THE WEEK 3 INSIDE LEGENDS/VINTAGE /FOREVER YOUNG PITCH NOV. 10th 25 RH years between RH homers for Strassman
By Glenn Miller Roy Hobbs Baseball Franz Strassmann hit his first Roy photo courtesy of Franz Strassman Hobbs World Series home run in Osceola Franz Strassman, 16, gets the high-five treatment after home at Hammond Stadium.. County Stadium in Kissimmee in 1991. Then last week, 25 years and he estimates another 500 Park. “As opposed to the worst sound, which is a metal bat, World Series at-bats later, Strassman, who was playing for the which is just awful. The worst sound in all of sports is a metal New England Red Sox in the Masters Division, hit his second. bat hitting a baseball.” It was at Hammond Stadium. As he sat in the Terry Park stands he was holding the ball he The first World Series home run was struck with an hit for the 2016 home run. He plans to put it someplace special aluminum bat. The second was smacked with a wood bat. back home in Belmont, Mass., where he is a police officer. “The best sound in the world is a wood bat hitting a “I’d like to say it’s going to be next to that other ball from 25 baseball,” Strassmann, 58, said Monday after a game at Terry See STRASSMAN, page 8 53s, 65s playoffs 53s AAAA playoffs to be announced start today; teams at tonight's parties dropping affect 3A Roy Hobbs will host Pairings Parties The AAAA Playoffs were set by Thursday night for both the Legends and the Roy Hobbs World Series advisory the Vintage Divisions in preparation for committee Wednesday afternoon, with Friday’s playoffs. the Rushmore Chiefs drawing the top The LEGENDS party will be held at seed. Nervous Nellies on Fort Myers Beach, The 8-team AAAA double-elimination under the bridge. playoffs start today at JetBlue Park and The VINTAGE party, with Forever Centurylink Park. Young teams invited, will be held at Since AAAA started with 10 teams, Pinchers Crab Shack on San Carlos Blvd, 2 teams – Americans Baseball Club & just shy of the bridge to Fort Myers Charlotte Kings – dropped to the open Beach. Greg Wagner photo pool where they will face each other in See PAIRINGS PARTIES, page 2 Antiques catcher corrals this foul ball. See PLAYOFFS, page 2 2 PAIRINGS PARTIES PLAYOFFS From page 1 From page 1 The parties are open to all managers and players and will a fifth pool game today. start at 7 p.m. RHBB anticipates being able to make the Friday The game results will determine in which playoff divisions playoff announcement before 8 p.m. the two teams are placed. After the announcement at each of the parties, the pairings The Advisory Committee agreed to expend the Masters will be posted at royhobbs.com/world-series and uploaded to experiment of taking the 2 teams that lose 2 games in the RHBB Message phone line: 239-533-7694. Thursday’s AAAA playoffs and placing them in the AAA playoffs Nervous Nellies and Pinchers will provide a buffet of finger where they will play each other in the first round. foods and a cash bar. This is NOT an evening dinner but rather The 2 teams would have played 6 games and would need a social gathering with snacks. Nervous Nellies is located at then to win an additional 4 in a row as none of the AAAA teams 1131 First Street, FMB; and Pinchers is located ata 18100 San dropping down will be eligible for any byes. Carlos Blvd, FMB. Ordinarily Roy Hobbs does not play night games on The playoff process goes like this: Once all games are Thursdays; however, with 82 teams on the agenda, there will completed Thursday, Roy Hobbs staffers will rank teams by be 46 games played Thursday. record and runs allowed in best 4 games and use the published Two AAAA winners’ bracket playoff games will be night Roy Hobbs Tiebreaker rules to break ties. games at Centurylink and Terry Park. Roy Hobbs will then establish playoff divisions: AAA-AA-A-B City of Palms Stadium is not available for Thursday games in Legends and AAAA-AAA-AA in Vintage. The exact breakdown because of an irrigation line break in the outfield. will be guided by Thursday’s results, and rationale for the setup Repairs are scheduled for Thursday so that Roy Hobbs will be explained at the Pairings Party. might have the field back for Friday playoff games. B Division matchups will be established by draw at the Roy Hobbs anticipates 46-48 games scheduled for Friday, Pairings Party. The B Division teams must be represented by a so it will be another full day, setting up Saturday’s semifinals manager or player in order to be eligible for any potential byes. and championships.
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2255 West Gulf Drive | Sanibel Island, Florida 33957 | 800-276-4753 | WWW.CASAYBELRESORT.COM THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE Legends Division Boston Braves Vs. DC National Spirit, TP2 Pool Game 5 / flip coin for home team NorCal Antiques Vs. Washington Titans, JB2 10 a.m. Nova Scotia Monarchs Vs. Terre Haute Volkers Group, TP4 Atlanta Astros Vs. DHBA Athletics, PDC3 Sacramento Solons Vs. Youngstown Astros, PDC5 Boston GoodFellas Vs. Bridgewater Cardinals, CL-S San Antonio Broncos Vs. Toledo McGuire Group, JB1 Chesapeake Redwings Vs. Wolfdogs, JB-S Silver Foxes Baseball of R.I. Vs. Washington Nationals, CL1 Dallas Orioles Vs. Minnesota Bandits, CL6 1:45 p.m Dixie Braves Vs. Ohio-Penn Silverhawks, PDC2 Chicago Spirit Vs. Wilmington NC Thunder, TP3 Huntsville Stars Vs. Ohio Indians, JB5 Detroit 65s Vs. Houston Colts 65s, PDC5 Kenmore Eastern Brewers Vs. Windy City White Sox, PDC4 Kent Mudhens Vs. Lehigh Baseball, CL1 Long Island A’s Vs. Youngstown Astros, CL2 Livingston Dodgers Vs. South Florida Suns, JB1 Minnesota Goats Vs. Omaha Indians, JB6 MidAtlantic Nationals Vs. Midwest Nine, TP4 Nova Scotia Monarchs Vs. South Chicago Yaquis, PDC1 New England Red Sox Vs. Philadelphia Brewers, TP2 1:45 p.m. Ohio Classics Vs. TSP Fire 65+, JB2 American Baseball Club Vs. Charlotte Kings, PDC4 Forever Young Bahama Breeze Islanders Vs. Tidewater Drillers, JB3 Thursday Baltimore Orioles Legends Vs. Nor’Eastern Yankees, CL6 10 a.m. - New England Red Sox 75+ @ Tri-City 75+, TP-S Carolina Rockies Vs. St. Louis Grays, PDC2 1:45 p.m. - San Diego Padres @ New Jersey Cardinals, TP-S Carolina Thunder Vs. Rhode Island Waves, JB4 Friday - Sites and time tentative Chicago Blues Vs. Gulf Coast Thunder, CL4 10 a.m. - San Diego Padres @ New England Red Sox 75, JB1 Crosstown Traffic Vs. PSOF Rangers, CL3 1:45 p.m. - New Jersey Cardinals @ Tri-City 75, JB1 Cuyahoga Indians Vs. Michigan Stars, JB5 Louisville Orioles Vs. Oakville Golden A’s, PDC3 Legends AAAA Playoffs Minnesota Bees Vs. Wright Field Reds, JB6 Thursday / 10 a.m. Philadelphia Philies Vs. St. Louis Patriots PDC1 G1 – #8 Ruckus @ #1 Rushmore Chiefs, CL3 * -- Playoff Note: We anticipate the AAA playoff bracket to be 12-16 teams; G2 – #7 Bergen Yankees @ #4 Cobras, CL4 2 AAAA teams (Americans Baseball & Charlotte Kings) dropped to overall pool G3 – #5 Midwest Pirates @ #3 Border City Brewers, JB3 for Thursday’s pool game 5 and play each other; one or both of those teams will be in AAA playoffs. Two AAAA teams will lose 2 games Thursday; both will G4 – #6 DuPage Lugnuts @#2 Puerto Rico Orioles, JB4 drop and be seeded in the bottom of the AAA playoffs and play each other 1:45 p.m. in the first round on Friday. G7 – Loser G1 vs. Loser G2, CL-S G8 – Loser G3 vs. Loser G4, TP-S Vintage Division 5:30 p.m. Pool Game 5 / flip coin for home team G5 – Winner G1 Vs. Winner G2, CL-S 10 a.m. G6 – Winner G3 Vs. Winner G4, TP-S Baltimore Baseball Club Vs. Minnesota Bees, TP3 See Bracket on page 6 4
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1051 Fifth Avenue | Fort Myers Beach, Florida 33931 | 239-463-9392 | LighthouseIslandResort.com STANDINGS Legends Division AAAA W L Pct. RA 1. Rushmore Chiefs 4 0 1.000 21 2. Puerto Rico Orioles 3 1 .750 13 3. Border City Brewers 3 1 .750 27 4. Cobras 2 2 .500 26 5. Midwest Pirates 2 2 .500 26 6. DuPage Lugnuts 2 2 .500 30 7. Bergen Yankees 2 2 .500 36 8. Ruckus 1 3 .250 38 Open Pool Play W L Pct. RA Minnesota Bandits 4 0 1.000 14 Youngstown Astros 4 0 1.000 17 Greg Wagner photo Long Island A’s 4 0 1.000 19 Americans manager Troy Cox leads team meeting. Dallas Orioles 4 0 1.000 20 Minnesota Goats 2 2 .500 43 Huntsville Stars 3 1 .750 17 Dixie Braves 2 2 .500 46 Tidewater Drillers 3 1 .750 18 Crosstown Traffic 1 3 .250 30 Rhode Island Waves 3 1 .750 22 *Americans Baseball Club 1 3 .250 34 Wright Field Reds 3 1 .750 22 St. Louis Grays 1 3 .250 36 Nova Scotia Monarchs 3 1 .750 24 Atlanta Astros 1 3 .250 44 Philadelphia Phillies 3 1 .750 26 Windy City White Sox 1 3 .250 45 St. Louis Patriots 3 1 .750 26 Kenmore Eastern Brewers 1 3 .250 46 South Chicago Yaquis 3 1 .750 27 DHBA Athletics 1 3 .250 50 Minnesota Bees 3 1 .750 28 Carolina Rockies 1 3 .250 51 Bahama Breeze Islanders 3 1 .750 31 Chesapeake Redwings 1 3 .250 51 Carolina Thunder 3 1 .750 31 Ohio-Penn Silverhawks 1 3 .250 56 Ohio Indians 3 1 .750 31 PSOF Rangers 1 3 .250 61 Omaha Indians 2 2 .500 26 Wolfdogs 0 4 .000 38 Oakville Golden A’s 2 2 .500 30 Bridgewater Cardinals 0 4 .000 41 Cuyahoga Indians 2 2 .500 32 *Charlotte Kings 0 4 .000 61 Nor’Eastern Yankees 2 2 .500 32 Chicago Blues 0 4 .000 64 Baltimore Orioles Legends 2 2 .500 33 Gulf Coast Thunder 0 4 .000 65 Michigan Stars 2 2 .500 33 Boston GoodFellas 0 4 .000 71 Louisville Orioles 2 2 .500 35 * -- AAAA teams dropped to Open Pool 5
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STANDINGS WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS Vintage Division W L Pct. RA Legends Division Terre Haute Volkers Group 4 0 1.000 15 Sacramento Solons 3 1 .750 8 Long Island A’s 21, Chicago Blues 7 San Antonio Broncos 3 1 .750 12 New England Red Sox 3 1 .750 23 Vintage Division Boston Braves 3 1 .750 24 Baltimore Baseball Club 15, Wilmington NC Thunder 12 Detroit 65s 3 1 .750 26 Boston Braves 21, Washington Nationals 7 NorCal Antiques 3 1 .750 27 DC National Spirit 14, Lehigh Baseball 4 DC National Spirit 3 1 .750 32 Detroit 65s 28, Ohio Classics 5 Washington Titans 3 1 .750 33 Houston Colt .65s 20, Kent Mudhens 16 Minnesota Bees 19, Toledo McGuire Group 3 1 .750 33 Washington Titans 16 Youngstown Astros 3 1 .750 37 New England Red Sox 10, Livingston Dodgers 7 Nova Scotia Monarchs 3 1 .750 37 NorCal Antiques 15, Chicago Spirit 2 Houston Colt .65s 3 1 .750 44 Nova Scotia Monarchs 15, MidAtlantic Nationals 9 Philadelphia Brewers 2 2 .500 28 Sacramento Solons 12, Midwest Nine 2 Baltimore Baseball Club 2 2 .500 43 San Antonio Broncos 21, Silver Foxes Baseball Club of R.I. 0 Minnesota Bees 2 2 .500 44 Terre Haute Volkers Group 18, Youngstown Astros 3 Ohio Classics 2 2 .500 48 Toledo McGuire Group Insurance 10, Philadelphia Brewers 9 TSP Fire 65+ 1 2 .333 34 TSP Fire 65 18, South Florida Suns 0 Wilmington NC Thunder 1 3 .250 35 Washington Nationals 1 3 .250 48 Forever Young Midwest Nine 1 3 .250 51 New England Red Sox 75+ 5, New Jersey Cardinals 4 MidAtlantic Nationals 1 3 .250 53 San Diego Padres 20, Tri-City 75+ Silver Foxes Baseball of R.I. 1 3 .250 54 Chicago Spirit 1 3 .250 68 Lehigh Baseball 0 4 .000 40 The 2016 Cups have arrived! Kent Mudhens 0 4 .000 53 A supply of Roy Hobbs 2016 souvenir Cups have arrived South Florida Suns 0 4 .000 56 and are available for player pickup. Livingston Dodgers 0 4 .000 56 If you did not get a 2016 souvenir cup, please come by the Player Development Complex Thursday or Friday and Forever Young Division pick one up. If you received an older model earlier, that
W L Pct. RA is yours to keep. San Diego Padres 4 0 1.000 29 They will be available along with the T-Shirts in the Tri-City 75+ 2 2 .500 48 screened in porch. New Jersey Cardinals 1 3 .250 35 No T-shirts will be available on Saturday. New England Red Sox 1 3 .250 44 6
LEGENDS AAAA PLAYOFFS 7
HIGHLIGHTS Legends Division Sunday Chesapeake redwings 20, Boston GoodFellas 12: (Redwings) WP: Mike Jarrett; Mark Hetrick 3/3, 2 BBs, 4 Rs; Mike Gordon - 2/3, 2 BBs, 4 RBIs, 2 Rs; Rick Kramer - 3 SBs, 4 Rs. Monday Omaha Indians 14, Louisville Orioles 4: (Indians) WP: Bob Peck - 6 IP, 4 Hs, 6 Ks; Mike Metz - 3 Hs, 3 RBIs, 2B; Steve Daeges - 3 Hs, 2 RBIs, 2B; Dan Critser - 3 Hs, 3 Rs, 2B. Philadelphia Phillies 12, Chicago Blues 0: (Phillies) WP: Bob Creedon - 3 Hs, 0 Rs; Orlando Colon - 2/2, 1 2B, 2 RBIs; Bob Creedon - 2/3, HR, 3 SBs. DuPage Lugnuts 9, Charlotte Kings 7: (Lugnuts) Jim Hyman - 2B, 2 RBIs. Ohio Indians 11, Carolina Rockies 7: (Rockies) Kurt Reid - 3/3, 2 RBIs; John Yurko - 2/2, R; Mark Ethridge - 1/2, R; Rick Harris - 1/1; Hobie Dunkleburg - 1/2; David Ball - 1/1, R. Huntsville Stars 11, Chesapeake Redwings 4: (Redwings) Mike Jarrett - 3/4, 3 Rs; Garry Reese - 2/3, 2B; Mark Hetrick - 2/4. Carolina Thunder 15, DHBA Athletics 6: (Thunder) WP: Greg Allen; Mike Burnside - 3 Hs; Tim Whitehead - 3 Hs; Terry Ward - 3 Hs; Kenny Smith - 3 Hs, 4 RBIs; Randy Bills - 3 Hs, 3 RBIs. Greg Wagner photo Philadelphia Phillies 8, Bridgewater Cardinals 7: (Phillies) Boston Braves catcher hangs on to get the out at home plate. WP: Jeff Vitale; Orlando Colon - 2/2, 3B, 2 Rs; Tony D’Aleurio - 2/2; Junior Colven - 2B, 2 RBIs. Baltimore Orioles Legends 4, Cuyahoga Indians 2: (Phillies) WP: Jeff Vitale; Orlando Colon - 2/2, 3B, 2 Rs; Tony D’Aleurio - 2/2; Junior Colven - 2B, 2 RBIs. Tuesday St Louis Patriots 13, Oakville Golden A’s 3: (Golden A’s) Greg Cambell 2 IP, 0 Rs, 2 Hs; Rob Fisher 1 IP, 0 Rs; David Sorichettii - 2 Hs; Kenny Collett - 2 Hs. Vintage Division Monday Midwest Nine 20, Houston Colt .65s 10: (Nine) WP: Larry Sample - 6 IP, 6 Hs, 3 ERs; Jerry England - 4/4, 5 RBIs, 3 Rs, 2 SBs; John Smutnick - 2/2, 3 RBIs, 2 Rs; Kevin Gregory - 2/3, 2 RBIs. Tuesday Youngstown Astros 19, Midwest Nine 3: (Astros) WP: Jim Wilson - 5 1/3 IP, 0 ER; Don Christian - 3/3, 4 RBIs; Lou Zitello - 3/4, 4 RBIs; John Mazur - 3/5; Jack Hay - 2/2. Terre Haute Volkers 9, MidAtlantic Nationals 5: (Volkers) WP: Frank John; Bobby Hoefner - 3/4; Lindsay Graham - 3/4; Joe Ferrisi & Myron Cantrell - 2B. Boston Braves 11, Baltimore Baseball Club 5: (Braves) WP: Bob Fortier -7 IP, 2 ERs, 9 Hs, 1K, 0BB; Tony Vadola - 3/4; Jerry Kirk - 2/3; Greg Cahill - 2/4, 2 RBI-2B (9th); John Gleason - 3/4, 3 RBI-3B (9th); John Schipani - 2 Run-HR (9th) 8
STRASSMAN From page 1 years ago,” said Strassmann, an outfielder who is playing for the Rushmore Chiefs in the Legends Division this week. “But I think that ball is long gone.” His first World Series homer came the last year the event was held in central Florida. Strassmann recalls he was playing for a team based out of Waltham, Mass. “It was a night game and I remember there were two men on,” Strassmann said. He jumped ahead in the count 3-0. “I’m pretty aggressive hitter but I took two pitches,” Strassmann said. “It was a 3-2 count. Fastball. And I hit to left-center.” The second homer came in the ninth inning of a game last week when he was playing for the Red Sox and it came against Harry Young Builders. He led off the inning, and on a 1-0 count the right-handed hitting Strassmann belted the ball over the left field fence. Strassmann estimates he has been to the Roy Hobbs World Series 20 times and often competes in more than one week. He also plays winter tournaments in Orlando, Arizona and Puerto Rico. But not next week. “I got to get back to work,” Strassmann said. “I got to pay off the credit cards.” Greg Wagner photo Besides, Strassman would need a couple more birthdays Boston Braves batter celebrates an inside-the-park-home-run in to be eligible for next week. the top of the 9th inning vs Baltimore Baseball.
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