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles. The next night Lenny and I saw a much more entertaining game as the 7th overall pick in last year’s draft was on the hill in the form of Matt Harvey as the B-Mets won only their second game of the year with me in attendance on a Raul Reyes single in the bottom of the 9th inning. After a fun trip with the family to Jim Thorpe P.A. on Saturday and a farewell BBQ for former ABL manager and Tia’s brother Chad on Sunday, it was time for some more baseball.

I woke up and got ready and then headed up I-88 headed towards the birthplace of baseball in Cooperstown, N.Y. What better way to spend America’s Birthday by going to a ball game in Cooperstown and checking out the hallowed halls of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I swung by Afton on the way up and grabbed fellow ABL manager Shawn for the day’s activities. On the drive up the rest of I-88 it was no surprised we discussed ABL stuff like the importance of scouting the cards and will the Cats ever hit the baseball.

The plan was to arrive, check out the Baseball Hall of Fame and then catch the 1 p.m. ball game at Doubleday Field between the visiting Amsterdam Mohawks and Cooperstown Hawkeyes. Due to a late start we only had enough time to catch the baseball highlight video and check out the third floor of the museum. It was a bit crowded with all the kids from the Little League tournaments but the newly updated records display was nice treat. Realizing we couldn’t finish the entire tour we decided to head to the park and come back to the hallowed halls after the game. On our way to the park, we stopped by the batting cages and Shawn took some hacks in the right handed 40 mph curve stall. He struggled at first to make contact as I told some kids looking on that’s why he never made it past single A. Eventually the Dawg started really seeing the curve and started stroking the ball with authority. At the time the kids were impressed by the swings. Due to my aching back I declined to step in the cage but think I’ll give it a go another time if I make it up there later in the summer.

We headed over to the park, grabbed our tickets and them some much needed ballpark food. By far the best piece of pizza I’ve had at a ballpark in quite some time. A large triangle slice from the local pizza place in town was quite tasty. Once loaded with some grub we headed for a spot under the historic grand stand behind the visitor’s dugout towards the top. What a great day for baseball on a sunny July 4th afternoon in town that just breathes the sport. The big lefty Kono was on the bump for the Hawkeyes as he sent the Amsterdam Mohawks down 1, 2, and 3 in the first. Amsterdam was sporting these red t-shirts that looked like we wore during our Babe Ruth days as the home town Hawkeyes had nice classic white uniforms with their Detroit Tiger like “C” on their chest. Mark Leiter Jr. was on the mound for the Mohawks and was very impressive in the first inning striking out the side. We both looked at each other and said “Wow.” “Is he related to someone who played in the majors like Al Leiter?” Cooperstown finally got to Leiter Jr. as he left a couple of curve balls up. Barron and Nelson ripped RBI singles to give the Hawkeyes a 2-0 lead after three innings. In a game that involved very few promotions between innings we say an interesting one as Cooperstown pitching coach tossed a full at bat to different community figures between innings. The Cooperstown High School Principal struck out as the pitching coach brought some heat. Shawn said, “That’s one of the better promotions I’ve seen at a game.” In the 5th inning with Cooperstown still up 2-0 we noticed the odd looking brown looking circle speakers in the grandstand as we checked out the nooks and grannies of the old structure. With some help from the internet and some fellow fans we realized that the pitcher on the mound was the son of former MLB pitcher Mark Leiter and nephew of Al Leiter. Shawn thought Mark might be present and sure enough behind home plate he sat with his family. Most baseball fans know his uncle Al who currently works for MLB Network and the YES network. Al’s brother Mark pitched eleven big league seasons after getting his start with the New York Yankees in 1990.

Top of the 6th inning and Cooperstown right fielder Barron robbed Amsterdam’s Vidrine of a homer at the wall. The impressive play continued as Mark Leiter Jr. on the bump was bringing some serious velocity and a snapping curve ball that looked pretty good for summer college ball. Finally the Mohawks bats woke up in the top of the 7th as three runs came across the dish. Josh Alexander out of Utah smacked a nice opposite field home run to right for a 3-2 lead. After that we decided to move our seats to get some views down the first base line. On the way I bumped into former B-Mets general manager Bill Terlecky. Bill is moonlighting as the GM of the Hawkeyes as his career winds down. An odd thing happened between the bottom of the 7th and top of the 8th inning. God Bless America just started blaring out of the speakers without any warning. Most of the players kept warming up until they realized what happened. Shawn and I kind of slowly rose up and removed our caps and said, “WTF?” Top of the 9th and Amsterdam adds on another run with a deep solo homer over the black monster in left field. Cooperstown made it exciting in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs the 9th place batter Izzo drew a walk. Then another walk until red hot Danny Nelson ripped a double to tie the game at four a piece. Shawn was hoping for a ball as we moved further down the first base line but instead the Mohawks would smack a double down the line that stayed in the park in the top of the 10th as three runs came across. Cooperstown had no answer in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Mohawks won 7-4 in ten innings. Mark Leiter Jr. was by far the most impressive with seven innings of work with eight strikeouts and only one walk.

On to the Hall of Fame to finish up our tour as Shawn was able to catch the Negro League exhibit for the first time as we discussed managing in the old Old-timer league we used to have with Pursue the Pennant. He also was able to check out the Latino display for the first time since his last visit to the hallowed halls. After that we checked out the plaques as Shawn wanted to see his boyhood hero Wade Boggs. We then hit all the shops in the museum and then out in the town. I was able to grab a Ryan Braun t-shit for my collection hoping he’ll be a Channel Cat for a long time. The wonderful day filled of baseball was winding down. We decided to grab some grub at TJ’s Place before heading home as the Dawg was gracious to big up the tab. “Thank You”. We then headed for Afton talking more baseball and ABL chat realizing days like these don’t happen often and need to be savored on America’s Birthday!

Williamsport June 2011 Trip

2011-06-25T22:27:00.002-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Williamsport June 2011 Trip:

Bowman Field (Williamsport, P.A.) State College Spikes (Pirates) at Williamsport Crosscutters (Phillies)
New York-Penn League
Date: June 17, 2011

Finally made it to a ballpark I’ve been trying to get to for a few years now. Historic Bowman Field located in Williamsport, P.A. approximately three hours from the Southern Tier. Bowman Field was the home to the Double A club the Williamsport Bills that moved to Binghamton to become the Binghamton Mets back in 1992. The ballpark is also the 2nd oldest minor league park in the country and was reportedly modeled after Johnson Field the former home of the old Binghamton Triplets. Williamsport is also home to the Little League World Series seen on T.V. every late summer. As usual this trip was more than just about baseball and a nice little get away for the wife and me.

Tia and I woke up earlier than normal for a day off due to our excitement of the chance to get out of the Binghamton area. We had a nice day planned down in Williamsport P.A. but as we headed west then south through the back roads of P.A. the threat of rain continued as we drove to our destination. The plan was to take a boat ride on the Susquehanna River when we arrived in town but we arrived a few minutes too late as the boat departed from shore. We changed things up and headed to the Little League Museum just across the river in South Williamsport. The Museum was well done but the highlight was getting a chance to see Howard J. Lamade Stadium the home of the Little League World Series. It was amazing to see the 10,000 seat stadium wrapped around a Little League field on the biggest stage. I grew up watching the Little League World Series and even re-creating it several times on the tabletop with different dice games. Tia and I then headed back across the river after a nice lunch to enjoy a nice boat ride down the pretty West Branch of the Susquehanna River on the Hiawatha Peddle Boat.

After the boat ride we headed to our hotel in downtown Williamsport that was the usual challenge to find f\or the “beech” in the box. This time road construction was the big problem as we navigated our way to the hotel. After a little R&R it was time to drive to the Westside to catch some baseball at Historic Bowman Field. As we approached the field we noticed the ballpark was located right across the street for the original first ever Little League Field called “Memorial Park”. We then followed the traffic right into the park and decided to park in the premium lot for a $2.00 charge. The same guy that took our boat tickets a few hours back was working his 2nd job collecting money for parking. That is what I call a hard working youth and I let him know that. Once we parked and started walking towards the park we quickly realized there was a line to get in and the fans were pumped up for opening night. The buzz around the ballpark was about former Phillies 2nd Baseman Mickey Morandini starting his managerial career with the Cutters. After waiting in line as “Talk me out to the Ballgame” was played out the front gate we headed to the smallest souvenir stand we’ve seen in quite awhile. It was the size of a basic shed and got quite crowded fast. I grabbed a cap with the “W” on it that is jagged like a lumberjack saw, Alexei a Cutter key chain, and finally used my coupon for a free program. We checked out the small concourse and food items and then decided to head up the tunnels to our seats since we head general admission tickets in the grandstand. We settled on a spot on the bleachers along the 3rd base side just behind home under the roof. The grandstand bleachers were setup very similar to Auburn’s park and Batavia’s place in the same NY-Penn League. I headed back down to grab us some food as Tia scoped out the place looking for interesting tidbits.

Once I returned with food for both of us and enjoyed a very tasty hotdog for a Single A ballpark. We heard an interesting on field interview from the Crowd announcer like T.J. at B-Mets games interview new manager Mickey Morandini. Tia pointed out the fact there was obstructed views with the old style poles in the grandstand like Fenway Park. We also noticed the fact that the dugouts were very small and located all the way down the lines at 1st and 3rd base respectively. Several of the coaches sat outside the dugouts on chairs since the dugouts were overcrowded. The hometown crowd was into the game earlier at the old time ballpark as baseball was finally played. The hometown Cutters broke a scoreless tie in the 3rd as catcher Bob Stumpo lead off with a home run as the Cutters exploded with the bats. The Cutters also were very aggressive on the base paths with three steals in the 3rd inning alone. 3rd basemen Maikel Franco caped off the inning with a long moon shot three run homer over the wall in left that had the neighbored kids scrambling for the ball as they watched through the fence. The Cutters were on top 6-0 after four innings as Cutter’s starter Bastidas looked sharp with some life on the fast ball keeping the Spikes off balance. The park was large in dimension with 345 down the left field line, 405 in center, and 350 down the right field line. Bowman Field had an old school large foul territory on both sides of the diamond. There is always one player that Tia usually notices and makes a comment on, besides the catcher for the Cutters it was the linebacker looking 1st basemen for the visiting State College Spikes. Michaelangel Trinidad who played 1st base for the Spikes was a stocking looking player who looked liked there was some pop in his bat. He finished 0-4 but the Spikes finished the game with only six hits in total. The Cutters reliever Gabriel Arias came in the 7th inning and cruised for three innings as the Cutters added another run late for a dominating 7-0 opening night victory. After the game Tia and I headed back to the hotel and grabbed a bite to eat at Perkins that was honestly a little creepy for a Friday night but overall another fun successful trip with my wife of seventeen years.

Binghamton University June 2011 Trip

2011-06-24T20:54:00.002-04:00

BASEBALL THOUGHTS:
Commish’s Binghamton University June 2011 Trip:

Varsity Field (Vestal, N.Y.) Saratoga Central at Chenango Valley (Briarcliff at Chenango Valley)
New York State Class B High School Championships
Date: June 11, 2011 and June 12, 2011

I finally made the extremely short trip to the Binghamton University campus to catch a ball game at Varsity Field. Varsity Field is home to the Division One NCAA America East Binghamton Bearcats. This particular weekend in June the park was home to the New York State Class B High School Championships involving the local Chenango Valley Warriors. The CV Warriors are coached by former ABL manager and my cousin Mike Allen.

I’ve always wanted to catch a ball game at this park to add it to my list but always had a tough time making it over to watch a BU Bearcats game in the cold and rainy spring time. Cold wouldn’t be an issue this time but the weather later in the day would have an impact on the day’s festivities causing a two-day event. I had a lot of faith in Mikey’s ballclub so I bought a tournament pass for $14.00 when I arrived at the gate. Hoping the Warriors would win the first game against Saratoga Central from the Albany area to advance to the State Final. When I walked in the park I quickly noticed only one set of bleachers sitting behind home looking through a chain link backstop. The bleachers were filling up fast with parents and supporters from both teams. I decided to stroll down the 1st basemen line and quickly realized the twelve foot fence extended all the way down the baseline on both sides. As the game started and I took another crack at scoring a high school game with my Bob Carpenter’s Scorebook, it was difficult to look through the high fence at an angle down the first base line. I ended up going all the way out to right field by the foul pole to at least get a straight shot through the fence and then the hits started coming. Honestly it felt like I was watching a game through a prison fence or something. I have no idea why the fence had to be that tall all the way around the diamond. Another interest fact was the dugouts had no screen protection for the players and the park was hosting a high school event. Back to the game as Saratoga took an early first inning lead with a single and wild pitch as CV’s ace Austin Lewis was a bit shaky in the first inning. The CV bats responded with a five run first as Jordan Ashman went deep over the wall in left field. The outfield wall is quite high with a very spacious outfield and plenty of room to cover. The Warriors put five more up in the 4th inning and held a 10-3 lead. Top of the 5th came and the wheels came off as the Saints from the north scored nine runs with hit and after hit. Finally Mike Allen had to make the tough decision to remove his ace to stop the bleeding. Saratoga was leading 12-10 after trailing 10-3 after five complete innings. CV was only down two runs with only two innings left to play since they only play seven innings in high school baseball. Mike rallied the troops in the bottom of the 6th inning as the boys just started taking pitches and drawing walks. The shortstop and one of the team leaders Mahoney ripped a 2 RBI triple that sent the student body into a frenzy as the Warriors snatched the lead back. The bats kept going for a total of eight runs in the inning and an 18-12 lead. Saratoga scored two more in the 7th inning but Mike Fillers induced a ground out to first to end the game and sent the Warriors to the championship game.

The second game would pit the Briarcliff Bears from downstate against the CV Warriors in the Class B New York State Championship. Briarcliff got it going early on a deep solo homer to right center by Fussell but the Warrior bats responded with a seven run first inning. Fernald and Lewis smacked RBI doubles to pace the offense as the Warriors carried over the momentum from the Semi-Final slugfest. Briarcliff scored a run in the 2nd to make it 7-2 and soon after the weather got involved. After the top of the third the much talked about thunderstorm came rolling in from the west. The ground crew never covered the field and quickly after the rain stopped it was determined the field was unplayable. Tia’s brother Chad joined me for the big game and kept hoping the game would resume somewhere that night. We talked to Mike skipping through Press Row and he let us know they were going to try and play the game somewhere else Saturday night. The rains never let up and instead the suspended game was resumed at NYSEG Stadium on Sunday June 12th. All five championship games were either resumed or played on Sunday at NYSEG stadium the home of the B-Mets and CV was last on the list to play. My daughter Alexei had a dance recital at 3 p.m.so missing the completion of the game was looking like a great possibility. Luckily for me a few more rain delays on Sunday allowed me to show up to the raucous stadium crowd in the 4th inning. Briarcliff was attempting a comeback but the Warriors held on 7-4 lead to claim their first ever Class B New York State Championship. First time I ever saw the start of one game in one park and then finished in another park across town. Congrats to former ABL manager Mike Allen who went from ABL Champion to State Champion! I’m just glad was I was able to enjoy the playoff ride with new state champions.

Stratis-Pro Baseball: '83 Red Sox vs '83 Yankees

2010-08-27T14:47:00.006-04:00

Statis Pro Basic Baseball by Avalon Hill

Added another game to my list of games played after a fellow co-worker mentioned he grew up playing SP from AH.

Quick thoughts on the game: FAC Cards were new for me. I've always played dice games for the most part. It was actually kind of neat with a lot of information on the cards but I just wondered about the randomness with my poor card shuffling skills. I really liked the game board with the added chart information right on the board. There is only "Out" charts you need to reference outside of the cards and game board. I incorrectly informed fellow ABL manager Lenny that the cards were pre-cut. They are all actually perforated but already separated for me. The FAC Cards are also perforated but have the AH glossy look and feel to the them.

Game Recap: The '83 Red Sox visited the '83 Yanks. John Tudor on the hill for the Sox as another lefty Dave Righetti took the mound for the Yanks. Red Sox score two in the top of the 3rd with some help from a Carl Yaz bases loaded walk and Rags wild pitch. Yanks tie the game in the 6th on a Don Baylor 2 run shot. Yanks then explode in the 7th with a Jerry Mumphry RBI double followed by a Dave Winfield three run blast to knock out Tudor. The Yanks added another home run in the 8th inning on a Griffey SR. two run blast for a 10-3 victory.

C-Bay's 2009 ABL Draft

2009-01-27T21:05:00.004-05:00

1. Justin Morneau 1b
2. Mike Napoli C
3. Ryan Braun LF
4. Jair Jurrjens SP
5. Jay Howell RP
6. Max Scherzer RP
7. Alberto Callaspo SS
8. Chris Volstad SP
9. Ramon Ramirez RP
10. Huston Street RP
11. Jason Kendall C
12. Hiroki Kuroda SP
13. Kevin Gregg RP
14. Casey Blake 3b
15. Mike Jacobs 1b