Randy's Ramblings Return to TedSilary.com Home Page    Randy Seidman is a constant at Washington games and has offered to file reports. We appreciate his hustle. Randy graduated from Washington, which his two sons attend. 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 and The News Gleaner. 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.    Check out Randy's reports from 2002 and 2003.

MAY 20
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS
Washington 12, GAMP 3
   George Washington High School advanced to the Public League baseball semifinals for the third straight season with a 12-3 win over division nemesis GAMP. A 4-run second inning and a 5-run third by the high scoring Eagles, sealed the fate of the Pioneers. GW ace Marc Tankel, pitched a complete game, walking just one, and fanning 9, including striking out the side in the final inning. GAMP was its own worst enemy, committing 4 official errors, as well as numerous mental mistakes, many in key situations. The unfortunate recipient of GAMP's play was starting and losing pitcher, Vinnie Evangelista. Pitching on two days rest after a 5-inning outing in Monday's playoff win against Kensington, Vinnie gave it a game effort, but was obviously struggling from the second inning on. He tried to "gut it out," and his hustling, diving attempt at catching a fouled bunt, epitomizes the type of competitor he is. Evangelista will be back for his senior season, and should be an inspiration to his fellow returnees. The Eagles opened the scoring in the second, when the late-season RBI machine, Eric Seidman, hit a sac fly to right. "Seidburns" has ribbies in 5 straight games, knocking in 16 during that span. Adam Eisman's 2-run single, and Matt Yankowitz' RBI single propelled Washington (12-4) to a 4-0 lead, which they never relinquished. For the game, Eisman, Yankowitz and junior RF Bill Jamieson, each had 2 hits and 3 RBI. Brian Morgan reached base all five times with 3 singles, a walk, and a HBP. Morgan's season numbers continue to climb: .631 batting avg and .676 on-base pct. Offensively for GAMP (7-9), Evangelista smashed an RBI triple off the base of The Gray Monster fence in right. Playing his final varsity game, third baseman Kyle Torriero, went 2-for-4, with a run and RBI.    
HIGH SCORING EAGLES  
   Washington is averaging a prolific 11.9 runs per game, scoring in double digits in 10 of 16 games. However, it breaks down this way: 13.4 runs/game vs non-Frankford foes, and 1.0 run/game vs Frankford (2 games). For the Eagles to beat Frankford in the semis, they'll need to make contact against Joe Farina on the mound, and contain him at the plate. Good luck to that!
TANKS A LOT  
   Marc Tankel, the junior All-Public righty, won his fifth consecutive decision. His season stats includes an impressive walks-to-strikeouts ratio: 6-1, 2.65 ERA, 37 IP, 35 H, 9 BB, 40 K. Marc helped his own cause with a pair of doubles and 3 runs scored. After the game and a shower (I hope!), Tank got ready for his junior prom.
SUPPORT SYSTEM
   While Tankel and many of the other ten juniors rushed home to get into their formal wear, senior Brian Morgan was presented with "The Unsung Hero of the Year Award," at The Northeast News Gleaner Sports Banquet. Showing team unity, Morgan's fellow seniors, Drew Gniewek, Adam Eisman, Ken Radziak and Eric Seidman, were in attendance to pay honor to him, along with Brian's parents, and coaches Max Bilkins, Jim O'Hara and Jay Welte. In a heartfelt acceptance speech, a humble Morgan thanked those who helped shape him into the fine player and young man that he has become. Brian, and his classy teammates, are the reason I have enjoyed covering this team so much for the last three years. Thanks 4-1-Kid!
FIRST AND TEN
Making an appearance in Northeast Philly was Bartram football coach Frank "Roscoe" Natale. His son, Gabe "Little Roscoe" Natale, is a junior, and played centerfield for GAMP. The senior Natale is excited about coaching the Public League offense in the upcoming City All-Star Football game, this Saturday at Northeast's Charlie Martin Stadium. He's well-stocked at running back with Arnold Mullins (Frankford), Dante Bryant (Roxborough), Vondell Parson (Gratz) and Dustin Hardy-Moore (Germantown). Natale's quarterbacks include Marcel Quarterman (Central) and Rich McFillin (Washington). This year's game will be tape-delayed by CN8, and broadcast on Saturday, May 29 at 2:30 pm.
COMING UP NEXT
   Although GAMP's season has ended, juniors Dom DeMarco and Vinnie Evangelsita, are invited to participate in the Carpenter Cup. Both were recently selected 2nd-Team All-Public. 4th-seeded Washington travels to LaSalle University for their semifinal matchup against defending champion and #1 seed, Frankford. Game time is 1:00pm, on Thursday, May 27. The second semifinal pits #2 Northeast against fourth-seeded Central.

MAY 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE ROUND-OF-16 PLAYOFFS
Washington 25, Roxborough 6
   Entering the playoffs as the #4 seed, the host George Washington Eagles dispatched Roxborough, 25-6, in the 3-inning playoff opener. In a first inning that took one hour and twelve minutes to complete, the Eagles scored 18 times. Washington (11-4) scored 7 more in the second inning. Breakdown of GW game totals: 15 hits (4 doubles, 1 triple), 10 walks, 2 HBP, .682 batting avg (15-22), .794 on base pct (27-34). Roxborough (6-8) did scratch out 6 runs in the first 2 innings on 4 hits, 5 walks, and 2 errors, but when they took the field, it was a different story, and it wasn't pretty. Washington's first 17 batters reached: 9 hits, 6 walks, HBP, E, resulting in 16 runs...with no outs! The 18-run inning eclipses the Public League season-high of 16, set by Washington last week vs Lincoln. There were many offensive stars: Brian Morgan, just selected as 1st-Team All-Public, went 3-for-4, to raise his season average to a gaudy .613. Matt Yankowitz, another 1st-Teamer,  was on base all 4 times, including a booming triple to right-center. Proud papa, Rich Yankowitz, the Dobbins basketball coaching legend, was on hand for the blast. Eric Seidman continued his late-season heroics with a 2-run single, 3-run double, walk, and 3 runs scored. Seidman, 2nd-Team All-Pub, now has 14 RBI in his last 3 games, and has taken over the team lead in that category. Adam Eisman stroked 2 singles, a double, with 4 RBI. Even winning pitcher Mike Werb chipped in, collecting his first hit of the season.
TWENTY SOMETHING
   In the Public League, a team scored 20 or more runs 9 times this season. Washington did it three times, and Mastbaum, Central, Franklin Towne Charter, Roxborough, King and Southern did it once. The top 4: GW's 25-6 playoff win vs Roxborough, Mastbaum over Saul 23-7 on May 5, GW's 21-5 win at GAMP on April 29, and FTC's 21-9 win vs Franklin.
MERCY, MERCY!
   Thank goodness for the mercy rule. I shudder to think what could have happened in this game! Unfortunately for Roxborough, their weaknesses were exposed, but it points out the bigger picture, the lack of parity in The Pub. Once you get past Frankford, Northeast, Central and Washington, it is slim pickings. I am very encouraged, however, by the emergence of teams like Edison, Olney and Mastbaum. Edison joined Division A this season, Olney joins next season, and Mastbaum should have a good chance to move up after next season.
TROJANS CAN'T WAIT:
   By virtue of their season-ending sweep against Mastbaum, Olney won the Division B crown, and will move up in 2005. With their playoff victory against departing Bartram, the Trojans advance to the quarterfinals. They will be joined by the remaining seven members of their new division next season.
THE QUARTERFINALS STORY:
   Each of Thursday's quarterfinals have their interesting storylines. Defending champion Frankford will have a tough test hosting the scrappy Olney squad. This is Joe Farina's swansong in the Public League, and what a remarkable run it's been so far. Joe was just tabbed as Division A MVP, and along with fellow 1st-Teamer Cory Shaeffer, wants to go out on top. Second-seeded Northeast hosts Lincoln, but which Vikings team will show up...the team that beat Frankford, or the team that was upset at home by Lincoln, 19-9? Central, the #3 seed, is playing one of the most dangerous teams left in the Final 8, the Edison Owls. Even though they finished 4-9, sixth-seeded Edison had a strong second half of the season, and lost by just one run against Central on April 30. The GAMP/Washington matchup features two teams that return many starters for next season. GAMP swept this series last season, GW swept this season. Although GAMP coach Art Kratchman no longer has stars Mario Malatino and Anthony Caines, he still has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. Washington coach Max Bilkins is looking to reach the Final 4 for the third straight season.
CONGRATS:
   Kudos to the 22 student-athletes selected to the First and Second All-Public Teams. For a complete listing, go here.
The All-Public banquet is slated for Tuesday, June 8th, at Rosewood Caterers.

MAY 13
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 18, Edison 13
   Wow - what a crazy game for the Washington Eagles to finish their regular season. Playing their fourth game in four hot days, the Eagles (10-4) held on in the late innings to defeat a very dangerous Edison team. This game was almost a carbon copy of the last time these two squads met, when Edison bested GW in a scrimmage, 16-11. In both contests, the Eagles jumped out to a huge early lead, only to watch the Owls chip away a little at a time, by hitting bomb after bomb to deep left field. Credit coach Larry Oliver and his team for not quitting, and cheering each other on, taking the momentum completely away from GW. Washington coach Max Bilkins is very uncomfortable playing against Edison (4-9), knowing that they could put up runs in bunches on the scoreboard. It is quite possible these two could meet again in the quarterfinals. More about the playoffs coming up. After Eric Seidman made his season pitching debut 24 hours earlier, sophomore Anthony Alemon finally got his chance, making his varsity debut. Anthony is an unpolished talent, who figures to be in the GW rotation for the next two seasons. He allowed only one run in his first three innings as GW jumped out a 12-1 lead. However, when GW scored 8 times in the third inning, it took about 45 minutes, and Alemon did not look sharp as he took the hill in the fourth inning, allowing two singles and two walks, as his debut came to a sudden end. That was the beginning of the Edison comeback.
FOOTBALL SCORES
   While this was Washington's only game of the season where both teams scored in double figures, this was nothing new for Edison. They played four such games this season, winning one and losing three. One of those losses was against Frankford, 11-10. Another slightly lower scoring close loss was against Central, 9-8. The Owls had a very successful second half of the season, in their return to Division A, after a one-year absence.
HEADS OR TAILS?
   The playoff matchups for the opening round are set, except for Central and Washington. Both teams finished at 10-4, and split their season series. The next tie-breaker was strength points, and once again there was a deadlock. So the tie will be broken with a coin toss to determine which team gets the #3 seed and the #4 seed. Northeast also finished at 10-4, but finishes as the #2 seed, thanks to their big win over Frankford. The opening round is Monday, May 17. Winners in each of the groups below meet in the quarterfinals, Thursday May 20. The semifinals (Thur., May 27) and the championship (Thur., June 3) are slated for DeVincent Field on the campus of LaSalle University.
Opening Round:
KING at FRANKFORD
BARTRAM at OLNEY (Olney moves up to Division A next season by sweeping Mastbaum on the last two days of the regular season. Bartram moves to Division B)
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KENSINGTON at GAMP
ROXBOROUGH at WASHINGTON or CENTRAL
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FRANKLIN TOWNE CHARTER at WASHINGTON or CENTRAL
SAUL at EDISON
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LINCOLN at MASTBAUM
GERMANTOWN at NORTHEAST
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SEIDBURNS & YANK, AGAIN!
   Eric Seidman and Matt Yankowitz led the offense for the second game in a row. "Seidburns" had a pair of 2-run doubles in the 8-run third inning, and finished the game with 3 hits and 6 RBI. "Yank" went 4-for-5, with three singles, a double, and 4 RBI.
THE OTHER SENIORS
   There are six seniors on Washington. Four of them are everyday starters: Seidman, Ken Radziak, Brian Morgan and Adam Eisman. The other two seniors are Tim Barrett and Drew Gniewek. Barrett, who played for coach Ron Cohen on the Eagles' football team, is headed to Thaddeus Stevens Tech in Lancaster, PA. It is a 2-year school with a football program. Good luck, Tim! The other senior is Drew Gniewek, who made a strong showing in last summer's developmental league. Drew has four hits and five walks in his ten plate appearances this season. He also coaches first base, and is famous for his B-A-A-A-A-C-K yell for his teammates on pickoff attempts. One of the more vocal players, Drew is having a strong second half for his one-line encouragements for his teammates. Not wishing to change his personalized stationary, Gniewek will matriculate at GW in the fall. That's George Washington University. Way to go, 1-7-KID!

MAY 12
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 17, Lincoln 2
   You don't get to witness too many 16-run innings in a lifetime, but that's exactly what happened in this abbreviated 3-inning game. Lincoln actually had a 2-1 lead entering the bottom of the third. But Washington sent 21 batters to the plate, and batted around not just once, but twice. Well, twice-and-a-third to be precise. In the big inning, Washington (9-4) collected 9 base hits, 9 walks and 1 HBP, against 3 Lincoln pitchers. The 15-run rule made a winner of starting pitcher Eric Seidman, who also chipped in with a pair of singles, and knocked in 3 runs. The senior righty had started all previous 12 games at first base. Eric, a big fan of Travis Lee's defensive abilities, has been a master of scooping balls out of the dirt on low throws, many times in key situations, for the Eagles this season.  More about Seidburns later. Lincoln (2-11) scored two runs in the second when sr RF Phil Endicott hit a deep RBI triple to centerfield and then scored on a RBI groundout by sr C Rob Freiling. The hearing-impaired Endicott is an amazing story, and is featured by Joe Mason in The Northeast Times this week. He is headed to Gallaudet College in Washington, DC, and will be playing football there. Lincoln starting pitcher, Jeff Leriche, held his own in the first two innings, before the big onslaught. He was sneaky quick and handled the Eagles the first time through the order. The second and third times around the order, he was not so fortunate. The good news for the Railsplitters, besides saving a lot on car insurance, is that Leriche is just a junior. Jeff is also a standout on the Lincoln football team. For Max Bilkins' Eagles, five players had two hits: Seidman, Bill Jamieson, Brian Morgan (2-for-3, improves average to .630), Matt Yankowitz (2 doubles, 3 RBI), and Matt Peterson (single, triple, 2 RBI). The Eagles are averaging 10.5 runs per game with a team batting average of .400 for the season. Washington plays its fourth game in four days in the season finale at Edison (4-8), while Lincoln travels to Bartram (0-13).
BIG INNING TIME
   The 16-run inning was a Public League best for 2004. There have been 10 innings of double digit scoring this season: 16-Washington vs Lincoln, 14-Northeast at GAMP, 13-Mastbaum vs Saul, 13-Franklin Towne Charter vs Gratz, 13-King at Gratz (on just one hit), 12-Germantown vs Gratz, 12-Lincoln at Northeast, 12-Central at Bartram, 12-King vs Lamberton and 10-Bok vs Mastbaum.
MOVING ON UP
   Olney's 19-9 win versus Mastbaum deadlocks the two teams atop the Division B standings with 11-2 records. Fittingly, they play again tomorrow, for the division title. The winner moves up to Division A next season.
YO, SEIDBURNS
   When Eric Seidman got the starting pitching assignment, it marked his season debut on the mound. Last season, "Seidburns" pitched in six games, starting five. After his 1-2-3 inning to open the game against Lincoln, Eric said, "You have no idea how good that feels." His pitch count for the 3-inning game was a measly 28 pitches (7 in 1st, 14 in 2nd, 7 in 3rd).
OFF THE BENCH
   With Adam Eisman missing the last two games due to poison ivy, jr Chris Zervoudis has done an admirable job as a replacement. A special tip of the hat also goes to jr Anthony O'Donnell, for doing a fine job filling in for leftfielder Matt Yankowitz, who missed two games recently with a shoulder ailment.

MAY 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 15, Lincoln 3
   In the first game of a home-and-home series, GW scored 4 runs in the first   inning, and 9 runs in the fifth, en route to the 10-run rule win. The Eagles only had 8 hits, but collected 15 walks from two pitchers, and had 2 runners reach on error. Washington (8-4) once again left too many runners on base. Even though they won 5 of their last 6 games, GW stranded 58 runners (almost 10 per game) over that stretch. Brian Morgan once again led the way. Just selected as the winner of the Northeast News Gleaner Unsung Hero Award, Morgan went 3-for-4, upping his season average to .627, while scoring 2 runs, and knocking in 2 runs. Matt Yankowitz had a hustle infield single (sliding into first, it actually worked!), and an opposite field triple, along with 2 walks.  He also pitched the final 2 innings, allowing a hit, and striking out 2. Although Marc Tankel started and gets credit for the win, he didn't have his usual good stuff. However, the probable All-Public junior righthander, improved to 5-1 with a 2.37 ERA for the season. Unfortunately for Lincoln coach John Larsen and his Railsplitters, the pitching staff, after Rick Bates, is razor-thin. Offensively, the lone bright spot for Lincoln (2-10) was junior Josh Candelario, who singled, doubled and walked, and scored a run. The Railsplitters started out 0-7, before shocking Northeast, 19-9, two weeks ago. Thanks to that win, Lincoln cannot finish last in the division. That dubious honor belongs to Bartram, which will be dropping to Division B in 2005, saving the Philadelphia School District the expense of transporting all of the Northeast Philly schools to Southwest Philly, for road games. Considering the price of gas these days, it will be a benefit for the Public League, excuse me, PIAA District XII.   
OTHER AWARDS:
   In addition to Morgan's award, congratulations to Joe Farina of Frankford, and Andrew Lihotz of Northeast. Joe was named as the Gleaner's Male Athlete of the Year, and Andrew was picked as Public League Baseball Player of the Year. Hmmm, Farina and Lihotz...those two names will be linked forever, almost like Frazier and Ali, Jordan and Pippen, Carlos Silva and Eric Milton. Hey this column is called Randy's Ramblings for a reason! The Gleaner Sports Banquet will be held on Thursday, May 20.
PLAYOFFS START THIS MONDAY (May 17)
   Opening round matchups if season ended today...which it does not! Winners in each group meet in quarterfinals, Thursday May 20 (Semifinals: Thur., May 27 & Championship: Thur., June 3 at LaSalle)
KING at FRANKFORD
BARTRAM at MASTBAUM
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SAUL at GAMP
BOK, FRANKLIN LEARNING CENTER, or KENSINGTON at WASHINGTON
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FRANKLIN TOWNE CHARTER at CENTRAL
ROXBOROUGH at EDISON
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LINCOLN at OLNEY
GERMANTOWN at NORTHEAST
   Key regular season games to determine postseason seedings: Wed., May 12: Mastbaum at Olney, Bok at Roxborough, Saul at FLC. Thursday, May 13: Olney at Mastbaum (again!), Germantown at King, Engineering & Science at Franklin Towne Charter, Roxborough at Kensington.
All-Weather Team Additions
   Thanks to Brian Morgan's brother, Chuck, for adding former Cubs reliever Steve Rain. Also, Jay Banks from Northeast wanted to include his friend from school, Fred Breeze. I hear Fred is a stand-up guy, so he will now be immortalized on this team in 2004, also known as The Year of the Postponement.  

MAY 10
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Central 14, Washington 4
   Hey Joe Farina, step aside and make room for Kurt Haberle. Just as Farina had done two weeks earlier at Washington's Ramblings Stadium, Kurt ripped a pair of homers. In a performance that should guarantee him a spot on the All-Public team, Kurt went 4-for-4, with a single, double, 2 HR, HBP, 6 RBI and 3 runs scored. His first homer, a 3-run shot, gave Central a 3-0 lead in the third inning. GW bounced back to take a 4-3 lead against another probable All-Public Lancer, Brandon Watson. The key hit was a 2-run double by Brian Morgan in the fourth. But in the visiting fifth, Joe Gallagher doubled, Haberle singled, and Craig Baumbach went yard for Central's second 3-run dinger on the day, giving Central a 7-4 lead. The Lancers plated 6 runs in the seventh to win going away, 14-4. Key blows in the final inning were a two-run double by my new favorite player, Andrew Reynolds, and Haberle's second homer, a 2-run blast. As soon as Kurt made contact, he was yelling, "Get out!, Get out!" After losing 3-1 to Washington last week, this was an important game for Central. "We had to win," said Haberle. "I was just happy we had a lead on them when I hit the second homer. I was seeing the ball really well." Brandon Watson earned the win, despite yielding 6 hits and 4 runs in his 4 innings. On the season, he is now 5-1. Craig Baumbach came in and threw smoke in his two scoreless innings. Kevin Hausch pitched a scoreless seventh. Coach Bob Barthelmeh's team enters the playoffs with a deep pitching staff. In addition to three hurlers in this game, he also has Andrew Reynolds at his disposal. "We have a lot of confidence in our pitchers," said Kurt Haberle.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY:
   OK, everybody knows Andrew Reynolds is called Harry Potter. However, take a look at Central's team picture at tedsilary.com under PL team photos. Reynolds is on the far left of the first row, but go over 5 players to the right, and tell me Nick DeLeo is not indeed the boy wizard himself!

MAY 6
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 3, Central 1
   Due to rainouts earlier in the season, these two teams were meeting for the first time, in one of the better Public League baseball rivalries. With Frankford's loss to Northeast, Central had crept to within one-game of the division lead. Washington had won three straight games, and were in hot pursuit of Central and Northeast. Maybe these were the factors that led Ted Silary himself to be in attendance to witness this game for the archives. So for Ted's take on the game go to   http://www.tedsilary.com/tedBasetrail04.htm.
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST:
   Just like they did in the previous two seasons, the Eagles are flying high late in the season. After starting with a 3-3 record (also in 2002 & 2003), Washington then embarked on a late season push to the playoffs by stringing together a series of wins. Their current win streak stands at four, after the hard-fought win at Central. Coach Max Bilkins' 4-year regular season record is 40-12 (.769). Here's a cool breakdown of his record: in the first six games over those four seasons, his record is 15-9 (.625). In games 7 through 14 over the same span of time, the record is an impressive 25-3 (.893).
ACCOLADES A-PLENTY:
   Eagles sr CF Brian Morgan went about his business in relative obscurity for three seasons at Washington, while collecting hit after hit. He's finally getting some notice, being featured in three different newspapers in the last few days. After going 3-for-4 against Central's Andrew Reynolds, Morgan raised his season batting average to .605, and his career average to .541 (73-135). He'll attend Penn State-Abington in the fall.
POTTER MANIA:
   Central's jr RHP Andrew Reynolds has been referred to as "Harry Potter" or to those who know him, simply as "Potter." He is one of the more entertaining players in The Pub. Although he physically doesn't look intimidating on the mound, he is a fiery competitor, and talented, too. He also batted leadoff for the Lancers, and made solid contact on 3 of his 4 plate appearances. I was getting a headache figuring out which side of the plate he was going to bat from. He batted left, then right, then left, then right. Ted S had the line of the day with, "I bet the real Harry Potter couldn't do that."
GOOD IMAGE FROM A SCRIMMAGE:
   Although not being around the Edison program much this season, I believe the turning point of their season happened against Washington. A few weeks back, when the teams were to play at Edison, umpires were not assigned, due to a miscommunication. The Eagles and the Owls scrimmaged each other instead. Washington promptly took an 11-0 lead into the second inning. As Max Bilkins began to substitute freely, Edison slowly started to climb back in the scrimmage, by hitting bomb after bomb. Edison went on to win, 16-11, instilling confidence in many of coach Larry Oliver's players. They have been extremely competitive ever since, playing Central tough, and losing 11-10 to Frankford. Washington and Edison will make the game up on May 13, for real. By the way, in the scrimmage, both head coaches assumed umpiring duties, and were very colorful in their calling of balls and strikes, but fortunately for them, no video exists of that day...or does it?
SAY CHEESE!:
   Check out the Central and Washington team pictures at tedsilary.com under "PL team photos," and also check out "Special Photos."

MAY 5
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 12, GAMP 2
   On a day when Frankford's 36-game regular season winning streak was snapped, the 3 other Public League contenders gained a game in the standings, suddenly opening up the division with a week left to play. Washington (6-3) won their third straight game, beating GAMP (5-6) for the second time in a week. Winning pitcher Mike Werb improved to 2-1 on the season, limiting GAMP to two singles, a walk, a hit batsman, and two strikeouts. With the score tied 2-2, GW had a big third inning once again. When they beat Northeast last Friday, the Eagles opened the game up with a 5-run third inning. Against the Pioneers (yes, GAMP does indeed have the same nickname as Frankford - go figure!), GW put up a 6-spot in the third against workhorse jr RHP Vinnie Evangelista. Vinnie leads the division with 7 decisions, as his record drops to 3-4. The Eagles had four players collect RBI doubles in the inning: Marc Tankel, Justin Presley, Adam Eisman and Brian Morgan. In the fifth and final inning with an 8-2 lead, the bottom of the GW order started things off. Eric Seidman, batting 8th, singled, and was followed by Bill Jamieson's double. After GAMP reliever Ryan Challender struck out Eisman and Morgan, Matt Yankowitz went the opposite way to right, and gets credit for a two-run single on a ball that should have been caught for the third out. Two batters later, Tankel also went to right field for a 2-run single, ending the game as GW recorded their 5th "ten-run rule" win in 6 victories.
DIVISION-A SHOWDOWN:
   Frankford and Joe Farina saw their respective win streaks come to an end, at the hands of their arch-rivals, Northeast and Andrew Lihotz. Congrats to the Vikings, who have come close to upending Frankford in three of their last four meetings. Northeast (8-4) suffered through disheartening losses to Lincoln and Washington last week, but rebounded just in time to hand Frankford (9-1) their first regular season loss since May 9, 2001 (18-8 loss to GW). Now that the Pioneers' streak has ended, look for them to come back with a vengeance in their final four games. It is absolutely amazing what Bob Peffle's squad has accomplished the last few seasons, but for their season to be a success, they need to successfully defend their championship.
CENTRAL HEATING:
   The Frankford loss combined with Central's 12-6 win against scrappy Edison, leaves the Lancers just one game back in the standings. Central (8-2) hosts Washington tomorrow, and plays road games at Washington and Frankford next week. Look for a Marc Tankel-Andrew "Harry Potter" Reynolds matchup tomorrow.
HEY, I DIDN'T MAKE A MISTAKE, DUDE DEPARTMENT:
   Kudos to jr C Mike Kline for his exactness in running the almost high-tech scoreboard. After GW put up 6 runs in the third, an obnoxious parent told Kline he missed a run. Mike double-checked his abacus, and was correct, sending the parent back to his seat, where he jotted down more ramblings.
ALL WEATHER TEAM UPDATE:
   Thanks to Chip for writing in from Toms River, adding two names to the All-Weather Team: Storm Davis and Razor Shines. Previous members are JT Snow, Josh Fogg, David Weathers, Curt Flood, Tim Raines, Tim Raines, Jr. with a special mention to Hannah Storm! Send in any others you want to join this illustrious squad.

APRIL 30
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington  8, Northeast 2
   Behind the complete-game pitching performance of Marc Tankel, the host Eagles downed the Vikings, 8-2,. The junior righthander allowed 7 hits, walked none, and struck out 8. On the season he improved his record to 3-1, and in 20 innings has the impressive totals of 2 walks and 24 strikeouts.
   It was an important game for both teams. The Eagles moved up in the division, and evened their season series against the Vikings, depriving them of any possible tiebreaker advantage. Northeast was hoping to rebound from a demoralizing loss against previously winless Lincoln, just 24 hours earlier. With the loss, they have dropped four of their last six games.
   Northeast (7-4) jumped out to a 2-0 lead, thanks to the hard-nosed style of senior leadoff hitter Joe Cross. He helped manufacture single runs in the first and third innings. He singled on the first pitch of the game, stole second, advanced to third on a long flyout by Chris Steinke, and scored on a wild pitch. Using his instinct and going on his own, he beat the sliding tag of catcher Justin Presley. In the third, he doubled with one out, and scored on Steinke's single. Cross missed time earlier in the season with an arm injury, and has returned to solidify the leadoff slot. The Eagles collected three hits off Andrew Lihotz in the first two innings, but stranded all three. Washington (5-3) finally broke through in the third inning, with five runs on five singles, two walks, and two errors. The Eagles have had success against Lihotz in the past. The senior southpaw's career record vs GW is 0-3, but he came up big in last season's semifinal win versus the Eagles, earning a save for starter Craig Solomon. Even in defeat, Andrew demonstrated why he is such a special student-athlete. Turning in a gutsy performance while throwing 133 pitches, he still had zip on the ball late in the game. His season record dropped to 2-2. With five errors, the Vikings certainly didn't help Lihotz, as they appeared to have a carry-over effect from their loss to Lincoln.
   Leading the way offensively for Max Bilkins' Eagles was steady senior Brian Morgan. He went 4-for-4 with three singles, a double, and two runs scored. Over his last two games he collected six straight hits and went 8-for-10. On the season, the Penn State-Abington bound Morgan is hitting a lofty .629 (22-for-35). Not only does he lead by example on the field, he is instrumental in encouraging his young teammates (11 juniors and 1 sophomore). Junior Matt Peterson has been batting third in the order, following Morgan, and has been delivering in the clutch lately. He went 3-for-3 with a sac fly and two RBI against Northeast. During the recent spring break, he found the time to help correct his swing and stance from former LaSalle coach Bob Vivian at the All-American Baseball Academy, in Horsham. The improvement is noticeable, giving Washington another offensive weapon.
   Frankford (9-0) continues their quest for a third straight undefeated regular season. Washington, Northeast, and Central continue to battle it out, and all have important late-season tests. Bob Peffle's Frankford Pioneers, led by Joe Farina, have home games left with Northeast and Central. Washington must still play a pair of games against Central. The Lancers are getting an all-Public-type season from Brandon Watson, who has starred at the plate and on the mound.
GETTIN' SOME PUB IN THE PUB:
   Brian Morgan may be the least known best player in the Public League. He will get some well deserved publicity this week, as he will be featured in a pair of articles, in The Northeast Times and The News Gleaner. The soft spoken Morgan has been on a tear lately, and for his career is now batting .543 (69-for-127).
INJURY UPDATE:
   Eagles jr LF Matt Yankowitz missed the last 2 games with a shoulder injury suffered against Frankford last week. On the play, he had to run hard to make a diving catch of Carlos Rosado's sinking liner. He laid out, caught the ball, and almost had a chance for a DP. However, Joe Farina was the next batter, and he promptly homered over The Gray Monster in right, to give the Pioneers a 3-0 lead. Yank hopes to return later this week, maybe in time for the big matchup against Central.
BREIT SPOT FOR NORTHEAST:
   Vikings freshman Joe Breitweiser has had some big hits this year, and he nailed a Tankel fastball for a long double to left, that almost reached the Mickey Young Memorial Football Stadium. There haven't been many pure power hitters in the Pub for the last, well, forever, and Joe has the potential to be a legitimate long-ball threat as he progresses at Northeast.
JUSTIN HAS NOT LEFT THE BUILDING:
   GW jr C Justin Presley made a pair of impressive throws, killing Northeast rallies both times. The first resulted in a double play as Justin tagged out Chris Steinke attempting to score on a grounder to the pitcher. After tagging Steinke, Justin wheeled and threw out the batter, Seth Shapiro, who was trying to get to second. Presley also gunned out Breitweiser, who led off the fifth inning with that long double. Joe tried to reach third on a passed ball, but the throw was on target and waiting for the runner.
TWO WEEKS TO GO:
   Washington will play three games in each of the next two weeks to finish out the season. This week, they play at Lincoln on Monday, host GAMP on Wednesday, the travel to Central, for their first meeting of the season, on Thursday. The Eagles finish things up hosting Central on May 10 and Lincoln on May 12, before the season finale at Edison on May 13. Ironically, the Edison game will be the Public League finale this season. The game has been postponed three times already. Originally, it was the Public League opener all the way back on March 17.

APRIL 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington  21, GAMP 5
   After facing the one-man wrecking crew, Joe Farina from Frankford, just 24 hours earlier, the George Washington Eagles' next mound opponent was GAMP soph LHP Ryan Challender. The Eagles were eager to hit, and combined with Challender's wildness, built up an 8-1 lead after 4 innings. However, Washington (4-3) stranded 9 runners in that span, 7 of them in scoring position. Coach Max Bilkins challenged his players to step up and get the clutch hit, and it finally arrived in the fifth inning. With two on and two out, jr DH/C Justin Presley cleared the left-field fence for a 3-run homer, and finally gave the Eagles a sigh of relief, and an 11-1 lead. All GW had to do was keep GAMP scoreless in the fifth inning to get the 10-run decision. GAMP scored with 2 outs (more on that later), and extended the game. The Eagles responded with 10 runs on 9 hits, while GAMP plated 3 late runs to make the final 21-5.
LINEMAN GRABS THE SPOTLIGHT:
   Tim Barrett was a standout for the Washington football team that once again played for the Public League title. In his first season of varsity baseball, the senior righthander has already made three relief appearances. In his best outing to date, Barrett allowed just one run over 3.1 effective innings with 1 BB and 4 K, to earn his first win. By the way, Tim is the kind of guy any coach or player would want on his side. He always talks it up from the bench, whether winning or losing. Many PL players don't find it within themselves to be vocal when on the losing side.    
KRAFTY KRATCHMAN:
    GAMP coach Art Kratchman always seems to defy the odds. With a limited student base to draw talent from, and no JV program, he manages to get his team focused in the playoffs. He always wants to give his team the opportunity to win. I guess that's why he called for a steal of home with two outs in the bottom of the 5th. Trailing 11-1, he caught Washington off-guard as Ryan Challender beat the tag of catcher Matt Peterson, and forced the game into another inning. Although he was able to give his young players an additional inning's worth of valuable game experience, it also helped raise the confidence level of several GW batters, who stroked 9 hits in the 10-run sixth inning.
HEART & SOUL OF GAMP:
    Mario Malatino, the lanky lefty who struck out 15 Eagles in a game last season, is gone. He now redshirts at Gwynedd-Mercy College. Feisty Anthony Caines has a 3.6 GPA as a Drexel freshman. Members of that now famous 2002 championship team, they were the heart and soul of GAMP baseball for the last two seasons. It was incredible watching them get the upper hand against Frankford in the 2002 semifinals, and then go on to beat Northeast for the championship. Anthony was at the GW game rooting on his brother, Andrew Caines, a freshman who plays first base and pitches. Older brother Anthony is envious of his younger brother's height. Andrew is 5'11'' and he should top out at 6'2-6'3" according to the elder Caines, one of the more animated PL players in recent memory. He is bummed that Drexel dropped their baseball program. Although a long-shot to stick with a Division I roster, he nevertheless wanted the chance to try out.
SENIOR LEADERS:
   Fortunately there was no Sports Illustrated jinx for the 4 Washington seniors featured this week in the Northeast News Gleaner. Adam Eisman, Brian Morgan, Ken Radziak and Eric Seidman had 9 hits, 9 RBI and 10 runs scored vs GAMP.
Here's the article: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2340&dept_id=488594&newsid=11410470&PAG=461&rfi=9
NEXT UP:
   Wow! Things are getting interesting in Division A. Washington plays Northeast tomorrow. The Vikings were stunned by previously winless Lincoln, 19-9. An Andrew Lihotz-Marc Tankel pitching matchup is expected, as this traditional rivalry continues. Earlier this season, Northeast beat GW, 8-7, in 9 innings. Of course, as if anybody needed reminding, the last time these two met at Washington, the game lasted 4 hours and 6 minutes in the now legendary 24-23 Eagles win.

APRIL 28
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 11, Washington  0
   The Joe Farina Baseball Show came to George Washington High School, and those in attendance witnessed one of the most impressive individual performances on a Philadelphia baseball diamond in recent memory. Obviously, Frankford (9-0) is much more than a one-man team, as evidenced in their 5-2 win against Northeast, when the 7-8-9 hitters proved to be the difference. Soph Richard Jimenez and junior Carlos Rosado have each shined at moments during this season. Senior SS Cory Shaeffer is having another All-Public season. But for this game at least, it was The Joe Farina Show. In the top of the first, Joe's single up the middle plated leadoff hitter Andrew Bracero for a 1-0 lead. Two innings later, Farina blasted an 0-1 pitch that was up in the zone over the right-field fence (The Gray Monster), upping the lead to 3-0. Meanwhile, on the mound, Joe stranded Eagles runners at second and third in each of the first two innings. A clutch run-scoring hit might have given Washington a lead. The most amazing thing about Frankford's current 36-game Public League regular season winning streak, is that they have hardly even trailed in any of those games. Amazing! With that 3-0 lead, Farina started to get into a comfort zone, and had 8 whiffs in the first 4 innings. The Pioneers hit some rockets against Eagles jr RHP Mike Werb, early in his first varsity start. But Werb showed great poise, and his no-windup, submarine delivery, kept his team in the game, until he departed after 4 innings. Werb's excellent balls-to-strikes ratio was 18 balls and 40 strikes. Frankford (9-0) put the game away with 7 straight hits in a 6-run fifth inning. Of course, Farina was involved in the mix, this time delivering a 2-run double to center. With the Pioneers on the verge of winning the game by the "10-run rule," it was fitting that Farina closed the scoring with another 2-run homer over "The Monster," this time to right-center in the 6th. He ended the game striking out 4 batters in the bottom of the inning, as Washington DH Matt Peterson reached base after fanning on a passed ball. Here are the totals for Joe: 4-for-4, single, double, 2 HRs, 7 RBI, 3 runs scored, while pitching a 2-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in 6 innings. Joe could have won Public League MVP honors last season. Teammate Carlos Rivera, a senior, was named MVP, deservingly so. I can't think of any coach who couldn't give Joe the nod for this season.
MORE JOE:
   Farina allowed only 2 hits on the day. The first came off the bat of sr CF Brian Morgan in the first inning. Morgan's sharp grounder went off the shin of Richard Jimenez, and could have been ruled an error. The fact that the ball was hard hit, and the Washington infield is not exactly velvety smooth, were the reasons for my scoring decision. Then I realized Farina might not allow another hit, and I surely didn't want that decision to deprive him of a no-hitter. A special thank you goes out to GW jr SS Marc Tankel. He hit a clean double off the base of the right-centerfield fence with 2 outs in the 6th, keeping the game alive. By the way, Tankel was the only batter not to whiff against the mighty Joe.
PEFF'S THE MAN:
   Pioneers coach Bob Peffle does a masterful job of calling the pitches to catcher Ramon Reyes, who then gives the sign to Farina. Peff seemed to make all the right calls, as Joe recorded some of his strikeouts with his curveball, and also had 4 strikeouts looking. The coach can make the calls, but it must be a delight to have a pitcher who can deliver.
IT'S TIME FOR 5 STRAIGHT:
   Washington's record stands at 3-3, as they complete their season series against Frankford. Last season, Washington started off 3-3, then won 5 straight, before finishing the season at 9-5. In 2002, they started 3-3, then again won 5 straight, before ending up with a 10-4 record.
BILKINS NIGHTMARES:
   GW coach Max Bilkins is quick to acknowledge the talents of Joe Farina, but must be happy knowing he won't see him anymore in the regular season. Joe's 3-year (6 games) batting totals vs Washington are: 16-for-21 (.762), 13 runs, 15 RBI, 6 BB, .815 on base pct. His pitching totals: 4-0 record, 1.35 ERA, 26 innings, 18 hits, 35 strikeouts. WOWOW!
BILL COLES AWARD:
   The 3rd annual winner of the prestigious Bill Coles Award (also known as The Falling Down Award) goes to...drumroll please, junior Bill Sanginiti, who got a tasty mouthful and faceful of Bartram Field dirt. As a courtesy runner for jr C Justin Presley, Bill was running hard from second to third before he went "Ooooops!" Fortunately for everybody, he made it to third safely and then scored. However, his spontaneity and gracefulness may lead to the re-naming of this award. Hmmm, Bill Coles, then Bill Sanginiti, you better watch out jr RF/LHP Bill Jamieson. PREVIOUS WINNERS: 2002 Bill Coles, 2003 Eric Seidman and Scott Haze (at Central)
YO, WHAT'S THE DEAL?:
   Yo, what's the deal with Bartram's field? It's bad enough to have to travel forever to get there, and then to see the deplorable field conditions at 58th and Elmwood. The grass wasn't cut, it was ridiculous how long it was, and the infield dirt didn't appear to have been dragged for a long time. It's a joke and it's a shame, too, for the Bartram players and their coach, Dennis Sheedy, who deserve to have better conditions. I'm sure the PIAA would have a great howl over this. Very embarrassing for the Public League!!

APRIL 19
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 15, Edison 0
   The GW Eagles finally played a game!! They last played on March 29, exactly three weeks ago. After having six straight games postponed due to rain, (including non-league games vs GAMP and Cheltenham) the Washington players were chomping at the bit to return to game action. Edison was the unlucky recipient of the GW onslaught, and the game ended after only three innings due to the PIAA 15-run rule. I don't want to mention Mark Tankel in the same breath as Don Larsen, Jim Bunning and David Cone, but he did toss a perfect game, which in this instance means retiring Edison in order in each of his three innings pitched. I don't think the Eagles wanted to score almost all of their runs with two outs, but they did manage 13 of the 15 runs that way. Usually Brian Morgan and Adam Eisman lead the hit parade. But on this day, they left the offense up to their teammates. Junior C Matt Peterson was the hitting star with a 3-run triple in the first, and a two-run double in the second. Tankel, the junior RHP/SS, helped his own cause with a single, triple and 2 RBI. Another junior, right fielder Bill Jamieson chipped in with 3 singles and 4 RBIs out of the nine-hole. This past Saturday, when Frankford beat Northeast 5-2, the 7-8-9 hitters for the Pioneers accounted for all 5 RBI, and executed flawlessly on a pair of suicide squeeze bunts. Washington's 7-8-9 hitters, Peterson, Jamieson and sr 1B Eric Seidman, were a collective 6-for-7, BB, HBP, 7 runs, 9 RBI. GW collected 11 hits in this mini-game, and evened their season record at 2-2.  
THOMAS ALVA STUFF:
   Edison is returning to Division A baseball after a one year absence. The Owls were the Division B champs in 2003, earning the title by beating Mastbaum in the regular season finale, and Olney in a one-game playoff. Coach Larry Oliver will have his hands full against the upper tier teams in the division, but look for Edison (1-3) to post more wins behind the live arms of Javier Lafuente and Danny Camacho. Catcher Mathew Padro had a quick release when he nailed an Eagles would-be base-stealer in the first inning. By the way, the last time Edison visited GW was April 18, 2002. Washington won that game 10-0, behind Rob Ritterson's 5-inning 1-hitter with 6 Ks. The offense was led by Matt Kane, Dennis Massott and Brian Morgan, then a sophomore. Even Billy Coles singled in that game.
THE GOLD DIVISION:
   Elsewhere in the division, Frankford (6-0) followed up their big Northeast win with a 1-hit shutout by Cory Shaeffer against Bartram (0-5). The Pioneers' regular season baseball win streak stands at 33, and the amazing Joe Farina streak (which includes football and wrestling) reached 69 consecutive games. Central (4-2) came back from an 8-6 deficit in the final inning to top Northeast (5-2), and create a logjam for 2nd place in the division. GAMP (4-2) romped in an 18-6 win against Lincoln (0-6). GAMP will host Frankford and Northeast on consecutive days later this week. 
ON A VERY SAD NOTE:
   Andrew Farrell, a first baseman and pitcher for the 2001 Washington Eagles that finished the regular season with a 14-0 record, passed away this weekend, after a lengthy illness. Andrew was always the life of the party, and will always be remembered as one of the most popular Eagle players ever. Andrew's viewing is Thursday morning, from 9-10:30 at Givnish Funeral Home on Academy Road, near Archbishop Ryan, and the Mass will be at St. Anselm, in Parkwood, at 11 am.

APRIL 15
NO BASEBALL AGAIN!
   This is what I've been reduced to...writing a column of just ramblings, since there hasn't been any baseball to cover in these parts for quite some time now. A column of ramblings - sounds like a bad Seinfeld episode. Well, here goes.
QUICK UPDATE
   When baseball was actually played, Northeast started 4-0 and Frankford at 3-0, and a possible Andrew Lihotz-Joe Farina rematch was postponed until this Saturday. The Vikings have gottten key contributions from a freshman, Joe Breitweiser, and sweet-swinging soph Seth Shapiro, to compliment the juniors and seniors. Frankford's jr 2B Carlos Rosado is starting to get the attention of the other coaches and players in the division. You can't ramble about Frankford and not mention Joe Farina. He is in the process of completing a spectacular high school career, and Ted's recent DN article about Joe captured what makes him special. GAMP has struggled early in previous seasons, but this spring (pre-monsoon era) they were off to a 3-1 start. Central's Brandon Watson continues to emerge as a team leader. Washington is 1-2, losing a pair of close, road games vs Northeast (extra innings) and Frankford. Edison's Mathew Padro has already stroked 2 doubles and a homer. Rounding out Division A are Bartram and Lincoln with a combined 0-7 record, allowing an alarming 14 runs per game. Special mention to Kensington's Carlos Rivera and Ricardo Feliciano (combined 7 doubles, 3 triples), and Josh Williams' clutch hitting and pitching. When the sun returns and the fields semi-dry out, all teams will be playing 3 games a week for at least 3 weeks, so teams with deep pitching staffs will no doubt have the edge, especially in light of the PIAA inning restrictions. Should be a lot of fun watching the coaching staffs tracking their pitchers' innings.
KUDOS TO HUCK
   Congratulations to ted-dot-com's Ed "Huck" Palmer for "Huck's Fantasy City Tourney 2004." The 32-team tournament was great reading, and made me forget about Billy Packer. Although the Public League finished a disappointing 8-15 in the tourney in Huck's head, Gratz did reach the Final Four, losing to eventual champ, Penn Charter. Good luck, Huck, because  it seems you're now going to have to run one every season!
LAST MENTION OF BAD WEATHER
  Big deal! So, the high school teams from California, Florida and Texas play year-round in good weather, while the Delaware Valley teams have a very limited window of opportunity to play. Hey - it builds good character! Here is my curse to get the bad weather the huck out of here, it is a partial All-Weather Team. First Base-JT Snow, pitchers Josh Fogg and David Weathers, outfielder Curt Flood, and this season's MVP, Tim Raines, and for the T-ball generation, Tim Raines, Jr. Special mention to Hannah Storm...why not? Please send me any of your additions to round out this team! See you at the fields!!!

MARCH 29
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 5, Washington 2
   The Frankford Pioneers continued their winning ways with a 5-2 win over a stubborn Washington team. Joe Farina won his second start of the season: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, 109 pitches. The senior righty was in top form in the first four innings, allowing only a pair of 2-out singles, with 6 K on a very economical 49 pitches. He appeared to tire in the final 3 innings and even committed a pair of throwing errors leading to the Eagles' two runs. But you know what, a tiring Farina is still better than any fresh pitcher in The Pub. Washington starter jr RHP Marc Tankel looked like he was in for a long afternoon, after yielding leadoff singles to jr CF Andrew Bracero and jr 2B Carlos Rosado in the home first. Farina, who feasted on Washington pitching last season, then picked up right where he left off with a booming RBI double to deep left-center. Tankel was able to work out of that inning, stranding the bases loaded. In the second inning, it was sr SS Cory Shaeffer's turn to contribute. Although Frankford could never replace the savvy and talents of star players Matt Colon and Carlos Rivera from last year's championship team, Shaeffer is ready to step up and give Farina and the Pioneers a potent 1-2 punch. He earned All-Public honors last season in a very workmanlike and unassuming manner, playing in the shadows of the big 3 (Farina, Colon, Rivera). Cory contributed the key hit in this game, a 2-out, 2-run double in the 2nd, giving Frankford a 3-0 lead. Carlos Rosada then jumped on a 1-0 pitch leading off the fourth with a solo blast onto Kenwyn Street, giving the Pioneers a 4-0 lead. Fortunately, no cars or pedestrians were injured. Steamrolling through last regular season with a 13-0 record, the Pioneers outscored their opponents 143-24 (avg. margin of victory, 9.2 runs!!!), and played only 4 close game (Lincoln twice, Northeast and Central). Washington did hang tough in this game. Trailing only 4-2 in the top of the 6th, the Eagles had runners on the corners with one out, but Farina survived by inducing a pair of infield outs. The Pioneers closed out the scoring with a run on three hits against jr RHP Mike Werb, making his varsity pitching debut. Farina fanned the side in the 7th inning, as the Pioneers recorded their 20th consecutive win overall, and their 30th straight win in regular season games.
SUNSCREEN, PLEASE
   Frankford coach Bob Peffle thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of taking his squad south for spring training this year. The Pioneers spent a week in Cocoa Beach, Florida, getting in some quality practice time and playing against top teams from around the country. "I have a great group of guys, and we all enjoyed our time there. We worked hard, but it was really an educational trip for everyone. A lot of our guys have never been out of Philly," Peffle said. He expressed thanks to Washington coach Max Bilkins for getting him interested in Florida. The Eagles once again went to Cocoa Beach, and faced a nationally ranked team from Cleveland, Tennessee. The players and coaches even found the time to take in a Phillies-Braves exhibition game at Cracker Jack Stadium on the Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee. Fittingly, Frankford and Washington met on their next to last day of trip, as the Pioneers won 4-0.
NOTABLES IN THE CROWD
   Frankford always turns out and supports their team at home games, and among the boosters was star pitcher Dave Firth, a 2002 graduate. Dave now pitches for Philadelphia U. Also in attendance was former All-Public great RJ Farina,  who is a proud big brother. RJ and Joe actually had a chance to play together last summer for Frankford of the Pendel League. And of course, as any team Joe is associated with lately, they won the championship. "Because of our six-year age difference, we never had the opportunity to play on the same team," R.J. said after winning the championship. "It's really cool to play with Joe." On the Washington side was Craig Mullen, a 2001 grad, who is currently working for the Phillies. Craig can't wait to watch baseball at Citizens Bank Park this season.
ON A SERIOUS NOTE
   Andrew Farrell, a teammate of Craig Mullen and assistant coach Jay Welte, and one of the most popular Eagle players ever, continues to fight the good battle from his hospital bed. All of our thoughts and prayers are with you, Andrew!

MARCH 25
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 8, Washington 7   (9 Innings)
   It seems every Northeast and Washington baseball game lately has turned into a battle. Such was the case when the Vikings outlasted the Eagles scoring in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by sr Joe Buchanan, who also picked up the win with 3.1 innings of shutout relief. This game joins the ever growing Northeast-Washington archives as an instant classic. For a very early season game, these two teams fought each other with playoff intensity. Lead changes, clutch hits, outstanding defense, this game had more than its share of peaks and valleys. When Northeast eliminated GW in the semifinals last season, Vikings coach Sam Feldman's starting pitcher was Craig Solomon, and not the staff ace, Andrew Lihotz. Solomon held Washington at bay in that game until he yielded to Lihotz in the 4th inning. game, who closed out the 11-5 win. Solomon, now a senior, again took the ball this time out. After struggling in the first and yielding a 3-run blast by GW jr LF Matt Yankowitz, Solomon settled in and effectively kept the Eagles off the board. He departed after 5 innings. Feldman planned to only get 5 out of Craig, and keep him fresh for an upcoming start in front of a college scout. Parents and players often don't realize what coaches should do if they really care about their players. Nice goin', Sam! Northeast got three solo home runs on the day from freshman DH Joe Breitweiser, and seniors Dan McGill and Jason Zitman. With GW trailing in the 6th, sr 2B Adam Eisman delivered in the clutch for a 2-run double down the right field line, as the Eagles took a short-lived 7-5 lead. Northeast tied it in the home 6th on RBI doubles by their senior leaders, Bryan Adamson and Lihotz. It remained scoreless until the 9th when Buchanan ripped the winning hit to deep right. Although there was plenty of offense, the star of the game was soph RF Seth Shapiro. All he did was make two circus-like catches in right that probably deprived Washington of 5 runs. Hey Seth, go tell Solomon he owes you at least one happy meal, and probably two!!
WEB GEMS
Besides Shapiro, another outstanding defensive performance was turned in by GW's Eisman. He showed his range on ground balls and bloop pop-ups, and also delivered at the plate. Unfortunately for Adam and the Eagles, his long fly that Shapiro caught with the bases loaded and two outs, was ticketed for a 3-run double.
FRIENDLY FOES
These two rivals always get pumped to play each other, and in the past there has been some negative feelings. However, since last season there have been a number of opportunities for these rivals to actually play on the same team in other competitions, and a lot of friendships were formed. During the 8-7 win, both teams played hard, and at least a couple of players from each team told me afterwards that it was actually a lot of fun to play in. Refreshing! That's the way it's supposed to be, isn't it? Too often fun gets lost in baseball at the high school level. Maybe it's possible to even perform better when you're not stressed, and are just out there playing hard and having fun.
REUNION
Members of the 2003 Somerton Junior Legion team included Northeast's Seth Shapiro and jr C Brandon O'Malley and GW jr SS/P Marc Tankel. O'Malley was one of six Public Leaguers who competed for the Philadelphia Metro team in the 2003 Keystones Games in Wilkes-Barre last August. NE teammate Bryan Adamson was on the team and even shaved his head after a big come-from-behind win against the Nittany Region team. Also on that squad was Andrew Lihotz and Washington sr 1B/P Eric Seidman. The other Public Leaguers were Frankford's Cory Shaeffer and Germantown's Brandon Cuff. There was one other venue for many of these players to showcase their talents. The Northeast Philly Developmental League was formed by myself and my son Eric to allow players to continue after the varsity season ended. To our happy surprise, in the 18 NPDL games played, we had 68 players participate, representing 19 schools from The Pub, Catholic League and the suburbs. In the NE-Washington game just played, no fewer than 17 players performed in the NPDL. For an interesting perspective on the league, check out Eric's column at      http://www.newsgleaner.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=2340&dept_id=488594&newsid=10111574&PAG=461&rfi=9   
GOIN' BACK HOME
Great to see former GW players at the road game as Harry Parfitt, Steve Kern, Argyris Niamnoitas and Billy Coles were there for support. Parfitt is practicing and redshirting for the Delaware Valley College team. Kern and Niamnoitas are matriculating at Temple, and Coles, well what can I say about Billy...he went to the season opener against Bartram, and had to leave early. As he left, the Eagles had a 6-run inning. At Northeast, he again left early and the Eagles had a 3-run 6th. Hey Billy, make sure you go to Monday's game at Frankford, but don't worry if you have to leave in the top of the first. You know I'm kiddin Colesie!
ONE FINAL NOTE
Washington next faces Frankford, winners of 29 consecutive regular season games, and the defending champions. The Eagles also host Lincoln, travel to Edison, and play Cheltenham in a non-league game this week.

MARCH 23
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 12, Bartram 2
   Just a few days removed from the final snowstorm of winter, the George Washington High Eagles opened their 2004 baseball season with a win over cross-town rival Bartram, 12-2. Junior RHP Marc Tankel settled down after the first inning and went the distance in the 5-inning game shortened by the mercy rule. The Maroon Wave jumped on Tankel in the first inning with a leadoff single by fr 2B James Allie, a long RBI double to left by sr RHP Andrew Brown and a single by sr SS Jason Mink. Tankel stranded runners at second and third by fanning sr LF Gerry Rogers and sr CF John Whipple. In the bottom of the first, Tankel helped his cause with a sacrifice fly scoring jr 2B Adam Eisman, who reached on an infield single. Eisman stole second and went to third on the first of three singles by sr 3B Ken Radziak. However, just like Bartram, GW stranded runners at second and third. Tankel settled in after that, as evidenced by his pitch count. He threw 26 pitches in the first, but only 50 over the final 4 frames. Washington's offense which collected 12 hits on the day, was jump started in the second inning by sr 1B Eric Seidman's single, a walk to rookie sr DH Drew Gniewek, and a 2-run single by All-Public sr CF Brian Morgan. Morgan came in to score a double to the gap by Eisman, running the score to 4-1. The Eagles put an end to the festivities with a 6-run fifth inning, highlighted by RBI singles by jr LF Matt Yankowitz and jr C Justin Presley, and a game-ending 2-run double by Seidman.
MERCY, MERCY
The top three teams in the division from last season, won by a combined score 32-2. Besides GW's win, defending champion Frankford beat GAMP 10-0, and Northeast bested Edison 11-0. Frankford's victory runs their regular season winning streak to 28 games. The Pioneers overall winning streak, including playoffs is now at 18 games.
UNOFFICIAL ERRORS       
Even though Washington was charged with no errors in the game, Billy Coles, last season's catcher who graduated, was charged with one error and defensive indifference on foul balls out of play, that were well within his reach. Coles did lead the Public League in sideline decible level last season.
GETTING THEIR FEET WET
GW players making their varsity debut were juniors Chris Zervoudis, Jason Charney, Mike Werb, Bill Jamieson and Anthony O'Donnell, and the old man himself, senior Drew Gniewek.
ARCH RIVALS
Washington has only 24 hours to enjoy their season opening win, as they travel to Northeast for a game tomorrow (Wed., March 24). Although the Eagles have won their last 3 regular season meetings, they lost to the Vikings in each of the last two seasons in the semifinals. Last season, the Eagles won in the regular season by scores of 7-0 and the infamous "Northeast Philly No Defense Bowl," 24-23.

MARCH 16
PRE-SEASON PREVIEW
   It's a pleasure to be back with Randy's Ramblings for the third season covering Public League Baseball. I guess I need to get used to calling it District XII. Nah, I think I'll stick with "The Pub" for now. It should be a competitive season, with a lot of questions to be answered.
Who's going to beat Frankford and Farina?
Super CF Matt Colon is gone. So is flame thrower Carlos Rivera. But when you still have Joe Farina on your side, there is a decided advantage. Everybody knows by now that Farina has been on championship teams in every sport since pre-school. SS Cory Schaeffer looks like he's ready to have a banner season. Coach Bob Peffle is one of the best around, and until somebody can beat the Pioneers, they have to considered a preseason favorite.   
Can Northeast's seniors finally win the title on their third try?
Coach Sam Feldman has a ton of experience at Cottman and Algon this season. Lefty Andrew Lihotz continues to be among the best in The Pub. Bryan Adamson is primed to have a monster year, and could challenge Farina for MVP honors. Craig Solomon gained valuable pitching experience as a junior last season. As Donovan McNabb put it "the window is closing," and this could be Northeast's year.
Can Washington get over the hump and make the finals?
Over the last two seasons, only Frankford had a better record than Washington. The Eagles came up short both times in the seims against Northeast. The graduation of emotional leader Dennis Massott and ace lefty Harry Parfitt leaves a void. But GW still has Brian Morgan, the All-Public CF who has started every game as a soph and junior. It should be fun to watch the blossoming talents of jr SS/RHP Marc Tankel this season. Good news for coach Max Bilkins, Tankel's only a junior. But please GW, no 24-23 games this season!  
Will Central's team experience be the difference?
The Lancers were a young squad in 2002. They were young again in 2003. In 2004, they're all grown up and ready to make noise in the division. Coach Bob Barthelmeh's team boasts 8 seniors. C Ron Daukaus is the type of player and leader every coach wants to have on his team. 3B Kurt Haberle appears ready for a breakout season, and lets not forget about last season's pitching sensation, jr Andrew Reynolds. Do you think he's getting tired of being called Harry Potter yet?
Can Rick Bates and Lincoln get back to the Final Four?
Second year Lincoln coach John Larsen's team was the only one to hang tough with Frankford in both of their meetings in 2003. Larsen has a stud in Rick Bates, who was an All-Pub cathcer last season. He'll log a lot of innings on the mound this season. Lincoln has been so close in recent years, and optisim is riding high for the Railsplitters this season. Lost to graduation: 2B/P Shane O'Connor.
What tricks does GAMP coach Art Kratchman have up his sleeve to replace Malatino and Caines?
What a delight to watch Art Kratchman get the most out of his players year in and year out. He tries to take every advantage, and he'll need to do another masterful job this season. Mario Malatino is now pitching for Gwynedd Mercy College. Pepper-pot rah-rah type Anthony Caines will be missed as well as David Scirotto. Those three were very instrumental in GAMP's improbable championship run in 2002. Looking back on it, they were the Saint Joseph's Hawks of 2002. Vinny Evangelista already has two years of experience as he enter his junior season.
Will Bartram show a concerted effort to make it to the middle of the pack?
Coach Dennis Sheedy's Maroon Wave always seem to be a fighting an uphill battle aginst the top teams in the division. But Bartram has played well at times, highlighted by a road win against Washington last season. All-League CF Randall Eggleton is now at Millersville University.
Will Edison's return to the division be a factor at all?
Coach Larry Oliver and Edison return to Division A after a one year absence. Their classic battles with Olney in Division B last season proved they had the winner's mentality. Whether or not it will make a difference stepping up in division remains to be seen.