New York Collegiate Baseball League Blog: January 2007

Sunday, January 28, 2007

EIGHT NYCBL ALUMS LISTED AS “PLAYERS TO WATCH”

Eight former New York Collegiate Baseball League players have been tabbed as 2007 NCAA Division III “Players to Watch” by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. The list was published on January 5, 2007.

Jimmy Dougher (Glens Falls ’05) Cortland State
Sam Mann (Hornell ’05) Washington & Jefferson
Dan Maycock (Mohawk Valley ’05) Cortland State
Jason Pollard (Amsterdam ’06) Rensselaer
Nick Sottung (Genesee Valley ’05) Ithaca
John Tine (Mohawk Valley ’05) Utica
Tim Wilson (Genesee Valley ’06) Brockport State
Joe Zongol (Saratoga ’06) Rensselaer

[Editors Note: Darin Mastroianni (Saratoga '06) of Southern Indiana University was selected as a NCAA Division II "Player To Watch" by Collegiate Baseball News. Mastroianni, a first-team All-NYCBL selection last summer, batted .348 with 25 runs batted in, 17 steals and 54 hits. He was among the candidates for the NYCBL Player of the Year Award. If I hear of any more names that have been listed, I will post them]

Jimmy Dougher pitched for the Glens Falls Golden Eagles during the summer of 2005. He is a two-time SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year at Cortland State. Dougher has helped lead the Red Dragons to back-to-back appearances in the championship game of the NCAA Division III New York regional playoffs. He was also tabbed as the New York region Pitcher of the Year. Last summer, Dougher pitched for the Peninsula Pilots of the Coastal Plain League where he went 7-1 with a 0.79 earned run average. Jimmy also pitched in the Coastal Plain League All-Star Game. He is currently a senior criminology major at Cortland State.

Sam Mann was a member of the 2005 NYCBL champion Hornell Dodgers. He was a second- team NYCBL all-star and pitched a complete-game shutout in the first game of the NYCBL Championship series. Mann was a first team All-PAC selection in the spring at Washington and Jefferson and helped the Presidents win the conference championship. He also was tabbed to the Academic All-District II first team by ESPN, The Magazine. Last summer, Mann went 7-0 with the Florence Red Wolves of the Coastal Plain League. He collected team highs in innings pitched (83 2/3), starts (11), and complete games (2). Mann also pitched in the Coastal Plain League All-Star Game. Sam is currently a senior political science and history major at Washington and Jefferson College.

Dan Maycock played for the 2005 Mohawk Valley Cobras. The switch-hitting outfielder was a first team All-SUNYAC selection for SUNY Cortland this past spring. Maycock hit a Cortland second-best .365 with four home runs and 30 RBI. Last summer, Dan competed for the Peninsula Pilots of the Coastal Plain League. Dan is currently a senior physical education major at Cortland.

Jason Pollard was the Amsterdam Mohawks starting catcher last summer. He was a first-team All-NYCBL selection for the Mohawks. That was just one of the honors Jason Pollard received during the 2006 baseball season. Pollard, the starting catcher at RPI, was also named to the All-Liberty League first team, all-region first team, Academic All-District I first team, and ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-America third team. He is currently a senior civil engineering major at Rensselaer.

Nick Sottung pitched for the 2005 Genesee Valley Riverbats. He is a two-time all-conference and all-region pitcher at Ithaca College. In the spring, Sottung helped the Bombers to their fifth straight Empire 8 championship. He went 8-1 with an Ithaca-best 2.25 earned run average and threw three complete-game shutouts (one short of IC record). Nick pitched for the Outer Banks Daredevils of the Coastal Plain League last summer. He earned Coastal Plain League “Pitcher of the Week” honors during the eighth week of the CPL season. Nick is a junior exercise science major at Ithaca College.

John Tine competed for the 2005 Mohawk Valley Cobras. He is a three-time All-Empire 8 selection for the Utica College Pioneers. This past season, he led the Pios in just about every offensive category including hits (47), RBI (37), runs scored (28), home runs (9), triples (3), and at-bats (126). He also batted a team second-best .373. John is a senior physics major at Utica College.

Tim Wilson helped the 2006 Genesee Valley Riverbats to the Central Division title. Last spring, Wilson was a second-team All-New York region all-star and a first-team All-SUNYAC pick for Brockport State. He led the Golden Eagles with 56 hits and 40 runs scored. Wilson was also an integral part in Brockport’s run to the 2004 NCAA Division III World Series that included a SUNYAC and New York region championship. Tim is a senior at Brockport State.

Joe Zongol was a member of the 2006 NYCBL champion Saratoga Phillies. Last summer, he helped RPI to a regular season championship in the Liberty League and a NCAA Division III playoff appearance. The tall left-hander struck out 68 batters in 62 2/3 innings pitched, good for fourth in the Liberty League and second on the team. He’s struck out 130 batters in two seasons at Rensselaer. Joe is a junior civil engineer major at RPI.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Random Amsterdam Mohawks Notes

Here are a few random Mohawks notes I found while strolling around the Internet over the past week. For more information on the Tribe, you can to the Mohawks web site at http://www.mohawksbaseball.com

This first one I actually missed when it originally happened. Mark Suchowiecki pitched for the Amsterdam Mohawks in 2005. After finishing his mound career for the University at Albany, he signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Mark started his professional career last summer with the Princeton (WV) Devil Rays of the Appalachian League. Suchowiecki went 3-4 with a 3.31 earned run average in 13 appearances and four starts. Mark struck out 28 batters in 32 2/3 innings pitched. He helped the Mohawks to the 2005 NYCBL Eastern Division regular season championship. The link below is on the UAlbany baseball web site about Suchowiecki’s signing.

http://www.albany.edu/sports/mens/baseball/basestories.htm#base06suchtb

The next story I stumbled over accidentally. It’s a pretty cool find and I’m amazed the audio is actually free to listen to. Last season, Amsterdam pitchers (Duran Ferguson [Kentucky] and Eric Beaulac [LeMoyne]) combined to throw a no-hitter against Saratoga, but, the Mohawks lost, 2-1. Mohawks starter Duran Ferguson doled out a trio of two-out walks in the top of the seventh inning with the game tied at one. Saratoga’s Chris Dove (Elon) stole home and scored the eventual game-winner with JoJo Tann (Mississippi) at the plate.

Anyways, this link is from National Public Radio and their program “All Things Considered.” Amsterdam manager Matt Mueller was interviewed for a segment on the program that aired on July 15, 2006, four days after the game. The interviewer is Debbie Elliott. This is actual live audio from the radio show. You’ll need Real Audio or Windows Media Player to listen to it. Only twice in Major League Baseball history has a team lost when they’ve had a combined no-hitter. Though, Major League Baseball has changed its rules so only no-hitters of nine innings are officially recognized. For example, Andy Hawkins 1990 no-hitter for the New York Yankees, in a 4-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox, doesn’t count because Hawkins only pitched eight innings.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5560055

Friday, January 26, 2007

Managerial Notes

It’s just about the end of January and that means we’re only four months or so until the start of the 2007 New York Collegiate Baseball League regular season. We’ll have some league news coming up next week that will be released on the web site, so keep your eyes open for that. If anything, hopefully tonight’s blog will help you warm up from the freezing temperatures that are sprawled up and down the east coast (even here in Virginia).

From my counting, eight teams have set up their field managers for the season. Three are first-timers to the NYCBL and the other five were in upstate New York last summer. Starting with the new managers, there is Hornell’s Jason Burke. Last summer, Burke skippered the Morganton (SC) Aggies to the Southern Collegiate Baseball League (SCBL) championship and he was named SCBL Coach of the Year. He was an assistant for the SCBL’s Carolina Chaos in 2005. Jason is an assistant coach at Wofford University and a 2005 graduate of South Wesleyan University. He works with former Hornell manager, Todd Interdonato, the 2005 NYCBL Coach of the Year.

There will be a new face at the helm of the Allegany County Nitros when the season opens. Gone is two-year head coach Robbie Wilson, who guided the Nitros to the NYCBL Championship series in 2006 and a club-record 33 wins in 2005. Wilson will coach the Outer Banks Daredevils of the Coastal Plain League this summer. Enter Scott Loiseau. Loiseau is entering his second season as an assistant coach at Franklin Pierce College. Most recently, the Franklin Pierce grad played two seasons for the Worcester Tornadoes of the independent Can-Am League. As an assistant coach, Loiseau helped the Ravens to the NCAA Division II World Series this past spring.

And lastly there’s Charlie Barfelz, who’s set to become the first manager in Bennington (VT) Bombers history. Barfelz is the head baseball coach and head athletic trainer at Southern Vermont College. He’s worked as an assistant baseball coach with the Ferris State, Bowling Green State and Grand Rapids Community College. The Grand Valley State University graduate has also worked as a trainer for the Class-A West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League.

The five returning managers have spent their share of time in the NYCBL. Saratoga manager Garett Baron won a league championship in his first season at East Side Rec. The Ithaca College grad and UAlbany assistant will return for a second go-around in Saratoga Springs. Baron’s had a good deal of success in summer leagues. Prior to returning to the NYCBL (former Ithaca Classics manager), he helped the Spartansburg Stingers to the Coastal Plain League playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Baron’s assistants Andy Cuthbertson and Ed Scott are also back for the Phillies.

The Rochester Royals changed their name to the Webster Yankees, but the franchise’s field manager remains the same. Mike Kelly returns for his second season with the organization and his third overall in the NYCBL. He previously managed the Genesee Valley Riverbats during the 2004 season. Kelly took Rochester to the playoffs in the franchise’s first season and garnered a respectable 23-20 record. Mike is an assistant coach at Monroe Community College.

And now we come to the three longest tenured managers in the league, Dave Herbst, John Mayotte and Todd Kirkey. Herbst is the manager, president and owner of the Geneva Red Wings. He’s been around the league as a manager longer than anyone else currently. While the Red Wings have endured tough times over the past few years, Herbst and his staff have greatly improved McDonough Park and continued to thrive on the shores of Seneca Lake. He guided the Wings to a second place Western Division finish in 2003 and a playoff appearance. Herbst is a graduate of Clarkson University and he teaches mathematics at Monroe Community College.

John Mayotte took the reigns of the expansion Glens Falls Golden Eagles in 2004. He hasn’t let them go since. The long time collegiate head coach led Glens Falls to the Eastern Division regular season title in 2004 and 31 victories. This will be his fourth season in the league. After his great success in 2004, injuries and bad luck have kept the Golden Eagles in the lower half of the Eastern Division standings the last two years. His team’s have been filled with talent from around the country and just last June, seven players from the 2004 team were drafted by Major League clubs. Mayotte’s collegiate record stands by itself and he is now currently retired from the collegiate ranks.

Todd Kirkey jumped into the NYCBL managerial pool as well in 2004. Since then, he’s directed the Watertown Wizards to the NYCBL playoffs in two of the last three seasons, including the NYCBL Championship series in 2005. The last two years, the Wizards have finished a combined one and a-half games out of first place in the Eastern and then Central Divisions. This will be Kirkey’s fourth season as the Wizards manager. He is an assistant coach at Clarkson University.

With eight managers named, that leaves six others that have yet to announce: Amsterdam, Bolivar, Elmira, Genesee Valley, Little Falls and Elmira. This doesn’t mean that the managers from last year aren’t returning, we’re just not sure because no announcement has been made.

E-mails can be directed to SaltCitySports@aol.com

Friday, January 19, 2007

NYCBL Rivalries

Summer baseball and rivalries don’t always go together. There’s a lot of reasons for this, namely because of the turnover involved with players from year-to-year. What one large incident sparks a heated rivalry over the course of the summer is forgotten the next when a brand new batch of players come to town.

But, rivalries are still very much alive in summer leagues across the country, including the NYCBL, regardless of the players on the field.

One of the number one motivating factors in rivalries is geography. The New York Collegiate Baseball League is blessed with having teams across the state. You have pockets of different teams in different areas. In the southern tier, Hornell, Allegany County and Bolivar are no more than an hour apart from one another. If you move north of the New York State Thruway, you come upon Genesee Valley and Webster (formerly Rochester). On the opposite side of the state, you have the Capital District and the Mohawk Valley. Saratoga and Glens Falls are only a few exits away from one another on I-87. Amsterdam’s just a hop, skip and a jump away along the Adirondack foothills. Add Bennington (VT) into the mix this year and you’ve got four teams all in one region. Amsterdam also is very near Little Falls, just down the Mohawk River. Only four exits separate the Mohawks and Diamond Miners on the Thruway.

Another factor in rivalries is competition. Some teams bring out the best (or in some cases, worst) in one another. Some of the stiffest battles and best rivalries come from two teams jockeying for first place in the division or for the final playoff spot. This past season, there were two great races in the East Division and the Central Division. In the East, it took a Saratoga three-game sweep of Little Falls late in the season to grasp the East Division title. Even before the late-season series, the Miners and Phillies got after one another each time they met. In the Central Division, Watertown and Genesee Valley ended up separated by percentage points, and the Riverbats took the Central Division title. Much like Saratoga and Little Falls, these two teams traded some great games with one another.

And then there’s tradition. That's the rivalries that have developed over the years and kept going because of the other two factors I’ve mentioned. One of the best that comes to mind is Hornell and Allegany County/Wellsville. Since the Nitros joined the league in 1998, these two teams have battled for the West Division crown more times than not. The Nitros won a club-record 33 games in 2005 behind 50+ stolen bases from James Barksdale (North Alabama). Hornell still won the West Division title on the strength of 34 wins and then they bounced the Nitros from the playoffs. The same thing happened in 2004, each team won 30 or more games, but the Dodgers still finished ahead of the Nitros and knocked them from the playoffs. In 2001, it was the Nitros getting the upper hand. Wellsville finished second in the West Division, edging out Hornell for the final playoff spot by one game.

Amsterdam and Glens Falls have developed an interesting rivalry over the last three years. It started when the Tribe knocked the Golden Eagles out of the 2004 NYCBL playoffs. The 2004 Glens Falls team had gone 31-10 during the regular season. This past year, it was Amsterdam overtaking Glens Falls for the eighth and final playoff spot during the final week of the season.

There are some non-regional and non-divisional rivalries worth mentioning. The biggest one is Amsterdam and Hornell. They were the two pre-eminent powers in the NYCBL over the first half of the decade. Hornell won league titles in 2002 and 2005, while Amsterdam took the crown in 2003 and 2004. Three of those four years, Amsterdam played Hornell in the NYCBL Championship series. Amsterdam also developed a great rivalry with Watertown while the two played in the East Division. Unfortunately, the new divisional alignment, started last year, has Watertown and Amsterdam in two different divisions. The 2005 rivalry encompassed 10 games between the regular season and playoffs and was capped off by a deciding Game Three in the NYCBL East Division Playoffs.

What does the future hold for rivalries in the NYCBL? The regional rivalries will always be there, especially with teams in the same division. Last year, I had Genesee Valley owner Stan Lehman with me for an inning or two while I was broadcasting a Watertown-Genesee Valley game. He mentioned a Senator’s Cup being talked about, to be played by the teams in New York State Senator Michael Nozzolio’s district. I believe the three teams in the State Senator’s district are Genesee Valley, Webster, and Geneva. I definitely think that’s a great idea, kind of similar to the Thruway Series in the International League between Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.

Going along with that, I’d like to see maybe more trophy series. Amsterdam and Little Falls could play for the Mohawk River Cup. Those two teams had some amazing games (that will be talked about in a future post) this past season. Saratoga and Glens Falls could play for the “North Way Series” since they’re both located off I-87. Hornell, Allegany County and Bolivar could play for something. I’m not creative enough to come up with a name for a trophy for those three teams. Plus, I’m not that familiar with the southern tier.

On a sillier note, throw Watertown, Niagara and Bennington into the “Outpost Trophy.” Reason being, each team is located at an NYCBL outpost. Watertown is the farthest north in the league and isn’t closer than a two-hour drive to its nearest opponent. Niagara will be farthest west and just about in Canada (like Watertown). And then Bennington; well, Bennington’s the easternmost and it’s not in New York.

In all seriousness, rivalries are a great thing for the New York Collegiate Baseball League. It’s good to see fans turn out for the big rivalry game against your division rival and the players I’m sure get pumped up for it too.

Questions, comments, thoughts, house-keeping tips, can be sent to me at SaltCitySports@aol.com

NYCBL Alumni playing professional affiliated baseball (January 2007)

MLB
Jeremy Accardo (Wellsville '03) Toronto Blue Jays
Scott Cassidy (Geneva '97) San Diego Padres
Rajai Davis (Hornell '00) Pittsburgh Pirates
Brendan Harris (Schenectady '99) Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tim Hudson (Hornell '96) Atlanta Braves
Josh Kinney (Hornell '98) St. Louis Cardinals
Steve Kline (Little Falls '92) San Francisco Giants
Brad Lidge (Ithaca '96) Houston Astros
John McDonald (Cohocton '93) Toronto Blue Jays
Lou Merloni (NYCBL 90, 91?) Oakland Athletics*
Terry Tiffee (Hornell '98) Baltimore Orioles*
Mitch Wylie (Hornell '97) San Francisco Giants*
* - Non-roster invitee to spring training

Nippon Baseball League (Japanese MLB)
Greg LaRocca (NYCBL 92, 93?) Orix Buffaloes
Valentino Pasucci (Schenectady '97) Chiba Lotte Marines

Triple-A
Nate Espy (Hornell '97) Sacramento River Cats (PCL), Oakland
Earl Snyder (Little Falls '96) Louisville Bats (IL), Cincinnati
Aaron Williams (Hornell '01) Round Rock Express (PCL), Houston

Double-A
Sebastien Boucher (Plattsburgh '02) West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (SL), Seattle
Dallas Braden (Hornell '03) Midland Rockhounds (TL), Oakland
Chip Cannon (Cortland '01) New Hampshire Fisher Cats (EL), Toronto
Brett Carroll (Hornell '02) Carolina Mudcats (SL), Florida
Dennis Diaz (Mohawk Valley '02) Reading Phillies (EL), Philadelphia
Matt Pali (Rome '02) Arkansas Travelers (TL), Anaheim
Hunter Pence (Schenectady '02) Corpus Christi Hooks (TL), Houston
Anthony Raglani (Schenectady '02) Jacksonville Suns (SL), Los Angeles
Mike Rozema (Mohawk Valley '02) Mississippi Braves (SL), Atlanta

High Class-A
Corey Haggerty (Rome '01) Winston-Salem Warthogs (CAR), Chicago (AL)
Joe Serfass (Wellsville '03) St. Lucie Mets (FSL), New York (NL)
Brett Wayne (Wellsville '01) Visalia Oaks (CAL), Tampa Bay

Low Class-A
Terry Blunt (Glens Falls '04) Clinton LumberKings (MWL), Texas
Quentin Davis (Amsterdam '03) Rome Braves (SAL), Atlanta
Matt Devins (Rome '02) Columbus Catfish (SAL), Tampa Bay
Kale Garrison (Wellsville '03) Great Lakes Loons (MWL), Los Angeles
Daniel Griffin (Saratoga '04) Augusta Green Jackets (SAL), San Francisco
Jason Motte (Rome '01) Swing of the Quad Cities (MWL), St. Louis

Short-Season Class-A
James Barksdale (Allegany County '04-'05) State College Spikes, Pittsburgh
Steve Calicutt (Glens Falls '04) Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (NWL), San Francisco
Jeremy Goldschmeding (Glens Falls '04) Vermont Lake Monsters (NYP), Washington
Derrick Gordon (Amsterdam '04) Vancouver Canadians (NWL), Oakland
Andrew Holder (Alfred '03) Tri-City Valley Cats (NYP), Houston
Lance Marcum (Alfred '04) Batavia Muckdogs (NYP), St. Louis
Michael Schellinger (Watertown '05)* Batavia Muckdogs (NYP), St. Louis
Justin Souza (Hornell '04) Everett Aqua Sox (NWL), Seattle
Jed Stephen (Saratoga '04) Aberdeen Ironbirds (NYP), Baltimore
Jeff Vincent (Watertown '04) Lowell Spinners (NYP), Boston
Casper Wells (Saratoga '04) Oneonta Tigers (NYP), Detroit
Brett Zamzow (Glens Falls '04) Spokane Indians (NWL), Texas
* - Missed all of 2005 due to shoulder surgery

Rookie
Angel Cabrera (Hornell '05) GCL Reds (GCL), Cincinnati
Chris Carlson (Glens Falls '04) GCL Tigers (GCL), Detroit
Matt Enuco (Watertown '04) Bristol Sox (APPY), Chicago (AL)
Shawn Hayes (Watertown '04) Idaho Falls Chukars (PIO), Kansas City
Jared Locke (Hornell '05) AZL Rangers (AZL), Texas
Andrew Mead (Mohawk Valley '02) Bristol Sox (APPY), Chicago (AL)
Cody Merrell (Saratoga '05) Burlington Indians (APPY), Cleveland
David Pellegrine (Watertown '04) Orem Owlz (PIO), Anaheim
Matthew Reilly (Plattsburgh '04) AZL Angels (AZL), Anaheim
Steven Suarez (Rome '01) Casper Rockies (PIO), Colorado

Transactions
1/2/07 Brendan Harris traded to Tampa Bay from Cincinnati
1/5/07 Terry Tiffee signs a minor league contract with Baltimore Orioles, invited to Orioles Spring Training
1/8/07 San Francisco Giants invite Mitch Wylie to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee
Date TBA Oakland Athletics invite Lou Merloni to Spring Training as non-roster invitee
Date TBA Aaron Williams promoted to Round Rock (Triple-A) from Corpus Christi (Double-A)
Date TBA Greg LaRocca signed a free-agent contract with the Orix Buffaloes

Franchise Transactions
- Sebastian Boucher will play for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. Seattle moved their Double-A affiliate to West Tenn (Southern League) from San Antonio (Texas League)
- Two NYCBL alums are affected by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays trading Low-A affiliates. The Dodgers move from Columbus, Georgia (South Atlantic League) to Midland, Michigan (Midwest League). Tampa Bay prospect Matt Devins had been playing for the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays, this coming year because of the switch, he’ll play for the Columbus Catfish. Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Kale Garrison had been playing with Columbus, because of the switch, he moves to the Great Lakes Loons (formerly SW Michigan D-Rays).
- State College Spikes are now affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Phillies NY-P affiliate has moved to Williamsport. The Cardinals are in Batavia. Thus causing James Barksdale now to be on the Spikes roster and for Schellinger and Marcum to be moved to Batavia.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Great Stories of 2006, Part V

This is the continuation of a multiple part series dedicated to discussing the great stories from the 2006 New York Collegiate Baseball League season. There were so many interesting and compelling storylines coming out of 2006 that I don’t think I could possibly cover them in one post. So, this is broken up into separate parts. If, once the series is completed, you feel I’ve missed one, please e-mail me at SaltCitySports@aol.com

Part V
Expansion Success

The label “expansion team” in terms of success is never a good one. Most expansion teams get knocked around their first few years because the talent level isn’t on par with the rest of the league. Look at the 1962 New York Mets, managed by the great Casey Stengel. They accumulated the worst record in baseball history. Seven years later in 1969, well, we know what happened then.

The New York Collegiate Baseball League welcomed three new teams this past season, the Elmira Pioneers, Little Falls Diamond Miners and Rochester Royals. Elmira had previously hosted an independent league team and the city has a long and illustrious baseball history. The franchise folded last January and not too long after that, a group led by Pioneers General Manager Tom Sullivan moved to bring a NYCBL team to Elmira. That bid was successful and summer baseball was saved in Elmira. The league had been looking to get back into Little Falls and the Utica-Rome area after the folding of the Mohawk Valley Cobras. When Roger Ames purchased the Glens Falls Golden Eagles, he was asked about starting a franchise in Little Falls as well. This team would become known as the Little Falls Diamond Miners. Rochester is a decent sized city. Already, one NYCBL team, the Genesee Valley Riverbats, kind of occupied the city. But, a new group with roots at Monroe Community College started up a second Lilac City franchise, the Rochester Royals. By definition, these were expansion franchises and no one knew what to expect once the teams took the field. Would it be the case of the '62 Mets? Or something better?

Little Falls
The Little Falls Diamond Miners first experienced success. The team was made up of primarily west coast talent (see below story) and led by Kansas University assistant coach Kevin Tucker. Tucker had ties out west and was able to bring in a solid cast of players. The Miners battled back-and-forth with the Saratoga Phillies for first place in the East Division for much of the year. Little Falls boasted a great offense led by Ollie Linton (Cal-Irvine), David Flores (Sacramento State), Jimmy Baker (Centenary) and Tommy Fitzgerald (Fort Scott CC). The role of hero was played equally by the four, who numerous times displayed game-winning heroics.

Good pitching helps win championships and the Miners hurlers had their share of starter success. Joe Testa (Wagner) was one of the most dominant pitchers in the league. He struck out 69 batters in 49.1 innings and went 5-1 in nine appearances with seven starts. Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American Jordan Muir (BYU) won five games and controlled hitters over the first part of the season before running out of gas in the playoffs. Matt Bowman (South Dakota State) was the unheralded member of the staff. He tied with Muir for a team-high nine starts, but made 12 appearances overall and converted two saves. His second save, a spine-tingling performance against Watertown in the opening game of the playoffs to conserve a, 7-5, Miners win.

There were struggles in the Little Falls bullpen and ultimately that would lead to their undoing. Some nights, the bullpen would pitch well, and the Miners would win. Other nights, one look at the stats revealed nightmarish numbers of walks and runs scored in the late innings.

The Miners appeared poised to fight with Saratoga for the East Division pennant right down to the final day of the season. But, a three-game sweep by the Phillies over the course of two horrific days for the Diamond Miners cursed them to a second-place East Division finish. In the playoffs, Little Falls knocked off the defending East Division playoff champion Watertown Wizards, but ran into the buzz saw of the Saratoga Phillies in the semi-finals and bowed out in two games.

Overall, the first season was definitely a success for the Diamond Miners. They finished ahead of the established powers in the East Division, Amsterdam and Glens Falls. In fact, in the “Ames Bowl,” the Miners defeated their counterparts from Glens Falls in all seven of their meetings. Roger Ames, the current owner of the Diamond Miners, owned both teams last year.

Elmira
The first night of baseball’s “return” to Elmira, the Pioneers drew over 1,000 fans for their home opener against division rival Hornell. In a foreshadowing sign of things to come, the Pios knocked off their West Division counterparts behind a great pitching performance from Cody Eppley (Virginia Commonwealth). The Pioneers benefited greatly from a dynamic duo out of VCU, that being Eppley and rising sophomore Justin Wright. Both were named to the NYCBL All-Star Game and the post-season all-star team. Epply won five decisions in nine starts, tallied a 2.28 earned run average and fanned a team-high 51 batters. Wright was the top offensive player on the Pios (and the league for that matter) and he led the team in just about every offensive category including batting average (.339), home runs (5), runs batted in (30), runs scored (27), hits (57), slugging percentage (.522), and on-base percentage (.389).

Elmira had other key contributors throughout the year including Shane Wolf (Buffalo/Ithaca), Khalid Afify (Binghamton), Chris Grabowski (Farleigh-Dickinson) and Jack Cawley (Pace). Wolf was one of the few players in the NYCBL to pitch and hit. He finished the season with a Pios-best 1.56 earned run average through nine starts. Shane also hit .229 with nine runs batted in and he tallied several game-winning hits. Afify was the Pioneers lights-out closer. He notched six saves in 14 appearances and struck out 34 batters in 25 innings pitched. Afify made several key stops over the course of the season, including a late-season game where he stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with the winning run at the plate.

Grabowski and Cawley were protypical speedy outfielders that could make contact and get on base. Grabowski hit in the lead-off spot and held down a .286 batting average, .373 on-base percentage and he walked 21 times. Cawley hit a little bit lower in the line-up but provided a big bat for Elmira hitting behind Justin Wright. The Pace University outfielder hit .280 and stole a team-high 21 bases on 25 attempts.

The Pioneers success on opening night would lead to the Pioneers dominance over Hornell. Elmira won the season series over the four-time defending West Division champion Dodgers, five games to three. Cody Eppley pitched in three straight starts against Hornell and went 2-1. Behind Allegany County, the West Division developed into a three team dog-fight for second place and the playoff spot that came with it. On any given night, Elmira could beat Hornell or Bolivar and vice versa. All three of those teams could beat Allegany County and it made for an interesting time in western New York.

Elmira did not clinch second place in the West Division until the very end of the season. The Pioneers blasted the first-place Allegany County Nitros, 9-3, in Scio. Cody Eppley threw a two-hitter over six innings and Elmira blasted out 16 hits against Nitros pitching. The following night, Elmira closed the regular season like it had started the regular season, with a victory over Hornell. However, this one was an epic, 6-5, 10 inning triumph. The Pios overcame a 5-0 deficit and Justin Wright scored the game-winning run in the top of the tenth.

The red-hot Pioneers rolled into the playoffs as one of playoff teams with a sub-.500 record, the other being Amsterdam (21-22). While the Pios took the opening game of the series, the first round would belong to Allegany County. Elmira though fought until the end, and it took a three-run seventh inning for the Nitros to best the Pioneers.

Rochester
There’s an adage in sports about a blue-collar work ethic and blue collar teams. Under that definition is where you’d find the Rochester Royals. They weren’t flashy, they didn’t play in a grand ballpark and they took their lunch pail to the yard every day. Rochester skipper Mike Kelly had been there and done it all before. He was the manager of the Genesee Valley Riverbats during the R-Bats first season in the league in 2004, so he wasn’t coming into the league blind. Kelly is an assistant coach at Monroe Community College and the Tribunes field is where Rochester played its home games. While not flashy or exciting like Shuttleworth Park, East Side Rec or Dunn Field, MCC certainly had its charm. Whether it was the shadowy, wind swept pine trees behind home plate, or the tiny woodshack press box next to the home team dugout, MCC was different.

The Royals weren’t a power pitching or power hitting team. Certainly Ryan Jablonski (Delaware) put up outstanding numbers, but he wasn’t a flashy player. Here’s a guy with a cruddy, pine-tar covered batting helmet, handle-bar moustache, and five-o’clock shadow getting in the batters box, making contact and driving hits all over the field. Jablonski batted .378 with a league-best 65 base hits in 46 games. He started every game for Rochester at first base.

As the team, the Royals were able to hit the baseball and hit it well. Four players batted over .300 and the team batted .273. Another blue collar guy was infielder Gary Helmick (Towson). Helmick hit just .264 but drove in 19 runs and tied a team-high with 19 stolen bases. If there was someone you could count upon to get the clutch hit atop the line-up, it was Helmick. Jordan Petraitis (Miami OH) at the hot corner was one of the best third basemen in the league. After a great frosh season for the Red Hawks, he batted .328 with 45 hits and 12 runs batted in. Other great roleplayers included Jordan Herr (Delaware), Mike Papili (Binghamton) and Henry Perkins (Columbia). Herr, the son of former Major Leaguer Tom Herr was the Royals lead-off man. He was a second-team NYCBL all-star and blasted a Royals-high five home runs and hit .327. Papili rung up a .297 batting average and garnered NYCBL Player of the Week honors during July. Perkins was a hard-working second baseman that went all out and he batted at just about every spot in the order when he wasn’t in the field.

On the pitching side of things, more hard-working blue collar throwers who would lull you to sleep with their deceptiveness. Any one of the Royals hurlers could jump into the lead spot in the rotation. Ryan Screnar (Cal-Poly SLO), Eugene Offerman (Baltimore City CC) and Robert Shannon (Miami OH) all won four games each. Screnar went undefeated in five starts and pitched three complete games. Offerman struck out a team-high 30 batters and made a name for himself after coming up to New York from little-known Baltimore City Community College of the NJCAA. One last pitcher that emerged from the shadows was Dylan Rees (Rochester Tech). The Division III RIT Tigers are more known for their Division I hockey program than their baseball program. Rees, one of the most successful pitchers in RIT history made 13 appearances and went 3-2 with a 2.39 earned run average. Rees was second on the team in appearances and ERA.

Like any normal expansion team, the Royals started slowly. At the start of July, Rochester was 6-14 and sitting in the lower echelon of the NYCBL. Things turned around before the All-Star break and Rochester won three of its final four first-half games. A change came over the club in the second half. After dropping a double-header to Little Falls on July 7, the Royals won 14 of their last 17 games. During that string, Rochester had two three-game winning streaks and six-game winning streak that lasted over a week. Heading into the NYCBL playoffs as one of two league wild cards (first time in NYCBL history), the Royals were 23-20. Rochester and Genesee Valley played an amazingly exciting playoff series that saw the teams combine to score 36 runs in three games. The Royals final win came in front of the biggest crowd of the season at Monroe Community College, an 8-6 triumph which saw Rochester hold off a Genesee Valley four-run rally in the top of the ninth inning to tie the series at one win each. But, a walk-off home run by the R-Bats in the bottom of the ninth inning of game three ended Rochester’s season.

All three expansion teams, Elmira, Little Falls and Rochester proved to everyone in the league that NYCBL expansion teams can win and can be competitive. Currently, we’re in the expansion era in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Over the last four to five years, the league’s almost doubled its membership, from eight teams to almost 16 teams. This coming season, three more expansion teams will begin play, bringing the NYCBL’s enrollment to 15. At 15 teams, the NYCBL is one of the largest summer college leagues in the nation. Will the first year for the Bennington Bombers, Niagara Power and recreated Rome Indians bring the same success that Elmira, Little Falls and Rochester had? We’ll find out this summer.

NYCBL Alumni Spotlight 1/13/07

Every week, I’ll spotlight one former member of the New York Collegiate Baseball League that’s having success either at the Major League or minor league level. Just last year, 19 alums of the NYCBL were taken by Major League teams in the amateur entry draft. Eleven former members of the NYCBL played in the Major Leagues in 2006 and even more were members of minor league rosters across the country.

Today, we spotlight Florida Marlins prospect Brett Carroll (Photo courtesy of Carolina Mudcats). Last month, Carroll played in the prestigious Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas after a standout season in the Marlins minor league system.

During his NYCBL days, Carroll helped the Hornell Dodgers to the 2002 league title. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native hit .278 with 12 doubles, four triples and 28 runs batted in. Brett played collegiately for the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State University. He played at Middle Tennessee for three seasons and compiled 39 home runs, 50 doubles and 133 RBI. His 39 home runs rank in the top eight in Middle Tennessee State history. Carroll was drafted after his junior season by the Florida Marlins in the 10th round (308th overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball entry draft. Instead of returning to MTSU, Carroll decided to begin his professional baseball career and he signed with the Florida Marlins. He started his career not very far from his NYCBL home in Hornell. Carroll’s first stop was with the Jamestown Jammers of the New York-Penn League. Jamestown’s a little over an hour and a-half west of Hornell. The following season, Brett was moved up to the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the South Atlantic League. He put up good numbers and was even part of the Home Run Derby at the South Atlantic League All-Star Game along with fellow NYCBL alum Hunter Pence (Schenectady ’02).

Brett’s break-out came this season over the course of two leagues. The 2006 season started for the former Hornell Dodger in Jupiter, Florida, with the Jupiter Hammerheads. While the Hammerheads did not have much success as a team, Carroll was putting up power numbers. He bashed a team-high eight home runs and drove in 30 runs in only 59 games. Keep in mind, it was Brett’s first full season at the high Class-A level. Carroll was called up to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats (Southern League) just before the mid-point of the season. Before his promotion, Brett was named to the Florida State League All-Star Game.

The former MTSU Blue Raider continued his power assault on Double-A pitching. Carroll socked nine home runs and drove in 30 runs through 74 games. He only hit .231, but his .422 slugging percentage was fourth among the Mudcats regulars. Brett also developed a reputation as a good defensive outfield with a plus arm.

Baseball America is currently ranking the top prospects for every Major League team. While Carroll did not make the Marlins top 10, he was listed as having the “Best Outfield Throwing Arm” in the Florida Marlins minor league system. He recently signed a new deal with the Marlins and has been invited to spring training with the big club. More than likely Carroll will start the season with the Double-A Mudcats or the Marlins Triple-A affiliate in Albequerque, New Mexico.

We wish Brett the best of luck this coming season.

Any feedback on the NYCBL blog can be sent to SaltCitySports@aol.com

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Rosters

Now that we’re moving towards the middle part of January, a good number of NYCBL teams are starting to post preliminary rosters. As of this afternoon, I count nine teams that have posted their pre-season roster, either on their own web site or on the league’s web site.

The following nine and their respective links are as follows. Teams are listed by their 2006 divisions.

West Division
Allegany County http://www.nitrosbaseball.com
Bolivar http://www.aiabaseball.org
Hornell http://www.hornelldodgers.com

Central Division
Genesee Valley http://www.gv-riverbats.com
Webster [formerly Rochester] http://www.websteryankees.com

East Division
Amsterdam http://www.mohawksbaseball.com
Glens Falls http://www.glensfallsgoldeneagles.com

New Teams (2007)
Bennington http://hometeamsonline.com/?benningtonbombers)
Rome http://www.nycbl.com/romeroster.html

These rosters are preliminary and won’t be set for the most part until at least spring. And then the final 25-man roster deadline isn’t until early July, once league play has already begun. But, for those of us eagerly anticipating the season, it’s nice to have an early look at what’s ahead.

If you don’t see your favorite team listed, don’t worry. Keep in mind that it’s still the early part of January. Some managers don’t like to post a roster until right before the season, or at least until February. Not to mention everyone is looking for the best available players. Some student-athletes may still be undecided on where they want to play. Especially with so many summer leagues around the country, there are lots of teams to choose from.

Ideally, the next part in the “Great Stories” series should go up this weekend. I apologize for the delay but I’ve been busy with work for the last few days.

Monday, January 8, 2007

Great Stories of 2006, Part IV

The west coast cannon-shot has crossed the bow of the NYCBL ship and I think people are taking notice. The success of the west coast players from last year can only breed more new interest in the league. Other players from out west can come up and take the place of the ones who have moved on after their season in upstate New York. The real test will be in the years to come. Will more players come from the west coast to upstate New York? I guess we’ll have to find out.

Part V of our series will be published tomorrow or Wednesday. It will focus on the success of the three expansion teams in 2006, the Elmira Pioneers, Little Falls Diamond Miners and Rochester Royals. All three teams made the NYCBL playoffs in their first year.

Comments and questions can be sent to me at SaltCitySports@aol.com

Sunday, January 7, 2007

Great Stories of 2006, Part III

This is the continuation of the multiple part series dedicated to discussing the great stories from the 2006 New York Collegiate Baseball League season. There were so many interesting and compelling storylines coming out of 2006 that I don’t think I could possibly cover them in one post. So, this is broken up into separate parts. If, once the series is completed, you feel I’ve missed one, please e-mail at SaltCitySports@aol.com.

Part III
Genesee Valley Riverbats
One of the best stories from the 2006 New York Collegiate Baseball League season comes from western New York. The Genesee Valley Riverbats entered the NYCBL in 2004. During their first two seasons, the Riverbats won a combined total of 28 games and twice finished in the lower tier of the West Division.

There were some changes after the Riverbats initial season in 2004. The team changed home fields. The inaugural version of the R-Bats played at St. John Fisher College’s Dugan Yard. The following year, the team moved to its current home at SUNY Brockport, the Clark V. Whitted Baseball Complex. Also, there was a managerial change. Mike Kelly, now the current manager of the Webster Yankees, was the skipper of the 2004 Riverbats. Greece Athena High School baseball coach Jason Bunting was hired to lead the Genesee Valley club beginning in 2005.

At the outset, 2006 appeared to be different for Genesee Valley. It would be Coach Bunting’s second season and he combined with the front office to recruit a solid roster to wear the orange and black. 2006 Riverbats came from all corners of the northeast including Brockport State, LeMoyne College, Williams College, Slippery Rock and as far south as High Point University. One of the biggest acquisitions came in the form of an old friend.

Joe Rizzo played for the Riverbats in 2004 and he was a second team NYCBL all star. Rizzo was first team All-Atlantic 10 in the spring and was one of the leading hitters at Saint Bonaventure. Rizzo’s veteran presence in the line-up was a certain help. Other veterans also dotted the Riverbats roster including rising junior Corey O’Neill (LeMoyne), and rising seniors Phil Butch (Slippery Rock), Tim Wilson (Brockport) and Jake Dennstedt (Brockport State).

The ball club appeared to have solid players at every position in the line-up. Guys who could get on base: Phil Butch, Ryan Laboy (High Point); guys who could drive in runs: Joe Rizzo, Corey O’Neill, Tim Wilson, and just about every hitter, one through nine, could come up with a clutch hit. After starting the season around .500, the Riverbats grabbed a huge, 8-4, Friday night win over division rival Watertown. Unknown right-hander Jimmy Belanger (Cecil CC) hurled seven and one-third strong innings and kept the Wizards batters off-balance all night. Tim Wilson smashed a bases-clearing, three-run double in the second inning that would help the R-Bats clinch the lead for good.

The win over Watertown started off a six-win in ten game stretch for Genesee Valley that improved them to 9-6. By all means, it was the best start in the organizations three-year history. Something else strange happened, Genesee Valley kept winning. After a June 28 loss to Geneva, the Riverbats reeled off nine straight victories, a stretch that would run through the All-Star Break.

Genesee Valley was getting contributions all across the board. Joe Rizzo and Corey O’Neill were driving in runs. Phil Butch and Ryan Laboy were doing a super job getting on base. Tim Wilson, the senior-to-be from Brockport State kept getting clutch hit after clutch hit. And the pitching was very good. Belanger, while he was among the better pitchers on the staff, wasn’t the ace. Really, there was no one ace of the staff. Every starting pitcher was bringing something different to the table each night. Division III pitchers Blair Veenema (Rochester), Pete McEneaney (Rochester), Jake Dennstedt (Brockport State), Rob Maxwell (Brockport State), and Dan Benz (Williams) showed that they could play with and get out the Division I hitters. Without the great starting pitching from that group, the Riverbats would not have had the season they did.

Also, enough can’t be said about the three Brockport State kids, Dennstedt, Maxwell and Wilson. Here’s three kids that were playing summer ball at their home college field. In the spring, they’d endured a tough road and a fourth place finish in the SUNYAC. But, Brockport State head coach Mark Rowland had instilled in them the toughness to compete and never give up. It helped Brockport upset Cortland in the opening round of the SUNYAC tournament. If you had to pick one word to describe them, bulldog. They were just tough and didn’t give up. Dennstedt, a rare, crafty right-hander with a lot of breaking pitches. Normally, the crafty moniker is saved for southpaws. Maxwell, a pitcher and first baseman that could play both positions well, and he didn’t “hit like a pitcher.” Then you come to Tim Wilson. Wilson was a big part of Brockport State’s run to the Division III World Series in 2004 as an underclassman. He missed 2005 due to injury. He came back this year as a junior for the Golden Eagles and provided a clutch bat at the shortstop position. I can’t even begin to count the number of clutch hits I’ve seen Tim get either at Brockport or with Genesee Valley.

After Genesee Valley’s nine-game winning streak ended, the team cooled off. They would finish the season 3-8. But, because of the big lead they built with the nine-game winning streak, the Riverbats were still in the drivers’ seat. Eventually, Genesee Valley would win the Central Division by .005 of a percentage point over Watertown. In 2005, the Riverbats finished 14-32. They ended the 2006 regular season 24-16, a 10-win and 16-loss differential.

The Riverbats won a wild playoff series against rival Rochester, two games to one. In the ultimate happy ending for Genesee Valley in the series, Ryan Laboy smashed a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The R-Bats won the game, 5-4. Unfortunately, Genesee Valley’s luck would run out in the semi-finals against West Division champion Allegany County. Jake Dennstedt pitched Genesee Valley to a game one victory, 3-1. But, the Nitros took the next two to end Genesee Valley’s season.

But certainly, the Riverbats made a statement in 2006. A team that toiled in the lower tier of the West Division for two years had completely turned things around, won the Central Division, and came one win from the NYCBL championship series.

Oh yeah, one last thing. The Riverbats, had one of the snazziest home jersey’s in the league. It was bright orange with Riverbats across the front in black cursive lettering. There was a black number on the front and back too, much like a Baltimore Orioles alternate top. Certainly it was my favorite NYCBL uniform top. Though the white bell-bottom type baseball pants that went with it, well, not so much :-)

Friday, January 5, 2007

NYCBL Alumni News

Some notes for a rainy Friday night up-and-down much of the East Coast. At least here in Virginia it’s in the mid-to-upper 50s right now. I hope all you folks in New York are enjoying your unseasonably warm weather as well.

This first link is from the New York Mets web site and was passed along around the holidays. It’s a nice article about Mitch Wylie. Mitch pitched for the Hornell Dodgers in 1997 while he was a student-athlete at St. Ambrose College. He was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the eighth round of the 1998 draft. Wylie then ended up with the San Francisco Giants in 2005 before being un-protected for the Rule V draft. The Mets tabbed Wylie in the Rule V draft. Mitch went to spring training with the Mets in St. Lucie but was not able to crack the big league roster. However, he remained with the Mets organization and pitched this past season for the Norfolk Tides of the International League. Good to see Mitch have success in the Mexican Pacific League and hopefully it will translate over to spring training next month.

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061221&content_id=1766528&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym

This second link was passed along by the Glens Falls Golden Eagles. More specifically, the manager and more or less, the dean of managers in the New York Collegiate Baseball League, John Mayotte. The article is about 2005 Glens Falls pitcher Shawn McNamara. Shawn graduated in the spring from Brown University and went on to pitch for the North Shore Spirit of the Can-Am League. McNamara went 5-0 with a 2.15 ERA and was named the Can-Am League’s Rookie Pitcher of the Year. With the Golden Eagles, Shawn was a second team NYCBL all-star and he also pitched in the 2005 NYCBL All-Star Game.

http://brownbears.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/091306aaa.html

Any other NYCBL alumni news can be sent to SaltCitySports@aol.com

Great Stories of 2006, Part II

This is the continuation of the multiple part series dedicated to discussing the great stories from the 2006 New York Collegiate Baseball League season. There were so many interesting and compelling storylines coming out of 2006 that I don’t think I could possibly cover them in one post. So, this is broken up into separate parts. If, once the series is completed, you feel I’ve missed one, please e-mail me at SaltCitySports@aol.com.

Part II
Nick Stewart (Photo courtesy of Francis Marion University)
It takes a special player to be named NYCBL Player of the Year. It’s not only great statistics that earn you the honor. What player is the most valuable to his team? Certainly any one player can pile up stats, can hit for a great average and get on base a lot. Other players can hit massive home runs or steal base after base. But, a valuable player is one you cannot be without. Look at the 2005 NYCBL Most Valuable Player, James Barksdale. Barksdale is perhaps one of the finest players to don the Allegany County Nitros uniform and for that matter, compete in the NYCBL. The speedster from North Alabama played two seasons with the Nitros and helped them to back-to-back playoff appearances. In his final season with the Nitros, Barksdale stole a team and league-record 52 bases.

For the 2006 Geneva Red Wings, this valuable player was named Nick Stewart. Before the season even started, looking at the Red Wings roster, Stewart jumped off the page. His numbers at Division II power Francis Marion were impressive. He played and started in 57 games and was among the Patriots leaders in numerous offensive categories. Nick hit a team-high .378, tied for the team lead in home runs with six and collected 51 RBI. His 56 runs also topped the Patriots and 15 stolen bases placed him second. At the Division II World Series, Stewart collected three hits in Francis Marion’s opening game loss to eventual national champion Tampa.

Stewart brought his toolbox to Geneva from his home in Greenville, South Carolina. When he was in the line-up, Stewart made the Red Wings a better ball club. Nick was a constant for manager Dave Herbst, batting third and playing right field. Stewart showed that he could drive a base hit up the middle or smash the ball over the outfield wall. The Francis Marion Patriot also finished second on the Red Wings with 13 walks. Stewart showed off his batting eye at the NYCBL All-Star Game in Watertown. Nick drew two walks from West Division pitchers. The second free-pass came with one out in the bottom of the ninth and jump-started a four-run rally for the East Division.

Overall, the 2006 season was a rough one for the Geneva Red Wings. The club was playing .500 baseball for the first few weeks of the season before a rash of injuries and just plain bad luck. After a June 28 win against Genesee Valley, the wheels came off the bus. Geneva lost 10 of its next 14 games and plummeted to last place in the Central Division, behind Genesee Valley, Watertown and Rochester.

One of the lone bright spots during that stretch was Nick Stewart. For the week ending July 9 (before and after the All-Star Game), Stewart was named the NYCBL Player of the Week. Nick hit .500 (11-for-22) with five RBI in six games. The native South Carolinian recorded four multi-hit and two multi-RBI games. In what ended up as a lopsided loss to eventual league champion Saratoga, Stewart went 4-for-5 with a triple and three runs batted in.

Stewart kept hitting and eventually the Red Wings got healthier and things started to turn around. The players around Stewart began hitting and Geneva ripped off six wins in its next eleven games. Nick would normally find himself starting the rally with a single or a walk or continuing a rally that was started by Chris Hutto (Francis Marion) or Matt Nandin (LeMoyne). One of Geneva’s biggest late-season wins came against Central Division runner-up Watertown.

Stewart’s line, 2-for-3 with two RBI, two walks and three runs scored. After flying out in his first at-bat, Nick came up in the third inning in the midst of a big Geneva rally. Stewart ripped a one-out, RBI single up the middle, continuing what would end up as a three-run Geneva outburst. Nick came to the plate against in the fifth. He drew a one-out walk, stole second base and moved to third on a wild pitch. A ground out brought Stewart home, tying the game at four.

In the seventh inning with the score still tied, Stewart drew his second walk of the night. Back-to-back singles sent him plate-ward to give Geneva the lead, 5-4. But, Nick’s night was not complete. In his final at-bat, Stewart faced Wizards ace closer Matt Vieira. The Red Wings right fielder blasted a Vieira offering over the left field fence for the final nail in the Wizards coffin. Take Nick Stewart out of the Red Wings line-up on that particular evening, maybe Geneva doesn’t have their success against Watertown.

Even when Stewart wasn’t getting hits, he was still helping the Red Wings. In Geneva’s final win of the season, against Central Division champion Genesee Valley, Stewart went 0-for-3. But, he walked once and helped spur the Red Wings eventual game-winning rally. Stewart was up in the fifth inning with runners on second and third and two outs. He drew a base-on-balls. The next man to the plate, Tim Alberts (Niagara), smacked a two-run RBI single to increase Geneva’s lead to 3-0.

At the end of the year, Stewart led Geneva in just about every offensive category or was part of the top three. He led the Red Wings in batting average (.310), home runs (7), runs batted in (28), runs scored (27), hits (44), triples (3), slugging percentage (.542), and stolen bases (14). Nick’s seven home runs was the best in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. He also contributed six assists from his position in right field.

Not only was Stewart named the NYCBL Player of the Year, he was also ranked as one of the Top 10 prospects in the NYCBL by Baseball America. He definitely has the potential to be a complete five-tool player. Fans in Geneva and around the league saw him hit for average and power. His base-running prowess, while not the best in the league, was a definite aid to Geneva and he has excellent speed on the bases and in covering the outfield. Defensively, his speed helps him track down balls in the gap and he has a very good arm.

All in all, he made a big splash in Geneva. The Red Wings were fortunate to have such a great player and from what I’ve heard, a great person in the line-up. McDonough Park’s seen many a future minor and major leaguer take the field. Nick Stewart may be the next one in line to make that prestigious list.

Our series will continue with the Central Division champion Genesee Valley Riverbats.

Comments, questions, stories, thoughts, recipes and the like can be sent to SaltCitySports@aol.com.

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Great Stories of 2006

This is the beginning of the multiple part series dedicated to discussing the great stories from the 2006 New York Collegiate Baseball League season. There were so many interesting and compelling storylines coming out of 2006 that I don’t think I could possibly cover them in one post. So, this is broken up into separate parts. If, once the series is completed, you feel I’ve missed one, please e-mail me at SaltCitySports@aol.com.

Part I
Louie Bernardini (Photo courtesy of Wheaton College)
At the start of the 2006 NYCBL season, Louie Bernardini was not even listed on the roster of the Saratoga Phillies. But, by the end of the season, the Wheaton College hurler had won seven straight starts, pitched his team to a NYCBL championship and earned NYCBL Pitcher of the Year honors.

But, the Gray, Maine, native’s success in 2006 started before he ever reached the diamond at East Side Rec. In the spring, Bernardini’s Wheaton (MA) College Lyons had a storybook season that took them to the NCAA Division III World Series for the first time in program history. Wheaton won three elimination bracket games at the World Series and advanced to the national championship game before falling to Marietta (OH) College. The Lyons won a school record 42 games and lost just 10. Bernardini started and won in Wheaton’s first elimination game against Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a four-hit performance over eight and one-third innings. At Wheaton, Louie compiled a 6-2 record (fourth most wins on team) with a team-high four complete games in 12 starts.

The best was yet to come. Bernardini was added to the Saratoga roster in late June along with fellow Wheaton pitcher Joe White due to a shortage of arms on the Phillies staff. Right away, the 6’5” right-hander made an impact. He started game two of a home doubleheader against the West Division leading Allegany County Nitros. The day before, the Nitros had made quick work of the red-hot Little Falls Diamond Miners at Vet’s Park. Foreshadowing things to come in August, Louie knocked the Nitros for a loop. He carried a no-hitter into the seventh (and final) inning that was lost a on a two-out, two-run double to Jaime Armendariz (Midland). Saratoga won the game, 9-2.

Over the course of his next three starts, he picked up three road victories with two complete games and 14 combined strikeouts. The pitcher who hadn’t been on the roster a month ago was turning into the team’s ace over night. Thanks to Bernardini's great pitching and the team's extremely potent offense, the Phillies rolled to the best record in the NYCBL and their first East Division title. Bernardini’s final regular season start came against Saratoga’s I-87 rival Glens Falls. Louie tied a season-high with eight strikeouts and scattered seven hits before giving way to Phillies reliever Cory Kuzmik (New Jersey Tech) for the save.

And who was on the mound when the East Division champions took the field for game one of the playoffs against rival Amsterdam? You guessed it. However, that night in Saratoga Springs, Bernardini struggled and was matched up against a formidable opponent, Amsterdam’s Austin Hyatt, a fireballer, with great potential, from the University of Alabama. The Phillies trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the seventh. Then, the Saratoga offense exploded for five runs to take a 6-3 lead. Bernardini would allow a single run in the eighth on a two-out, Vince Riggi (Richmond) double, but he slammed the door on the Tribe’s rally after that. At the end, Bernardini improved to 6-0 in his sixth start, allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts.

He would not pitch again until the first game of the championship series, against Allegany County on the road. On a night when the Phillies powerful offense scored just two runs, Bernardini was again masterful. He did allow a third-inning run to give Allegany County a 1-0 lead, but that was all he’d yield. Louie hurled a complete game four-hitter and allowed just one hit after the third inning and no runner got past second base.

His numbers for the season were staggering. In seven starts, Bernardini did not lose a single decision. He led the NYCBL with seven victories and five complete games. He garnered a club second-best 1.63 earned run average in 55.1 innings pitched and struck out 37 batters.

And to think, if Saratoga’s staff had not been looking for an extra arm or two, Louie Bernardini might have never ended up in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. He was the second straight NCAA Division III pitcher to win NYCBL Pitcher of the Year honors. Mike Schellinger, who won the award in 2005, signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals and had success with the Cardinals short-season “A” affiliate in New Jersey.

Louie’s NYCBL success is already paying off. According to The Saratogian, he’s signed to pitch next summer for the Hyannis Mets of the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League. He’ll be the second straight NYCBL alum to play for the Mets. 2004 Amsterdam Mohawk Jared McGuire played for the Mets last summer.

Our series will continue with the NYCBL Player of the Year, Nick Stewart.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

NYCBL Alumni Spotlight 1/2/07

Chip played for the Cortland Apples (now defunct) in 2001. The Charleston, South Carolina, native hit .225 with a team-high two home runs and third-best 10 RBI in 30 games. He was coached by Scott Brown, who is now the pitching coach at St. John’s University. Cannon spent his collegiate career at The Citadel. Playing for the Bulldogs in the Southern Conference, he was a two-time SoCon all-star first baseman.

Toronto drafted Chip in the eighth round (237th overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball amateur entry draft. He started his professional baseball career with the Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League, only 30 minutes away from his NYCBL home in Cortland. After a successful summer with the Doubledays, that included 10 home runs, Chip started 2005 with the Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League. He was named to the league’s mid-season All-Star Game, before being promoted to Dunedin of the Florida State League. Cannon wasted no time making a mark; he socked 14 home runs and drove in 39 runs in just 29 games for the Dunedin Blue Jays. That earned him a promotion to Double-A New Hampshire. By the end of the 2005 season, Chip had accumulated 32 home runs and 98 RBI.

In his first full season at Double-A in 2006, Cannon hit .248 with 27 home runs and 69 runs batted in. He also recorded 25 doubles and totaled a .810 OPS for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Through two and a-half seasons in professional baseball, Chip’s totaled 69 home runs.

But, his coming out party happened this past fall. He nearly took the Arizona Fall League Triple Crown, playing for the Phoenix Desert Dogs. Chip led the AFL in home runs (11), runs batted in (29), total bases (75), slugging percentage (.714) and OPS (1.188). He was second in on-base percentage (.474), tied for second in hits (37) and finished fourth in batting average (.375). Aside from his MVP award, Chip was also named to the 2006 AFL All-Prospects team.

We wish Chip the best of luck this coming season. If he doesn’t make the big club in Toronto, chances are he’ll be back in upstate New York this spring. That’s because, Toronto’s Triple-A team is located in Syracuse – the Syracuse Chiefs.

Any feedback on the NYCBL blog can be sent to SaltCitySports@aol.com

Monday, January 1, 2007

John's Favorite NYCBL Ballparks

Here's a fun topic for New Year's Day. I've always been a fan of going to different baseball parks and stadiums and seeing what they have to offer. I've been to all sorts of places from Wrigley Field in Chicago to Keyspan Park in Brooklyn and to a majority of the fields around the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Here's a list of my favorites. It's in no particular order since I enjoy all of these places. Every field in the NYCBL is unique and it has its own distinct qualities and charms. Of course, this is just my list, you may disagree with it if you like. The only way to decide for yourself to visit the great ballparks around the league.

Shuttleworth Park; Amsterdam, NY (Amsterdam Mohawks)
The former Mohawk Mills Park has been hosting the Amsterdam Mohawks for the past four seasons. There’s just an interesting feel about a ballpark tucked away among the trees with a single gravel road being the only entrance in and out of the park area (one direction takes you over a one-lane bridge). The most dominant feature, to me at least, is the gigantic AMSTERDAM water tower overlooking the trees in left field. Anytime I’ve called a game at Shuttleworth and a batter goes down on strikes looking, he’s always “stiff as the Amsterdam water tower.” The grandstand is covered by an overhang and there are chair back box seats ringing the home plate area. The box seats formerly resided in old Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, before it was torn down. The brick work on the backstop gives the park an “old school feel.” Though, the new school is very evident with the bright numbers and letters, including pitch velocity, listed on the right field scoreboard. The press box at Shuttleworth has to be my favorite in the league. It stands atop the grandstand roof with a view right over the top of home plate, giving an excellent look at the playing field. Last year, the Mohawks jammed 2,100 fans into Shuttleworth for a Fireworks Night, 6-5, victory over division rival Little Falls.

Maple City Park; Hornell, NY (Hornell Dodgers)
Like Shuttleworth, Maple City Park in Hornell is another blast into baseball’s past. I admit, I’ve only been to Maple City Park once, but it made a great impression. Think of minor league baseball in small town USA in the 1940s and 1950s, and you have Maple City Park; made in an era when ball fields didn’t change the surrounding area, the field adapted to the surroundings. The outfield wooden light poles are in play, wrapped in rubber coverings. There’s a house just past the right-field wall and a playground that cuts a close corner up the line. Maple trees sit just across the street from the ballpark, in front of local homes. And in left field, one of the trees just barely hangs over the chain link outfield fence. And if you manage to blast a home run at Maple City Park, it ends up in the street. Adsit Street runs parallel to the field behind the outfield wall. There’s covered grandstand bleacher seating. But, more impressive, there’s an open area down the third base line where, on a nice summer evening, fans can sit and watch the action in lawn chairs. The press box sits at the top of the bleachers under the grandstand with multiple levels, giving a wonderful vantage point of the field and the stands. Plus, there’s a pretty nice view of rolling hills of southwestern New York in the distance.

Veterans Memorial Park; Little Falls, NY (Little Falls Diamond Miners)
The ball field at the corner of Burwell and Ray Streets in Little Falls, New York is a hidden gem in the Mohawk Valley. Your trip to baseball’s past begins with a drive through the quaint setting of Little Falls, a beautiful small town with lots of uphill roads. When driving to the park, you have to keep your eyes open, because the entrance is literally on the corner of Burwell and Ray Streets. It almost seems like the field is carved into the hillside. The view of the Adirondack Mountain foothills is breath-taking and Veteran’s Park has to be one of the best kept-up fields in the league. That includes the grass just inside the gate and the neatly trimmed bushes lining the walkway to the bleachers. There’s bleacher seating on each side of the field and aluminum chair box-seating in front of the bleachers. It may remind you of the box-seating arrangement at Damaschke Field in Oneonta, NY. There are bleachers in center field as well but I’m not sure how much they’re used, given the outfield dimensions. It’s 378 feet down the right field line and the outfield is among the biggest in the league.

Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds; Watertown, NY (Watertown Wizards)
I’d be remiss if I didn’t list Duffy Fairgrounds as one of my favorite places to view a game in the NYCBL. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve broadcast the Wizards games on TEAMLINE the last two seasons. But, traveling to the North Country is a fun experience for fans and visiting teams alike. Since their inception, the Watertown Wizards have been among the league leaders in attendance. Weekday night games usually draw the best crowds, as does the annual Flag Day game. There’s covered grandstand seating behind home plate, slightly set back from the action. The facility was originally built for football and/or the grandstand looks more akin to a set-up you would use at a track. It's also one of the few metal grandstands with an upper and lower section, depending on how high up you want to sit. But, if you want to be on top of the game, literally, you can sit in the box seats on top of the first or third base dugouts. And behind the third base bleachers, on top of the home team dugout, stands the press box, for a unique side view of home plate. The playing surface is very well kept up and the Fairgrounds may have the league’s best grounds crew.

East Field; Glens Falls, NY (Glens Falls Golden Eagles)
No other park in the NYCBL can boast a capacity of 10,000. Nor do many summer collegiate baseball fields around the country double as a football field in the late-summer. East Field gives you an immediate minor-league feel with its seating configuration and the overall set-up. Signs dot the outfield wall and size-wise, East Field boasts one of the most expansive areas in the league. The outfield bleachers at East Field actually are used as grandstand football seating for the Glens Falls semipro football team, the Glens Falls Green Jackets. Chair back seats are available behind home plate in red and blue, for whatever color you’re in the mood for. More laid back wooden bleacher seating goes up the first and third base lines and comprises a majority of seating at the ballpark. Like Hornell and several other ballparks built around neighborhoods, houses run parallel to the park (not in full view though) down the third base line. The field actually hosted Double-A franchises for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and most recently, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Golden Eagles are usually one of the better draws in the NYCBL with a great base of baseball and just plain sports fans in Glens Falls. The stadium also hosts the NJCAA Division III World Series in May and the city is the focus of hoops fans across the state in March when the Glens Falls Civic Center has the New York State boys high school basketball championships.

Honorable Mention goes to..

East Side Rec; Saratoga Springs, NY (Saratoga Phillies)
It didn’t make my top five, but East Side Rec can be one of the more enjoyable places to watch a game. The field has improved greatly during the Phillies time in the league and Phillies co-owners Dan Scarring and Keith Rogers are committed to improving it even more. The actual field is part of a recreation park – there are a few basketball courts and a skate park. But there is a covered grandstand behind home plate that’s very cozy. Fans can line their lawn chairs up the first base line next to the dugout and sit in relative shade under trees. There’s a football field behind the third-base line with the football bleachers that come right up next to the park. From the top of the bleachers, you have a good view of the field overlooking the Phillies bullpen and dugout. The dimensions at East Side Rec are similar to Maple City Park, where the field has to conform slightly to the surroundings. You can see the white houses across the street from home plate and it makes for a tough batters eye during night games. It’s an electric atmosphere when the Phillies bring in a good crowd for a night game. Saratoga Springs is a wonderful city in the summertime and it gets even busier and full with more people when the horse track opens in July.

McDonough Park; Geneva (Geneva Red Wings)
I made my first trip to McDonough Park this past season. Like many of the current or former minor league facilities in upstate New York, it has a certain charm about it. Evening games have to start at 7:30 because the way the field was built, the sun goes down over the left field wall. The first thing you notice when you walk in, the extravagantly hand-painted outfield signs. There are some normal signs, but most look like they were individually painted on in a rainbow of different colors. The team just installed a new deck on the first base line to replace the old wooden bleachers. There’s a covered grandstand behind home plate with bleacher seating as well as chair back blue box seats. McDonough reminds me a lot of Falcon Park in Auburn and Dwyer Stadium in Batavia. All three, small, cozy parks from when minor league baseball thrived in small towns across the Empire state.

NOTE
I’ve heard rave reviews about Dunn Field in Elmira from a few people that have played there or been to a game there. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it down to Elmira to see a game last year. From the pictures I’ve seen, it looks like it could be one of the nicest parks in the league with a great minor league atmosphere.

Welcome to the New York Collegiate Baseball League blog, which is dedicated to discussing news and topics regarding the NYCBL. My name is John McGraw and I’ve been involved with the NYCBL for the last two years. The league has been around since 1978 under the names New York Collegiate Baseball League and Northeast College Baseball League (NCBL).

On this blog, I’ll talk about the latest news in the NYCBL and share with you some topics about the league that range from my favorite NYCBL fields to favorite moments to a little bit more history on the league. I hope you enjoy. If you would like to contribute via e-mail, you can contact me at SaltCitySports@aol.com. The league’s official web site is www.NYCBL.com.

New York Collegiate Baseball League Blog