National Amateur Baseball Federation Tournament News On the web at www.nabf.com October 1, 2018 • Bowie, Maryland • Price $1.00 104th Year Luke Gregerson (mlb.com) Celebrating a World Series championship The Oil City Stags (Mt. Pleasant, Michigan) out of the Great Lakes United Baseball NABF Grad of Year League, celebrate after winning an NABF College Division World Series champion- ship at Mercy Health Field in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Scott Grau) Cards' Gregorson 2018 choice St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Luke School West in Berwyn, Illinois, and Saint Cereal City, Michigan hosting Gregerson, now in his 10th season in the Xavier University. Major Leagues, is the 2018 NABF Graduate Gregerson played for the High Tech of the Year. He was part of the Houston Scanners during the summers of his fresh- Astros first-ever World Series champion- man, sophomore and junior seasons at St. NABF's 104th annual meeting ship last year. Xavier University. Gregerson played for the High Tech O’Grady has seen plenty of ballplayers The 104th Annual Meeting of the awards presentation Scanners and Coach Jerry O’Grady from in his 31 years of service to semipro and National Amateur Baseball Federation, at noon. 2003-05 in the Chicago Suburban Baseball amateur baseball in Chicagoland, manag- hosted by the South Michigan Amateur Michigan State League. The CSBL inducted Gregerson ing his teams to a career record of 813- Baseball Association, will be held Friday, University baseball into its Hall of Fame on January 22, 2006 479. He has been involved in the CSBL 14 November 9th and Saturday, November coach Jake Boss Jr. — its first inductee. years, winning divisional titles in 1993, 10th, 2018, in Battle Creek, Michigan. has been invited to Gregerson (born May 14, 1984) 1995, 1997, 2000, and 2002-04, plus took The Board of Directors’ meeting will be speak with NABF of- previously played for the San Diego his team to the AABC Stan Musial World held on Friday, November 9. The Delegates’ fi cers and directors Padres, Oakland Athletics, and Houston Series, held in Battle Creek, Michigan in meeting for all NABF franchise member del- Friday evening. At Astros, and now he is back with the orga- 1986. egates will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Saturday’s awards nization that originally signed him — the O’Grady is proud of the success November 10, followed by a luncheon and banquet, Michigan Cardinals, which took him in the 28th Gregerson has achieved, especially since High School round of the 2006 Major League Baseball he showed up at his doorstop somewhat Athletic Association Draft. raw in talent. Executive Director Gregerson set the major league “Luke was our starting right-fielder Mark Uyl will be the record for holds in a single season with and was a solid contributor offensively guest speaker. Uyl is Jake Boss Jr. 40, until Joel Peralta of the Tampa Bay but even a better defensive player with an Rays broke the record with 41 holds in outstanding throwing arm,” said Coach (continued on page 3) 2013. He attended J. Sterling Morton High O’Grady, also a charter member of the CSBL Hall of Fame. “Just prior to his final summer with us in 2005, his college coach asked me to NABF Graduates of the Year (continued on page 3) Bowie, Maryland 20718 705 P.O. NABF At the 2017 National Amateur Base- 1968 Bill Freehan (Detroit Tigers) 1992 Marquies Grissom (Montreal ball Federation Annual Meeting, the Board 1969 Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds) Expos) of Directors and NABF Franchise Member 1970 Bernie Carbo (Cincinnati Reds) 1993 Paul O’Neil (New York Yankees) Representatives in attendance voted unani- 1971 Ted Simmons (St. Louis Cardinals) 1994 No selection (MLB Players Strike) mously to name the ALS Association as the 1972 John Mayberry (Kansas City 1995 Charles Nagy (Cleveland Indians) offi cial charity partner of the NABF. Royals) 1996 Brian Jordan (St. Louis Cardinals) The NABF is now offi cially partnered 1973 Sal Bando (Oakland Athletics) 1997 Jeff Reed (Colorado Rockies) with the ALS Association in the fi ght 1974 Jim Wynn (Los Angeles Dodgers) 1998 Scott Rolen (Philadelphia Phillies) against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (more commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's 1975 Frank Tanana (California Angels) 1999 Paul Byrd (Philadelphia Phillies) disease), and in spreading knowledge and 1976 Rick Manning (Cleveland Indians) 2000 Pat Burrell (Philadelphia Phillies) awareness of the disease as well. 1977 Kenton Tekulve (Pittsburgh 2001 Billy Koch (Toronto Blue Jays) The ALS Association is the only na- Pirates) 2002 Roy Oswalt (Houston Astros) tional nonprofi t organization fi ghting Lou 1978 Lary Sorenson (Milwaukee 2003 B.J. Surhoff (Baltimore Orioles) Gehrig’s disease on every front: supporting Brewers) 2004 Brian Roberts (Baltimore Orioles) cutting-edge research, enhancing access to 1979 Willie Horton (Seattle Mariners) 2005 Mark Tiexiera (Texas Rangers) clinical care, and promoting better pub- 1980 Britt Burns (Chicago White Sox) 2006 J.J. Putz (Seattle Mariners) lic policies. Their nationwide network of 1981 Tom Paciorek (Seattle Mariners) 2007 Jake Peavy (San Diego Padres) chapters comprises one team with a single 1982 Leon Durham (Chicago Cubs) 2008 Gavin Floyd (Chicago White Sox) mission: to discover treatments and a cure for ALS, and to serve, advocate for, and em- 1983 Robert Bonnell (Toronto Blue 2009 Zack Grienke (Kansas City Royals) power people with ALS. Jays) 2010 David Price (Tampa Bay Rays) ALS is a progressive neurodegenera- 1984 Jack Perconte (Seattle Mariners) 2011 Johnny Damon (Tampa Bay Rays) tive disease that affects nerve cells in the 1985 John Franco (Cincinnati Reds) 2012 David Freese (St. Louis Cardinals) brain and the spinal cord. Eventually, 1986 Jesse Barfi eld (Toronto Blue Jays) 2013 Michael Lance Lynn (St. Louis people with ALS lose the ability to initiate 1987 Brian Fletcher (Texas Rangers) Cardinals) and control muscle movement, which often 1988 Allen L. Anderson (Minnesota 2014 Sonny Gray (Oakland Athletics) leads to total paralysis and death within Twins) 2015 Pedro Alvarez (Pittsburgh Pirates) two to fi ve years of diagnosis. 1989 Dave Dravecky (San Fransisco 2016 Logan Forsythe (Tampa Bay Rays) Visit ALSA.org to learn more about the Giants) 2017 J.A. Happ (Toronto Blue Jays) tremendous work being done throughout the Association and to make a donation in 1990 Barry Larkin (Cincinnati Reds) 2018 Luke Gregerson (St. Louis honor of the NABF/ALS Association Char- 1991 Steve Farr (New York Yankees) Cardinals) ity Partnership. 2 NABF TOURNAMENT NEWS OCTOBER 1, 2018 CONTACT US Charles M. Blackburn, Jr. Michigan State coach to speak to NABF directors Executive Director, NABF P. O. Box 705, Michigan State University baseball coach Jake Boss Jr. has been invited to Bowie, MD 20718 speak with NABF offi cers and directors TEL: 410-721-4727 Friday evening, Saturday, November 9 in FAX: 410-721-4940 Battle Creek, Michigan. [email protected] Jake Boss Jr. was appointed the 16th head coach in Michigan State baseball his- tory on July 1, 2008, and has quickly be- OFFICERS & DIRECTORS come one of the most successful coaches in President the program’s 130-year history. Derek J. Topik In 10 seasons at MSU, Boss has com- piled a 313-235 (.571) record. His 313 Brandon, Mississippi wins are the most over a 10-year span in program history. Five of the 10 winningest 1st Vice President seasons in MSU history have come under Bob Mingo Boss’ direction. He has guided the Spartans to 30-win seasons in seven of the last nine Youngstown, Ohio years, as well as the Big Ten regular-sea- son championship in 2011 and the NCAA 2nd Vice President Tournament in 2012. Connie Brown During Boss’ tenure at Michigan State, MSU has had 31 selections in the Major Troy, Ohio League Baseball Draft, including four or more in each in three of the last four years. 3rd Vice President One Spartan was selected in the 2018 draft: Paul Wolf Riley McCauley (14th round, Chicago Cubs), after four MSU players were se- Tonawanda, New York lected the 2017 draft: Alex Troop (ninth Jake Boss, Jr. (courtesy Zachary Fisher/MSU Athletic Communications) round, Washington), Brandon Hughes NABF Directors (16th round, Chicago Cubs), Nathan Witt The 2015 draft saw a school-record eight Under Boss’ watch at MSU, players (17th round, Los Angeles Dodgers) and players taken: Cam Gibson (fi fth round, have earned All-Big Ten honors 42 times. Joe Mockbee (29th round, Chicago White Detroit), Ryan Krill (ninth round, New Most recently, the Spartans had three all-Big Charles Avery Sox). Michigan State had four juniors se- York Yankees), Anthony Misiewicz (18th Ten honorees in 2018, as freshmen Mason New City, New York lected in the 2016 draft: Cam Vieaux (sixth round, Seattle), Cam Vieaux (19th round, Erla and Zach Iverson were both named to round, Pittsburgh), Jordan Zimmerman Detroit), Jeff Kinley (28th round, Miami), the All-Freshman Team, with Erla earning William "Butch" Bellenger (seventh round, Los Angeles Angles), Mick VanVossen (28th round, Washington), the honors at pitcher and Iverson being Dakota Mekkes (10th round, Chicago Cubs) Blaise Salter (31st round, Detroit) and Mark Lyndhurst, New Jersey and Matt Byars (24th round, Minnesota). Weist (37th round, San Francisco). (continued on page 17) Jason Booth Ontario, Canada From the Executive Director... Robert Chiara All of us in the NABF-our officers, directors, and members-are so very grateful Malverne, New York and extend our special thanks to all sponsors of our NABF national program: Hoosier Bat Company, Village Trophy Company, Sports Factory, Baseball J. Patrick Eaken Factory, Major League Baseball, USA Baseball, Diamond Baseball (our official Perrysburg, Ohio NABF baseball), MTM Recognition (NABF’s only official champion rings provider), and Frazier Insurance Company (NABF team liability and medical Fred LeSage coverage), and to all of those numerous individuals that contributed their time and resources to make our season a success.