Philadelphia High School Baseball
35-Year All-Star Teams

(Selected by Ted Silary; Appeared in Phila. Daily News June '12)

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Gubicza, Davis still head star-studded cast

By Ted Silary
          Change is good, folks say. Yeah, but how 'bout when it's not justified?
          On this page (or sliver of the Internet), you will find the Daily News 35-year all-star baseball team, which includes players from the Public, Catholic and Inter-Ac leagues.
          What you won't find, if you search-engine the 30-year team we picked at the conclusion of the 2007 season, is that there has been any change at the top.
          The Top Pitcher for the Little More Than One-Third of a Century Squad is Mark Gubicza, a 1981 Penn Charter graduate
          In his senior season, Gubicza posted an 8-1 record with an 0.48 ERA. In 58 2/3 innings, thanks largely to a 92-mph fastball, he allowed only 27 hits and 25 walks, while striking out 83.
          Early that spring, the Quakers spent some time in Florida and Gubicza recorded five whiffs in a three-inning appearance against a squad of first-year Phillies farmhands. Later, in the weeks immediately preceding the draft, close to 30 scouts showed up for Gubicza's appearances and he was a second-round selection (No. 34) of the Kansas City Royals. He signed within a week and later enjoyed a 14-year major league career, highlighted by a 20-win season in 1988.
          The Top Player is also still an Inter-Ac guy: catcher Ben Davis, a 1995 graduate of Malvern Prep.
          Davis, a switch-hitting catcher, created an incredible buzz among scouts and was the No. 2 overall pick, by the San Diego Padres, in that spring's draft.
          Davis hit .507 with four doubles, seven triples and six homers, and drove in 37 runs. Just as impressive was his defensive wizardry. Only 12 guys tried to steal against him. Eight were rung up, and Padres scout Rene Mons called Davis' arm "the best I've ever seen.''
          Baseball America, using scouts' judgments, called Davis the best high school catcher they'd seen since 1974 (Dale Murphy, who later became a high-quality big-league outfielder).
          Davis played in the majors from 1998 to 2004. His best year was in '01, when he posted 11 homers and 57 RBI.
          The positions on the teams are self-explanatory except for DP. That stands for "dual purpose'' and allows us to honor guys who were outstanding as pitchers and position players.
          In all, seven players in the 2008-12 time frame have been added to the three All-City teams. Those new to the top squad are infielders Sean Coyle (Germantown Academy) and Christian "Ya-Ya" Walker (now defunct Kennedy-Kenrick), and DPer Mark Donato (Ss. Neumann-Goretti).
          New second-teamers: infielder Esteban "Shortie" Meletiche (Frankford) and pitcher Joey Gorman (N-G).
          New third-teamers: infielder Nate Coronado (Thomas Edison) and outfielder Jon McAllister (Chestnut Hill Academy).

ALL-CITY  
FIRST TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
14 1B Howie Freiling Northeast '84
6 1B Tito Nanni Chestnut Hill '78
24 INF Mike Costanzo Carroll '02
7 INF Sean Coyle Gtn. Academy '10
28 INF Christian "Ya-Ya" Walker Kennedy-Kenrick '09
48 OF Dan Cataline Ryan '80
6 OF Chris Lubanski Kennedy-Kenrick '03
10 OF Rick Burns Egan '83
13 C Ben Davis Malvern '95
20 DH John Marzano Central '81
11 DP Keith Conway Carroll '91
15 DP Mark Donato Neumann-Goretti '10
32 DP Dan Kusters Wood '91
14 P Mark Gubicza Penn Charter '81
7 P John Price Ryan '00
9 P Mark Adzick Penn Charter '07
SECOND TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
11 1B Jack Stanczak La Salle '89
7 INF Josh McKinley Malvern '98
2 INF Jay Aquilante Carroll '97
11 INF Kengo Honda Washington '87
2 INF Esteban "Shortie" Meletiche Frankford '08
12 OF Bob Loscalzo Dougherty '78
9 OF Mark Steffens Gtn. Academy '88
7 OF Sean Grieve Gtn. Academy '04
42 C Mike Fuchs Carroll '97
20 DH Bob Zupcic Egan '84
20 DP Rich Fernandez Central '87
39 DP Harry Carr Roman '92
13 DP Dan Waters La Salle '03
14 P Tom Stauffer Bonner '78
31 P Kevin McGerry Judge '97
22 P Joey Gorman Neumann-Goretti '12
THIRD TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
9 1B Glenn Davis Malvern '94
1 INF Mark Iacovelli Judge '85
5 INF Rob Patete Roxborough '84
5 INF Ruben Amaro Penn Charter '83
12 INF Nate Coronado Edison '11
14 OF Pat Kane West Catholic '79
19 OF Jon McAllister Chestnut Hill '10
33 OF David Amaro Penn Charter '80
8 C Jesse Levis Northeast '86
17 DH Scott Hunter Northeast '93
21 DP Dave Miller Chestnut Hill '92
10 DP Deron Miller Franklin  '84
32 P Matt Zielinski La Salle '05
29 P Gene Schall La Salle '88
16 P Andy Meltzer Northeast '84
17 P Bill Mendek West Catholic '80
         
ALL-CATHOLIC  
FIRST TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
11 1B Jack Stanczak La Salle '89
24 INF Mike Costanzo Carroll '02
28 INF Christian "Ya-Ya" Walker Kennedy-Kenrick '09
2 INF Jay Aquilante Carroll '97
48 OF Dan Cataline Ryan '80
6 OF Chris Lubanski Kennedy-Kenrick '03
10 OF Rick Burns Egan '83
42 C Mike Fuchs Carroll '97
20 DH Bob Zupcic Egan '84
11 DP Keith Conway Carroll '91
15 DP Mark Donato Neumann-Goretti '10
32 DP Dan Kusters Wood '91
7 P John Price Ryan '00
14 P Tom Stauffer Bonner '78
31 P Kevin McGerry Judge '97
SECOND TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
25 1B Kevin Ward Bonner '05
1 INF Mark Iacovelli Judge '85
23 INF Mike "Zoom" Zolk Neumann-Goretti '11
29 INF Ted Dezzi O'Hara '84
32 INF Bob File Judge '94
12 OF Bob Loscalzo Dougherty '78
14 OF Pat Kane West Catholic '79
21 OF Brian O'Grady Wood '10
2 C Scott Lawler Kenrick '92
32 DH Jim Fuchs Carroll '99
39 DP Harry Carr Roman '92
13 DP Dan Waters La Salle '03
22 P Joey Gorman Neumann-Goretti '12
32 P Matt Zielinski La Salle '05
29 P Gene Schall La Salle '88
THIRD TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
43 1B Lou DeTitto Ryan '01
3 INF Kerry Cahill Judge '86
17 INF Marty Carey O'Hara '89
11 INF Sean Hollenbach Wood '90
9 OF John O'Brien Dougherty '83
12 OF Joe McEwing Egan '90
46 OF Dave Mastropietro North Catholic '87
10 C Tom Bonk North Catholic '79
2 DH Dale Curry Judge '04
33 DP Mike Kerrigan Wood '87
17 DP Matt Compton Judge '06
17 P Bill Mendek West Catholic '80
47 P Jeff Randazzo O'Hara '99
9 P Chris Gies Judge '87
3 P Kyle Mullen SJ Prep '09
         
ALL-PUBLIC  
FIRST TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
14 1B Howie Freiling Northeast '84
11 INF Kengo Honda Washington '87
2 INF Esteban "Shortie" Meletiche Frankford '08
3 INF Nate Coronado Edison '11
5 INF Rob Patete Roxborough '84
24 OF Steve Harvey Franklin '78
11 OF Ernell Harley Mastbaum '81
19 OF Edwin "Tito" Rohena Frankford '09
8 OF Dave Coyne Roxborough '83
8 C Jesse Levis Northeast '86
20 DH John Marzano Central '81
20 DP Rich Fernandez Central '87
10 DP Deron Miller Franklin '84
16 P Andy Meltzer Northeast '84
19 P Joe Farina Frankford '04
1 P Scott Vogel Northeast '80
SECOND TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
15 1B Ed Durfor Frankford '00
8 INF Bobby Higginson Frankford '88
14 INF Ed Lowery Roxborough '78
14 INF Wilson Duran Olney '95
19 OF Edwin "Tito" Rohena Frankford '09
27 OF Mike McDonald Lincoln '95
24 OF Lamont McGill Franklin '80
25 C Joe Turvey Roxborough '89
17 DH Scott Hunter Northeast '93
13 DH Aaron Wilmer Washington '10
35 DP Dave Firth Frankford '02
17 DP Terrell Berthau Franklin '89
44 P Al Baur Southern '86
32 P Bruce Konick Frankford '81
26 P Eric Kay Roxborough '89
THIRD TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
44 1B John DeLeon Univ. City '79
10 INF Stu Drossner Washington '81
16 INF Ed Bowman Mastbaum '97
35 INF George Bobe Edison '80
13 OF Frank Rubin Washington '87
-- OF Anthony Franklin Franklin '84
1 OF Jim Krzywicki Central '89
11 OF Larry Abney Olney '93
6 C Billy Dunfee Bartram '87
15 DH Tom Dunfee Bartram '78
2 DP Mike Gibbs Roxborough '02
16 DP Jared Farbman Central '07
18 P Ron Clarkson Lincoln '01
15 P Bill Gobeler Washington '79
-- P Rich Danson Central '83
         
ALL-INTER-AC  
FIRST TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
6 1B Tito Nanni Chestnut Hill '78
7 INF Sean Coyle Gtn. Academy '10
7 INF Josh McKinley Malvern '98
12 INF Ruben Amaro Penn Charter '83
9 OF Mark Steffens Gtn. Academy '88
7 OF Sean Grieve Gtn. Academy '04
19 OF Jon McAllister Chestnut Hill '10
33 OF David Amaro Penn Charter '80
13 C Ben Davis Malvern '95
41 DH Dan Dougherty Episcopal '80
21 DP Dave Miller Chestnut Hill '92
14 P Mark Gubicza Penn Charter '81
9 P Mark Adzick Penn Charter '07
17 P Mike DeNoia Malvern '83
32 P Mike Samuel Penn Charter '94
SECOND TEAM  
No. Pos. Name School Yr.
9 1B Glenn Davis Malvern '94
15 1B Joe Ravert Malvern '12
21 INF Mike Galetta Haverford School '07
1 INF Courtney Batts Penn Charter '93
21 INF Rick Welsh Gtn. Academy '94
28 INF Craig Shumock Gtn. Academy '78
12 OF Tom Grandieri Malvern '07
5 OF Nick Bateman Malvern '12
5 OF Ryan Nanni Penn Charter '05
15 C Frank DeSantis Penn Charter '78
31 DH Steve Floirendo Penn Charter '86
7 DP Kenny Koplove Penn Charter '12
10 P Joe Bruderek Gtn. Academy '96
5 P Mike Koplove Chestnut Hill '95
32 P Dave Healy Penn Charter '86