Northeast Baseball League

[progen]

It’s 1988, and I’m sitting in my home office at my house in Downingtown, PA, when the phone rings. On the other end it’s William(Bill) Wilson, CEO of Lukens Steel Company in Coatesville. Randy, it’s Bill Wilson from Lukens Steel, we met at the Reading Phillies game. Oh yes, hi Bill, how are things going. “They’re going great, and even better if you’ll say yes to my proposal. Do you have a minute? Ah, sure……
Before I finish this story, I should tell you how it came to be. After graduating from Shippensburg State College(now Shippensburg Univ) in 1977, I worked part time at the Reading Phillies.





Having a communications degree, I guess they felt I was qualified to “work” the fans between innings with free give aways, contests, games, etc. But that was only my “night job” when the team played. My “day job” was to “shadow” the GM and do whatever was necessary to help make his day a bit easier. The Reading Phils are now the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, and have a long history, dating back to 1858 when they were known as the Reading Athletic Club. The actual “official” date of the now Reading Phillies, was in 1967. The job was mostly fun, sometimes demanding, but for me, I got to meet some awesome players like Larry Bowa, Greg “the Bull” Luzinski, Mike Schmidt, and Bob Boone, just to name a few. I learned all the “ins and outs” of what it took to run a ballclub, and several years later, when our GM took a two month hiatus for health reasons, myself, along with the owner, ran the day to day operations. That obviously caught the eye of not only the owner, but some of his “high class” friends. I also paid close attention to the “scouts” and what they would see in certain ballplayers. I learned some of the basic rules which include:

Some organizations use the 20/80 scale others use 2 to 8.They are the same thing.
2 or 20 is the low end of the scale and 8 or 80 is the high end.
Scouts typically use two numbers when grading, such as 4/6 or 3/5.
The first number is the player's current rating on the 2 to 8 scale the
second is his "projected" future professional baseball rating. Of course
those numbers are based on the individual scout's opinion.
When only one number is given, such as a 7, it is usually (almost
always) that scout's projection opinion of that player's professional
baseball potential.
Arm Strength - When scouts are evaluating a players arm strength it is usually during pre-game infield-outfield practice. A scout will get to see several throws by the outfielders to second, third, and home plate. If a player has a good arm, chances are he will show it here, particularly on throws to home plate. Scouts are looking for four things from outfielders: a strong overhand throw, a straight-line trajectory, good carry, and good life on the turf when the ball finally hits the ground. A strong arm is also necessary for infielders particularly the shortstop and third baseman. Scouts will pay the most attention to throws made from the outfield grass from deep short.

There are many other scouting “notes” I have, too many to mention here, but you get the picture. I was like a sponge, soaking up as much info as I could. This relationship with Reading went on until 1986, less, as time went on as I actually took a “real” job at a Fortune 500 company. And then in September of 1988, that phone call came, which would change my life forever.

Bill Wilson is a huge baseball fan, and in 1988, he ran Lukens Steel Company, a place that I actually worked the summer before college in 1973, and where my father worked for some 46 years. It has a storied history, and was named afer Rebecca Lukens, who Fortune magazine called "America's first female CEO of an industrial company". It was later taken over by the Huston family. But one thing these families had in common, along with Bill Wilson, and besides making Lukens Steel a very successful company, was there total love for baseball.





For the last couple of years, I had heard rumblings about a new, professional, independent league starting up. I chalked it up to just talk, and not much else, until this call came. Long story short, Bill Wilson and 23 other “investors” are starting a league called the Northeast Baseball Association. The league will be made up of 24 teams, all based in either Pennsylvania, or New York. There will also be a minor league system consisting of three leagues, somewhat mirroring that other league, Major League Baseball. Everything is in place, and many of the towns that the clubs will reside in, had ball clubs back in the day. The teams will mirror teams that were popular as far back as the early 1900’s , in leagues such as the Pennsylvania league, that ran in 1902 and 1903, and included Coatesville, and the Blue Ridge League, which started in 1915, and included the Chambersburg Maroons, and the Hanover Raiders, two teams that would be in this league. I listened intently to his “pitch”, and while continuing to be a bit skeptical, I couldn’t help but get excited. So, when he offered me the GM position for the Coatesville Ball Club(no name yet), it was hard to hold back my enthusiasm. But I told him to give me the weekend, and I would call him Monday morning with an answer.

I immediately went to the library and did some research on some of the teams he mentioned, and realized that the owners of the various teams, had more than making money on their minds when they started this league. Most, truly had a love for the game, and it’s unique history. Further below is the intial “layout” of the league, as not more than an hour after our phone call, a courier dropped off a large package, which detailed the specifics of the league. Besides Lukens Steel, Mr. Wilson had some other “local” sponsors lined up, including A. Duie Pyle trucking, AT&T, the official “long distance carrier” of the Coatesville team, and some other, smaller sponsors. We would play our games at Ash Park, which sits across from the Gordon Middle School. I witnessed many a ballplayer hit bombs over that left field fence, and would see the ball land in the public swimming pool. There was no swimming allowed when games were on, which made parents breathe a lot easier. The field, not really a stadium at all, was getting a major overhaul, and by Spring of 1989, would be ready for professional baseball. Initial seating, would be about 10,000, with the opportunity to expand. Mr. Wilson needed a GM that would not only sign the best players, but could do it with keeping costs in mind. I have been know for being “the frugal one”, in whatever I do, Ok, some people call me cheap, but I totally understood, and quite frankly liked the challenge that this brought to the table. Unlike the clubs in the MLB league, that spent anywhere from 8 million(Atlanta Braves), upwards to 16 million(Boston), I thought it would be an exciting challenge to field a team with a limited budget, and see how successful we could be.

1922
Class D, Blue Ridge League Blue Ridge League - Features
President: James Vincent Jamison, Jr.
Standings W L .Pct GB Manager
Martinsburg-WV Blue Sox 58 41 .586 - Burton Shipley / Dave Black (interim)
Waynesboro-PA Villagers 56 42 .571 1 ½ William “Country” Morris
Frederick-MD Hustlers 54 44 .551 3 ½ George W. “Buck” Ramsey
Hanover-PA Raiders 47 49 .490 9 ½ Bert Weeden
Chambersburg-PA Maroons 46 49 .484 10 Mike Mowrey
Hagerstown-MD Terriers 31 66 . 320 26 Mickey Corcoran/D. Lee Staley

1922 Blue Ridge League Leaders
Batting
Batting: .371, George “Reggie” Rawlings, Martinsburg At Bats: 394, Reggie Rawlings, Martinsburg
Runs: 82, Reggie Rawlings, Martinsburg
Hits: 146, Reggie Rawlings, Martinsburg Singles: 97, Reggie Rawlings, Martinsburg
Doubles: 26, Mike Mowrey, Chambersburg Triples: 9, Bill Satterlee, Chambersburg
26, Luke Kaunas, Waynesboro
Home Runs: 30, Lewis Robert Wilson, Martinsburg *Runs Batted In: 108, Reggie Rawlings, Martinsburg





James Joseph Dykes was born in a hotbed of baseball, Philadelphia, on November 10, 1896. Not a large man for the day, standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 185 pounds at most, he developed strong wrists from working as a pipefitter, and as a caddie at Merion Cricket Club. Gravitating toward the sandlots as did so many other Philadelphia-area boys of the era, Dykes signed to play second base for the Gettysburg team in the Class D Blue Ridge League. The Gettysburg club lost money that year, allegedly not meeting payroll for two months. Dykes contended later that some of the better players on his team traveled to other league clubs to play under an alias for a game or two, just to earn a few extra dollars on the spot. Such a practice ended quickly when opposing managers recognized such players.
It was there at Gettysburg that Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics spotted him, and Jimmy signed with the American League entry of his hometown. Dykes made his big league debut May 6, 1918, after A's regular second baseman Maury Shannon was drafted into the Army for World War I. Playing in 76 games in the 1918 and 1919 seasons, Dykes demonstrated the proverbial "good field-no hit" stereotype, compensating for his inability to hit even .200 against wartime pitching with his graceful fielding around second base. His lack of hitting could be attributed to the fact that he was promoted from a Class D league straight to the majors, and really needed more seasoning. Also, Dykes did a tour of duty with the Army after the 1918 season and was not in shape when the next season rolled around.

[progen]

On Monday I made the call, and on October 10th, 1988, I became the GM of the Coatesville Aces(they decided on that name over the weekend). Of course, as the GM, I had absolutely no say in it, but I didn’t care, I was a GM.




Layout of the League/Rules
Twenty four teams. Two conferences (National and American)
Division Winners make the playoffs, and two wild card teams in each division.
Salary Cap – 1.2m. Super star – 70k, Star – 55k, Good – 48k, etc.
No DH Rule in either league. No Arbitration. Minimum Service in Minors for FA – 5 years
Average Attendance should be around 14,500. Ticket prices vary, average is $6/7 dollars.
141 game schedule with Inter-League play!
Overall/Potential Rating - No stars(Nothing displayed)
Typical Series Length - 4 games(In order to save money on travel)
Current setup as follows:





So on Monday of the following week I made my way to my cramped office at the Lukens Office Building on First Avenue in Coatesville, and made a "to do" list for my very first day!

1. Interview/Hire Office Staff (Budgeted for 1 FT, or 2 PT)
2. Review/Interview for Manager position
3. Review the list of available players
4. Schedule dates on calendar for player workouts
5. Lunch today with Mr. Wilson, the Mayor, and City Council
6. Dinner with Mr. Wilson and several sponsors

[Painmantle]

Yay another dynasty starting that I don't have to read 100's of post to catch up on...I'll be following the Aces closley1 Good Luck!!!

[progen]

After nearly a dozen phone interviews, and then pairing it down to six face to face interviews, I had my three finalists for the Managerial job. They were as follows.

Joe Rigoli - Played three years in the minors, then at the tender age of 24, managed the Gastonia Cardinals in the South Atlantic League. He then went on to manager four years in the New York-Penn League with the Erie Cardinals, and sandwiched in between with a year at the Springfield Cardinals in the Midwest League. Liked his enthusiasm, passion for the game, and his strength at working with younger players. A bit concerned that at 31, is he ready to make a move to a professional league, where he will be dealing with older players at times.




Dick Berardino - Dick started managing full time in 1971 as the skipper of the Williamsport Red Sox, and then moved to Elmira in 1973 where he managed the Pioneers for 13 straight years. His most recent position was with the Greensboro Hornets of the South Atlantic League. I liked Dick's experience, and even at the age of 51, he gave me the impression that he could "connect" with the young players, and not be intimidated by the older players. From references I received, all three said he was an excellent "teacher' of the game, and drilled the "fundamentals" of the game into his teams.



Ed Bane - Ed came highly recommended from several of my reliable sources, and for good reason. Ed actually had MLB experience, having pitched for the Twins in 1973, 75, and 76, after spending 1974 in the minors. In 1976 he started 15 games, and had a record of 4-7. And while he only had two years of managing experience(Batavia in the NYPL), his major league experience to me was so valuable. And during our conversation, we talked as if we had known each other for years.


So after laying everything out to Bill, and reviewing all of my notes, I decided to go with Ed. He was absolutely excited about the opportunity, and mentioned how much his family enjoyed their visit to Chester County, and how he new this would be a perfect fit for all of them. He also had a scout already in mind, a bench coach, as well as a pitching and hitting coach. He had already planned ahead as he was hoping things would fall in place.

And by the way, I also hired one staff member to assist me in the daily office responsibilities, marketing, sales, and assisting with sponsors. Her name is Kirsten. Her father coached high school baseball for 30 years, and whenever I attended a game, she was always there. From a young age, through high school/college. Keeping the book, talking to scouts, calming down the parents, etc.

[progen]

Over the next six weeks, into mid-December, Ed, our scout John Mizer, and myself traveled to nearly a dozen camps to scout players that were signed up to enter the January, 1989, first ever, Northeast Baseball League draft. We spent countless hours comparing our notes, talking to college and minor league coaches, and coming up with a game plan as the big day was fast approaching. The draft is 100 rounds, and Coatesville has the 10th pick in each round. Here is an example of how I look at players from my days at the Reading Phillies and learning from their scouts.

Overall Grades




Overall/Hitting grades



Players grades




And then the summary...

Player A has all the tools to be a solid, everyday player. He has an aggressive approach at the plate but makes excellent contact. He’s extremely athletic and features lots of physical projection, which could help him develop more power in the long run. Player A has good baseball instincts, which generally show on his reads and quick jumps on fly balls. In addition, his range is above average and I can’t imagine he’ll need to move to a corner. His speed might be his best tool. He shows it on the basepaths and in the outfield. He makes silly mistakes at times but nothing that some coaching can’t fix. Player A is advanced for a 20-year old and I expect him to continue his translation of skills to assets.


The Draft Order
:

[NYY #23]

Nicely done start! Coatesville is just down the road from me. Looking forward to see how this turns out and I'll be following along. Good luck!

[HerbD]

Good start...I'm following

[progen]

Draft Day

I heard a sports talk host once say that GM's in this business never see the light of day. Now I know exactly what he means. The 12 to 14 hour days, sometimes turn into 15 to 16. But the great thing is, I've never been happier! So the time has come for draft day, 1989. With a ton of notes, a lot of coffee and sodas, the day has finally arrived.
- My notes!!

And as you can see, we went "all out" with the draft boards! The owner's wife is standing in front of one of them.



Our War Room:

[progen]

The draft started on a chilly, January day, right at noon. We all new it was going to be a long day, but there was so much excitement in the room!!

Our strategy: After more meetings then I care to remember, we decided on this strategy for our early picks.
1. Stud SP - preferably left handed
2. Corner infielder, Centerfielder, or Catcher
3. Have our rotation, at least four starters, by the 15th/16th pick.
4. Have our complete starting lineup by the 25th pick.
5. After pick 25/26, look at players that will help us in the future.

So with that in mind, away we went!!!!

The very first pick in the draft went to Albany, and to no one's surprise, they chose SP Sean Bane.


We were able to get a few breaks, as there were clearly some surprises, so with our first ever draft pick, and to our delight, we chose:


Heida moved to the US with his family when he was 11. A dominant hurler in HS, he went on to a decent college career. To get him with our first pick, and a lefty to boot, there were "high fives" all around the room.

With our second pick, and sticking to our plan we went with third baseman Stanley Harris. Like Heida, at 22
he should only get better, and he clearly stuck out at the last workout we attended.


Our third pick was the "speedy" outfielder we were looking for, and early on, it seemed everything was going according to plan.


Hang in there, as I will list our next two picks tomorrow, to round out our top five, and then summarize the rest of the draft.

[progen]

Well, as promised, I wanted to list our next two picks, and then give a summary of the rest of the two, long draft days!

With our 4th pick, we decided on another infielder, second baseman Juan Montoya. Hopefully, he can play ball better than the other Montoya can race in NASCAR!


And with the 5th pick, we took Michael Lacy, who will be slotted to play LF


As nearly planned, by the 27th pick, we took a starter, and felt we now had a competitive starting rotation. And we also felt at that time, we could field a decent starting lineup. As the day went on, the one thing that concerned me was just how young we were. Would these guys be ready to play the to top level? The second day, we found some "sleepers" that we didn't expect to be there. We'll see how they pan out. By the 80th pick, our owner and other staff left, so it was just me, my manager, and my scout. By the 90th pick, it was TIME, time to break out the $110 case of Chimay! For you Budweiser drinkers, Chimay is one of the top ten, five in my opinion, beers in the world. It is made in Belgium, outside of Brussels. It was originally made by monks. In my second life, I want to be a monk. Eat, pray, and make(drink) Chimay everyday! What a life.

Anyway, with the Chimay pouring, and in between our selections, the reasoning for the next pick got hilarious, as did the baseball stories that my manager and scout shared with me. Is this anyway to run an operation you say? Well, trust me, there were no Mike Piazza late picks in this draft!
Man, could we use this guy about now!!

With the 90th pick, we took Dan Bayless. Not because he had any potential, but his "real" job was selling insurance, and we all figured he could get us cheaper rates on our homeowners, and car insurance.

[progen]

And so the day came to an end, as did our draft. I was too tired, and slightly drunk to assess how we did on the second day, but felt, that we did our homework, and now all you can do is hope they can play!


The next day, I started to review the players, split calling them personally, between myself, my manager, and our AAA and AA managers. We put together a preliminary staff and starting lineup. One thing that made the owner extremely happy was that his "cheapness" was able to assemble a team with the lowest payroll in the league. We'll see if he still has that smile at the end of our inaugural season!


Staff


Starting Lineup


Because I was so conscious of payroll, and because we drafted younger players with limited experience, all players with top level contracts were at 13K, with them automatically renewing. And again, what will keep me up at night, is were we too conservative on our early picks, and not taking that veteran player that would certainly cost us more out of pocket? Well, only time will tell!!

[progen]

One thing I would like to point out, when I showed the payroll figures for each team, one thing I needed to keep in mind was the "coaches salaries" were included in there. The owners(game) did a great job with keeping under the salary cap. Corning was the highest overall, but upon further review, their "player payroll" was $1.19m. Certainly under our
1.2million dollar cap! Awesome news for sure! I also hit the "assign fictional contracts to personnel" button, and it brought the Manager, Scouts, etc. way down, to more reflect the overall league financials, which again is great!!

So Spring Training is upon us. Which means simply, we move from the gym at Coatesville HS, or Octorara HS, and we move outside to the newly renovated Ash Park. The crowds were a hit or a miss. Some nights real crowded, others not so. Remember this is March in the Northeast. Gotta love independent baseball. Practice where you can, use every resource available to scout(that's cheap!), work 70 hours a week, and try and keep your sanity!
Eventually, we'll have seats installed for everyone. The side with the aluminum benches, are the visitors side. lol

And remember what the great Ernie Banks once said. The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money!

Our team really played well together, and you could tell Manager Ed Bane had been drilling them with the fundamentals. We did a nice job of bunting over runners, not missing signs, and using the hit and run and our speed to our advantage. The final standings looked like this:


There were also the usual pranks that are done to players, and then there's this funny picture. It's from one of our very late, (98th pick), closer by the name of Vicente Rodriguez. Besides having a fastball that couldn't break 83, Rodriguez had absolutely no control. So one day our pitching coach found some old boots in the groundskeeper's shed, and told Vicente to put them on and see if they would help! Well one had been badly chewed by one of the four legged mutts running around Ash Park, so Vicente could only wear one. Needless to say, it didn't help, and we released him the next day!


Well, opening day is upon us! Stay tuned for reports on how the Aces do in the month of April!!

[progen]

So opening day is upon us! And if Spring Training told us anything, it's that we're all still trying to get a feel for this team. There was a heated battle for the a 1B spot, and to the loser went a ticket to AAA. Well, Bartolo Zamora ended up beating out Raul Ramirez for a bench spot. We also decided to start Juan Aguilar over Bryan Freake, as we felt having four lefties in the starting rotation severely limited our options in the pen. We think Aguilar will do just fine! We also decided to move Broderick MacDonald into the closer role. He has a nasty fastball and an excellent changeup!

The 1989 predictions came out, and I wasn't that happy with them. As can be seen, it has us finishing under .500 in a very competitive division.


Although we're young, I like our talent, and think we did very well in the later rounds of the draft! Time will tell, and maybe it's a first time GM way of thinking, but I can see us playing at least .500 ball, maybe better.
The American Conference predictions are as follows:


And it appears the owner feels the same way:


And fortunately, none of our players made this list:


Finally, time to get down to business, and share with you all the opening day events that happened, and also how our first ever game went!

[progen]

The National Conference games stacked up like this, with the Johnnies having their ace going against what I hope will be our ace, and our number 1overall pick.

[progen]

So we had all the pageantry that goes with opening day. We had cheerleaders!


Yeah, I know, not risque at all, but this is a "family" event. Here's the girls that the coaches and I had picked out. But they weren't available today!


We also had a jet fly over!

Ok, so that wasn't planned, but it flew over in the middle of the National Anthem, and the crowd went wild. And when the owner found out it was free, he loved it. I never did tell him it was just a "commuter" jet flying to the Chester County Airport. Whatever, it worked!

And then there was the first pitch. Yeah, I know! No comments from the peanut gallery please! It was one of our major sponsors wife! But as you'll see, it turns out she was the best pitcher on the mound that day for us!

[progen]

Our number one pick Eisuke Heida, had been battling the flu all week, but our pitching coach felt he was ready to go. Well, his first pitch to the leadoff batter was ripped to center for a base hit. And his second pitch to the next batter was lined to left field. He did get the dangerous Jose DeJesus to hit into a fielder's choice, then he "plunks" the next batter to load the bases. After striking out the next batter, everyone had a feeling we're going to get out of this. Wishful thinking, as Heida walks the next batter to bring in a run. A shallow hit to right produced another run, until he gets a fly ball to end the inning. Already down 2-0.
We dug in however in our bottom half of the first, and proceded to go down 1-2-3. The top of the second would be the end for Heida. After getting the first out, he gives up a single, double, and then a towering home run to left by the Johnnies catcher Jeremy Jordan. A couple more hits, and another run, and it was to the showers for Heida. And as you can see, things didn't change much for us after that. Not a great way to start the season!



Well, the fans had an enjoyable time, and it appears the city of Coatesville has embraced the Aces, and are thankful after more then a hundred years, to have professional baseball back again!

The next three games with Johnstown showed us all why they are one of the favorites to "win it all" this season. But game two also showed us that putting Juan Aquilar in the number two spot was a good decision, as he went eight strong innings while only giving up two runs. Problem is, we could only score one, and Juan took the tough loss! Game three was another tight game, but we pulled out 3-2, with a late rally, scoring two in the seventh, and one in the eighth. Denny White got the win and Broderick MacDonald the save. The getaway game was not so good, as we were pounded 8-1. So with our tails between our legs, we packed our bags to make the two and half hour trip to Berwick to play the Slaters, who came out of the shoot winning three of four.

And of course, our owner made sure that we only road in style.
The coaches and I road in this bus. It was painted by a local community group. I still can't find our logo??


And these were the players buses! GOTTA LOVE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL!!

[progen]

Well after splitting with Berwick in the four game series, and although it's still early, two things have jumped out at me. Number one, Juan Aquilar is just unlucky. The guy pitches another solid game, again only giving up two runs in eight innings, and takes another loss because of no offense, AND, Heida continues to struggle. He gave up six runs in four and two thirds, but ran into bad luck, as we were sloppy in the field, and had three errors. So only three of those runs were earned.

One thing exciting that happen in the league this week, although maybe not a good thing, was a bench clearing brawl between Shamokin and Greensburg. I guess they hate each other, or at least some players on the teams, and with Shamokin getting pounded 7-0 by the fifth inning, the "beanballs" started.


Well, as we head back to Coatesville, I thought I'd share a bit of history with you.
Back in the day, when you graduated from Coatesville, it was from Scott High School. This was where my father graduated, just before he went into the Army. He would eventually be stationed in Iceland for three years! You can't see it, but there is a small park across the street from the school. When I was in sixth grade, I played football there. Our team was the Bears, and I still have a team photo downstairs in my "mancave." We went 0-6 that year, although I led the team in receptions.


And while I grew up in the little borough of Modena, right next to Coatesville, this was where I was born. The "old" Coatesville Hospital, which is now an Assisted Living facility.


Ok, well enough of the history lesson for today! It's late, so I will talk baseball again tomorrow, and kinda run through April fairly quickly, although I will make sure to include any highlights/lowlights, etc. Hope your enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it.

[progen]

So after our opening day loss, the first full week of April was up and down. I have to keep reminding myself that we are one of, if not the youngest team in the league. Crowds were good for the next three home games, and in game three, we finally got our first win!
Attachment 280937

Week 1 Highlights/Lowlights
4/3/1989 - First win in Aces history! Denny White, the 5ft 10inch lefty, originally from Coralville, Iowa, and a fan favorite already, pitches eight strong innings of two hit, two run ball. And Broderick MacDonald comes in to close, and is lights out.

4/8 - Nice way to end the week, and the bats finally got hot. Scoring ten runs in a 10-4 win ovr Berwick. And once again, Denny White comes through with a strong seven inning, one run outing. Appears we may have a diamond in the rough here. Loren O'Connor, another guy we really like, came on in relief and got roughed up a bit, but hey, the season is young!

4/7 - As mentioned earlier, Juan Aguilar was just unlucky in his 2-0 loss to Berwick. Definitely given reasons for hope for the young man!
So after the first week, we sit at 3-5, with Allentown leading at 5-3, and one of the favorites in my mind, Hanover, sitting at 4-4.

Week 2 Highlights/Lowlights
4/9 - Well, we started up on April 9th by beating Hanover 4-0. At 29, and the oldest player on our team, Tim Butler pitched a brillian game! Seven innings of shutout, three hit ball, and Loren O'Connor came back nicely, two shut the Raiders down the last two innings.

4/10 to 4/15 - Well, our first tough stretch of the very young season, and we found out fairly quickly why Hanover is one of the teams to beat in this league. In five games from Hanover and Carbondale, we were outscored 40 to 15 and outhit 55 to 38.

4/12 - FIRST NO HITTER IN LEAGUE HISTORY!!!
Hanover wins 12-0, and we were no hit.[/B] Their pitcher Jeremy Adams was "amazing" to say the least, and to make matters worse, we were playing at home! Adams hits Mike Lacy in the bottom of the first, who then proceeded to get thrown out stealing, and was dominant the rest of the way! He only struck out two, which in itself is amazing, but it was a thing of beauty the way he "dazzled" our young hitters. He walked Stanley Harris in the ninth, but besides him and Lacy in the first, no batters reached base. At 31, Adams has been around, and I feel will eventually go into coaching. I wish it wasn't our team that will go into the record books, but what a performance!



Week 3 Highlights/Lowlights
We started week three with our sixth straight loss, 7-2 to Carbondale. At this point I was getting concerned, and while I talk to our Manager, Ed Bane everday numerous times, I just needed to know what was happening in the clubhouse. And it was at that point that made me realize why I felt Ed was the right man for this job!
First he said the Louisville Colonels of the American Association still own the longest losing streak in professional baseball at 26 games, so this is nothing. Then he added that the hitters have been watching videos and that he also spoke to several of the more "leaders" in the clubhouse to get the other players to loosen up. In his time in baseball, he said that he's found that younger players will "press" more sooner than veteran players, and that this is a phase they're going through as they get accustom to professional baseball, and playing at this level. And as he walked out, he said he used another little "tactic"Bull Durham's "Into the Shower" scene - YouTube

Independent Baseball - You gotta love it!!
The talk and the "throwing of the bats" must have worked some, as we picked up three wins, including back to back wins against Mahanoy City. Our team is just so inconsistent at this time.

4/17 - One definite highlight was our first overall pick, Eisuke Heida got his first win! He pitched six innings of shutout ball. Michael "Icebox" Ward, Loren O'Connor, and Jorge Machado came in and cleaned things up over the last three innings.

Week 4 Highlights/Lowlights
Aguilar gets first win, Denny White goes 5-1.
Week 4 and the end of April were highlighted by our first, three game winning streak. We ran into a very good Greensburg Green Sox team, and took three out of four.

4/29 - Hard luck pitcher Juan Aguilar get his first win, and rather then worrying about getting help from the offense, he pitches a shutout. We did score six, in a 6-0 win over Greensburg.

4/30 - Denny White just keeps pitching fantastic baseball. He upped his record to 5-1 with an outstanding performance against Greensburg, and 8-2 win to close out April. He did give up ten hits, and was in trouble a few innings, but battled out of each one, and helped us to end April on a high note. Greensburg was 16-8 going into our series, and lookin to gain and early lead on Johnstown, but our team rose to the occasion, and there was much joy on the bus ride to Allentown for another four game road series.

[progen]

Well it's Sunday night, 11pm, and as I look over the stats for April and try and draw some conclusions, here's what I'm looking at:


Our strong three win stretch still has us at the bottom of the division, but quite honestly going into Greensburg, I thought it would be a lot worse, although I would never tell my Owner or Manager. Hey, they knew it too!

I do like the fact that out team batting averaged jumped up, and that we did score more runs toward the end of the month. And as I had known all along, we're not going to hit that many homeruns, but not surprisingly, we lead our division in stolen bases.


And pitching, compared to the rest of the league is not that bad. The individual win loss records of course are not that good, but our overall ERA,
while I would like it to be better, is not terrible!


Here's a look at our individual player pitching and hitting stats:
Two things jump out at me with our pitching. Denny White and his phenomenal
start, and the struggles that Eisuke Heida is having. Let's hope May
is better for him!


Our hitters have been battling more at the plate, being more patient, and
maybe watching some video, and of course the "motivational" talk that
Ed Bane had with them has helped. Michael Lacy is off to a solid start,
hitting .330, and Greg Griffith is hitting .316 with nine steals, and is
yet to be caught! The other big concern are our catchers. While they are
doing a good job defensively, and managing the pitchers, we need more
production from them offensively. I knew this was an issue, but didn't
know it would be this bad, this early!

[progen]

It's still early, but there are some hot bats in this league!


And some pitchers have had an April to remember!


For individual awards in our Conference, who could argue with Jeremy Adams. A 5-1 record, with a no hitter to boot, against us of course, made him Pitcher of the Month! I'm sure our own Denny White finishes a close second!


And the hitter of the month award went to Jason Stone. A .386 average, with five homeruns and 20 RBI's, nuff said!