Randy's
Ramblings
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Randy Seidman is a constant at Washington games and has offered to file reports. We appreciate his hustle. Randy graduated from Washington, which his son attends. Randy is an award-winning producer of televised sporting events and now works for CN8, in addition to doing free-lance work for major networks. His career highlight -- producing games, on back-to-back days, when Julius Erving scored his 30,000th point and Mike Schmidt slammed his 500th homer. He may be reached at ChyNotes@aol.com.
JUNE 3
PUBLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINAL
Northeast 8, Washington 2
Northeast handled Washington 8-2 in this semifinal match-up, allowing the
Vikings to face upset-winning GAMP for the Public League title. For a game report, use the
following link on Ted Silary's website:
http://www.tedsilary.com/tedbasetrail02.htm
The final posting of the Ramblings will appear soon...The Season In Review.
Thanks to everybody for their support this season!
MAY 30
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS
Washington 4, Bartram 3
WASHINGTON vs BARTRAM: This game was partially
determined by the sun. The
outfield at Washington is notoriously tough on catching
flyballs into the
sun. Each team dropped a fly ball in the sun (with 2 outs!),
leading to 3 of
the 7 runs scored in this quarterfinal match-up. Washington
staked Sr RHP Rob
Ritterson to a 3-0 lead. Jr 1B Harry Parfitt's RBI groundout
with the base
loaded opened the scoring and Sr LF Jason Welte's 2-out
sunfield-flyball
resulted in 2 more runners to come in. Bartram scored after Sr
C Ian Greaves
doubled to REALLY deep left field and came home on a routine
fielder's choice
which resulted in a DP, as a runner was ruled out for
interference. It was
the first of some close calls for the 4 umpires assigned to
this round-of-8
game. By the way, Greaves crushed the ball to the left field
corner which
goes on forever. When the outfield fences are up, left center
and even center
are shorter than where Ian sent this ball! Bartram Sr RHP
Horatio Henry
prevented the Eagles from scoring in the 2nd, 3rd & 4th. GW
didn't exactly
help their cause much as they stranded 10 runners for the game
and were 3 for
11, 1 RBI with runners in scoring position. Bartram tacked on
single runs in
the 4th and 5th. Key hits: Sr 1B Akei Johnson double to
left-center & Soph RF
Gerry Rogers RBI single. Bartram knotted the game on another
2-out
sunfield-flyball that was dropped. What a tough play that has
been over the
years at Washington's home field. Ted Morgan, long-time Philly
baseball fan
(and Brian's dad), added that Northeast also has a treacherous
sunfield. The
tie was broken in the home 5th when Welte came through again in
the clutch
with a sharp RBI single to left. Ritterson had opened the
inning with a
double to left. The Eagles maintained that 4-3 lead in the 6th
aided by a
double play turned by Sr SS Abdiel Sanchez, his 2nd of the
game. In the
bottom of the 6th, Bartram Coach Dennis Sheedy sent in his
catcher, Ian
Greaves to pitch. He pitched a scoreless inning, and for the
season, tossed 5
shutout innings of 3-hit, 7-strikeout ball vs the Eagles. But
the best
performance of the day was at hand!! On the mound, Ritterson
was a man
possessed in the 7th inning. He seemed to still have something
left in the
tank, and was absolutely awesome and unhittable, striking out
the side and
allowing the Eagles to let out a huge sigh of relief with the
4-3 win.
MORE EAGLES BUZZ: The GW Eagles are going to Final 4,
and how special is that
for the seniors on this team? Congratulations to Rob Ritterson,
Matt Kane,
Jason Welte, Abdiel Sanchez, Donny Rowley, Matt Gilson, Argiris
Niamonitas.
No matter what happens in the semis, this team has a lot to be
proud. They
matured and pulled together midway through the season led by
the seniors, but
also got outstanding performances from the juniors and
sophomores. Jr
3B/C/RHP Dennis Massott is the winner of the "ULTIMATE
TEAM GUY" award, my
unofficial honor for that player who stepped-up to help the
team in a variety
of ways. Jr 1B Harry Parfitt had a great season, and will be a
terror against
Public League pitching in 2003. The hitting machine, Soph RF
Brian Morgan
went 1 for 3, extending his hitting streak to all 16 league
games. All he
does is hit line drives. Even his outs are line drive bullets.
Soph DH/RHP
Ken Radziak contributed with key hits, as well as earning the
victory at
Roxborough for the team's 1st win way back in March. Equally
important were
the contributions of all of the reserves. Though playing time
was limited,
each of them contributed when called upon: Jr C Billy Coles,
Soph 2B/DH Adam
Eisman, Soph 1B/RHP Eric Seidman, Jr SS Steve Kern and Jr OF
Anthony Bonsero.
WHAT THE COACH SAID DEPT.: Max Bilkins on the Eagles
"I always told our team
that we can't rely on one guy. Baseball is a team effort. The
role players on
our team have come through for us." On focusing and
advancing "Anything can
happen in these games and usually does. I'm glad we have gotten
the
opportunity to go to the next level." Coach
must know what he's talking
about, his 2-year record in league games is 27-5 (.844).
BRAVES/EAGLES, A NEW RIVALRY?: I don't know how you
define a rivalry, but the
Bartram-Washington games this year brought these two programs
and schools
closer together, which is hard to imagine, considering they are
total
geographic opposites in Philly! Although GW won all 3
meetings (8-2, 8-7 and
4-3), the games were extremely competitive and featured great
performances by
the Braves Horatio Henry, Akei Johnson and Ian Greaves, along
with 2 gutsy
complete-game wins by Ritterson. Bartram returns 4 starters
from this squad
(2 Jrs & 2 Sophs).
CONGRATS: How 'bout Coach Al Piano's girls soccer team.
They beat Central 1-0
in the title game. It marked the first time the GW gals have
been in the
championship game. Jr Melissa Gamble's goal and Fr Hallie
Kline's shutout
netminding, along with a total team effort, adds one more title
to GWHS
record books.
MAY 23
PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFF
ROUND OF 16
Washington 17, Kensington 0
The George Washington Eagles have made a habit of playing
tight games and then erupting for a huge inning to put the game away. In the regular
season, half of their ten wins came by that route. Kensington had the misfortune of
becoming Washington's latest victim, trailing only 3-0 going into the home 4th when the
Eagles batted around twice, scoring 14 runs and winning 17-0. That was only half of the
story. Sr RHP Rob Ritterson posted his first career no-hitter, allowing only one
baserunner, while fanning 7, in the five inning-contest.
Kensington, the 2nd seed from Division C, had just defeated host Furness (7th
seed from Division B) 11-4 in the First Round of the Public League playoffs. The Tigers
were led by Jr All-Public pitcher Francis Colon's 3-hit, 12-strikeout performance.
After visiting South Philly on Wednesday, Coach Joe Egenolf's squad then went to
the Northeast to play GWHS less than 24 hours later. Stepping up to play Division A's 2nd
seed, Kensington was more than competitive early on behind the pitching of their other
first-team All-Public pitcher/outfielder, soph Josh Williams. Washington did chip
away early for the 3-0 lead, and that was all that Ritterson needed. He was perfect except
for a 2nd inning walk, and although this was his first no-no, his brother Charlie
Ritterson, tossed a pair of no-hit gems for GW last year as a senior. But as they had
done so often this season, the Eagles then exploded for their one huge inning, with 14
runs on 13 hits in the 4th.
Kensington finishes the season with a 12-3 record, and must be looking forward to
next season with the return of Colon, Williams and Jr inf Harllyn Perez, a
second-team All-Pub selection. Washington (11-4), will host Bartram next Thursday in the
quarterfinals. The Eagles beat the Braves twice this season, but both games were
competitive and actually went the full 7 innings, a rarity these days!
MORE EAGLES STUFF:
** All-Public: 1st-team Rob Ritterson, Sr CF Matt Kane....2nd-team
Sr LF Jason Welte & jr 3B/C Dennis Massott.
** Soph RF Brian Morgan was also selected to play in the June 8th
PL All-Star game (at Northeast). Brian collected 3 hits, running his hitting streak to 15
games in league play!
** Soph 2B/DH Adam Eisman returned to the team just 2 weeks after
suffering hairline fractures of two fingers on an inside fastball from Northeast High's Sr
RHP Ari Bluestein. That's dedication!!
** Sr 3B Argiris Niamonitas has turned in a solid season at
the hot corner. Although he doesn't get the publicity of some of his other teammates, he
has shown determination, patience and leadership in his career, playing for Coaches Earl
Mathes (JV) and Max Bilkins (Varsity).
PLAYOFF BUZZ:
Quarterfinal match-ups are set, and it will feature all 8 of the teams that will be in
Division A in 2003:
Bartram (4-11) at Washington (11-4)
Roxborough (5-10) at Northeast (11-4) Roxborough's Sr All World Mike
Gibbs: 5-5, 2 HR, 8 RBI in win vs Olney
GAMP (6-9) at Central (9-6) Central Lancers: defending Public League
champs behind super lefty Sr Noah White
Lincoln (13-2) at Frankford (15-0) Bob Peffle's Pioneers are the team to beat,
Lincoln moves back into Division A in 2003
All games will be played Thursday, May 30
MAY 15
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 8, Bartram 7
Washington jumped out to leads of 7-0 and
8-2, but had to hang on for dear
life to escape with an 8-7 win, in a game highlighted by a
pitcher getting 5
strikeouts.....in the same inning!. The Eagles (9-4) put a
5-spot on the
board in the top of the first against Sr LHP Akei Johnson. The
key blow was a
2-run bases loaded hustle double by Sr CF Matt Kane. Washington
extended the
lead to 7-0 with a 2nd inning 2-run double to the fence in deep
right center
by Sr RHP Rob Ritterson. In the fourth, the Eagles loaded the
bases with no
outs, and then came The Randy's Ramblings Turning Point of The
Game - Bartram
Coach Dennis Sheedy changed pitchers, inserting his Sr C Ian
Greaves.
Greaves, who played in The City All-Star Football Game (Pubs vs
Non Pubs),
got a strikeout and a forceout at home, and would've been out
of the inning,
except for a costly error on a routine grounder. Being able to
close out
innings has plagued Bartram (3-11) all season, according to
Sheedy. However,
from that point on Greaves was The Man. He wound up tossing 4
innings of
two-hit shutout ball, with no walks and 6 strikeouts.
In the home fifth, Ritterson struck out the side...actually
almost two sides!
In addition to three conventional K's, Ritterson struck out two
more batters
who reached base on passed balls. This in addition to a
costly two-out
error, led to 3 Braves runs, slicing the lead to 8-6, leaving
most of the
very few spectators to predict a Braves come-from-behind win.
But despite Sr
RF Horatio Henry's 4-for-4, 2 RBI performance, poor baserunning
did Bartram
in, as 3 runners were thrown out trying to advance in the last
two innings.
The combination of the Braves' sub-par sliding skills (which
they practiced
post-game) and Eagles Jr C Dennis Massott's standing tall on a
home-plate
collision enabled Washington to get out of 58th & Elmwood
Avenue with an 8-7
win.
GAME RAMBLINGS:
** Final totals: GW 8 runs, 11 hits, 4
errors, 9 left on.....Bartram 7
runs, 7 hits, 4 errors, 6 left on
** Ritterson finished with 9 Ks (5 in that
wacky 5th), and was 2-for-3 (14
hits last 19 at bats, on base 19 last 24 PA)
** GW Soph RF Brian Morgan 2nd inning single
extended his hitting streak
to all 13 league games
** Play of The Day: Horatio Henry making a
head-first diving catch on a
sinking liner to right.
** Home plate ump, Steve Kupsov explained his
delayed call on a crucial
play in the sixth---the Braves runner was out at home, he
never touched the
plate, GW's Massott made the tag, held onto the ball, and then
showed it to
the ump
** GW Sr LF Jason Welte was 3-for-3, 2 runs.
His first 5 games: .154 avg,
Last 8: .600 (15-25).....overall .447
** Eagles CF Matt Kane has 15 RBI in last 8
games
GIMME A BREAK, HUH?:
** Residents of SW Philly - how 'bout some
respect for Bartram's use of
their field.....some inconsiderate dolt insisted on running on
the track in
front of the left fielder during play. After pleas from the
ump, players and
Coach Sheedy, the coach approached the man and probably made
him an offer
that he shouldn't refuse
RAMBLINGS' 1st ANNUAL DIVISION A AWARDS:
MVP Dave Firth (Sr, Frankford)
MVP for 2003? (Top Juniors) - Matt Colon (Frankford), Ken
Wlodarczyk
(Northeast), Dennis Massott (Washington), Anthony Caines
(GAMP), Chironn Davis
(Bartram)
MORE IN 2004 (Top Sophs) Joe Farina (Frankford), Brian
Morgan (Washington),
Luis Garcia(Edison), Kurt Haberle (Central)
HIGH FIVE IN 2005 (Top Freshmen!!) Shawn Salley (Roxborough),
Vinnie
Evangelista(GAMP), Shane Salley(Roxb.)
TABLE SETTERS (Best Leadoff Hitters) Kamil Harris (Jr,
Northeast), Andrew
Stridiron (Jr, Roxborough)
ALL-STARS MOVIN ON UP: (Great Futures for Departing Seniors)
Mike Gibbs
(Roxborough), Noah White (Central), Joe Manini (Frankford), Rob
Ritterson
(Washington)
COOLEST HAIR (and first name-also a pretty good catcher!):
Ambioris Puntier
(Sr, Frankford)
MOST APPROPRIATE CATCH PHRASE: "Only in the Public
League"
MAY 10
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 18, Washington 4
The undefeated and virtually unchallenged Frankford Pioneers won
again and clinched the Division A regular season championship. Frankford (11-0) jumped out
to a 6-1 lead after 4 innings and racked two Washington relievers for 12 more runs. Jr RHP
Carlos Rivera got the win (5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 110 Pitches). In the
1st inning, Frankford jumped out to a 2-0 lead, courtesy of Sr 3B Joe Manini's
2-run double. He finished 3 for 4 with a walk and 4 runs, spearheading the 14-hit attack.
It was a quiet day for Sr 1B Dave Firth, as the GW pitchers thought he must have
been the second coming of Barry Bonds. Firth was pitched around all game en route to a 1
for 2 day with 3 walks, but he made the Eagles pay by scoring 3 times.
What impressed me the most (besides Frankford's depth) was their aggressive
base-running, as 2 runs were scored by runners taking an extra base on infield outs. Coach
Bob Peffle's team is riding high into the playoffs, and are obviously the team to
beat in the PL.
For Washington (8-4), it marked the end of their 6-game win streak. Sr C Rob
Ritterson had an RBI double, single and walk, and has now reached base by hit or walk
in 15 of his last 19 plate appearances!! Sr SS Abdiel Sanchez stroked a 2-run
double in the home 5th, making the score 13-4, and extending the game one more inning.
Coach Max Bilkins' squad will finish off the season with road games at Edison and
Bartram.
GAME NOTES:
* Play of the game: Joe Manini making a Scott Rolen
diving stop on a smash in the 3rd inning and getting the force at second base
* Where the heck were The Northeast Times and The
Northeast News Gleaner, two local newspapers, when Washington was winning 6 straight.
The only times their reporters have appeared were in GW's opening day 15-0 disaster vs
Central and this game. They have seen the Dr. Jekyll version of this team
* Eagles Soph RF Brian Morgan extended his hitting streak
with 2 more singles
* Many of last season's Washington seniors were in attendance: Joe
Sannutti, Jason Weinstein, Charlie Ritterson and Andrew Farrell were on hand to
lend their support. Wow - what a team the Eagles had in 2001!
* Frankford Coach Bob Peffle had nothing to argue about on this
day...it was an uneventful game from the umpire's perspective...thank goodness. Of course,
Peffle was thumbed in his last game. The umpire gave Central the forfeit win, which was
subsequently overturned by PL officials and will be resumed next Thursday with Frankford
holding a 7-2 lead with Central batting in the 6th with bases loaded
* It was a pleasure talking baseball with Joe McGillen, the
veteran area scout for the Major League Scouting Bureau, who was on hand to check
out the seniors on both teams.
MAY 7
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 14, Northeast 4
1 2
3 4
5
R H
E
Northeast (7-4)
2
1 0
0 1
4 8
4
Washington (8-3) 3
1 0
0 10
14
13
3
This game matched the two 2nd place teams in Division A with 7-3 records.
It also featured 2 of the Public League's best pitchers in Northeast's sr RHP Ari
Bluestein and Washington's sr RHP Rob Ritterson. But the end result was an
almost carbon copy of the Eagles' most recent win vs Roxborough. For the second straight
game, Washington turned a tight game into a rout in the bottom of the 5th.
The first 2 innings produced 7 runs and 12 hits. Key hits for Northeast: RBI single
by sr CF by John Clancy and 2-out RBI bunt single by jr 2B Kamil Harris...for
Wasington: RBI singles by Ritterson, jr 1B Harry Parfitt and jr C Dennis Massott.
Bluestein struck out the side in the 3rd, and Ritterson got out a jam in the 4th as the
Eagles turned one of their three double plays on the afternoon. All three DPs were
triggered by sr SS Abdiel Sanchez. In the Vikings 5th with no outs, Kamil Harris
doubled to left, stole third and was gunned out at the plate trying to score on an infield
out. The next two batters reached on error leading to the turning point of the game
- a sharp RBI single by NE soph LF Bryan Adamson resulted in sr LF Jason Welte
once again throwing out a runner at home, this time with the possible go-ahead run. The
home 5th was eerily similar to the Roxborough game when the Eagles finally got to staff
ace sr RHP Mike Gibbs, and then ended the game with a barrage of hits against his
successor. Against Northeast, the Eagles scored 6 runs vs Bluestein and 4 more vs jr 1B/P Steve
Sandberg to end the game. Eagles stats in bottom of 5th: 10 runs, 6 hits, 4 walks (1
intentional), 1 error. Key hits: 2-run singles by Welte and sr 2B Donny Rowley, and
a 2-run bases loaded ground-rule double by sr CF Matt Kane that many in attendance
(including Kane) thought was over the fence for a slam.
VIKINGS NOTES
* Kamil Harris, looked
not only All-Public, but All-World vs Washington this season
His 2-game totals: 5 for 7, 4 SB, 4 R, 1 RBI
* Coach Sam Feldman
will miss Ari Bluestein next year.
This team captain leads by example with his hard work ethic.
* Remaining games: at home vs
Roxborough & Edison...on the road at Bartram
EAGLES STUFF
* With the win, GW clinched home
field for the opening round of the playoffs
* Eagles avenged 2 of their 3
losses: vs Northeast & Central. They also lost to Frankford, their next opponent
* soph DH/2B Adam Eisman is
doing OK after fouling a Bluestein fastball off his thumb and index finger - OUCH!
* Rob Ritterson threw 1st-pitch
strikes to 18 of 24 batters faced!
* soph RF Brian Morgan
extended his hitting streak to all 11 games
* 6-0 record when wearing blue
jerseys
* former GW ace LHP Charlie
Ritterson was in the house. He just completed his freshman season at
Wesley College (Dover, DE), winning his only start, appearing in 7 games with a 3.38 ERA
* UNSUNG HERO: Dennis
Massott not only chipped in with 2 singles and an RBI, and did a nice job catching
Rob Ritterson, but most notably held onto the ball tagging out 2 Vikings in home-plate
collisions
* NEXT GAME: Thursday vs
Frankford at home...new starting time is 2:00 to accomodate Frankford jr prom
* NEXT WEEK: GW closes out
the regular seaon Mon., May 13 at Edison
Wed., May 15 at Bartram (make-up of rainout)
APRIL 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 14, Roxborough 4
What's the deal with the real deal, Mike Gibbs? Roxborough's
superstar, superstud sr RHP Mike Gibbs, was cruising along with a 4-0 lead against
host George Washington entering the bottom of the 4th. The Indians (3-6) took the lead on
a 2nd inning RBI single & 4th inning RBI double by the number 9 hitter, fr 2B Shawn
Salley. Both hits came with 2 strikes, which must comfort coach Cliff Hubbard,
who starts Shawn and his twin fr 3B Shane Salley (see more on Shane in
"What did he say?"). Gibbs, who escaped bases loaded jams in the previous 2
innings, allowed a 2-run single to sr CF Matt Kane in the home 4th, cutting the
lead in half. At that point, Roxborough coach Hubbard removed Gibbs in favor of sr 1B Chuck
Richardson. Gibbs had motioned to the sidelines during the inning - Maybe it's the
total number of pitches he's thrown this season - or maybe it's pitching vs Northeast
tomorrow...postgame comments were not forthcoming by Hubbard, assistant coach/legend Charlie
Hart, or Gibbs himself. Anyway for Washington batters, it was like having Randy
Johnson being replaced by Rheal Cormier. Richardson immediately yielded a
game-tying 2-run triple to sr C Rob Ritterson. GWHS scored 2 more runs in the 4th
to take a 6-4 lead. Gibbs' early exit not only had the Eagles hitters excited, but made
Roxborough's fielders lose their focus, as they committed 4 of their 5 errors from that
point on. Washington (7-3) scored 7 runs in the home 5th with no outs...Key hit: 2-run
double by jr 3B/C Dennis Massott. When jr C/1B Coach Billy Coles
stormed home on sr 2B Donny Rowley's infield grounder, the 10-rule was invoked.
MORE GIBBS: Gibbs at bats...1st inning struck out looking by sr/Winning
Pitcher Matt Gilson...3rd inning fouled out to deep right field (Nice running catch
by soph RF Brian Morgan, who has now hit in all 10 games)...5th inning sharp single
to left field...........Mike's pitching line: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 3
HBP, No Decision, 76 Pitches (35 Balls, 41 Strikes).........Will be visiting University of
Miami next week............When asked if he wanted to be selected by a team like the
Brewers in the June pro draft, he said, "No, the Expos." The EXPOS? After
thinking about it, I realized he probably could pitch in that organization, that is if
they are still around......Great Young Man!!.....Coach Hubbard stating the obvious
in pre-game, "As Mike goes, that's how we go."
WHAT DID HE SAY?: Shane Salley was ejected from the game in the 4th inning
by long-time area umpire Joe Lieberman. There must be a zero-tolerance policy
prohibiting 9th graders from cursing!
ROAD TRIP THURSDAY: Washington, winners of 5 straight, travels to 58th &
Elmwood in SW Philly to meet Bartram.....Roxborough travels to Northeast, which is now
tied with the Eagles for 2nd place at 7-3, trailing mighty Frankford (9-0).
APRIL 26
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 9, Central 3
George Washington won their 4th straight game beating host Central
9-3 on Friday. Sr P Rob Ritterson upped his record to 3-0, going the distance,
allowing 6 hits, walking 2 and fanning 13. In addition, he went 3 for 4 with a double, 2
singles, a walk and 2 RBI out of the cleanup spot. The Eagles collected 11 more hits, and
over the last 3 games have now averaged 13 runs and 14 hits. Although GW picked up a lot
of clutch hits, Central killed themselves with 7 errors, most of them on overthrows. Coach
Bob Barthelmeh's squad committed only 1 error through the first 4 innings, but were
charged with 6 errors in the final 3 innings. Lancers sr RHP Steve Hopkins lasted
3+ innings but had control problems - 68 total pitches (33 balls & 35 strikes). Sr 3B John
Hickey went the final 4 frames, allowing 5 runs, only 1 of them earned! Central
did not look like the team that thrashed Washington in the season opener 15-0 behind sr
LHP Noah White. True, he didn't pitch in this game, and was a non-factor in center
field, going 0 for 3 with a walk. Whereas Frankford and Northeast are stocked with
starting pitchers, the other contending teams in Division A are limited to their ace,
which could come into play during the playoffs.
GAME NOTES: An interesting sub-plot was the matchup of the Kane
brothers, GW sr CF Matt Kane and Central's sr RF Mike Kane. Although both
Kanes were able, (Matt 2 for 5, 2 runs & Mike 1 for 3), the noteworthy play was made
by Mike. Rebounding from a costly error in the Roxborough game, he made an incredible
circus catch on the cement in right field off the bat of Eagles' jr 1b Harry Parfitt.
How many baseball fields do you know that have concrete in the outfield, besides The
Vet?.........Have you ever seen the pickoff play work with runners on 1st and 3rd where
the pitcher fakes to 3rd? Well, Ritterson made it happen and got Central's Hopkins hung up
trying to score........Eagles' jr C Billy Coles showed his gymnastic flair tumbling
to the field head-first going after a foul ball. Coles' retort sounded like Pee Wee
Herman's, "I meant to do that!"........Eagles coach Max Bilkins correctly
pointed out the surplus of excellent catchers in Division A. All of the teams including
Edison and Bartram have strong receivers this season.......Washington moves ahead of
Central in the standings: GW 6-3, Central 5-4.
ALL-WORLD GIBBS ALERT: The travelling sideshow known as the Roxborough
baseball team with superstud sr RHP Mike Gibbs, makes its only visit to the Far
Northeast on Monday. Gibbs will probably pitch, and I hope the scouts don't freak him out
like they did in his first encounter vs. Washington this season.
(NOTE FROM TED: Gibbs pitched Wednesday, so it's not
guaranteed he'll pitch Monday. If I hear anything, I will post it. Thank you.)
APRIL 23
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 19, GAMP 6
Finally.....some good news concerning George
Washington High! The Eagles visited GAMP, and came away with a 19-6 win. I guess the long
and eventful bus ride to South Philly had the GWHS hitters chomping at the bit. They
pounded out 20 hits, most of them against jr RHP Anthony Caines (more about him
later). Every Washington starter had at least 1 hit and 1 run scored. Leading the way was
sr LF Jason Welte, who smashed 2 doubles to the gap in left-center in the 8-run
second inning. But it was his arm that really thwarted GAMP. In the home second, GAMP
(2-6) rallied behind a 2-run double by sr SS Jeff Colon and a RBI single by jr LF David
Scirrotto. With two on and one out, 1B Andrew Scafetta lofted a fly ball down
the line into left that I am assuming was fair (although I didn't hear any definitive call
by the umps). Everybody was confused, but the alert Welte jumped on the ball, and threw a
perfect strike to sr C Rob Ritterson to nail the befuddled baserunner who tried to
score from third. It stemmed the Pioneers' rally. Washington (5-3) went to a 9-run
fourth that put the game out of reach. Seven of the runs scored with two outs...key
hits: 2-run doubles by sr 2B Donny Rowley and Ritterson.
GAMP's ace, Caines, was taking a pounding and probably should have been lifted
earlier (maybe the 10-run rule should also apply to pitchers). Unfortunately, when GAMP
coach Art Kratchman removed Caines and questioned his effort on the day, the
frustrated pitcher hurled his glove, and was rightfully removed from the game by his
coach. Baseball is a game of lessons learned, which was evident from Kratchman's post-game
meeting in right field. I'm sure he is trying to teach these young men lessons about
baseball...and probably life.
GAME NOTES: Hitting stars - Washington's sr CF Matt Kane
4 for 5 with 4 ribbies, jr 1B Harry Parfitt 3 for 4 with the Eagles 1st HR of the
year, Ritterson 3 for 5 with 4 RBI and GAMP's Colon 2 for 3, 2 RBI......Fielding notables
besides Welte were GWHS sr Abdiel Sanchez who played his best game at SS and GAMP
sr Nick DiVario, who is a solid catcher and one of the backbones of this
club......Pitching - jr RHP/C/3B Dennis Massott goes 3 innings for the win,
Ritterson goes 2 scoreless innings in relief and GAMP 3B/RHP Vinnie Evangelista
lasted 1 2/3 innings - he's only a freshman!
MORE GAME NOTES: GW coach Max Bilkins' record in league games
improves to 19-3 (.864).......Massott gets the "Mike Kane" award by getting hit
with a pitch twice.........soph RF Brian Morgan ties a national high school record
by getting an at bat in each of the first 5 innings - at least unofficially!!
NEXT UP ON THURSDAY: GAMP hosts Northeast (6-1) and Washington visits
Central (5-2).
APRIL 18
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 10, Edison 0
Washington jumped out to a 9-0 lead after 2 innings against visitng
Edison, on their way to 10-0 five-inning decision. It was just last Thursday when
Washington lost at Northeast 10-0. sr RHP/C Rob Ritterson allowed only a clean,
first inning smash down the third base line that Eagles sr LF Jason Welte smartly
kept to a single. Ritterson was in command the entire way, allowing only 1 walk while
fanning 6, and had an outstanding ball-to-strike ratio. The George Washington Eagles (4-3)
took advantage of sr RHP Wilson Torres, scoring 4 in the first and 5 in the second,
before sr RHP/1B Eric Castro relieved and pitched the final 4 innings. sr CF Matt
Kane had a key 2-run double, going 2-3 with a walk & 3 RBI. jr C/3B Dennis
Massott followed up his tedsilary.com Player of the Day performance last Monday
vs GAMP, with another 3-hit game, scoring twice while battling the heat as Ritterson's
catcher. The hitting machine, soph RF Brian Morgan, continues to lead the way
getting on base, going 2-3, 2 runs. He would've been 3-3 if not for a great play by the
Owls' soph 2B Luis Garcia who snared a potential Texas-Leaguer. In the 5th, soph 1B
Eric Seidman & jr C Billy Coles got back-to-back singles. Two batters
later, Kane (who was not hit by a pitch for the 2nd consecutive game), drove in the final
run, prompting umps Chuck Gephart and John Jackson to
invoke the 10-run rule, allowing everybody to get out of the heat. A very special mention
to the Eagles' jr OF Mike Levin, for his uncanny knack of breaking the
multi-20-dollar bill electronic scoreboard. Coach Larry Oliver's Edison
squad fell to 1-5, but to their credit, played hard, even though some players were out of
position. jr P/IF Danny Camacho was sidelined with a sprained ligament suffered on
a clean take out slide vs GAMP. Edison's roster is filled with sophs and juniors, which
bodes well for the future. Both teams were talking it up all day....in a positive way -
nice! Next up for Edison is a pair of games with Bartram (0-5), while Washington travels
to GAMP (2-4) and Central (4-2) next week.
APRIL 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 10, Washington 0
Northeast was flawless in the field...Washington was
far from it! The end result was the Vikings whacking the Eagles 10-0, in a game called in
the bottom of the 5th. Northeast (4-1) got a great pitching performance from sr RHP Ryan
Zaztowney, who held the Eagles to 2 hits, a clean first inning leadoff single,
and an infield hit in the 3rd. Zaztowney said it was his first-ever complete game,
although he worked 6 effective innings in Northeast's 4-0 loss to Division A powerhouse
Frankford. Ryan allowed only 1 runner to reach third and his final line was 5 IP, 2 hits,
0 runs, 3 walks, 5 Ks, 67 pitches (26 balls, 41 strikes). One of his highlights was a
1-2-3 4th inning with only 6 pitches thrown. "I was able to get ahead of the batters
with my fastball, and then used my curveball, which I kept down," Zaztowney said.
Coach Sam Feldman has a 3-headed monster pitching staff with Ari
Bluestein. Ken Wlodarczyk & Zaztowney, that will come in
handy when the Vikings face Frankford, GAMP and Central in two weeks. Offensively,
Bluestein kept up his assault on Public League pitchers with a 3 for 3 outing (2 singles,
double, HBP, run, SB). Junior 2B Kamil Harris is my new favorite
player...he can do it all - great fielding, speed and a lot of offensive skills. He laid
down a beautiful bunt down the third base line. On his next at bat, with the Eagles Dennis
Massott playing way in, he hit a bullet straight at the third baseman for a
single to left and Massott probably needed a change of underpants after that one! Of
the very few bright spots for Washington (2-2) was the gutsy pitching of sr RHP Matt
Gilson, who really deserved a better fate. He constantly battled out of jams, but
his fielders really let him down on the day. His final line: 4.2 IP, 11 hits, 1 walk, 4
Ks, 100 pitches (38 balls, 62 strikes). Eagles soph RF Brian Morgan went
1 for 3 and is now 8 for 12 on the season, hitting in all 4 league games. Northeast coach
Feldman said, "Frankford's Bob Peffle and Washington's Max
Bilkins are the best two coaches in the Public League, and Bilkins will find a
way to win this game, so I told our players not to relax and to be ready for anything. We
still have to play them again this season." Northeast travels to Edison and hosts
Bartram next week, while Washington plays 3 times, Monday at Frankford, Tuesday vs GAMP
and Thursday vs Edison.
APRIL 8
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 8, Bartram 2
Backed by a complete game performance by senior RHP Joe
Gillen, Washington (2-1) beat Bartram (0-3) by an 8-2 score. Gillen, rebounding after
a season-opening loss to Central, had the following line: 7 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned,
1 walk, 13 strikeouts, 109 pitches (33 balls, 76 strikes). He got stronger as the game
went on, allowing only 1 hit with 9 K's over the last 4 innings.
The Eagles 14-hit offense was led by junior 1B Harry Parfitt, who doubled,
tripled and scored a run. Sophomore RF Brian Morgan went 4 for 4 out of the leadoff
spot. Senior C Rob Ritterson went 2 for 3 with a walk.
Bartram's RHP Phil Obiesie went the distance allowing the 8 runs, of which
only 4 were earned. Obiesie got the ball over the plate with a variety of pitches and
allowed just 2 walks. His final pitch count was 119 (48 balls, 71 strikes). The Braves
fielded the ball well, but were hurt by allowing many extra bases on errant throws.
Leadoff hitter SS Horatio Henry made solid contact on all 4 at bats, despite going
1 for 4.
Next up for Washington is a Thursday game at Northeast (3-1). Bartram visits GAMP
(1-2) on Thursday.