LOCAL BASEBALL ARTISTS DISPLAY BRUSH WITH GREATNESS Tweet
1/07/12: Baseball is about capturing moments in time. It is about witnessing memorable and unexpected plays. It is about the emotional roller-coaster you feel during a game, or over the course of the season. And baseball is about the game’s personalities, and the bond fans have with their favorite players. Baseball’s moments enter the history books just after they occur. All that is left are the memories.
Capturing baseball’s memories are no small task. Good thing New England is home to some of the finest sports artists in the country. These folks are experts at painting corners and having a consistent stroke. Read the full article in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of New England Baseball Journal, and see the 'outta the park' work from more than a dozen artists in the Grand Slam Baseball Art Gallery.
Artwork examples from the Grand Slam Gallery by artists Brian Fox (David Ortiz), Kevin McNeil (Dustin Pedroia) & Justyn Farano (Jacoby Ellsbury).
12/03/11: The 11th annual Winterball was a huge success, drawing dozens of amateur adult baseball players from local baseball leagues across New England to play a game to benefit Toys for Tots. With a game-time temperature of 39 degrees, the Young Bucks (players aged 18-29) defeated the Aging Stallions (players aged 30+) in a 10-inning contest by a score of 6 to 5.
With the score 6-2 in the 10th inning, the Aging Stallions rallied for 3 runs before the game-tying run was called out at the plate to end the contest. Sgt. Major Rick Peterson of the United States Marines was on hand to collect the toy donations, and even threw out the game’s first pitch. See 2011 Winterball Photos.
Sgt Major Rick Peterson of the US Marines loads the toys.
Carl Rodriguez shows off his hand-made Candy Cane bat.
11/19/11: “What are you thankful for this holiday season?”
Kevin Bell & The 530th Engineer Detachment
It’s a question asked quite often this time of year. Of course, we’re all thankful for friends and family. But this year especially, I’m appreciative for what our troops continue to do overseas as they fight for our freedom back home. Perhaps that is because one guy I’ve played baseball with for seven years was noticeably missing this past season.
Kevin Bell, affectionately known as “K-Bell,” has played in the Boston Men’s Adult Baseball League since 2004. He began his amateur career with the Quincy Grays, swapped to the Boston Orioles in 2006, and found a home with the Boston Blue Jays in 2009. This past season, even though he was still listed on the Jays’ roster, K-Bell missed the entire baseball season to serve as a specialist in the U.S. Army, a firefighter with the 530th Engineer Detachment stationed at Forward Operating Base SarkariKarez, outside of Kandahar, Afghanistan. [Full story: Our National Pastime in Afghanistan]
11/12/11: With 80+ amateur adult baseball leagues and 700+ teams across New England, leagues offer a broad range of competitiveness, from weekend warrior to aspiring professional. Some leagues have short and condensed schedules over the summer, while others are spread from spring to fall. Some consist of young men just starting out life on their own, while others cater to the seasoned gentleman with families of their own. The one thing they all have in common is that they are filled with athletes continuing to live the dream of playing baseball as long as they can.
YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD UMPIRE IS ALBERTO COLLADO Tweet
10/13/11: Umpiring is a thankless profession, constantly standing in judgment of the players, who regularly remind you that you’re no good at your job. Umpires — even the best of them — sometimes are seen as the enemy, another impediment to victory. An umpire often has few friends on the field. Unless you are Alberto Collado.
The October issue of New England Baseball Journal on newsstand has the complete article, or read it online: Your Friendly Neighborhood Umpire.
Alberto Collado making a call on a ball down the line.
BOSTON ROCKIES MAKE IT TO SEMIFINALS AT NABA WORLD SERIES IN ARIZONA Tweet
10/13/11: At the NABA World Series in Phoenix, Arizona, the Boston Rockies went 3-2 in pool play with wins over the Colorado Reds 14-7, Arizona Angels 8-6, and the New York Titans 16-5. The Rockies then defeated the North Illinois Cubs 4-2 in the Quarterfinal before losing to the Colorado Reds in the Semifinals 6-2.
Through all that, the Rockies most notable win was in their first game. Trailing 7-1 in the 9th inning, the Rockies sent three pinch hitters to the plate. Dave Mitrou doubled, Joe Russo plated him with an RBI single and Bryan Misci followed with a walk. The next four batters then reached base scoring 3 more runs, which loaded the bases with the Rockies trailing 7-5. The stage was set for Chris Hartery who delivered a bases clearing double to put the Rockies ahead for good. Ken Luongo followed with an RBI single and the Rockies finished up with 5 additional runs to go ahead 14-7.
Adam Del Rio on the mound for the Rockies
SPACEMAN LANDS IN QUINCY FOR 100 INNINGS OF BASEBALL Tweet
10/10/11: The 8th Annual 100 Innings of Baseball for ALS, aka Lou Gehrig's Disease, this year supported the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center on behalf of umpire chief Walter Bentson. Team Lembo defeated Team Rudy, 98-93.
Over the course of the game, Bill "Spaceman" Lee pitched twice, sporting the oldtimer glove and uniform worn by the Hollywood Stars. Gehrig Schilling, son of Red Sox legend Curt Schilling, and named after Lou Gehrig, pitched the 95th through 99th innings with support from his Medfield team, and recorded and the hold in a tight ballgame. About 100 ballplayers participated in the game, including 16 players competing in all 100 innings. Other game highlights include a grandslam by Ryan Bere of the MABL Blue Jays, and the complete game from Bobby DeAngelis of Rutland, Vermont who played a 200-inning game earlier this season to set the new Guinness World Record. [More photos.]
Bill "Spaceman" Lee in Hollywood Stars attire
Gehrig Schilling tossing innings 95 through 99
Walter Bentson catches his inning at midnight
The "Iron Men" who played all 100 innings
WINDSOR CT & NORTH ANDOVER MA WIN SEACOAST NH MSBL TOURNEY Tweet
10/10/11: Over Columbus Day Weekend, the Seacoast New Hampshire MSBL played held their tournament. Windsor CT won the age 25+ division, while North Andover MA win the age 35+ division.
MINUTEMEN TAKE A WEEKEND TO WIN THE CENTRAL MASS 40+ CLASSIC Tweet
10/02/11: The Central Mass Over-40 Baseball League hosted its sixth annual Fall Classic. This year's wood bat tourney featured ten clubs; three teams from the host Central Mass league, one each from Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut, and four other Massachusetts teams, including last year’s champion, the Central Mass Storm. A total of eighteen games were played at Doyle Field (Leominster, MA), Marshall Park (Lunenburg, MA) and Leominster Babe Ruth League fields (McLaughlin Park). The tourney opened with a single game at McLaughlin Park on Friday night (09/30) and ran through the weekend, culminating in the championship game on Sunday (10/02) evening won by the Mass Minutemen over the Merrimack New Hampshire White Sox, 8-2.
2011 Central Mass Over-40 Baseball Champion Mass Minutemen
BROCKTON REDS WALKOFF WITH THEIR 5TH COOPERSTOWN CLASSIC Tweet
08/15/11: The 8th Annual Cooperstown Classic Baseball Tournament was played the weekend of August 13-14 at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Known for holding games at historic Doubleday Field, this tourney has become an annual tradition for teams across New England to participate in each summer.
This year, The Brockton Reds (3-1-0) of the Diamond Baseball League won the tourney for their 5th time, defeating the Middlesex Brewers (2-1-1) of the Boston MSBL by a score of 5-4 in the Championship game. With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 10th inning, Josh McKelligan led off the inning for the Reds with a walkoff home run over the centerfield fence to end the extra inning finale in dramatic fashion.
Noteworthy: MSBL home run leader, BJ White of the Middlesex Brewers, added 3 tournament home runs, knocking each out of Beaver Valley over the course of the weekend.
The other six teams participating in the tournament this year were the Brockton Diamondbacks and South Shore Cardinals (of the Diamond Baseball League), Ben's Dream White Sox, Boston Tigers and Boston Orioles (of the Boston MABL), and Rhode Island Rangers (of the R.I. MSBL). See the Cooperstown Classic history.
2011 Cooperstown Classic Champion Brockton Reds
BJ White of the Middlesex Brewers, hitting 1 of his 3 home runs
OLDTIME BASEBALL GAME BRINGS THE PAST TO THE PRESENT Tweet
08/12/11: The Oldtime Baseball Game is a celebration of our national pastime, played each year at beautiful St. Peter’s Field on Sherman Street in North Cambridge. From its humble beginnings in 1994, the game has grown considerably over the years, yet has remained loyal to its mission of offering a glimpse of what it was like in the old days, when hundreds of fans would turn out to root for their “town” team in various local semipro leagues.
In last night's game, Kevin Salines of the Yawkey League's Malden Bulldogs led off the game with a walk and scored the game's first run. Sam Shaughnessy of the Yawkey League's Brighton Braves was named the game's MVP, as he cracked a homerun helping to lead his squad to an 8-6 victory. See interviews with the both from before the game. See MORE PLAYER INTERVIEWS, including with Boston Red Sox favorite Lou Merloni, and others.
Kevin Salines of the Boston Yawkey League's Malden Bulldogs
Sam Shaughnessy, Alex Lee & James Greeley of Yawkey's Brighton Braves
08/12/11: Most amateur baseball players are no longer living the dream that they may actually play professional ball some day. Yet every once a while, a weekend warrior continues to dream, and turns their dream into a reality. Jeff Bercume of the Intercity League's Andre Chiefs and Jon Shepard the Yawkey League's Malden Bulldogs are two local kids who did just that. Read their stories.
Jon Shepard of Yawkey's Malden Bulldogs (shown in Wheaton College jersey)
Jeff Bercume of Intercity League's Andre Chiefs
DAVE JOSEPH GETTING IT DONE FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME - AND HIS SON Tweet
07/21/11: If you’ve been around the amateur baseball circuit in New England for more than about five minutes, you know about Dave Joseph. For everybody else, he’s the mustachioed 54-year-old pitcher with the rubber arm. At a Boston MABL tryout in the late 1990s, after the JUGS pitching machine failed to start, he memorably threw batting practice to all 100 hopefuls who tried out, probably about 1,500 pitches.
54-yo Dave Joseph of the Brockton A's
Yet, it’s more than Joseph's tireless arm — or his accuracy and consistency— that makes him truly unique. It’s how his playing career even began. Read the full story: For Love of The Game - And His Son.
