New York Collegiate Baseball League Blog: September 2007

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

NYCBL Graduates, MiLB Player/Pitcher Of The Week

The following New York Collegiate Baseball League graduates earned Offensive Player and Pitcher of the Week honors in their respective leagues during the course of the 2007 minor league season.

Week of Aug. 27 - Sept. 3
Dallas Braden (Hornell '03) - Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week
Keith Meyer (Gen. Valley '06) - Northwest League Pitcher of the Week

Week of Aug. 6 - Aug. 12
Jeremy Hall (Glens Falls '04) - Appalachian League Pitcher of the Week

Week of July 30 - Aug. 5
Michael Parker (Amsterdam '04) - Appalachian League Offensive Player of the Week

Week of July 16 - July 22
Terry Tiffee (Hornell '98) - International League Offensive Player of the Week
Michael Schellinger (Watertown '05) - Midwest League co-Pitcher of the Week

Week of June 25 - July 1
Daniel Griffin (Saratoga '04) - South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week

Front Office Movements

*The Watertown Wizards have announced that Todd Kirkey has been promoted to the position of general manager. Kirkey will be responsible for running the Wizards day-to-day operations.

For the past four years, Kirkey served as the field manager for the Wizards. He guided the Purple and Yellow to three-straight appearances in the New York Collegiate Baseball League playoffs and the 2005 Eastern Division playoff championship. The Massena, N.Y., native directed the Wizards to 90 victories over four seasons and nine of Kirkey’s former players have gone on to play professional baseball.

Kirkey moves into the Wizards front office as the franchise’s all-time leader in coaching victories (90), winning percentage (.533) and longevity (four years).

During the 2007 season, four of Kirkey’s former players signed professional contracts: Levi Maxwell (’05), Bobby Hastry (’05), Vinny Pennell (’05) and Chris Rosenbaum (‘04/’06).

*Last month, the Little Falls Miners announced that assistant coach Travis Heiser has been signed as the team’s assistant general manager. Heiser will be the Miners local contact in Little Falls during the 2007-2008 off-season.

Heiser, a resident of Canajoharie, N.Y., takes over as the Miners assistant general manager for the departed Bryan Benway. Benway took a job in mid-July as the media relations and broadcasting director for the Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League.

Away from the Miners, Heiser is a teacher at St. Johnsville High School. He coaches soccer, girls’ basketball and baseball.

The Miners are owned and operated by Baseball Concessions Inc. of Durham, N.C.

*The Amsterdam Mohawks announced that assistant coach Drew Pearce has been named as the team’s new general manager. Pearce is an assistant coach at Siena College.

It is noted on the Mohawks web site that Pearce will be the team’s full-time general manager, replacing team president Brian Spagnola, who served in both capacities (president and GM) this past season.

As a player, Pearce was drafted out of St. Francis High School by the New York Yankees. He was selected in the 35th round (970th overall) of the 1996 Major League Baseball entry draft. He pitched for two seasons at the University of California at Berkley before injuries end his career.

Pearce pitched in the prestigious Alaska Baseball League as a rising sophomore and went 5-1 with a 2.01 earned run average. In his sophomore season, Pearce was the Golden Bears ace, recording nine wins, including triumphs over USC, Long Beach State, Pepperdine, Arizona and Fresno State.

(Bio information courtesy of Siena College).

NYCBL Grads Help Kansas Defeat Croatia

(Editors Note: Sorry this is so late, but I just noticed it)

Seven New York Collegiate Baseball League graduates helped the Kansas University Jayhawks defeat the Croatian National Team, 8-0, on Sept. 2 at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence, Kan.

According to the Kansas release, the Croatians played the game as a tune-up for the European Baseball Championships that were held in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this month.

Former NYCBL players in the game included Nick Faunce (Watertown ’07), Brian Heere (Watertown ’07), John Allman (Amsterdam ’04), Blake Slagle (Amsterdam ’07), Justin Ellrich (Geneva ’05), Casey Larson (Glens Falls ’07), and Matt Berner (Geneva ’05).

Faunce, Allman and Berner were the only three in the Jayhawks starting line-up. Faunce batted lead-off and finished 1-for-2 with a double and one run scored. Allman hit third and tied for a team high with two runs batted in, he added one hit and one run scored. Berner batted ninth and went 0-for-2.

Justin Ellrich led the NYCBL charge off the bench with two runs batted in. Blake Slagle walked and scored one run. Brian Heere and Casey Larson played but did not record a hit.

Notes: The Netherlands won the 2007 European Baseball Championship. Croatia finished 2-3 in Group A play behind the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany. Russia, who played Bennington and Saratoga this summer, finished 0-5 in Group B.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Miners Manager Gordon Hired At Northeastern

Last month, Northeastern University head baseball coach Neil McPhee announced that Little Falls Miners manager Justin Gordon has been named the new pitching coach for the Huskies.

Gordon joins Northeastern after one season at Temple University. Prior to coaching in Philadelphia, Gordon spent two seasons as the pitching coach at Western Illinois University. Gordon's Leathernecks won a school-record 32 games in 2006 and advanced to the championship game of the Mid-Continent Conference postseason tournament. His pitchers were among the league leaders in strikeouts and earned run average.

Before skippering the Miners last summer, Gordon was the pitching coach for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2006. Under Gordon's guise, Dan Merklinger (Seton Hall) earned All-Cape League honors. Merklinger was drafted in June and is pitched this past summer in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system.

As a player, Gordon spent five seasons in the Milwaukee Brewers farm system after being selected in the 32nd round of the 1999 Major League Baseball entry draft. He was a Pioneer League all-star with the Ogden Raptors in 2000 and advanced as high as the High-Class A with the High Desert Mavericks.

This past summer, Gordon skippered the Little Falls Miners into the New York Collegiate Baseball League playoffs. It was the franchise's second-straight appearance in the NYCBL postseason. The Miners finished in a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Division with the Amsterdam Mohawks and earned a playoff spot based on holding a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage. Under Gordon's direction, Tom Edwards (Rutgers) earned first-team All-NYCBL accolades.

Gordon is already familiar with two of his new Northeastern players. Both James Donaldson and Tyler Thornton played for the Miners in 2007.

Motte (Rome '01) To Play In Arizona Fall League

Jason Motte (Rome '01) has been selected by the St. Louis Cardinals to play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Motte will pitch for the Mesa Solar Sox.

The Arizona Fall League runs from October through November and features some of the top minor-league prospects from every Major League team. This coming season, nearly 20 former first round draft picks will be competing in the six-team circuit. Last year, NYCBL graduate Chip Cannon (Cortland '01) was named the Arizona League's MVP.

Motte recently completed an outstanding season with the Double-A Springfield Cardinals in the Texas League. Motte, a relief pitcher, went 3-3 with eight saves and a team-low 2.20 earned run average in 44 appearances. Motte allowed 13 runs in 49 innings pitched and struck out 63.

The Port Huron, Mich., native started the season with the Class-A Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League. In nine appearances, Motte was 1-0 with three saves and a 0.90 ERA. He struck out six and walked one in 10 innings. In 2006, Motte split time between State College (NY-P) and Quad Cities (MWL), only making 29 combined appearances.

The Cardinals selected Motte in the 19th round (575th overall) of the 2003 Major League Baseball entry draft as a catcher. After three seasons as a backstop, Motte was converted to a pitcher. Prior to turning pro, Motte played collegiately at Iona College.

During the summer of 2001, Motte played for the Rome Indians. Motte helped backstop the Indians to the New York Collegiate Baseball League championship. He is one of six players from the 2001 Indians to play professional baseball and of the six, he is the only one still active.

Pair Of NYCBL Graduates Compete In Bricktown Showdown

Tuesday night, two graduates of the New York Collegiate Baseball League played in the annual Bricktown Showdown in Oklahoma City, Okla. The Bricktown Showdown pits the champions of the Pacific Coast League against the champions of the International League in a one-game, winner-take-all, Triple-A playoff.

The Sacramento RiverCats, of the Pacific Coast League, defeated the Richmond Braves, of the International League, 7-1, in a game that was broadcast live on ESPN2.

Lou Merloni (NYCBL '90) was named the RiverCats captain for the game by field manager Tony DeFrancesco. He responded with a three-run home run in the third inning that put Sacramento in the lead to stay and later added a sixth-inning RBI single.

In nine playoff games between the PCL playoffs and the Bricktown Showdown, Merloni batted .333 (12-for-36) with four home runs and 10 RBI.

The Framingham, Mass., native spent parts of nine seasons playing in the Majors with Boston, San Diego, Cleveland (twice) and Anaheim. Last offseason, Merloni signed with the Oakland Athletics.

Merloni played in the New York Collegiate Baseball League during the early 1990s while an undergraduate at Providence College. He would go on to later play in the Cape Cod League and he was the 1993 Big East Conference Player of the Year.

Mike Rozema (MV '02/Geneva '03) started at second base for the Richmond Braves. He went 1-for-3 and was one of only five R-Braves to record a hit. In the field, Rozema was part of one double play, turning the twin-killing with Braves prospect Brent Lillibridge.

Rozema started the season with the Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelcians of the Carolina League. In 20 games, he hit .294 with two home runs, 15 RBI and a .809 OPS. The Ridgewood, N.J., native moved up to the Double-A Mississippi Braves of the Southern League. With the M-Braves, Rozema hit .265 with five home runs and 25 RBI through 69 games.

The former St. John's standout finished the regular season with Richmond. In eight games for the R-Braves, Rozema batted .154 and drove in three runs.

Rozema spent two seasons in the New York Collegiate Baseball League and twice competed in the playoffs. He played for the Mohawk Valley Red Legs during the 2002 season and helped the Red Legs on to the Eastern Division playoffs against the Schenectady Mohawks. The following season, Rozema was a member of the Geneva Red Wings and the 'Wings went on to the Western Division playoffs against the Hornell Dodgers.

Rozema was selected in the 14th round (431st overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball entry draft by the Atlanta Braves.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Jason James (Hornell '05) Tabbed All-Frontier League

Jason James (Hornell '05) has been named to the 2007 Frontier League postseason all-star team. James was one of 11 players selected for the squad and just one of three outfielders.

James, playing for the Rockford Riverhawks, batted a team-high .345 with seven home runs and 61 runs batted in. James' .345 batting average was the second-best in the entire league. The speedy centerfielder totaled 111 hits, 44 runs, 23 doubles, one triple and five stolen bases in 84 games for Rockford. The Vernon Hills, Ill., native was the only member of the Riverhawks selected to the league all-star team.

Rockford signed James as a free-agent out of Lindenwood University in 2006. Last season, James helped the Riverhawks to the regular-season crown in the Frontier League's West Division. He batted .341 with 16 RBI in 36 games and went 1-2 with a 3.00 earned run average in six pitching appearances. James earned his lone pitching victory with a shutout effort in extra-innings on the mound and a game-winning RBI single in top of the 12th inning against Florence on August 3, 2006.

As a senior at Lindenwood, James was a 2006 NAIA honorable mention All-America selection.

James helped the Hornell Dodgers to the 2005 New York Collegiate Baseball League championship. The Dodgers starting centerfielder was a first-team NYCBL all-star, started in the league's All-Star Game for the Western Division and won the All-Star Game Home Run Derby. For the Dodgers, James batted .377 with one home run, 16 RBI and 25 stolen bases.

Ryan Basham (Glens Falls '04) Named Frontier League Rookie of the Year

Ryan Basham (Glens Falls '04) has been selected as the Frontier League's Jason Simontacchi Award winner for the 2007 season. The award is given annually to the league's Rookie of the Year.

Basham, playing for the Florence Freedom, hit .298 with a team-high 17 home runs and 74 runs batted in. He finished second on the team with 108 hits and also collected 56 runs, 21 doubles, one triple and 48 walks. In 93 games with the Freedom, Basham committed just five errors in the outfield.

Florence finished the Frontier League regular season with a record of 42-54 and earned a third-place finish in the league's East Division.

Basham enjoyed a stellar three-year career at Michigan State. As a junior in 2006, Basham was named first-team All-Big Ten and he led the Spartans in almost every major offensive category including batting average (.363), home runs (8) and runs batted in (53). The Lowell, Ind., native was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 29th round (870th overall) of the 2006 Major League Baseball entry draft, however he did not sign. Basham signed with the Freedom in April.

Basham was a member of the 2004 Glens Falls Golden Eagles. The 2004 Golden Eagles won the Eastern Division regular season title and finished the regular season 31-10. Basham was a second-team NYCBL all-star.

The Frontier League's Rookie of the Year award is named after current Washington Nationals pitcher Jason Simontacchi. Simontacchi pitched in the Frontier League during the 1998 season and helped the Springfield Capitals win the league championship as a Frontier League "rookie."