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National Amateur Federation Tournament News On the web at www.nabf.com October 1, 2014 • Bowie, Maryland • Price $1.00 100th Year Former Major League to speak at 100th meeting

NABF 100th anniversary meeting to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The 100th Annual Meeting of the National Amateur Baseball Federation will be held Friday November 7 and Sat- urday November 8, 2014 in Fort Lauder- dale, Florida. The Board of Director's Meeting is Bob Boone Friday, November 7. The Delegates meet- ing for ALL NABF franchised member Former Major League catcher Bob delegates is on Saturday, November 8. New York's SAYO Grays celebrate Boone will be the keynote speaker at the Professional and Amateur Baseball The SAYO Grays celebrate after winning the televised NABF Junior Division World 2014 National Amaeteur Association meet- will celebrate together for this Centen- Series championship at Mercy Field in Toledo, .The third time was the charm for ing banquet on Saturday, November 8. nial Year. The committee has been busy HIs presentation will be part of the the New York team. The Grays, after losing in the NABF Junior cham- lining up Speakers, Sponsors, and spe- NABF's 100th anniversary celebration to pionship two years in a row to Ohio teams, faced an Ohio team for the third straight cial guest for this event. be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida year in this year's championship, defeating the Youngstown Astro Falcons 9-3. The Gallery One Doubletree Suites Preceded by his father and by Hilton is located directly on the In- succeeded by sons Aaron and tercoastal and is surrounded by many in , Bob Boone’s ca- attractions: reer as a catcher is characterized by his de- * Water Taxi stop directly outside fensive prowess and longevity. NABF Graduates of the Year * Galleria Mall next door with up- Over the course of his 19-year ca- scale shopping reer, Boone won a World Series with the * Adjacent to Red Door Spa by Eliz- 1968 ( Tigers) 1990 ( Reds) in 1980, was named abeth Arden 1969 () 1991 Steve Farr () an All-Star four times and earned seven * Minutes from Las Olas Boulevard 1970 (Cincinnati Reds) 1992 Marquies Grissom (Montreal Gold Gloves while sporting the Tools of Ig- and its outdoor cafes, boutiques and art norance. At the time of his retirement at 1971 (St. Louis Cardinals) Expos) galleries age 42 in 1990 he was the all-time leader 1972 (Kansas City 1993 Paul O’Neil (New York Yankees) * A short fi ve minute walk to the in games caught with 2,225, a record that Royals) 1994 No selection (MLB Players Strike) beautiful Fort Lauderdale Beach would be broken by three sea- 1973 () 1995 ( Indians) Book your room now! Contact Gal- sons later. 1974 Jim Wynn () 1996 (St. Louis Cardinals) lery One by Doubletree suites Hilton The Stanford University product spent at:reservations: 1-800-222-TREE (8733), 1975 ( Angels) 1997 () his fi rst 10 seasons with the Phillies from or 954-565-3800, Ask for NABF Blockor 1976 () 1998 (Philadelphia Phillies) 1972 to 1981, earning three All-Star selec- go to www.galleryone.doubletree.com 1977 Kenton Tekulve (Pittsburgh 1999 Paul Byrd (Philadelphia Phillies) tions and a pair of Gold Gloves. and enter dates of stay. Pirates) 2000 (Philadelphia Phillies) In 1982 Boone was traded to the Cali- After you enter in your dates, you 1978 Lary Sorenson (Milwaukee 2001 Billy Koch () fornia Angels, where he would spend the have an option to input group/conven- next seven seasons. While an Angel, Boone Brewers) 2002 () tion code. Our code for special rates to made his fi nal trip to the Midsummer Clas- 1979 () 2003 B.J. Surhoff ( Orioles) NABF members is ABF. 1980 ( White Sox) 2004 () sic in 1983, caught ’s perfect 1981 (Seattle Mariners) 2005 Mark Tiexiera () game in 1984 and won three consecutive Gold Gloves from 1986 to 1988. He earned Bowie, Maryland 20718 P.O. 705 NABF 1982 Leon Durham () 2006 J.J. Putz (Seattle Mariners) a fourth straight Gold Glove as a member of 1983 Robert Bonnell (Toronto Blue Jays) 2007 () the in 1989 before retir- 1984 Jack Perconte (Seattle Mariners) 2008 () ing after the 1990 campaign. 1985 (Cincinnati Reds) 2009 Zack Grienke (Kansas City Royals) Boone would go on to manage the Roy- 1986 Jesse Barfi eld (Toronto Blue Jays) 2010 () als from 1995 to 1998 and the Cincinnati 1987 Brian Fletcher (Texas Rangers) 2011 (Tampa Bay Rays) Reds from 2001 to 2003 before transition- 1988 Allen L. Anderson (Minnesota 2012 (St. Louis Cardinals) ing to a front offi ce position. Twins) 2013 Michael (St. Louis He currently serves as the Assistant 1989 (San Fransisco Cardinals) General and Vice President of Player Development for the Washington Giants) 2014 (Oakland Athletics) Nationals. INSIDE THIS ISSUE... Oakland Athletics' Sonny Gray... 2014 NABF Graduate of the Year

See page 4

At left, NABF directors Buzz McNish, Connie Brown, and Derek Topik arrive for tournament play in Knoxville, 2 NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 CONTACT US Charles M. Blackburn, Jr. From the Executive Director... Executive Director, NABF To: All NABF Officers, Directors and Franchised Member Organizations:

Franchise Membership We have concluded yet another successful year here at the NABF. Our 100th Chairman year was a great one! P. O. Box 705, The 2014 Reigning World Series Champions by age group are: Bowie, MD 20718 Major Division- Stratford Storm from Bridgeport Senior City League TEL: 410-721-4727 College Division – Crystal Lake Cardinals from Metro Amateur of Illinois Senior Division – Ohio Glaciers from Youngstown Class B FAX: 410-721-4940 High School Division – Toronto Mets of Premier Baseball of Ontario E-mail: Junior Division – Sayo Grays from Parade Ground League Sophomore Division – Creekside Fitness from Youngstown Class B [email protected] Freshmen Division (12 & U) – Team Oklahoma Baseball

Thanks to the following National Tournament Directors and their committees for OFFICERS & successful championship series: DIRECTORS Terry Newton of Battle Creek, (Major Division), Aaron Myers of President Toledo, OH (College Division AND Junior Division), Scott Ruark of Struthers, OH Thomas Stout (Senior Division), and Buzz McNish of Knoxville, TN (High School AND Sopho- more Division). A special thanks to Connie and Frosty Brown who attended Altoona, Pennsylvania THREE World Series events and helped all smoothly.

I would also like to extend my great appreciation to all the Regional Directors 1st Vice President and the NABF Franchise Organization for their success this season: Vincent DiLauro New Haven, Connecticut Scott Ruark/Youngstown Class B Baseball League, Gregg Sarra/Boys of Sum- mer League, Joe Victor & Rubin Ramirez/Parade Ground League, Mike Gossner/ Penn Jersey Collegiate Baseball League, Mike Dorsey/Eastern Shore Baseball 2nd Vice President League, Richard Brown/Fort Wayne Baseball Federation, Fred LeSage/Chicago Suburban Baseball League, Rick Krist/Greater Pittsburgh Federation League, Jim Derek Topik Kosmerick/Great Lakes UBL, Vin DiLauro/West Haven Twilight League, Tammi Charles M. Blackburn Brandon, Mississippi Nuber/Cincinnati Recreation Commission, and Paul Wolf/ Buffalo Muny AAA.

My personal thanks go to Derek Topik for a great job overseeing the 2014 NABF Classics Tournaments and each of the follow- 3rd Vice President ing Classic Tournament Directors: Glenn "Buzz" McNish Derek Topik (14U, 16U, 17U, &18U) in Raymond, MS, (14U) in Flowood, MS, and (18U) in Brandon, MS, Knoxville, Tennessee Buzz McNish (17U) in Knoxville, TN, Charles Avery (11U) in Sloatsburg, NY, Scotty Baker (12U, & 13U) in Southaven, MS, John- ny Ray (15U & 16U) in Millington, TN Immediate Past President As always, I am grateful for Major League Baseball Operations for all their support and all of our sponsors for their continued Greg Reddington support of the NABF program; Hillerich & Bradsby, Village Trophy, Baseball Express, Baseball Factory, Diamond Baseball, Louisville, Kentucky New Era, Hoosier Bat, S&W Limited (MTM Recognition), Team Express and Frazier Insurance. Lastly, thank you to all the NABF Franchise Organizations. Your success, dedication, and volunteer time running your individual 2013 NABF Directors franchise is what has helped the NABF organization for 100 years so all can enjoy the on-field excitement of the NABF National Tournament games! Richard Crumback Ft. Wayne, IN Charles Blackburn, Jr. Executive Director, NABF Greg Reddington Louisville, KY From the President...

Robert Frellick Dear NABF Members: Fairview, NC I cannot express how happy I am with the unforgettable experiences we were able to provide this year to all those involved with the National Amateur Base- William Ball ball Federation. It has been a great year. Premier baseball programs like the Orlando, FL NABF would not be possible without the tireless work of all our franchise mem- bers and volunteers. Through your hard work we have managed to continue to provide first class baseball opportunities for all of our age group participants. Robert Chiara I feel the work put in by everyone is deserving of recognition. I am grateful to Malverne, NY the so many individuals who have given their time and talent to changing lives through the game of baseball. Robert Mingo As we bring the 2014 tournament season to a close, let us look forward to Youngstown, OH another season of opportunities. The game of baseball is continuing to change. It will only be through the hard work and innovation of our franchise members, officers, executive director, and volunteers that the game will continue to thrive Leonard Renna for many years to come. We will need to continue to communicate and collabo- Kings Park, NY rate to promote the National Amateur Baseball Federation. The strategies that maintained our organization for the last 100 years will need to evolve to engage a new generation. J. Patrick Eaken Perrysburg, OH As I finish my term as President, let me say a word of thanks to all of our NABF members. I would also like to thank Charlie Blackburn, our Executive Director. He is truly a great leader and promoter of NABF baseball. I have been proud Connie Brown and privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him in this outstand- ing organization. I look forward to thanking all of you in person at our Annual Troy, OH Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale Florida. David E. Jerome Sincerely, Northville, MI Thomas L. Stout President Aaron Myers Toledo, OH Thomas Stout

Michael J. "Jay" Tewell Louisville, KY

Mandy Bello Cincinnati, OH

Scott Ruark Struthers, OH

Paul Wolf Buffalo, NY

John Mengelkamp Willoughby, OH NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 3 In Memoriam Salvatore T. Rubino Richmond County Federation Baseball League/ Staten Island Baseball NABF Past President from 1997-1998 1988 NABF Man of the Year

RUBINO, SALVATORE T., 70, passed away 2014 NABF Thursday, May 29, 2014, at the Special Rose Mountain Care Center, New Brunswick, NJ., Recognition The Ohio Glaciers play their own version of "fantasy" baseball during a rain delay at where he resided Awards the NABF Senior World Series in At Bob Cene Park in Struthers, Ohio. for six months. Salvatore was a NABF Man of Year New Yorker for life as he was born in Ronald E. McMinn , then raised in Long Island Award of Merit LeSage rewarded for 35 years of baseball while attending Brentwood High School. He then moved to be- Connie Brown Fred LeSage’s fore eventually settling in Old Bridge Troy, Ohio time with Muskies in 2009. Baseball began Not only was Salvatore a family and when he was a baseball man, he was always a man NABF Award of Merit 17-year-old back- of our country. He was a private fi rst up infi elder in the class, serving in the U.S. Army from Bob Cene, Jr club’s inaugural 1962-65, as a paratrooper in the 45th Youngstown, Ohio 1978 season. Airborne Corps, stationed in the Do- After play- minican Republic. ing for the team John Benedict each summer from Salvatore worked tirelessly year after 1978 on, he took Sports Journalism Award year as the President of the Richmond over managing the County Federation Baseball League, Chris Van Tuyl Muskies in 1994. In along with the Sophomore and Junior South Haven, Mississippi 1996, the Muskies Division Regional Tournaments. played in their fi rst Because of his devotion to NABF NABF Major Re- Fred LeSage baseball, he was recognized by the Woman of the Year gional in Ft. Wayne, National Amateur Baseball Federation Indiana representing the Northern Illinois in 1988 as the recipient of the “Man To be Announced Baseball League. of the Year” Award. Salvatore was so In 2000, the Muskies joined the Chi- greatly respected around the organi- cago Suburban Baseball League and in zation that he served on the Board of Man of the Year Award 2002 won their fi rst NABF Regional title Directors and was eventually named Fred LeSage in Memphis. That team advanced to the the President of NABF for a full two- semi-fi nals of the NABF World Series. year term from 1997-1998. Bourbonnais, Illinois In 2003, the CSBL hosted their fi rst He is survived by his sons, Thomas NABF Regional at Kankakee with LeSage and Salvatore; his daughters, Lisa as Tournament Director. He has acted in Doyle and Roseann Bracco; his former NABF Presidents' Award that role each year since as the CSBL has wife, Marie Rubino, and four grand- Thomas Stout hosted regional tournaments for the last 12 children. seasons. The Muskies have now appeared Altoona, Pennsylvania in 11 NABF Major Division World Series We are very saddened by this news served as president with the team winning the series in 2010. as he devoted his life to the NABF, LeSage's teams have won 656 games while 2013-2014 our country, and most importantly losing only 355 for a .649 winning percent- his family. Contributions in Salva- age. tore's memory to St. Jude Children's Fred lives in Bourbonnais, Illinois Research Hospital would be greatly with his understanding wife of 22 years appreciated. Terri, daughters Jessica (21) and Rachel (19) and son Jacob (17). He works as a Con- struction Risk Engineer for XL Insurance Group and is an avid and long-suffering Fred LeSage, Muskies Baseball manag- Chicago Cubs fan. er and long-time host of NABF regionals. Meet Brooks Miller, 2014 NABF Summer Intern... Brooks has been around the game of baseball since he was 4 years old. He played high school ball at Arundel High School for Bernie Walter before graduation in 2009. He played summer ball for the Maryland Monarchs from 2008- 2010 under Bernie and Tom Keating. After graduating from Arundel he attended Anne Arundel Community College from 2010-2012 and played baseball for Dave Fletcher. He current- ly attends and plays baseball at Stevenson University which is located in Owings Mills, MD. He is scheduled to graduate this May (2014) with a major in Business Administration. He also took many classes in Sports Management. He was on the Dean’s List for both years at Stevenson University as a student-athlete (baseball). Before his internship, Brooks said he was looking forward to the knowledge he will gain from the business side of base- ball working for the National Amateur Baseball Federation. He was interested to learn about managing a national organiza- Brooks Miller tion as well as working with local leagues and tournaments. This summer he wants to help a local youth baseball team in his area. In the future, he wants to work in sports, especially the game of baseball; possibly working for a college athletic department or even for a professional sports team. He Sportswriter Chris Van Tuyl looks forward to any opportunity that is given to him. NABF Your part in the Major League Baseball Network. 4 NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 Oakland A’s Sonny Gray named NABF Grad of Year

Oakland Athletics' pitcher Sonny Gray against the in Pittsburgh. has been named the 2014 National Amateur Gray pitched two , tallying three Baseball Federation Graduate of the Year. and allowing a . He did Gray played for the in not allow a run, nor a walk. Gray made a the Senior Division World Series in 2008 second relief appearance nine days later in and was nominated by NABF board mem- Anaheim but was then sent back down to bers Derek Topik and Buzz McNish. Mc- the minors. Nish still sees Gray on occasion when he Gray was recalled again by the A's on returns home to Nashville to work out at August 10, and made his fi rst Major League in the offseason. start against and the Toronto Gray was born in Nashville, Tennes- Blue Jays in Toronto.[4] This was supposed see to Cindy and Jesse Gray and spent his to be just a spot start in 's entire childhood growing up in his home- place in the rotation after Milone's strug- town of Smyrna, Tennessee. Jesse died in a gles and subsequent option down to - car accident during Sonny's freshman year A Sacramento. However, Gray has since of high school, just as Sonny started play- become a fi xture in the A's rotation as the ing baseball for Smyrna High School. fi fth starter. As a freshman at Smyrna, he pitched Gray's fi rst Major League win came and played left fi eld and was named Fresh- against Erik Bedard and the Houston Astros man of the Year in District 9AAA. As a in his home debut. He pitched 8 in- sophomore, he suffered injuries and saw nings to earn a 5-0 win. limited action during the season. As a ju- On September 22, Gray pitched and nior, he led his team to the 2007 State Tour- won the AL West Division-clinching game nament with a masterful 11–2 record and against the in an 11-7 A's a 0.95 ERA. This earned him a nod for the victory. He fi nished the regular season, go- AFLAC All-American High School Base- ing 5-3 in 12 games (10 starts) with a 2.67 ball Classic and a nomination for National ERA, striking out 67 in 64 innings. Player of the Year (which ul- On October 5, Gray started Game 2 timately won). As a senior, he dominated of the once again, going 4–0 with a 0.79 ERA. against and the Detroit However, he was injured in a district game Tigers. In a no-decision effort, he pitched against Hendersonville in April 2008 and 8 scoreless innings before a 9th never played again. He also excelled at the walk-off hit by resulted in plate, batting over .500 his last two seasons a 1-0 Oakland win.[5] In a surprise move, at Smyrna, but instead opted to pitch in Gray was elected to start Game 5 over Bar- college. tolo Colón. Facing Justin Verlander, Gray In addition to his success on the pitched 5+ innings, giving up 6 hits and 3 mound, he also played quarterback for runs, getting the loss in the 3-0 game.[6] Smyrna's football team, guiding them to Despite not having previously been back-to-back 5A State titles in 2006 and on an roster, Gray made his 2007. He was voted Gatorade Player of the fi rst career Opening Day start on March Year by The Tennessean in 2007 and 2008 Oakland Athletics pitcher Sonny Gray. (Courtesy Wikipedia.com/mlb.com) 31, 2014 against the Cleveland Indians. for his overall athletic success. He started the season 4-1 with a 1.76 ERA, Having already made a verbal commit- went 12-4 with a 2.43 ERA and 132 Ks. He The next year, Gray again began his sea- while also recording his fi rst complete ment to Vanderbilt University before Smyr- also helped Vandy earn their fi rst ever Col- son at -A, despite his performance game shutout, and 37 strikeouts in 41.0 in- na's state tournament run, he was drafted lege World Series berth, making it to the the season before. There, he posted a 4.14 nings pitched over six starts in April. For in the 27th round by the Chicago Cubs in semifi nals and losing to national runner-up ERA before being promoted to Triple-A his early success, he was named AL Pitcher the 2008 MLB Draft. He did not sign with Florida. Sacramento RiverCats, where he struggled of the Month for the fi rst time in his career. the team. Sonny elected to forgo his senior year to the tune of a 9.00 ERA in a single start. Heading into the fi nal week of the sea- As a freshman at Vanderbilt, he began at Vanderbilt and entered the draft. He To start the 2013 season, Gray returned son, Gray was 13-10 in 210 innings with a as a , earning four saves before was selected 18th overall by the Oakland to the RiverCats, where he posted a 2.81 3.21 ERA. Hitters were batting .234 against moving to a starter's role late in the season. Athletics in the 2011 MLB Draft and was ERA and was selected to start the Triple-A him and he had struck out 178, walked 74, Although posting a 4.30 ERA, he improved signed for $1.54 million signing bonus. All-Star Game for the Pacifi c Coast League. and has one shutout in 32 over the next two years. He was designated Gray, after being drafted, was optioned Gray pitching in 2013On July 10, 2013, starts. as the ace of Vandy's staff in 2010 and 2011. to the Athletics' Double-A affi liate, the Gray was called up to replace , For his career, Gray is 18-13 with a In 2010, he went 10-5 with a 3.48 ERA, but Midland RockHounds, where he posted who had been optioned to Triple-A.[3] He 3.09 ERA, 245 strikeouts and 94 walks, and lead the team in strikeouts (113). Sonny's an 0.45 ERA in 5 games, all of which were made his fi rst major league appearance out hitters have batted just .229 against him. junior year was his most successful, as he games that he started. of the , in relief of , Award of Merit winner credits youth baseball experience

Bob Cene, Jr. will receive the 2014 Na- tial section of old steel mill property, a national organizations. tional Amateur Baseball Federation Award BROWNFIELD to expand our business, His commitment to our program is of Merit for his service to the organization. Astro Shapes LLC. I was an Owner/Vice amazing, especially with his current role Here is Sene's story, in his own words. President for the past 24 years along with as Controller at Astro Shapes and being a continued Ownership today. husband, father, & coach of his two young My history began when I was a Little With this opportunity we dedicated a boys. League player for my father portion of land to build a 3 fi eld complex. Next Ryan Cene, my son has assisted Bob Cene, Sr. I was not blessed with In 1995, we completed fi eld number 1, Scott in many of his roles & has become the talent to pursue baseball passed the which included a 2 story an important part of our program. This Pony League level; however I did witness Press Box, Maintenance Building & a will insure that our legacy will continue & experience fi rsthand my father’s passion Concession Stand. We developed a com- for many decades to come. for baseball, giving me a real understand- plex that drew National recognition, that Also our fi eld crew has taken our ing of the true meaning of the sport. became the showcase that Dad dreamed of fi elds to the next level. Our team consists Especially for helping boys transform & in July of 1995 dedicated the of 4 individuals, Don Watt, Ron Bovo, Bob themselves using baseball as a platform to complex by throwing out the fi rst pitch for Beam, & Steve Leslie. help them grow. He started coaching boys Dad. This team has provided a unifi ed at the little league level along our entire By 1996, we were already building the energy that maintains our fi elds to the neighborhood. He helped them improve second fi eld. Both fi elds being fully lite al- highest level along with developing many their baseball skills along with their skills low us to have the fi nal games of all of our new projects. to become a man. tournaments at one location. This really Lastly I would like recognize "Red" He taught me the importance of help- helped the college coaches & scouts to see Ronald Baker who is the voice of Bob Cene ing young men giving them an opportu- many players at one setting. Park & John Grace who dedicates his time nity to use their baseball skills for college In 1999, Dad passed on, so in 2000, to have someone present at our fi elds and scholarship opportunities. my brother Paul, Jim DiBacco & myself indoor training center. With this basic foundation instilled designed & built the 3rd fi eld honoring So, in refl ection it's my HONOR to within me, it's given me the same passion Dad's Legacy. Now with three fi elds fully lead our team providing a state of art to help young men showcase their abilities lite, Bob Cene Park has become one of the complex for our 14 to 18 year olds. This through our 3 fi eld complex at Bob Cene fi nest amateur complexes in the United allows the players to showcase their skills Park in Struthers, Ohio. States. to college coaches & scouts from across the I've been formally trained as an Ar- With Dad's passing, I became Presi- country. This is our mission to give the op- chitect at Kent State University from 1975 dent of Youngstown Class B Baseball Inc. portunity of college scholarships to many through 1980. I'm currently registered in our non-profi t tax exempt organization players that would not get exposed to. Ohio & Pennsylvania. that Bob Cene Park resides in. Also, it's important to develop their After graduating, I assisted my Dad It has been my HONOR to continue skills to enable them to be better contribu- with many projects in our local commu- Bob Cene, Jr. Dad's legacy & will do so for many years tors to our community & the world that we nity. As an architect, I became intimately to come. We have put together a great live in. involved with all the details of designing & Youngstown which received funding from team to our program utilizing each Our program is more than baseball & building baseball fi elds. the Donnell Foundation. This funding al- of their talents where they can contribute is best summarized by my father’s quote I then went on to design many proj- lowed us to build a new press box, restore the most. that's engraved in his monument at fi eld ects with Dad. We did a proposal for a the concrete stands, install fi eld drainage First, our fi nancial support group 1. "This park is our youth’s inheritance minor league fi eld in 1982 in downtown & put in a new asphalt parking lot. Don- consists of Paul Cene, Jim Dibacco & my- for their future". Youngstown. We just couldn't get the nell/Pemberton Park was now the premier self, without this group’s contribution, our Thank You for recognizing me today, funding to fi nancially support the project. fi eld in Youngstown for many years. This complex would not be held to standard we but it's really about our entire team. Next we did another proposal for a still was a city fi eld that we leased & experience today!!!! "The WHOLE is greater than the sum Youngstown City Park at Ipes Field which there were always problems with the local Secondly, I must begin with Scott of the parts". Aristotle included a 3 fi eld complex. The local neighborhood when games went late into Ruark who's our Director of Baseball I'm just BLESSED to be in the capacity neighbors were opposed to the project the evening. Operations. Scott has the same passion to lead our organization & continue to pro- which didn't allow for continued develop- It was always Dad's dream to build for baseball as my father & knows the vide opportunities for these young men. ment. his own complex to allow his legacy to sport intimately which enables him to lead In 1983 we did a complete restoration continue well beyond his time. our organization with our local leagues Most Grateful, of Pemberton Park, another city park in So in 1995 we purchased a substan- along with the college coaches, scouts, & Bob Cene, Jr. AIA NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 5 Major World Series Stratford takes World Series by 'Storm,' wins 101st NABF title

The 101st NABF Unlimited World Se- ries began with twelve hopefuls and ended with one champion, the Storm from Strat- ford, Connecticut. The Storm was the only team to go through the tournament undefeated. To win the championship, the Storm turned aside Brooklyn Sports Fever, Orlando Pi- rates and the Michigan Area Braves in pool play. They eliminated the host team, HBC/ Behnke, in the quarterfi nal, they held on to eliminate the Brunswick Orioles, 10-6, and fi nished the dream with a 4-0 shutout of the 2013 champion, Pittsburgh St. Johns- Lefty’s. Both fi nalists were severely tested as the Storm defeated Brooklyn, 5-4, and the Michigan Area Braves, 2-0, in pool play to advance. The Lefty’s road was even more diffi cult, as they shutout the host team HBC/Behnke, 5-0, in the opening game, be- fore dropping a 12-3 decision to the Orioles of Brunswick. They then pounded Cincin- nati 16-4 and Brooklyn 12-2, forcing the champs to meet the other team from the Stratford Storm's Most Valuable Player, steel city, the Pittsburgh Steel City Black pircher Matt Bartoimel (Photo by Art Frith) Sox in the semifi nal match-up. The Black Sox came into the semifi nal undefeated going 4-0 and jumped out to a 3-0 lead, however the steel city showdown would go twelve innings before St. Johns 2014 NABF prevailed 5-4. For the St. Johns-Lefty’s the win put them in the championship for the third consecutive year, but the MVP of the Major Division Runner-Up series, Matt Bartoimel, blanked the champs and set the trophy back to the nutmeg state. Bartoimel was brilliant in the series throwing three complete games, with an eight-inning performance on Thursday. It was the third year in a row the fi nal was made up of a team from Connecticut and Pennsylvania. A little known fact, it was the Storms second consecutive national championship having won the AABC title in 2013. The fi eld of eight included the Storm and Lefty’s, the Brunswick Orioles and Pittsburgh Steel City Black Sox (both pool winners), Michigan Area Braves, Brooklyn Sports Fever, with HBC/Behnke the host team from Battle Creek as the number one and Beecher Muskies as the sec- Pittsburgh St. John’s Lefty's ond wild card. The three pool winners did Stratford Storm manager Mike Siksay with advance to the fi nal four along with defend- championship trophy (Photo by Art Frith) ing champion, St. Johns-Lefty’s. 2014 NABF MAJOR DIVISION ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM Mother Nature cooperated as all 25 games were played as scheduled with most games being played under ideal conditions. Position Team Name Player Name The fi nal was played under a threat of rain, C Brooklyn Sports Melvin Rios but there were light sprinkles for less than Fever an inning. C Steel City Black Sox T.J. Zarewicz On August 17 at 2:30 in the after- C Beecher Muskies Mario Hernandez noon, the only storm in Battle Creek was the Stratford Storm celebrating a national championship behind the hitting of batting Util St. Johns-Lefty’s Jim Pasquine champion Ryan Barba (12-for-21, .576) and Util Steel City Black Sox Tom Birko the pitching of Matt Bartoimel. The Storm 1B St. Johns-Lefty’s Nate Thimons brought home the third NABF Major Divi- 2B Stratford Storm Milton Joyner sion World Series title to the nutmeg state, joining the Stratford Ale House (1996) and 3B Steel City Black Sox Ryan Barba *(Batting Champ) Peschells Bakery, New Haven, which won SS St. Johns-Lefty’s Ronnie Bernick the title in 2003. OF Brunswick Orioles Bryan Nolan OF Stratford Storm Steve Agnostu Storm prevails A runner is tagged out by the Stratford OF St. Johns-Lefty’s Andrew Heck Storm in an NABF Major OF Brunswick Orioles Wayne Toms WS semifi nal game. (Photo by Art Frith) OF St. Johns-Lefty’s Andy Blackwell in championship OF Steel City Black Sox Don McDuffie everything today.” By Mitch Galloway In the top half of the second inning, a DH Brunswick Orioles Dontae Eubanks Battle Creek Enquirer single to deep center with two outs by the DH Brooklyn Sports Jessue Alvarado Storm pushed across a run to give Stratford Fever There were fans — and players — an early lead, 1-0. In the fourth inning, a screaming and clapping during the 101st groundout scoring third baseman Dan Pi- P Stratford Storm Matt Bartoimel **(MVP) National Amateur Baseball Federation geon increased the Stratford lead to two. P Michigan Area Braves Joel Pierce (NABF) World Series fi nal. An inning later and it was more of the same The loud claps were prompted as the story – this time a sacrifi ce fl y gave Strat- P Steel City Black Sox Jon Cororan fi nal out was recorded by the maroon- ford a 3-0 lead. P Gronk Show Justin Nowak colored Startford (Conn.) Storm, and con- When the offense started off fast, Strat- P HBC/Behnke Caleb Vincent tinued as trophies and plaques were then ford Matt Bartoimel contin- P St. Johns-Lefty’s Greg Fredrick handed out to the new World Series cham- ued the team’s early successes by throwing pions. a complete-game shutout, and not allowing mound – a place where he garnered three cording to its ace, wanted this win badly. The two teams came in to the cham- a hit after the fourth inning. Every time a wins and a . “There was no way I was “It means so much to us,” said Bar- pionship tilt having survived Saturday’s St. John’s Lefty threatened to score against coming out of the game. He would’ve had toimel, who was named the tournament’s NABF elimination round. But in the cham- Bartoimel, a key out was made by the Strat- to pry the ball from my dead cold hands. I Most Valuable Player. “We just wanted it pionship at C.O. Brown Stadium, it was ford defense. mean, he let me throw the fi rst two games so bad that we were willing to let nothing Stratford who ended the Pittsburgh St. Bartoimel, who had pitched over 19 in- of the World Series, and then coming out stand in our way. In our (fi rst-game) of re- John’s Leftys bid for a championship re- nings in this tournament before the fi nal, for the… fi nal game he (Siksay) puts all gionals we got no-hit, and (then) from right peat, as the Storm went on to win 4-0 at the pitched quick and to contact all game long. his faith in me. I do this for him; I do it for there and then on everyone stepped up and Bailey Park facility. During the tournament, every home team these guys.” chipped in.” “This is the best team I’ve ever had lost in C.O. Brown Stadium – this day The Storm squad could be heard Leading the way for the Storm, Pigeon coached,” said Storm manager Mike Siksay it was no different as St. John’s Leftys ran screaming after key outs were recorded was 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while in front of podium after the game – right be- into similar fate. during their play. The ring leader of those Bartoimel fi nal pitching line was no runs fore his team doused him in a Gatorade jug “We made it a whole different expe- cheers, Bartoimel, didn’t want to lose this and fi ve strikeouts over nine innings of full of water. “Thank you, guys, for giving rience,” Bartoimel said near the pitcher’s game. This team out of Connecticut, ac- work. 6 NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 Crystal Lake Cardinals win second College World Series title

Who would have thought a little green plant could cause an NABF World Series to be cut short? 2014 NABF That’s what happened with the 2014 College Division World Series in Toledo. A toxic, invasive green algae in Lake Erie College Division Champions caused Toledo to place a water advisory on its residents just as the World Series was about to enter the quarterfi nals. For safety reasons, tournament directors were told to send the eight remaining teams home. Two teams, the Crystal Lake Cardinals (IL) and the River City Rapids (MI), fi n- ished pool play with 3-0 records, and using NABF wild card rules, the Cardinals were declared champions and River City is the runner-up. The Cardinals defeated the Brunswick Express (MD), 17-1, the Schenectady Aces (NY), 10-1, and the Sandusky Grays (OH), 12-0. Two games were mercy ruled after seven innings and Crystal Lake outscored its three opponents by a combined score of Coming at you — a Michigan Bulls pitcher 39-2. during CWS pool play action. (Photo by It is Coach Armando Bambino’s sec- Crystal Lake Cardinals ond World Series championship. In 2009, Russ Lytle/Facebook/Russ Lytle/RHP) the Cardinals defeated the Dix Hills Dodg- ers (NY), 3-0, in the championship game played at the former Toledo Mud Hen’s It's a play former home fi eld, Ned Skeldon Stadium. The Cardinals represent the Metro Amateur at the plate Baseball League of Illinois. in this Col- Crystal Lake fi rst baseman/designated lege World hitter Bob Thorson (Campbell University) Series pool was named the tournament MVP after go- play game ing 7 for 11 at the plate with fi ve RBIs and between the he scored six runs. Long Island Also making the all-tournament team Astros and from Crystal Lake were Thorson, Tyler Hamer (Nebraska-Omaha) and Colin the Lake Erie Nowak (Heartland CC), outfi elders Logan Monarchs. Poisall (Fresno State) and Erik Maki (West- (Photo by ern Illinois), and utility player Nick Saldut- Russ Lytle/ ti (Butler). Hamer pitched a complete game Facebook/ shutout victory in the win over Brunswick, Russ Lytle/ striking out nine, walking two, allowing RHP) four hits and no earned runs. Nowak went seven innings in the victory over Schenect- Association. The CSBL, sends its best teams 2014 NABF COLLEGE DIVISION ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM ady, striking out six, walking one, giving up to post season play at the National Baseball six hits and one . Congress (NBC) tournament in Wichita, the Remaining Crystal Lake players are AABC Tournament and NABF Position Team Name Player Name Ricky Alfonso (Indiana), Korby Batesole College and Major Tournaments. C Brunswick Express Zack Walsh (Buchannan), Kody Batesole (Fresno State), Prairie Gravel, the 2004 and 2005 Dylan Cysewski (Lewis University), Ethan CSBL Champion, obtained fi rst place in the C Long Island Astros Anthony DeDona Gasbarro (Valparaiso), Andy Gertonson prestigious NBC Tournament in Wichita Util River City Rapids Brandon Cable (MCC/Chicago State), Drew Hasler (Val- in 2005. The collegiate organization, The Util Michigan Bulls Jake Hranec paraiso), Mark Hode (King College), Joseph Metropolitan Collegiate Summer Baseball Kubera (Winona State), Billy Laing (But- League of Illinois, is affi liated to AABC, Util Crystal Lake Cardinals Nick Saldutti ler), Chris Marras (Butler), Emmanuel Mor- NABF, and CABA, and has been in exis- 1B River City Rapids Brendan Bender ris (Villanova), Will Munro (Fresno State), tence for over 20 years. Mike Murphy (ECC/Tenn-Martin), Bobby Cardinals players who have signed 2B St. Louis Bandits Ryan Simmons * Napoleon (Butler), Ryan Olson (Northern professional contracts are Nate Sope- (Batting Champion) Illinois), Drew Peters (Elgin CC/Bradley), na-Pittsburgh Pirates-2014, Julian Bar- 3B St. Louis Dodgers Matt Spradlin Kyle Pisano (Rockford University), zilli-St.Louis Cardinals-2014, Will An- (Chicago State), Carl Russell (Northern Ill- derson-St Louis Cardinals-2013, Eric SS St. Louis Bandits Shane Cooper linois), Eric Schiller (McHenry County CC), Aguilera--2013, Mi- OF St. Louis Bandits Jeremy Phillips Andre Sopena (Oakland University), Lee chael Heesch-Chicago Cubs-2012, Tom Spinelle (Eckerd College), and Ryan Thom- Harlan-Pittsburgh Pirates-2012, Derek OF Crystal Lake Cardinals Logan Poisall as (Elgin CC). Eitel--2010, Sean OF Michigan Bulls Mike Battistelli Joining Bombino on the coaching staff Bonesteele-Florida Marlins-2010, Drew OF St. Louis Dodgers Dan Holst are Matt Modlinski, Joe Pudio, Ted Ratliff, Gagnier-Oakland Athletics-2009, Rick and Ty Marotz. Zagone-Baltimore Orioles-2008, Erik Wet- OF Lake Erie Monarchs Griffin Harms The Cardinals college team was estab- zel-Colorado Rockies-2008, Mark Badgley- OF Ohio Glaciers Andrew Burdick lished in 1995 to serve college players in Florida Marlins-2007, Ozzie Lewis- Min- the ages of 19 through 22. The Cardinals nesota Twins-2007, Nick Hall-Philadelphia OF Crystal Lake Cardinals Erik Maki play a 60-game schedule in June and July. Phillies-2006, Scott Hode-Chicago Cubs- DH Crystal Lake Cardinals Bob Thorson **(MVP) The Cardinals are a member of the Chica- 2005, Clint Brannon-Texas Rangers-2004, DH Orville’s Baseball Jared Baldinelli go Suburban Baseball League established Rick Hummel-Chicago White Sox-2003, in 1982 and the Metro Collegiate Baseball Matt Blanton-St. Louis Cardinals-2003, and P Toledo Hawks Alex Ricica League of Illinois established in 1978. Tony Bacci-Pittsburgh Pirates-1997. P Ohio Glaciers Dan Reese The Cardinals have a record of 530 Cardinals playing for Independent P Crystal Lake Cardinals Tyler Hamer wins and 298 losses since 1999 and are now League teams are Rob Wirth (2004), Ty Ma- the 2014 and 2009 NABF Summer College rotz (2005), Joey Maurer (2001), Bryan Han- P Crystal Lake Cardinals C. Nowak World Series Champions and 2011 Run- sen (2006), Ted Juske (2006), Rob Fontana P Michigan Bulls Jake Balicki ner Ups. The Cardinals are the 2013, 2011, (2007), Ted Ratliff (2008, Jesse Wight (2010) P 2009, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2002 Metro and Dave Hoffman(2011 Australia Profes- Schenectady Aces Kyle Mohr Collegiate League Champions and the 2002 sional Baseball League). P Buffalo Leibs Corey Paige Illiana League Champions. The Cards have Cardinals players who have been draft- earned trips to the 2000 and 2001 NABF ed by professional teams are Kyle Wilson- Jonathon Nate, Tyler Baratano, Cody Gree- (1-2), Michigan Bulls (1-2), Lake Erie Mon- Regionals in Ft Wayne, Ind. and to the Chicago Cubs, Bryan Hansen-Toronto Blue ar, Cameron Cooper, Kory Brown, Anthony archs (1-2), Ohio Glaciers (1-2), Brunswick 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, Jays, Matt Sibigtroth-Chicago White Sox, Alarcon, Michael Meade, Scott Powell, Co- Express (0-3), Oil City Stags (0-3), and Long 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 NABF Summer and Gary Kershke-Chicago Cubs. rey Murphy, Corbin Clouse, Ben Sheckler, Island Astros (0-3). College World Series in Dayton and Toledo. Jordan Zyistra, Ryan Butzer, Hunter Prince, Games were played at the University The Cardinals fi nished fi rst in the 2007 River City Rapids Steven Schuiling, Connor Seymour, Aaron of Toledo’s Scott Park, Lourdes Universi- and 2008 Puerto Rico Invitational Summer In this year's College World Series, the Jensen and Kevin Marnon. The team is ty’s Mercy Field, the City of Toledo’s Rich Tournament with a record of 5-0 and 6-0 River City Rapids defeated the Long Island managed by Kevin Tidey and coaches in- Arbinger Field at Bowman Park, and Don respectively. In 2013, the Cardinals played Athletics (NY) 16-6, the defending cham- clude Ryan McCosky and Chris Oppel. Kober Field at St. Francis DeSales High against the USA National Collegiate Base- pion St. Louis Dodgers 10-3 and the Ohio Other teams remaining in the quarter- School. ball team at County Stadium. Glaciers, 11-1, outscoring its opponents by fi nals were the Long Island Astros (2-1), St. Games were telecast by Buckeye Sports The Cardinals play in collegiate a combined score of 37-10. Louis Bandits (2-1), St. Louis Dodgers (2-1), Cable Network and DVDs can be purchased and semi- wood bat River City’s all-tournament selections Buffalo Liebs (2-1), Orville’s Baseball (2-1), at www.bcsn.tv. leagues. The semi-pro organization, the are fi rst baseman Brendan Bender and util- and the Schenectady Aces (2-1). The Tole- This marked the 10th year the wood Chicago Suburban Baseball League (CSBL), ity player Brandon Cable. do Hawks also fi nished 2-1 but did not ad- bat CWS was held in Toledo, but the fi rst is ranked among the best leagues in the Other River City players are Nolan vance because of a tiebreaker in their pool. time it was cut short before reaching the country by the National Semi-Pro Baseball Wilson, Robert Greenman, Matthew Priebe, Other teams were the Sandusky Grays championship. NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 7 Senior World Series Ohio Glaciers win the battle of Youngstown in the Senior WS By Greg Gulas Youngstown Vindicator 2014 NABF For the fi rst time in the 70-year history of the NABF Senior Division, two teams from Youngstown decided its World Series Senior Division Champions champion. When the dust fi nally settled and the last out was made, the Ohio Glaciers had secured their fi rst World Series title. Dion Felger threw a complete-game six-hitter, allowing just one run as the Gla- ciers defeated Creekside Fitness, 8-1. Zack Miller had three hits and three RBIs, including two doubles, while Greg Popatak had three hits, two runs scored and Scott Pierce a three-run triple for the Glaciers. For his efforts Felger was named tour- nament most valuable player while Jamie Switalski was named the event’s top hitter. “Location was everything for me today and my catcher, Christian Porterfi eld, is one of the very best behind the dish,” Fel- Senior World Series Most Valuable Play- ger said. “We were on the same page the er, pitcher Dion Felger, Ohio Glaciers. entire game and that is what made this win Ohio Glaciers all the more special. “To win the championship for such a 2014 NABF SENIOR DIVISION ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM great sponsor is just as special. It just goes to show that the best amateur baseball is Position Team Name Player Name still played in Youngstown, Ohio.” C Michigan Bulls Collin McClelland It was the second time in three seasons C Ohio Glaciers Christian Porterfield that a team from Youngstown has won the crown (Youngstown Astro Falcons won the Util The Blaze Brandon Kasberg ), while Creekside had Util Michigan Bulls Spencer Trinier to settle for second place for a second con- 1B Ohio Glaciers Greg Popatak secutive season. 2B Creekside Fitness The Glaciers struck fi rst in the opening frame when Switalski doubled with two 3B Creekside Fitness Gino DiVencenzo away and eventually scored on Popatak’s SS Brownlee Lookouts Joe Caserio single. OF Maryland Monarchs Cody Gwinn Switalski batted .478 (11 for 23) in the OF Troy American Legion Trenton Wood tournament. OF SAYO Grays Anthony Rosario “We lost to Creekside in fi ve games for OF Creekside Fitness Kyle Wise the league title so this makes up for us falling OF Stark County Terriers Tristian Tolerton short back then,” Switalski said. “We played teams from all over, but to play against a OF Maryland Monarchs Brian Perreira team from your league for the World Series OF championship is pretty special.” DH Ohio Glaciers Jamie Switalski *(Batting Champ) They added fi ve more runs in the fi fth P Brownlee Lookouts Kevin Zullo inning for a 6-0 advantage, chasing starter Mitchell Wood in the process. P SAYO Grays Junior Ramirez Four hits, including a run-scoring NABF Senior World Series batting cham- P Team Ontario Deron Boughner double by Zack Miller and bases clearing pion, Jamie Switalski, Ohio Glaciers. P Stark County Terriers Jake Vance triple by Scott Pierce proved to be Wood’s P Creekside Fitness Mike Stryffler undoing. P Ohio Glaciers Zac Lowther Marcus Gunter also had a run-produc- P Ohio Glaciers Dion Felger **(MVP) ing triple. “I wasn’t fi elding as well as I wanted to so I had to give it my all at the plate. I saw the ball really well all afternoon and 1-800-228-3787 (1-800-BAT-ERUP) was just able to get around on the pitches,” Miller said. www.hoosierbat.com After Miller’s second RBI double the fol- lowing inning, the Glaciers stretched their lead to 7-0 with three innings remaining. Creekside got on the board in the sev- enth frame when Tyler Walters’ two-out double plated Gino DiVincenzo for its only run. That cut the Glaciers’ lead to 7-1. The Glaciers added an insurance run in the eighth inning when Miller struck again, this time lacing a run-scoring single that scored Bub Haddox with the game’s fi - nal run. “We had a good run, but ran out of pitching. That’s no excuse because we got beat by a good team and an excellent “Turning Batters Into Hitters” pitcher in Dion Felger today,” Creekside manager Terry Landis said. “We had a lot of guts all year, battling back when we had We’re more to but today it just wasn’t to be. We had an than just bats! excellent season.” Creekside fi nished 5-2 in the tourna- ment and 51-7 overall while Ohio Glaciers were 6-1 in the tournament, fi nishing the season with a 38-9 mark. Felger went 3-1 this season against Glaciers' Marcus Gunther does a "photo For over 23 years we have made bats for Creekside Fitness. bomb" with the championship trophy. Major and Minor League Players.

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After 3.66 inches of rain in Knoxville Tennessee in less than 72 hours, the High School Division World Series Champion 2014 NABF was fi nally crowned on a Monday after- noon. The Toronto Mets and the HCYP 17s High School Division Champions Raiders took the fi eld after winning semi- fi nal games earlier in the day. It was all Toronto Mets early after they put up three runs in the fi rst inning. The HCYP 17s pitching looked to be depleted, but Dan Rosenberry settled down after the fi rst, keeping the Mets scoreless until the sixth inning. In the bottom of the 5th, HCYP 17s fi - nally got to Mets pitcher Austin Tanfi eld. Tanfi eld had been dominant to that point pitching on short rest. HCYP 17s scored three runs to tie the game. The Mets came right back in the sixth, scoring three runs of their own to reclaim the lead 6-3. HCYP 17s went quietly in the bottom of the 6th. In the top of the seventh, and the Toronto Mets added another run to take a 7-3 lead. However, HCYP 17s were not fi nished. With two men on and one out, Alex Caffus singled to make it a 7-4 game. A batter hit by a pitch loaded the bases with one out for Joey Trapuzanno. Trapuzanno Toronto Mets singled to drive in two more runs to make it a 7-6 game. With tensions mounting, Seth Kopel came to the plate and hit another single to 2014 NABF load the bases with one out. Five minutes earlier, it looked like the Mets were going to High School Division Runner-Up cruise to the championship, now it looked like HCYP 17s were about to mount an un- believable comeback. With the bases loaded and one out, Chris Dornan came to the plate. Dornan hit a slow roller to the . It looked like a tough play, but Jaiden Hill made it look routine turning a 6-4-3 to end the game and win the High School Division World Series. Austin Tanfi eld got the vic- High School World Series MVP, Austin tory on the mound for the Mets and was Tanfi eld, pitcher for the Toronto Mets, awarded the MVP for his efforts. with tournament director Buzz McNish.

2014 NABF HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Batting Champion-Luke Yancey-Diamond 96ers Blue Position Team Name Player Name C Brooklyn Bonnies Sebastian Sanchez C HCYP 17s Jack Finn Util Diamond 96ers Zac Cox Util Toronto Mets Jaiden Hill HCYP 17s Raiders 1B Toronto Mets Max Wright 2B Toronto Mets Sean Collie 3B Toronto Mets Jesse Elliott SS West Rebels Adam Cupp OF Brooklyn Bonnies Wayne Roberts OF Troy Bombers Josh Faulkner OF Toronto Mets Eric Senior OF Karns Beavers Nick Beuchate OF Cincinnati Patriots Daniel Clark Sharing OF Toronto Mets Ian Wilson a trophy DH Team Cincinnati Dallas Robinson at the P HCYP 17s Brian Forman Major P HCYP 17s Jimmy Cain World P Toronto Mets Austin Tanfield **(MVP) Series P West Rebels Sam Springer (Photo P HCYP 17s Seth Kopel by Art P Karns Beavers Kyle Justice Frith)

Sports- manship — that's what it's all about. (Photo by Scott Grau) NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 11 Junior World Series New York's SAYO Grays fi nish championship in third attempt The third time was the charm for the SAYO Grays out of New York. The Grays, after losing in the NABF 2014 NABF Junior World Series championship two years in a row to Ohio teams, faced an Ohio team for the third straight year in this year's Junior Division Champions championship. Last year, it was an 11-4 championship game loss to Team Cincinnati. This year the Grays came through. The Grays defeated the Youngstown Astro Falcons 9-3 in the televised fi nal at Lourdes University’s Mer- cy Field in Toledo, Ohio. The game was a rematch between two teams from the same pool, with the Astro Falcons taking the pool play game 12-6 and fi nishing 3-0, while the Grays fi nished 2-1 and were pool runner-ups. The second meeting, the one that counted the most, went the Grays way as pitcher and tournament MVP Evan Lane went seven innings, striking out eight, walking four, and spreading out nine hits and giving up two earned runs. It was Lane’s second victory on the mound for the SAYO Grays Grays in the 12-team World Series. His offense gave him plenty of support, Junior World Series MVP, SAYO Grays belting out 11 hits and scoring a single run pitcher Evan Lane. (Photo by Scott Grau) in the second inning, four in the fourth, and added four more insurance runs for 9-2, and the SAYO Grays, 12-6. 2014 NABF good measure in the seventh inning. In the quarterfi nals, Youngstown However, it was the Astro Falcons downed the Diamond Spikes, 5-2, and in Junior Division Runner-Up which struck fi rst. Jared Burkert led off the the semifi nal defeated the host Toledo fi rst inning with a base hit, advanced on a Hawks, 10-5. sacrifi ce by Dalton Donachie, went to Players on the SAYO Grays team and third when Jared Kapturasky walked, and their high schools are Mark Barilias (Evangel scored on a base hit by Chris Lewis. Christian), Noah Cabrera (Cardoza), Marcos The Grays tied the game in the second Castillo Jr. (Telecommunications), Michael on an unearned run. Jose Gonzalez reached Cortez (Molloy), Robert De La Vega (Abra- on an , advanced when Ryan Leo ham Lincoln), John Friessner (Walton), grounded out, and scored on a base hit by Jose Gonzalez (Long Island City), Michael Michael Cortez. Gonzalez (Midwood), Evan Lane (Telecom- The Grays sent the game wide open in munications), Ryan Leo (Newtown), Mason the fourth, doing most of the damage with Marino (Xaverian), Ivan Martinez (De Witt two outs. Marcos Castillo had a base hit, Clinton), Isalas Moran Jr. (Xavier), Em- advanced on a sac bunt by Jose Gonzalez, manuel Olivo (Forest Hills), Richard Jordan and Cortez walked. Zeph Vaughn’s base hit Polacios (Berkley Carroll), Aaron Rodri- scored Castillo, and then a double by An- guez (Telecommunications), Christopher dreidy Vasquez sent Cortez and Vaughn Sanchez (Manhattan Center), Travis Savino scoring. Noah Cabrera was hit by a pitch, (Queens Vocational), Andreidy Vasquez and Vasquez scored on a base hit by Richard (Expirations Academy), Zephaniah Vaugh Jordan Polacios, whose father had played in (Evangel Christian), and Christopher Wil- Youngstown Astro Falcons Toledo with the Mud Hens years earlier. liams Jr. (Law & Government). In the bottom half of the fourth, Astro Grays players chosen to the All-Tour- Falcon Noah Laster reached on an error and nament Team are Leo (third baseman), Pa- after Maxx McGee walked and Burkert was lacios (shortstop), Lane (pitcher), and Jose hit by a pitch, Donachie hit a sac fl y to cen- Gonzalez (). The Grays ter fi eld, scoring Laster, but Youngstown manager is Ian Younge and coaches are Dar- still trailed 5-2. ren Johnson and Rick Echevarria. The team In the sixth, Donachie doubled and represented the Parade Grounds League. scored on a base hit by Kapturasky, bring- Astro Falcons team members are Ty- ing the Astro Falcons to within two runs. ler Adams (Louisville), Danny Boerio But it wouldn’t last long. (Youngstown Boardman), Jared Berkert (Po- In the seventh, the fi rst four SAYO land), Tyler “T.J.” DeShields (West Branch), players reached base and all scored. Mason Michael Despietorich (Boardman), Charles Marino singled, Castillo walked, and Gon- Dalton Donachie (Springfi eld), Jared Jay zales followed with an RBI single. After (Boardman), Travis Jones (Boardman), An- Gonzales stole second, he and Castillo both thony Joseph (Canfi eld), Jared Kapturasky scored when Ryan Leo reached on an error. (Austintown Fitch), Garrett J. Mulrooney Leo advanced on a sac bunt by Cortez and (McDonald), James Kerrigan (McDonald), scored on an RBI base hit by Vaughn. Noah Laster (Austintown Fitch), Christo- For the Grays, Gonzales was 2-for- pher Lewis (Canfi eld), Vinny Lucente (Ur- 3, scored twice and had an RBI, Palacios suline), Vittorio Petrillo (Ursuline), Maxx 2-for-4 with an RBI, Vaughn was 2-for-4 McGee (Bethel Park), Eric Ostrowski (Jack- and scored with two RBIs and Vasquez was son Milton), Christopher Patton (Ursuline), SAYO Grays pitcher Evan Lane delivers in the champioinship. (Photo by Scott Grau) 2-for-4 and scored with two RBIs. Vasquez Hudson Widrig (Boardman) and Lou Car- and Donachie both doubled for the Grays dona (Boardman). The Astro Falcons’ man- and Gonzalez had a . Marino ager is Robert Beam and coaches are Steve 2014 NABF JUNIOR DIVISION ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM was 1-for-4 and scored, Leo was 1-for-3, and Leslie and Thomas Tedesco. They compet- Cortez was 1-for-2 and scored with an RBI. ed out of the Youngstown Class B League. Position Team Name Player Name For the Astro Falcons, Burkert was Astro Falcons on the All-Tournament C Youngstown Astro Falcons Lou Cardona 2-for-3 and scored, Kapturasky was 2-for-3 Team include Cardona (catcher), Lewis (fi rst C Brooklyn Bonnie Bees Ritchie Divita with an RBI, and Lewis was 2-for-4 with a baseman), Adams (), Burk- stolen base and RBI. Donachie was 1-for-2 ert (pitcher), and Kapturasky (outfi elder). and scored with an RBI, Vito Petrillo was Sites for the tournament included Mer- Util Diamond Spikes Ryan Calkins 1-for-3, and McGee was 1-for-2. cy Field, Scott Park (University of Toledo), Util Toledo Hawks Tom Friar Garrett Mulrooney was the Astro Fal- Rich Arbinger Field (Bowman Park) and 1B Youngstown Astro Falcons Chris Lewis cons starting pitcher and was stuck with Don Kober Field (St. Francis DeSales High 2B Youngstown Astro Falcons Tyler Adams the loss after pitching 3.2 innings, giving up School). 3B SAYO Grays Ryan Leo six hits, four earned runs, striking out three Numerous games were telecast by and walking two. In relief for Youngstown, Buckeye Cable Sports Network and DVDs SS SAYO Grays Richard Jordan Palacios Vinny Lucente went 3.1 innings, striking can be purchased at www.bcsn.tv. OF Michigan Bulls Jared Char out fi ve, walking two, allowing fi ve hits This was the fi rst year hosted by the OF Diamond Spikes Justin Halper and two earned runs. Toledo Amateur Baseball Federation after OF Toledo Hawks Zach Brown *(Batting Champ) Besides losing to the Astro Falcons in three decades of being hosted by the North- OF Toronto Mets Mark Bernardi pool play, the Grays defeated Gators Base- ville Baseball/Softball Association of Mich- OF Spartans-Blue Alex Ludwick ball (Ohio), 2-1, and Allen Baseball Club igan. Toledo tournament offi cials acknowl- (Texas), 4-1. In the quarterfi nals, SAYO edged the tremendous job of running this OF Youngstown Astro Falcons Jared Kapturasky defeated the Michigan Bulls 8-3 and in the tournament by the Northville association DH SAYO Grays Jose Gonzalez semifi nal the Grays downed the Brooklyn and are working to follow their example. P Brooklyn Bonnie Bees Shawn James Bonnie Bees, a Parade Grounds League ri- Toledo has also hosted the College Di- P Michigan Bulls Dante Toppi val, 5-4. The Astro Falcons were a direct vision World Series every year since 2004 P Ohio Gators Spencer Mraz bid to the World Series, the Bonnie Bees (except 2007). The Toledo Hawks’ Zach P SAYO Grays Evan Lane **(MVP) won their regional tournament to advance. Brown (Oregon Clay High School) was the In pool play, the Astro Falcons defeated the tournament batting champion after taking P Youngstown Astro Falcons Jared Burkert Allen Baseball Club 3-1, Gators Baseball, his team to the semifi nals. P Toledo Hawks Michael Conklin 12 NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 Sophomore World Series Creekside Fitness prevails in NABF Sophomore World Series

After a rain soaked weekend that in- of Creekside's six hits, scoring one run and 2014 NABF SOPHOMORE DIVISION ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM cluded 3.66 inches of rain and eight fi elds having one RBI. under water, the NABF Sophomore Divi- The 96ers tried to mount a comeback Position Team Name Player Name sion World Series was completed on Sun- in the sixth inning. The 96ers loaded the C Diamond Boys Joe Capretta day night. bases with one out trailing 4-0. The 96ers C Creekside Fitness Coleman Stauffer As a result of the weather and dis- scored a run on a sac fl y from Noah Sasser. cussions with coaches, it was decided to After a two out walk loaded the bases again, Util PAL Rangers Tom Crispen shorten pool play and begin bracket play Joe Faber came in to pitch for Creekside Fit- Util Creekside Fitness Anotonio Page on Sunday. ness. Faber got a big for the third 1B Diamond Elite 96ers Noah Sasser The championship game was played out to end the 96ers threat. Creekside went 2B Diamond Elite 96ers Chris Hart between Creekside Fitness and Diamond on to keep the lead and win the Sophomore 3B Creekside Fitness Garrison Wieland *(Batting Champ) Elite 96ers. Division Championship. Creekside Fitness used a four run Creekside Fitness was led by Antho- SS Diamond Elite 96ers Javonte Dorris fourth inning and a strong pitching per- ny Longo, who was the tournament MVP. OF Brownlee Lookouts Jared Burick formance from Anthony Longo to win the Diamond Elite 96ers were led offensively OF PAL Rangers Kyle Olsen championship. Longo also provided the of- by Davis Ferguson, who went 2-3 on the OF Creekside Fitness Jared Fabry fensive punch for Creekside by having two night. OF Rizer Group Nate Merchard OF Creekside Fitness Brennan Olesh OF Upstate Warriors Daniel St Claire DH Creekside Fitness Nick Bianco P Brownlee Lookouts Zach DiLauro P Diamond Boys Sammy Blazenyak NABF Regionals P Diamond Elite 96ers Connor Stec P Diamond Elite 96ers John David Topik P PAL Rangers Ryan Mallory MAJOR WEST HAVEN, CT P Creekside Fitness Anthony Longo **(MVP) Winner: Stratford Storm DIVISION Runner-Up: Barbrook Remodel- REGIONALS ers Final : Stratford (UNLIMITED) Storm 12 Baybrook Remodelers 1 SALISBURY, MD Winner: Brunswick Orioles CINCINNATI, OH Runner-Up: Perdue Chicks Winner: Cincinnati Chiefs Final Game Score: Brunswick Runner-Up: Yorkville Orioles 4 Perdue Chicks 0 Final Game Score: Cincinnati Chiefs 4 Yorkville 0 FORT WAYNE, IN Winner: Fort Wayne Jackers BROOKLYN, NY Runner-Up: Baria Blue Sox Winner: Sports Fever Final Game Score: Fort Wayne Runner-Up: Bonnies Jackers 7 Baria Blue Sox 6 Final Game Score: Sports Fever 12 Bonnies 3 KANKAKEE, IL Winner: Breecher Muskies BUFFALO, NY Runner-Up: Joliet Dirtbags Winner: Gronk Show Final Game Score: Breecher Runner-Up: Leibs Muskies 7 Joliet Dirtbags 0 Final Game Score: Gronk Show 10 Leibs 5 (12 innings) PITTSBURGH, PA Winner: Steel City Black Sox Runner-Up: Cleveland Black COLLEGE Wolves DIVISION Final Game Score: Steel City Black Sox 4 Cleveland Black REGIONAL Wolves 3 (10 innings) (22 & UNDER)

SAGINAW, MI PHILADELPHIA, PA Winner: Michigan Area Braves Winner: LONG ISLAND ATH- Runner-Up: Jetbox LETICS Final Game Score: Michigan Runner-Up: CAPITAL CITY Area Braves 14 Jetbox 5 Final Game Score: 3-0

At NABF World Series action this year, at left, swinging for the fences. At top right, an intense coach. Above, sliding on the turf. (Photos by Scott Grau) NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 13

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Certain restrictions may apply. 14 NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 World Classics New Jersey, Tennessee, Mississippi host World Classic events World Series Qualifier World Classics 2014 NABF Madison, MS Qualifier (14U, 16U, 17U, 18U) Knoxville, TN (17U) 14U Classic Champions Champion: Karns Beavers 18U Runner-Up: Harriman Champion: Quachita Chiefs Final Game Score: Karns Runner-Up: Golden Spikes Beavers 11 vs. Harriman 0 Baseball World Classics Final Game Score: Quachita Chiefs 6 vs. Golden Spikes Championship Series Baseball 4 Southaven, MS 17U (12U, 13U) Champion: Diamond Jackson 12U 96ers Champion: Team Oklahoma Runner-Up: Ouachita Chiefs Runner-Up: Arkansas Express Diamond Elite Jackson 96ers Final Game Score: Diamond Final Game Score: Team Jackson 96ers 11 vs. Oklahoma 21 vs. Arkansas Elite Jackson 96ers 7 vs. 15U Quachita Chiefs 1 Express 5 Elite Training MS 0 Champion: Dulin’s Dodgers Pleasant 16U 13U World Classics Runner-Up: Dulin’s Dodgers Champion: Golden Spikes Champion: Arkansas Prospects Copeland Baseball Runner-Up: Dulin’s Dodgers Championship Series Final Game Score: Dulin’s Runner-Up: MS Blues Final Game Score: Arkansas Brandon, MS (18U) Dodgers Pleasant 10 vs. Final Game Score: Golden Prospects 9 vs. Dulin’s Dulin’s Dodgers Copeland Spikes Baseball 8 vs. MS Dodgers 8 Champion: Topeka Stars 0 Blues 7 Runner-Up: Golden Spikes World Classics Baseball 14U Final Game Score: Topeka Stars 8 16U Champion: North Mississippi Championship Series vs. Golden Spikes Baseball 2 Champion: Arkansas Stars Madison, MS (14U) Prospects Runner-Up: Diamond Elite World Classics Runner-Up: Diamond Jackson Jackson 96ers Champion: Diamond Elite Championship Series 96ers Final Game Score: North MS Jackson 96ers Millington, TN Final Game Score: Arkansas Stars 12 vs. Diamond Elite Runner-Up: Elite Training MS Prospects 11 vs. Diamond Jackson 96ers 4 Final Game Score: Diamond (15U, 16U) Jackson 96ers 6 NABF Scholarship Application The National Amateur Baseball could be made each year. with the NABF which he joined with the National Amateur Baseball Federation has a history of helping In 2000 Edward “Red” Carrington, after the conclusion of World War Federation member association is sandlot baseball to grow. The past President of the NABF and I. The Germane and Edward “Red” eligible. organization was brought into long time President of Fort Wayne Carrington Fund and the McMinn Selection of the award winner existence in 1914. Since then, Baseball Federation, bequethed a Fund are the basis for the overall will be made by the federation’s in times of peace and prosperity, generous scholarship fund in memory NABF Scholarship program. scholarship fund committee. It will despite wars and recession, there of both him and his wife, Germaine. Anyone in good standing who be based on grades, fi nancial need, always has been the year-after-year Red Carrington has a remarkable, has been or is a current participant and previous awards to candidates excitement of the NABF National durable and effective relationship in any league properly sanctioned from a sponsoring association. Tournaments. In 1984, the NABF Scholarship Scholarship Application Fund was established, and the fi rst Applicant’s Name: ______scholarship was presented in 1985. Address: ______Named after the NABF executive ______director emeritus of the NABF and ______his wife, The Ronald and Irene McMinn Scholarship, is an annual Telephone Number: ______award. In 1988, Mr. McMinn, Social Security Number: ______in memory of his late wife Irene, NABF Member Association: ______generously endowed the fund so that Sponsor: ______several NABF scholarship awards Association’s Approval ______, Pres. Items required with application: 1. Evidence of enrollment in an accredited two or four year College or University must accompany the scholarship application which must be received by September 1st. 2. A transcript of high school grades or College University grades if already enrolled. 3. Two letters of recommendation. One must be obtained from a teacher and the other from his/her baseball coach who is in a position to evaluate the applicant's academic and athletic performance. 4. A concise written statement from the applicant detailing scholastic, athletic and personal achievement, community involvement, and any other information in support of the applicant. No more than two pages please. The selection Committee may require and request additional informa- tion from an applicant or sponsor. 5. Application must be signed by the president of your NABF Franchised League. 6. No Application will be considered if the above items are not included with the application. 7. Successful Applicants, Scholarship Award winners, must submit a head and shoulder picture for publication and proof of enrollment by Novem- ber 15th, before scholarship check may be issued. 8. Please mail fully completed application with the required items to: NABF Offi ce, P.O. Box 705, Bowie, MD 20718. NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2014 15

Safe at the plate in an NABF College World Series game. (Photo by Russ Lytle)

NABF Join the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum's 2015 Tentative REGIONAL and WORLD SERIES DATES newest educational initiative. (NABF Franchise League Programs) For final approval by NABF Board of Directors Nov. 7, 2014 The BASE Program teaches lessons of healthy habits, while encouraging individuals of all ages to live and play free of performance-enhancing substances. Age Registration Play Begins Rookie Division (10U)

World Series Wed, July 1 Thurs-Sun, July 2-5

Freshman Division (12U)

World Series Wed, July 1 Thurs-Sun, July 2-5

Sophomore Division (14U)

Regional Wed, July 8 Thurs-Sun, July 9-12 World Series Wed, July 15 Thurs-Sun, July 16-19

Junior Division (16U)

Regional Wed, July 15 Thurs-Sun, July 16-19 World Series Wed, July 22 Thurs-Sun, July 23-26

High School Division (17U)

World Series Wed, July 15 Thurs-Sun, July 16-19

Senior Division (18U)

Regional Wed, July 15 Thurs-Sun, July 16-19 World Series Wed, July 22 Thurs-Sun, July 23-26

College Division (22U)

Regional Wed, July 22 Thurs-Sun, July 23-July 26 World Series Wed, July 29 Thurs-Sun, July 30-Aug 2

Major Division (Unlimited)

Regional Wed, Aug 5 Thurs-Sun, Aug 6-9 World Series Wed, Aug 12 Thurs-Sun, Aug 13-16

Note: Some Regional and World Series dates may be scheduled to start on dates other than those shown due to local conditions and availability of playing fields. (Review assignment information packet for each respective tournament site). World Series and Regional Tournaments may utilize the Modified Round Robin Schedule as described under Official NABF Tournament Rules when practical in place of the double elimination bracket system.

NABF Tournament News

NABF Tournament News is Published by the edited by J. Patrick Eaken, Sports Editor, The Press Newspapers, P.O. Box 69, National Amateur Millbury, Ohio 43447 with contributions from NABF staff and volunteers. NABF Baseball Federation Tournament News is the of- fi cial newspaper of the NABF P.O. Box 705, Bowie, Maryland 20718 and is sent to NABF league contacts. For franchise mem- 410-721-4727 bership information, please FAX: 410-721-4940 contact the NABF in Bowie, Maryland. Printed by Douthit [email protected] Communications, Inc., San- www.nabf.com dusky, Ohio. 2013 Champs

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