2008 Diamond Notes

Jamie Moyer (Allentown Wings) signed a two year contract with the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Moyer went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA and led the Phillies in victories in 2008. The 46 year-old Moyer finished the seaon with 246 career wins, which is tied for 47th on Major League Baseball's all-time list. With the retirement of Greg Maddux and Mike Mussina, Moyer now moves up to third on the list of active pitchers in career wins. In other news Bobby Brownlie (NJ Colts) and Brad Eldred (Jersey City Colonels) have signed Minor League contracts with the Washington Nationals and have been invited to big league Spring Training.

Jeff Sues (NJ Colts) and Joe Martinez (Jersey Pilots) were recently added to Major League 40 man rosters. Sues was named Pirates' Minor League Pitcher of the Year after recovering from labrum surgery that kept him out in 2006 and most of 2007. The former Vanderbillt RHP made 37 appearances between Lynchburg (High A) and Altoona (AA) and posted a 4-2 record with three saves and a 3.22 ERA. In 64 innings he struck out 72 with 26 walks. Martinez made 27 starts for the Giants AA Connecticut Defenders while striking out 112 in 148 innings with only 37 walks. His record was 10-10 with an ERA of 2.49 and opponents average of .236. The former Boston College RHP was a 12th round pick in 2005 while Sues went in the 5th round to the Pirates.

The Middle Atlantic Major League Baseball Scouts Association honored ACBL President Tom Bonekemper with the Service to Baseball Award on Saturday at its 18th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Maryland. MASA Secretary Alex Smith, former Scranton Red Soxx All-Star and current Washington Nationals scout, presented the award in recognition of Tom's outstanding contributions and service to baseball. Joe "Spanky" McFarland of James Madison University received the College Coach of the Year Award. John Barr (special assistant to the GM ,Giants) and Gene Kerns (Eastern Supervisor for the Atlanta Braves) were inducted into the MASA Hall of Fame. In other news, two former New York Generals were recently appointed to high level scouting positions.Tom McNamara was named Director of Amateur Scouting for the Mariners while Ray Montgomery will be the Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting for the Brewers.

The 2008 World Series will be of special interest to many ACBL fans. Joe Maddon (Scranton Red Soxx) and Jamie Moyer (Allentown Wings) both have key roles for the Rays and Phillies respectively. Maddon, a Hazleton,PA. native, played for the Red Soxx while attending Lafayette College and signed with the Angels as a free agent catcher in 1975. He played three seasons of A ball and spent 31 years in the Angels' organization until November 2005 when he was named manager of Tampa Bay. Moyer, the pride of Souderton,PA, posted a 5-2 record with two saves for the 1983 championship Wings while attending St. Joseph's University. This year Jamie topped the Phillies with 16 wins and now has 246 career wins. The 45 year old LHP will make his first World Series start in Game 3 on Saturday. Jamie is looking forward to winning the World Series and recalls that he received his parents' permission to skip school and attend the Victory Parade on October 22, 1980 when the Phillies won their only World Series.

A sign on the outfield fence at Cubeta Stadium in Stamford proclaims that Stamford is the "baseball capitol (sic) of the world." But the city has produced only two big-league players. And one of them, Johnny Scalzi, for whom Scalzi Park is named, got into only one game for the old Boston Braves and to bat only once, where he struck out. The other, of course, is Bobby Valentine, who became a career major league player and manager. That, of course, demonstrates clearly how difficult it is to make it to baseball's major leagues. Darryl Brinkley was supposed to have been the third player from Stamford to make it, and deservedly so, when he was called up by the Baltimore Orioles in September of 2001, after an outstanding season that included stints with two teams in the high-caliber Mexican League and nine games with Rochester of the Triple-A International League, where he batted .306. By then, the former Stamford High basketball star had hit over .300 during nine of his 10 seasons in professional baseball in seven countries, yet, inexplicably, never had made it to the big leagues. Grounded The eventual call-up, however, could not have come at a worse time. Brinkley, his minor league season done, was vacationing with friends in Brisbane, Australia, when Sid Thrift, the general manager of the Orioles, phoned his home to tell him to report to the Orioles on Sept. 10, 2001. By the time Brinkley's wife, Gail, reached her husband, terrorists had attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11 and, with flights grounded, Brinkley was stranded in Australia. "By the time I got back to the states several days after the attack, the Orioles no longer needed me," Brinkley said recently before leaving for Cordoba, Mexico, to spend three months playing in the Mexican League after having already batted .351 with the Calgary Vipers of the independent Golden League and then playing for two weeks with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League. Since the call-up to The Show, as minor league players refer to the big leagues, which Brinkley was not able to make, he has continued his remarkable career, batting well over .300 — the goal of virtually every position player — every season and becoming the only minor, or major, league player to bat .400 in 2007, which he achieved with Calgary when he was named Player of the Year in the Northern League, a strong independent circuit. Though he has good reason to be embittered at having been overlooked for so long, Brinkley has no regrets, nor does he manifest any bitterness. "Although I'm still playing well and hitting over .300, I realize that, at 42 (baseball records, which often make players years younger than they are, list him as being 38) I'm no longer a prospect, but I'll keep playing until something like a good coaching job comes along." 'It's not easy ...' After spending two seasons playing in Holland and one in Italy, Brinkley has, during 18 professional seasons, played in Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, South Korea and Puerto Rico. "It's not easy being away from my family for so long, although my wife has joined me occasionally," said the outgoing and affable Brinkley, who now lives in Norwalk. "I also miss my son Darryl Junior playing football at Westhill High. That hurts." Mike DeAngelo, who managed Brinkley in the old Twilight League in Stamford two decades ago, is incredulous that Brinkley has never made it to the big leagues. "Darryl is a tremendous all-round player who can do it all, but who seems to have been a victim of circumstances," said DeAngelo, a longtime baseball scout. "Some people might assume that he hasn't made it because of a bad attitude, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. He's a good guy and doesn't cause any trouble." DeAngelo himself tried to get scouts interested in Brinkley after he batted an awesome .529 as a senior at Sacred Heart University. That was a few years after Brinkley hit what may have been the longest home run ever in Stamford. "During an American Legion game, Darryl hit a tremendous shot at Trinity Catholic which his coaches, Jack Gross and Bobby Darling, and me later measured at 585 feet," said George Ducanic, who was the general manager of Brinkley's team. Even Mickey Mantle did not hit them that far. Despite those feats, "No one showed any interest," DeAngelo said. "Finally Eddie Pikor, who also had managed Darryl in the Twilight League, got him on a roster in Holland in 1991, and he's done well every where he's been since then." 'Joe, who?' That would include Italy, where in 1993 one of baseball's greatest all-time players told Brinkley that he was good enough to play in the big leagues. "I was playing in Rome when Joe DiMaggio came to town to sign autographs and to throw out the first ball at one of our games," the 5-foot, 11-inch, 200-pound Brinkley said. "I didn't realize he had stayed for our game, and when it was over he came over to me and said, 'What are you doing here? You should he playing at a high level back in the states.' Naturally, I was thrilled to hear that from Joe DiMaggio, especially since I've always been a Yankee fan. After that, I called my wife at home and told her what Joe DiMaggio said to me, and she said, 'Joe, who?' And I said I was going to take his advice and go home, but Gail told me not to do it since I didn't have a team to go to in the states." Eventually, Brinkley spent three full seasons at the Triple-A level (one notch below the big leagues) — two with Nashville in the Pacific Coast League, where he batted over. 300, and one with Rochester in the International League, where he made the all-star team, and where he hit .355 during part of one season. Such numbers usually guarantee a player a berth in The Show. "I know I've been better than a lot of players I've seen called up, and I've had at least one big-league manager tell me that," said Brinkley, one of the few high school basketball players in Stamford to score more than 1,000 points. "But there's nothing I can do about it except to keep playing well. And I'm not going to complain because I've done well financially and I've seen a lot of the world." Brinkley's wife, who has visited him in Italy and Venezuela, among other places during the baseball season, said she and her son miss her husband during his long absences, both summer and winter, in far-away places. "But I understand what he's' doing," Gail Brinkley said. "He's still chasing a dream."

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Jack Cavanaugh, a Stamford native, is a veteran journalist, author and writing professor at Fairfield University. His latest book, "Giants Among Men" was published this week. Cavanaugh writes a twice-monthly column for The Advocate.

by Ken Mandel / MLB.com NEW YORK -- There are days, Jamie Moyer says, that he feels "beyond" his 45 years. There just aren't many. "Most of the time, I feel like I'm in my 30s," Moyer said. "I don't know what it feels like to be 46, 47, 48 yet, but I know I feel good now. I'm having fun being in a pennant race." For a guy who swears by the mantra of not getting too high or low during a 162-game season, Moyer was as giddy as he'll allow himself to be on Sunday afternoon. In Game 142, the lefty brought his patient, consistent brand of pitching to Shea Stadium, and he pitched the Phillies to a 6-2 win over the Mets to move the club within a game of first place in the National League East. Moyer limited the Mets to just two infield hits in seven shutout innings. Click here to read the complete story

by Dick Kaegel / MLB.com DETROIT -- The best thing about Mike Aviles' fledgling career in the Majors is this: After three months, he's still going strong. Check it out. His batting average is .324, highest among Major League rookies. A nine-game hitting streak, during which he was 15-for-37 (.405), ended just Wednesday night. Aviles has been batting leadoff, and his on-base percentage is .351 -- tied for the club high. And he's been playing shortstop quite well, thank you. Not bad stuff for a 27-year-old rookie who wasn't even on the 40-man roster in Spring Training, was pegged as a utility-type player and was shuffled off for his third season with Triple-A Omaha. Now Aviles is making it all look so easy at the Major League level. Click here to read the complete story

Former New York General scout liaison Frank "Buddy" Paine passed away peacefully at the age of 63 on August 22, 2008 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Buddy started as a little league coach and then became a high school and college coach. Ultimately he became a scout with the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and currently the Pittsburgh Pirates. Buddy was a supporter of the ACBL and his sense of humor and keen judgment of baseball talent will be missed by all of his friends in the ACBL.

Two veterans - Greg Maddux and Jamie Moyer - dueled each other, but in the end, Pat Burrell's solo home run won it for the Phillies. Click here to read the complete article Article is coutesy of Major League Baseball and the author Ken Mandel.

By: Jason Ogle The Kutztown Rockies used strong pitching and a balanced offensive attack to defeat the Hampton Whalers last night 8-2 at Timothy M. Breidegam Field. With the win, the Rockies won their third straight ACBL Championship. The last ACBL team to win three straight championships was the Allentown Wings, who achieved the feat from 1978-1980. It was the visiting Whalers (22-22) that were looking to pull the upset, and they jumped on Rockies’ starter Casey Lawrence (Albright) early. Centerfielder Karl Derbacher (Southern Conn State), right fielder Alan Parks (UNC Charlotte) and catcher Chris Walker (Fordham) led off the game with three straight singles, with Walker plating Derbacher. Third baseman Mark Houck (Peru State) added an RBI groundout to give the Kaiser Division Champions a 2-0 lead. The Wolff Division Champion Rockies (28-16) got a run back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single by Matt Cotellese (West Chester). John Schultz (Pitt) reached on an error to start the inning and moved to third on a single by Chris Sedon (Pitt). However, Sedon was thrown out trying to take second, which left Schultz at third with two outs. Cotellese delivered to cut the Whalers’ lead in half. After Lawrence got tagged for two runs in the first, he was dominant the rest of the game. He pitched six innings while giving up two runs on six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. The only other trouble that he ran into was in the fifth inning when the Whalers got the first two runners on. Lawrence was helped by a diving catch from right fielder Dean Laganosky (Haverford) and then recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. The Rockies added single runs in the second, third, and fifth innings, to increase their lead to 5-2. Second baseman Tony Capozzi (Army) had an RBI single in the second, and Chris Miller (Mansfield) delivered RBI singles in the third and fifth innings. The Rockies added some insurance in the eighth inning. Laganosky reached on an infield single and then moved to second on an error by the third baseman. Kevin Miller (Shippensburg) followed with a single and a stolen base to put runners at second and third with no outs. After a Capozzi strikeout, third baseman Matt Young (Mansfield) lined a two-run single just inside the third base bag to give the Rockies a 6-2 lead. Schultz followed with a single and then Sedon crushed a two-run homer to dead center to provide the Rockies with their final margin of victory. Reliever Adam Maini (Lackawanna) came on to pitch the final three innings to get the save. He allowed only one hit and struck out two. Maini became a very strong part of the Rockies’ pitching staff after spending most of the season injured with two broken feet. All of the Rockies starters had at least one hit. Cotellese was 3-for-5 with one RBI and two runs scored. Sedon was 2-for-5 with two runs driven in. The Miller brothers went a combined 5-for-7 with five singles, two runs scored, two stolen bases, and two RBIs. Andrew Guarrasi (New York Tech) took the loss for the Whalers, giving up four runs on 10 hits in five innings. Derbacher was 2-for-5 with two singles, while Parks was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored. In last year’s title game, the Rockies defeated the Long Island Mustangs 5-2 and won the title in 2006 after an ACBL record 33-6 campaign. Hampton Whalers 200 000 000 -- 2 7 3 Kutztown Rockies 111 010 04x -- 8 15 0 WP: CASEY LAWRENCE (3-1) LP: ANDREW GUARRASI (4-3) S: ADAM MAINI (2)

By Tim Shoemaker | Special to The Morning Call Vin Avella hit two home runs in his first 107 at-bats for the Lehigh Valley Catz this season. He needed only three swings over four innings Wednesday night to double that total. Avella hit a three-run home run in the first inning and another to cap a five-run fourth to power Lehigh Valley to a 14-3 win over the Kutztown Rockies at Breidegam Park to tie the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League Wolff Division playoff series at one win apiece. Kutztown (25-16) and Lehigh Valley (27-13) will play for the Wolff Division title at 7 tonight at Palmer Township's Hackett Park. The winner will host Kaiser Division champion Hampton in Saturday's championship game. The Rockies have won the last two ACBL titles. The Catz won their only championship in 2003. The momentum has swung substantially to Lehigh Valley. Even though the series is tied, the Catz have outscored Kutztown 20-4 over the 15 innings since the Rockies took an 8-1 lead in the first game before hanging on for an 8-7 win. Kyle Morrison, Avella's roommate and teammate at Wagner, set the tone defensively with 10 strikeouts and only three hits allowed over seven innings. Morrison had the luxury of pitching with a lead from the start. For that, he can thank Avella, who knocked in Steve Gable (single) and Tim Morris (walk), with his three-run homer in the first. "I've been struggling a little bit," Avella said. "It felt good to get some runs on the board for the team." Lehigh Valley poured it on with 16 hits overall. Gable had two hits, Steve Nikorak of Stroudsburg had three hits and three runs scored and ninth-place hitter Pablo Rosario singled three times. "This is one of the best games I've pitched," Morrison said. "It's always good to pitch with a lead. They do have some very very good hitters. I just had to get ahead. "I knew our hitters were going to hit today. Hopefully this will carry over to [tonight's] do-or-die game." "This whole summer Kyle's been lights-out for us," Avella said. "The only time he struggles is when he falls behind ... He has the same mind-set every time he's out there, whether the situation is good or bad. He has a good plan." Catz manager Adrian Yaguez said it was important for his team to continue the scoring momentum it started in Tuesday night's loss. "That was critical," he said. "Once we get on a roll, it kind of gets contagious. We knew fighting the way we did, and with Kyle on the mound tonight, we would have a little focus, a little momentum and a little purpose. We jumped right out on them early, and kind of went from there." Lehigh Valley Catz 301 505 000 -- 14 16 1 Kutztown Rockies 002 000 010 -- 3 5 0 Morrison, Roach and Wallace. Mertz, Lebo (4), Buckler (5), Garcia (6) and Stumpo. HR: Vin Avella (1st, 2 on; 5th, 2 on). Tim Shoemaker is a freelance writer.

QUEENS, NY – The Hampton Whalers defeated the Metro NY Cadets 10-5 in Game One of the Kaiser Division Series on Monday night. The Whalers jumped out to an early lead as Karl Derbacher (Southern Connecticut State) reached on an error to start the game, followed by a single by Alan Parks (UNC-Charlotte). Chris Walker (Fordham University) drilled a double to center field, scoring both. Walker scored later in the inning on a wild pitch by Cadets starter Michael Vitale (Montclair State University). The Cadets marched right back in the bottom of the first as Harold Brantley, Jr. (University of Connecticut), Glen Johnson (Jacksonville State), Frank DiMasi (Long Island University), and Daniel Pembroke (Dowling College) all singled to score two runs and cut the deficit to 3-2. The Whalers added three more runs in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly by Evan Laude (Rhode Island) and a two-RBI double by Andrew Wernicki (Iona College). The Cadets scored two more runs to cut the deficit to 6-4. The Whalers added two more runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to increase their lead to 9-4, but the Cadets were not finished. Fueled by a solid relief performance by Tyler Bugna (Cecil CC), the Cadets attempted a late comeback as Brantley led off the ninth with a triple to right field, followed by a walk to Johnson. DiMasi then singled Brantley home. After Frank Esposito (Seton Hall University) walked to load the bases, closer Tim Therrian (Southern Maine) was summoned from the Whalers bullpen. Therrian retired the next three batters – two on strikeouts – to seal the victory and earn his first save of the post season. Brian Saldana (C.W. Post) picked up the win in relief for the Whalers, while Vitale suffered the loss for the Cadets. The Cadets head to Sag Harbor on Tuesday afternoon to face the Whalers in Game Two of the Kaiser Division Series at 5pm. With a Cadets win, both teams will head back to the campus of St. John's University and Jack Kaiser Stadium on Thursday night at 7pm for the deciding Game Three.

Cadet infielder Glen Johnson (Jacksonville) tied Tim Morris (St.John's) for the league lead in home runs on Friday evening when he hit his 3rd and 4th home runs of the season at Peekskill. The rising sophomore is the son of Howard Johnson, former Mets home run king, and was drafted by the Mets in the 36th round of the 2007 MLB draft. Sons of former big league players are not strangers to the ACBL. Last year Philip Valle, son of former Mariner catcher Dave Valle, played for the Long Island Mustangs. Other major leaguers who have had sons play in the ACBL include Ralph Kiner, Stan Palys, Larry Doby, Gil Hodges, Bill Dillman, Dave Lemanzyck, Bud Anderson, Buck Martinez, Garry Maddox, Terry Puhl and Paul Gibson.

With the final weekend of the regular season at hand, the ACBL playoff picture remains a work in progress. On Thursday night, the Metro NY Cadets earned two wins by winning one game. The Cadets 4-3 victory over the Jersey Pilots clinched a Kaiser Division playoff berth for them. It also made the completion of last Sunday's doubleheader against the Quakertown Blazers unnecessary. When play was suspended in the top of the sixth inning of the first game due to lightning and rain, the Blazers had just tied the game 3-3. Had the Cadets failed to record a win this week, they would have picked up where they left off with the Blazers and possibly needed to win both games to qualify for the postseason. Instead, Sunday's first game reverts back to the last completed half inning - the bottom of the fifth - where the Cadets led 3-2. Since the second game will not be made up, the Cadets also achieved percentage point supremacy, allowing them to clinch a bye in Sunday's first round and home field advantage in the upcoming Kaiser Division Series. Regardless of Friday's outcome against the Cadets, the Peekskill Robins will begin the postseason by heading out to face the Hampton Whalers on Sunday at 4pm in Sag Harbor. The winner advances to the Kaiser Division Series, and heads to Jack Kaiser Stadium at St. John's University on Monday night to play the Cadets at 7pm. The Lehigh Valley Catz have the best record in the entire ACBL, earning them a bye in the first round. The Catz will host the first game of the Wolff Division Series winner on Tuesday night at 7pm. The winner of the best of three Wolff Division Series will also have home field advantage for the 2008 Championship Game against the Kaiser Division Champion, by virtue of the Wolff Division's superior overall record this year. The Kutztown Rockies and Quakertown Blazers are set to play each other in the postseason, with the only question being where. The Rockies need only one win to earn the right to host the first game of the Wolff Division playoffs on Monday, and get two chances on Friday night against the last place Jersey Pilots. Should the Rockies drop both games, their next chance to clinch comes with a Blazers loss to the Catz on Saturday. Should the Blazers beat the Catz again (they won Thursday night 7-1), the Rockies would get a final chance to clinch when they face the Catz on Sunday in the final game of the ACBL regular season.

On Wednesday, Philadelphia tagged Tim Redding for five runs in the fifth inning before making an out en route to an 8-5 win over Washington at Nationals Park. Click here to view the entire article written by Ken Mandel

The ACBL would like to thank Major League Baseball and the professional scouts who contributed to the success of our 42nd annual All-Star Game at St.John's University on Monday night. Brian Porter, Specialist, Major League Operations, represented MLB while the following scouts were in attendance: Vache Bahadurian, Detroit Tigers Gil Bassetti, Baltimore Orioles Jim Bretz, San Diego Padres Chris Calciano, Boston Red Sox John Ceprini, Tampa Bay Rays John DiCarlo, San Francisco Giants Ed Fastaia, Milwaukee Brewers Hector Garcia, Cleveland Indians Scott Hunter, New York Mets David Kheel, Chicago White Sox Steve Markovich, New York Yankees Ed Mathis, Cincinnati Reds Greg Morhardt, Los Angeles Angels Koby Perez, St. Louis Cardinals Cesar Presbott, New York Yankees Wilmer Reid, Washington Nationals Frank Rendini, New York Yankees Sean Rooney, Kansas City Royals Marc Sauer, Oakland A's Chuck Schnabel, Philadelphia Phillies Dennis Sheehan, Kansas City Royals Pat Shortt, Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau

The Kaiser Division will hold it's Major League Baseball Scout Day today, July 29th. The event will take place at Hofstra University beginning at 10am this morning.

By Brett Mauser Sag Harbor - One blip in the field, one misplaced pitch and it's over. A hit, an error, a walk, a hit batsman, any will derail a pitcher's chance at perfection. Hampton Whalers right-hander Phil Klein, unfortunately aware of being on the brink of history, knew full well he was walking a tightrope. Whalers right-hander Phil Klein threw just 71 pitches in setting down all 21 Cadet hitters. Having set down the first 20 hitters in the opening game of a doubleheader against Metro N.Y. on Sunday, the Youngstown State freshman took a deep breath and fired his 71st pitch to the plate. It exploded off the bat off Frank Esposito's bat at roughly the same speed at which it was delivered. When he managed to snare the hot shot back up the middle and threw to Andrew Wernicki at first for the out, the celebration was on at Sag Harbor's Mashashimuet Park. In sealing the Whalers' 8-0 victory, the 19-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, became the first Whaler in history to throw a perfect game. According to league vice president Tom Bonekemper, it's the first such feat in the modern era of Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, which dates back to 1977. Click here to read the complete story

The ACBL would like to thank the following scouts for their participation in the Wolff Division Scouts Day on Monday June 23 at Northampton Community College: Ed Fastaia (Brewers), David Kheel (White Sox), Brad Kohler (MLSB), Don Kohler (MLSB), Pete Leahy (Tigers), Bobby Malkmus (Indians), Steve Markovich (Yankees), Rich Pattrico (Indians), Wilmer Reid (Nationals) and Tom Taylor (Reds). Several managers and coaches also contributed to the success of this activity including Adrian Yaguez (Catz), Carey Nemeth (Catz), Erik Supplee (Catz), Jon Yeakel (Rockies), Doug Meiners (Rockies), Ross Trachtenberg (Pilots), Denny Robison (Blazers) and Dan Horoshock (Blazers).

By Aaron Fitt, Courtesy of Baseball America It starts in January with our voluminous College Preview issue. It continues through week after week of Top 25 Rankings, chats, podcasts, blog posts, Three Strikes and Top 25 Trackers. Baseball America's coverage of college baseball starts long before the College World Series. But this is what it all builds toward. Earlier this week we presented a statistical analysis of the CWS field and scouting reports on all eight teams. Here's one more look at the field before the action kicks off Saturday. Click here to view the entire article

Jamie Moyer (Wings) allowed only two hits over eight innings on a muggy Florida night as the division leading Phillies gained a crucial 3-0 victory over the Marlins. Moyer only walked one and did not allow a hit until Scott Olsen sliced a liner off Chase Utley's glove with one out in the sixth. The 45 year old lefty notched his seventh win of the season and number 237 for his career. In other MLB news Mike Aviles (Generals) hit his first big league home run, a two run shot to the left field seats, as the Royals defeated the Rangers 6-5. Aviles is now hitting .317 since being promoted from Omaha.

Mike Aviles returned home to the New York City area and responded well when he started at shortstop for the Kansas City Royals. The former Newburgh General shortstop lined a double to the right-field corner for his first big league hit in the second inning. In the fifth he doubled again, this time to left field and scored his first major league run on David DeJesus' single as the Royals ended their 11 game road losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Yankees. Aviles finished the night 2-for-3 in front of 20 to 30 fans from his home town of Middletown, New York.

Two former ACBL pitchers, Bobby Lanigan (Stars) and Pete Andrelczyk (Blazers) were among the first 150 selections in the MLB Amateur Draft on Thursday. The Minnesota Twins took Lanigan in the third round while Andrelczyk went to the Florida Marlins in the fifth round. This spring Lanigan started 11 games for Adelphi and finished the season with a 1.94 ERA in 79 innings. The 6' 4" right hander struck out 87 while allowing only 16 base on balls. In 2006 he posted a 2.92 ERA for the Long Island Stars in 25 innings. Andrelczyk was Coastal Carolinas' closer and was 6-1 with nine saves in 29 appearances for the Super Regional bound Chanticleers. In 2006 he was 3-1 for the Quakertown Blazers with a save in 22 innings.

The field at Lafayette was deemed unplayable for today�s game matching the LV Catz and Kutztown Rockies, due to the recent rain. No make-up date has been set as of yet.

Less than a week away from the Hampton Whalers’ Opening Day, Gardner “Rusty” Leaver is in a meeting, which leads into another meeting in another town later that day. He’s on the phone with politicians, school officials, his wife and his son, who is one of his players. The lines of communication are wide open today, they were open yesterday, and as he looks ahead to the first ever collegiate baseball team on the East End, they’ll be open tomorrow, too. Click here to read the entire article

Shortstop Mike Aviles (Newburgh Generals) was promoted to the Kansas City Royals after posting an impressive .336 average at AAA Omaha. The former Concordia infielder hit .323 for the Generals in 2001 and won the ACBL MVP Award. The Royals ended a 12-game slide on Saturday with a 4-2 victory over the Indians. The Royals have been going with a "shortstop-by-committee" approach since veteran Tony Pena is hitting only .156 and Esteban German has a .178 average. Hopefully Aviles will be able to provide some offensive spark for Kansas City as the 85th former ACBL player to play at the Major League level.

FIRST TEAM Seth Maness P (East Carolins, Catz) - Conference USA Robert Casal P (Caldwell, Cadets) - Central Athletic Collegiate Conference Stephen Pfeil P (Caldwell, Pilots) - CACC Adric Saxon OF (Caldwell, Pilots) - CACC Bobby Kay P (C.W. Post, Robins) - East Coast Conference Mike Bortz OF (East Stroudsburg,Blazers) - PA State Athletic Conference Eric Carmichael P (West Chester,Rockies) - PSAC Matt Cotellese OF (West Chester,Rockies) - PSAC Darin Gorski P (Kutztown, Rockies) - PSAC Chad Lightcap OF (Kutztown, Blazers) - PSAC Wes Carder INF (Muskingum, Robins) - Ohio Athletic Conference Brock Whiteman C (Muskingum, Robins) - OAC Nelson Gomez INF (Keystone, Robins) - North East Athletic Conference Ethan Guevin P (Carleton, Catz) - Minnesota IAC Evan Jones INF (Trinity, Catz) - Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Casey Lawrence P (Albright, Rockies) - Middle Atlantic Conference, Commonwealth Division Beau Ziegler P (Texas-Tyler, Blazers) - America Southwest Conference Dustin Harrington INF (ECU, Catz) - Conference USA Freshman Team SECOND TEAM Mark Angelo INF (Bucknell, Blazers) - Patriot League Logan Marshall DH (Lehigh, Catz) - Patriot League Ryan Smith P (Dartmouth, Mustangs) - Ivy League Vin DiBendetti OF (Felician, Pilots) - CACC Eddie Squeri INF (Dowling, Mustangs) - ECC Matt Young INF (Mansfield, Rockies) - PSAC Chris Miller OF (Mansfield, Rockies) - PSAC Travis Beausoleil INF (NCWesleyan,Catz) - USA South Atlantic Conference Dean Lagonosky OF (Haverford,Rockies) - Centennial Conference Chris Morrison P (Moravian,Catz) - Landmark Conference THIRD TEAM Carlos DelRosario OF (St. John's, Cadets) - Big East Conference Colin Barnathan INF (Dowling, Mustangs) - ECC Dan McDermott INF (STAC, Cadets) - ECC Jimmy Rivas OF (New Haven, Robins) - ECC Kyle Walker INF (C.W. Post, Whalers) - ECC HONORABLE MENTION Greg Folgia INF (Missouri, Blazers) - Big-12 Conference Steve Gable INF (Penn, Catz) - Ivy League Omar Velasquez P (Caldwell, Cadets) - CACC Blake Cover OF (Neb-Kearney,Robins) - Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Park Smith INF (Denison, Pilots) - North Coast Athletic Conference Mark Houck INF (Peru St. Whalers) - Midlands Collegiate Conference

Steve Nikorak (Catz) was tabbed Pitcher and Rookie of the Week in the Atlantic-10 Conference after winning two games in one week. The freshman righthander won in relief against Villanova and then took a no-hitter into the fifth and gave up only two singles in six shutout innings as Temple defeated St. Louis 5-0. Former ACBL players John O'Hara (Cadets) and Josh Vittek (Catz) were named Northeast Conference Pitcher and Player of the Week respectively. O'Hara limited Central Conn. St. to four hits and one earned run over eight innings in a 2-1 FDU victory. Vittek, a senior first baseman for Mount St. Marys, went 10-for-21 (.476) and slugged his league leading 14th and 15th home runs. Derek Gianakas (Robins,Pilots) and Nelson Gomez (Robins) were named to the NCAA D-III Mid-Atlantic Regional All Tournament Team. Gianakas has six RBI including a home run as Kean secured a spot in the D-III World Seies. Gomez batted .538 with four RBI. Matt Cotellese (Rockies) was named to the D-II North Atlantic Region All Tournament Team after hitting .444 (12-for-27) with two home runs and eight RBI.

Twelve ACBL players were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District baseball teams. Mark Angelo (Blazers, Bucknell), Brian Ernst (Rockies, Penn State), Steve Gabel (Catz, Penn), Kyle Higgins (Pilots, Monmouth) and Matt Maher (Robins, FDU) were selected to the District 2 first team. Blake Cover ( Robins, Nebraska-Kearney), Jonas Fester (Rockies, Johns Hopkins) and Brock Whiteman (Robins, Muskingum) were selected to College Division first teams. Nick Asselin (Robins, Boston College) and David Giammarasi (Rockies, Liberty) earned second team honors in the University Division while Derek Gianakas (Robins, Pilots, Kean) and Ethan Guevin (Catz, Carleton) were selected to the second team in the College Division. First team selections will be forwarded for Academic All-America honors.

ACBL players from the Rockies and Blazers dominated the recently selected 2008 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference All East Division conference teams. Six Rockies were selected to the all conference teams. Abe Yeakel (1B, Mansfield), Matt Cotellese (OF, West Chester) and Eric Carmichael (RP, West Chester) were named to the first team while Matt Young (2B, Mansfield), Chris Miller (OF, Mansfield) and Phil Rummel (SP, Kutztown) made the second team. Chad Lightcap (OF,Kutztown), Mike Bortz (OF, East Stroudsburg) and Darin Gorski (SP, Kutztown) represented the Blazers on the first team. Cotellese was also selected Player of the Year.

Posted by Mike Green When I first saw "Charles Chulk" on a list of Southern League ERA leaders in 2002, my mental image was of a schoolteacher, or perhaps an explorer, on the mound. Not quite right. Vinnie was, and is, young, eager and straightforward, with his front teeth sometimes protruding in front of his pursed bottom lip on the mound as he delivers the ball. Vinnie Chulk was selected by the Jays in the 12th round of the 2000 draft. He reported to Medicine Hat that summer, and started fairly effectively. He was converted to relief in 2001, and blew through Dunedin and Tennessee reaching Syracuse for a late August cup of coffee. In 2002, the organization moved him back to the rotation in Tennessee, and he responded with a fine year- 13-5 with a 2.96 earned run average, although his K rate dropped from 9 per 9 innings to 6 per 9 innings. Moved up to Syracuse in 2003, he was 8-10 with a 4.22 ERA, but a K rate over 7. In 2004, the organization moved him back to the bullpen to start the year and he pitched well over the first third of the season to earn a promotion to the Show. His major league career has had its ups and downs, but he has essentially been a solid middle reliever throughout, with a career line of 164 innings, 166 hits, 19 homers, 63 walks and 114 strikeouts and a 4.32 ERA. He's very tough on right-hand hitters, but is vulnerable to the longball, particularly from lefties. It's hard not to like Vinnie for his enthusiasm. He is off to a great start in San Francisco, and we wish him the best there and wherever he goes in baseball.

By Guest Columnist The general rule of thumb for drafting in the first round is 1/3 of players become studs, 1/3 become average major leaguers, and 1/3 are complete busts. At draft time, Craig Hansen seemed destined for the top 1/3. He had a fastball that could constantly reach the mid-90s and a slider that some scouts rated as an 80. By most accounts, Hansen was going to be the Red Sox closer by mid-2006. But after several weeks into 2008, Hansen is nowhere to be seen and fans are left asking why? Craig Hansen was a stud in college. His last season at St. Johns, Hansen posted a 1.68 ERA over 64.1 innings. He was striking out 11.89 batters per 9 innings and walking just 2.80. After this strong campaign, the Red Sox selected him 26th overall in the 2005 draft. He was sandwiched between top prospects Matt Garza and Colby Rasmus. Within that season, Hansen was up in Boston pitching down the stretch run. He only participated in 4 games and was less than impressive. At the time, most thought that he needed some more seasoning but could still contribute to the 2006 club. Hansen started the 2006 season in Portland. He only needed to pitch 11 innings before the Red Sox thought he was ready for AAA Pawtucket. At Pawtucket, Hansen pitched 36 innings with an ERA of 2.75. Once again, this was enough for the Red Sox to promote him to Boston where he struggled again. In 38 innings, Hansen posted a 6.63 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP. His strikeouts were down and walks were up. He just did not look the same. 2007 saw the Red Sox take a new approach with Hansen. Instead of rushing him from level to level, the Red Sox decided to let him have the whole season at Pawtucket. While it took a few months for the Red Sox to see any fruits of their labor, come July Hansen started to be himself again. In July, Hansen pitched 15 innings with a 1.80 ERA. He bettered that in August were he pitched 6.1 shutout innings. The Red Sox stood fast with the strategy did not promote him in September after the Paw Sox season was over. This may have been the best thing the Red Sox have done for his development since drafting him. Instead of joining the Red Sox, Hansen pitched in the Fall Instructional League and did very well. In 5 innings he struck out 8 batters and only walked one. Pitching against some of the best known prospects in baseball, this was a very encouraging several weeks. One important turning point may have been the surgery Hansen underwent this off-season. Hansen had surgery to correct his sleep apnea. It was believed that the sleep apnea was hindering his ability to rebound from game to game. As a reliever, there is nothing more important than the ability to recover after a night of pitching. While the surgery set his winter workout program back a few weeks, the surgery is proving to be well worth the time. As of Saturday morning, Hansen has pitched 9.1 shutout innings. He has allowed only 3 walks and 2 hits. Over that same time, he has struck out 10 batters and managed a 63% groundball rate. For Hansen, those last stats are the most important. He needs to be striking batters out and keeping the ball on the ground. That may seem elementary but it is especially important for Hansen. Now that the season is in full swing and the Red Sox have had a chance to look at everyone, they have to be asking themselves if Hansen is a better option than Mike Timlin or Julian Tavarez. Hansen is defiantly younger and cheaper than both. That being said, age and cost are not the only two factors in making personnel decisions. Experience and consistency are important, which Hansen has little of. Can the Red Sox expect much from Hansen this season? I believe so. Even when he has struggled, a good deal of that can be attributed to bad luck. He often suffers from an abnormally high BABIP and frequently his FIP is lower than his ERA. He is the type of pitcher that can have a strikeout percentage in the high 20s and a groundball percentage in the low 60s. While his slider may never live up to that 80 billing it had coming out of college, it is still a plus pitch. Like real estate, Hansen is all about location. If he can stay ahead in the count and work the strike zone he still has all the makings of a top flight setup man. Complementing him with Papelbon and Delcarmen, the Red Sox have a bullpen that can be strong for years to come. It is time for the Red Sox to give him another chance. Craig was recalled to the red sox on April 24th, 2008 to only be sent back down to minors following that night’s game. Casey Kotchman homered off Craig Hansen (0-1). Hansen was recalled before the game, then sent back to Triple-A Pawtucket afterward when the Red Sox called up Justin Masterson from Double-A Portland to start Thursday. "Once I let (the pitch) go, I knew I was guiding it," Hansen said. "And when you guide stuff, that's when you get hurt."

By Barry Svrluga - Washington Post Staff Writer Keep Orel Hershiser on hold for now, because we're far from historic territory, and John Lannan would have to repeat the performance from his past three starts not once, but twice more. Walter Johnson one day will have a statue outside Nationals Park, and 95 years ago, he didn't allow a run for 55 2/3 straight innings, so the District's major league mark is some five starts away as well. Kept in context, though, what Lannan is accomplishing now for the Washington Nationals could be as significant a development as this franchise has seen in three years. Yesterday, in his 11th major league start, Lannan shut out the Chicago Cubs over his seven innings, leading the Nationals to a 2-0 victory and their first series win since March 31-April 3 in Philadelphia. The most striking aspect about the performance, in which Lannan allowed four hits, walked four men and struck out three? Manager Manny Acta could consider it and say, quite honestly, "I've seen him better." Go back two starts, when Lannan (2-2) allowed a run in the first against the New York Mets, but then nothing else over six innings, walking nobody. Last week in Atlanta, he beat John Smoltz with seven shutout innings on the night Smoltz recorded his 3,000th strikeout. Add it up, and Lannan hasn't been scored upon in 19 consecutive innings. Hershiser's record of 59 straight shouldn't even be mentioned at this point. But what the Nationals are watching is the development of a pitcher drafted out of Siena College in 2005, the same draft that produced cornerstone third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Now, they have a 23-year-old who rose from Class A ball to the big leagues last season, one who may never return to the minors. "I'm learning every day," was Lannan's assessment after he lowered his ERA in five starts to 2.64, best among Washington starters. Lannan's teammates are learning about him as well. The Cubs entered yesterday with the National League's highest batting average at .285, yet he allowed them hits in just three innings. The Braves were right behind the Cubs (.283), yet Lannan allowed them only five singles. Only two NL teams strike out less frequently than New York, yet Lannan sat down 11 Mets. "That's three really good offenses in a row," right fielder Austin Kearns said. Lannan has been successful as much because of his approach as because of his pure repertoire, into which he's incorporated a slider. "He's got good enough stuff to attack people," Zimmerman said. But having such an arsenal and using it correctly are different things, as Jason Bergmann - a talented but struggling right-hander the Nationals sent to the minors this month -- shows. Take two situations from yesterday's game. The Nationals took a 2-0 lead off Cubs lefty Ted Lilly on two-out, RBI singles from Wily Mo Pena and Wil Nieves in the second. With the Nationals' offense unable to muster anything else, Lannan could have easily given it back. The first situation came in the fifth when -- with no outs, runners on first and second and Lilly at the plate -- Cubs second baseman Ronny Cedeno got caught too far off second. Nationals catcher Wil Nieves threw there, but Cedeno took off for third. Both runners advanced safely, creating a spot with runners on second and third with no outs. Lannan quickly struck out Lilly. But then, a mental error. Leadoff man Reed Johnson hit a bouncing ball toward Washington first baseman Nick Johnson. Lannan didn't cover the bag. "I don't even know what was going on in my head," he said. Cedeno froze at third. Reed Johnson was safe at first. The bases were loaded. Lannan's response: He got Ryan Theriot to hit a groundball over the mound, and alertly pulled back his glove. It bounced directly to shortstop Cristian Guzmán for the double play that ended the threat. The second moment came in the sixth, when Lannan, pitching without his best command, issued a leadoff walk. With one out, Kosuke Fukudome hit a line drive to left. Pena broke in on the ball, and it sailed over his head, an out played into a double. Again, there were runners on second and third with one out. "Just flush," Lannan said of how he deals with such situations. "It shows that he was able to put that someplace in his mind that it didn't bother him and affect what he's trying to do," pitching coach Randy St. Claire said. Instead, he got Mark DeRosa to tap a ball back to the mound. Lannan scooped it up, looked the runner back, and made the throw. He then induced a slow grounder to second from Cedeno. The gaffes were in the past, as was the Cubs' rally. "The winners, when you make a mistake, they don't let it bother them," General Manager Jim Bowden said. "They go to the next pitch. They put it behind them." Lannan's future, though, is squarely in front of him. "I'm having a ton of fun," he said. But five starts in a season, and 11 starts in a career, don't make a major league pitcher. "We're being cautious about it, about putting that pressure on the kid," Acta said. For now, Lannan is putting pressure on others. His next start comes Saturday against Pittsburgh. Nine more shutout innings, and he's more than halfway to Washington's greatest pitcher, Walter Johnson.

John Meadus (Cadets,Robins) was named Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Week after pitching FDU to a 4-0 victory over Wagner. The junior lefthander allowed only two hits in nine innings while striking out six and facing only four batters over the minimum. Tom Costigan (Generals) was selected MAAC Pitcher of the Week for his complete game shutout over Iona. During the week he pitched ten shutout innings and opponents were limited to a .216 average. Zach Calhoon (Catz) was named to the 2008 NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List. The Texas-San Antonio sophomore has posted nine saves in 17 appearances with a 1.96 ERA and opponents batting average of .179. Abe Yeakel (Rockies) was selected PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Week. The senior first baseman at Mansfield went 14-for-28 with five home runs and a slugging percentage of 1.071. He currently tops the PSAC in hits (79), average (.467), home runs (10), RBIs (55) and total bases (121). Adric Saxon (Pilots) has been named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Player of the Week. The Caldwell sophomore outfielder hit .478 (11-23) with a .913 slugging percentage which included three home runs. Nelson Gomez (Robins) earned Player of the Week in the North Eastern Athletic Conference by pounding seven hits and getting 10 RBIs as Keystone swept a doublheader.

By Alyson Footer / MLB.com DENVER -- With 3,060 hits and 291 home runs, Craig Biggio will undoubtedly be remembered first for his offensive contributions during his 20-year Major League career. But it's quite possible the veteran second baseman is as recognizable to those in his adopted home of Houston for his affiliation with the Sunshine Kids as he is for his on-field accomplishments. Less than a month after he said goodbye to baseball and hello to retirement, Biggio, one of the most celebrated players in Astros history, was given the highest off-the-field honor in baseball -- the 2007 Roberto Clemente Award. "I've often said ... that baseball is a social institution, and for those who really are into sport and understand it, we have enormous social responsibilities," Commissioner Bud Selig said during a press conference at Coors Field. "I hope all the young players in this sport will watch and follow this man's career, because he is what a Major League Baseball player should be, on and off the field." The Clemente Award recognizes the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team. It is named in honor of the former Pirates outfielder whose spirit and goodwill will always be remembered. Clemente died in a plane crash while attempting to transport relief supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua on Dec. 31, 1972. Biggio, the 2005 winner of the Hutch Award and the recipient of the 2006 "Heart and Hustle" Award, made it a hat trick this year, winning the top community service honor. Biggio was presented the Clemente Award during a pregame ceremony prior to Game 3 of the World Series in Denver. "To be part of this award and recipient this year, I am very humbled and grateful for this," Biggio said. "This is something that, as a Major League Baseball player, some of us get the opportunity to have an impact on the community. Some have a chance to have a real big impact on certain communities, and I know that I'm very grateful for my 20 years in Houston to be associated with the Sunshine Kids." Clemente's wife, Vera, and their sons, Luis and Roberto Jr., were part of the presentation, as they are every year. "Craig was the perfect guy to win the award. We are very proud of him," Roberto Clemente Jr. said. "Craig knows the history of the game and he knows about Dad, what Dad stood for. He cares like Dad did." Added Vera Clemente: "My sons and myself, we are very proud to be here this afternoon and to congratulate Craig Biggio for your beautiful career, and especially the work that you and your wife, Patty, have been doing. I am very impressed when I met both of you. It's like if I met you many years before." Patty Biggio expressed a deep appreciation for Mrs. Clemente as well. "We hugged and kissed and she told me all about how she met her husband and shared some personal stories with me," Patty Biggio said. "She's unbelievable. I just thought their story was so beautiful. The promises she made to her husband to finish what he started was just amazing. I was overwhelmed by her words." The award presentation was an Astros family affair. Club owner Drayton McLane and his wife, Elizabeth, flew to Denver to be a part of the event, as did the Biggio's oldest son, Conor. "This is one of the high-water marks in the history of the Houston Astros franchise," McLane said. "[It is] the culmination of Craig's 20-year career. It's the highest award Major League Baseball has, other than on-the-field performance. "For Craig to win the Roberto Clemente Award, he's very deserving of it because of what he's done with the Sunshine Kids, but also how he has worked with every charity in Houston we've ever asked him to." Since the early 1990s, the Biggios have been the main spokespeople for The Sunshine Kids, a support group for children with cancer and their families. They host an annual baseball party at Minute Maid Park, at which more than 100 children with cancer play baseball, with Biggio serving as the pitcher. They also host a holiday party at the Sunshine Kids house in Houston that the Biggios helped restore and furnish. Through the annual Sunshine Kids Celebrity Golf Classic, Biggio has raised more than $2.5 million for the organization over the last 16 years. "The Sunshine Kids are something that is an organization, we're not about a cure -- we're about families, we're about putting smiles on faces," Biggio said. "It's about raising money so a family and a group can go whitewater rafting or they can go skiing in Colorado, or they can go to Mardi Gras or a Harley Davidson ride in Hill Country, or they come out to Minute Maid Park and I'll pitch to each one of them and feed them and give them a bag. "That's what it's about, putting smiles on their faces. That's why I think for me it's hard to really put in words, because I know who Roberto Clemente was, and seeing it in the eyes of their sons and his wife, what a great man he was, and he still is. That's why I'm very humbled and grateful for this honor and to be part of his legacy." Chevrolet, the sponsor of the Clemente Award, donated $30,000 and a brand new 2008 Chevy Silverado in Craig's name to the Sunshine Kids Foundation. Chevrolet also will donate $30,000 to the Roberto Clemente Sports City in Puerto Rico. "You get recognized for some of these special, special awards, but I look at it as we're all in this thing together, all Major League Baseball players, and everybody tries to do their part to the best that they can," Biggio said. "I think it's a fraternity, and I call the baseball family a fraternity, it is great because we raise millions and millions of dollars across the country for different communities across the country, and that is a great thing to be part of." Alyson Footer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Kyle Higgins (Pilots) and Ryan Buch (Blazers) were named Player and Pitcher of the Week respectively in the Northeast Conference as Monmouth swept Sacred Heart and defeated Princeton and Rutgers. Higgins went 15 for 28 (.536) with ten runs scored. Buch struck out 14 as he tossed a one hit complete game shutout against Sacred Heart. Kevin Reese (Catz) was selected Pitcher of the Week in the Patriot League after hurling a complete game shutout against hot hitting Bucknell. The Lafayette senior struck out six with no walks. Steve Gable (Catz) was named Ivy League Player of the Week after hitting .478 for the week with nine runs and five RBIs plus a home run. The sophomore second baseman is on an 18 game hitting streak and tops the Ivy League with a .465 average. Mike Errigo (Cadets) earned the Pitcher of the Week Award in the America East Conference after pitching 8.2 innings of scoreless baseball in a Stony Brook win over Binghamton. Chad Lightcap (Blazers) and Darin Gorski (Blazers) were named Player and Pitcher of the Week respectively in the PSAC Eastern Division. Lightcap hit .615 (8-for-15) with a home run and four RBIs. Gorski carried a perfect game into the seventh inning as Kutztown defeated Mansfield 3-1. Last week Adam Matos (Rockies) was named Gulf South Conference Eastern Division Player of the Week. The West Georgia senior went 7-for-12 (.583) with two home runs and a slugging percentage of 1.083.

XM 185 for the afternoon tilt. Jason Bergmann vs Jamie Moyer in the third of three between the visiting Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies, who look to avoid losing three straight to start '08, as they begin their defense of the NL East crown. Austin Kearns is batting clean-up, Aaron Boone gets his first start as a National at first base, (DY?)...Felipe Lopez, yes that Felipe Lopez gets the start in left, and everyone's favorite backstop Jesus Flores is behind the plate for the first time this season. Cristian Guzman doubles off Jamie Moyer to start the game. Lastings Milledge reaches safely on what sounds like a poor play by Ryan Howard at first. Ryan Zimmerman reaches on an error by Utley(Chase), Philly gets the force on Milledge at second, but Utley's errant throw allows Guzman to score from third, 1-0 Nationals. Austin Kearns walks. Two on, one out. Aaron "F'N" Boone singles in Zimmerman. 2-0 Nationals. Ronnie Belliard doubles off Moyer. Two runs score. 4-0 Nationals in the first. What would Jesus do? Jesus Flores doubles, Belliard scores, 5-0 Nationals after a half. Jason Bergmann retires the Phillies in order in the first. Cristian Guzman doubles off Jamie Moyer to start the second. Lastings Milledge reaches on an infield grounder. Ryan Zimmerman reaches on a misplay on the mound by Moyer. Bases loaded for Austin Kearns. Kearns lines it back at Moyer, who snags it, throws home and Philly catcher Chris Coste throws to first, double play. Aaron Boone K's. 5-0 DC after one and a half. Jason Bergmann gives up a two-out single to Geoff Jenkins. Pedro Feliz flies to left...Felipe Lopez has it. 5-0 Nationals after two. Jesus Flores hits a two-out double in the third, but Jamie Moyer gets Bergmann to end the top of the frame. Chris Coste, the Phillies' backup catcher starts the third with a HOME RUN! 5-1 Nationals after three. Cristian Guzman doubl...reaches on an error at the hot corner by Pedro Feliz of the Phillies to start the fourth. Lastings Milledge singles to left. Ryan Zimmerman flies out to center. Austin Kearns up, and Jamie Moyer catches Guzman leaving too soon and takes back the runner, Milledge advances to second on the play. Austin Kearns singles, Milledge scores. 6-1 DC. "Old Man Moyer" is packing up his "Bag of Slow Tricks" for today...(3.2 IP, 9 hits, 6 runs, 3 earned, 1 walk, 3 K's, and 7.36 ERA). Chad Durbin comes on to close the top of the frame. Jason Bergmann strikes out the side to hold the Nationals 6-1 lead through four. No score in the fifth. Rudy Seanez comes on for Philly in the sixth and puts the Nationals down in order. Chase Utley singles with one out in the Phillies' sixth. Ryan Howard singles. Pat Burrell singles by Ryan Zimmerman at third. Utley scores. 6-2 Nationals. Geoff Jenkins singles on a full count pitch from Bergmann. Howard scores. 6-3 DC. Jason Bergmann's done. (5.1 IP, 7 hits, 5 ER, 1 walk, 6 K's, 1 HR, 8.44 ERA)...Saul "Sa-ool" Rivera on in relief, and he throws a wild pitch with Pedro Feliz at the plate. Feliz singles, two runs score, 6-5 Nationals. Chris Coste singles. Greg Dobbs singles. Feliz scores. 6-6. 7 straight singles, 3 off Rivera(that's a blown save and quite a hit on the ERA). "Half-A" Ray King takes the mound. Jimmy Rollins is hit by King's first pitch. Bases loaded. Shane Victorino singles. 7-6 Philly. Ryan Howard grounds into an inning-ending DP. Philly reliever Ryan Madsen pitches a scoreless seventh. Ryan Howard singles off Ray King to chase the lefty, Joel Hanrahan comes on and gives up a double to Pat Burrell, but then Joel "Unhittable" Hanrahan reemerges and strikes out Geoff Jenkins before getting ground outs from both Pedro Feliz and Chris Coste to end the inning. Still 7-6 Phillies. Ryan Madsen's back for the top of the eigth. Ronnie Belliard walks on four straight pitches. Felipe Lopez flies out to center. Jesus Flores drops a blooper into left center moving Belliard to second. Madsen out. J.C. Romero on to face Paul Lo Duca. The Philly fans boo Lo Duca as he steps to the plate. Lo Duca pops out. 2 down. Cristian Guzman...grounds out to shor...off Rollins' glove, Belliard scores. 7-7 game!!! Lastings Milledge singles to load the bases. Ryan Zimmerman grounds out. 7-7 middle of eight. Luis "Set-up" Ayala vs Eric Bruntlett to start the bottom of the eigth. Bruntlett blows a single by Ryan Zimmerman at third. Ayala gets Jimmy Rollins to ground out for the first out. Shane Victorino flies out to left. The Nationals decide to walk Chase Utley and face Ryan Howard. Ayala throws a wild pitch. Now they walk Howard to face Jayson Werth with the bases juiced. 2 on, 2 out. Werth grounds into a force. 7-7 after eight. Tom "Flash Aaa-aaAH!!" Gordon is on in the ninth. Nick Johnson hits a one-out single. Tom Gordon gets Felipe Lopez to fly out, but then walks Ronnie Belliard and Jesus Flores to load the bases for pinch hitter Willie Harris, who grounds out to end the Nationals' ninth. Can Philly win it with a walk-off? No. Jesus "Everyday" Colome gives up a double and a walk, but gets out of the inning with the score still tied at 7-7 after nine, but Colome comes back in the tenth, after the Nationals go down in order in the top of the frame, and Colome ends up walking in the winning run, after once again walking Utley and Howard to get to Werth, who wises up and doesn't swing this time. 8-7 Phillies win. Nationals now 3-1. GAME NOTES: Cristian Guzman goes 3 for 6 with 1 run scored and 1 RBI, and is batting .400 so far, on 8 hits in 20 at bats, with 2 doubles, 4 runs scored and today's RBI. Guzman seems to be right back where he left off last season. Lastings Milledge has hit in 5 of 17 at bats so far for a .294 AVG with 1 HR and 2 RBI's. Ryan Zimmerman leads the team with 2 HR's, but he's only had 3 hits in 18 at bats. Couldn't help but notice Aaron Boone getting the start at first today, how far is DY from actually playing. Felipe Lopez in left? Lopez made each play that went his way today. Did the supposedly "light-hitting" Nationals really just put up 19 runs in 3 games with Philly? And they weren't all home runs, and the one low scoring affair, Wednesday's 1-0 DC win, was won with pitching. Who woulda thunk it? ...John Smoltz and Mike Hampton are injured. Pedro Martinez is out for a month or more...Florida's running on fumes, young talented fumes, but fumes nonetheless, and the Nationals just pounded Philly's pitching, so who says the Nationals can't compete in the NL East...and no I'm not just getting carried away with Washington's good start to the season... Nationals now 3-1.

Randy Mower (Blazers) was named Atlantic-10 Co-Pitcher of the Week. The sophomore lefthander hurled two scoreless innings against Delaware in a mid-week game and on Saturday pitched a three hit complete game shutout victory as St. Joseph's defeated Temple. Tom Costigan (Generals) was selected MAAC Pitcher of the Week after posting a 0.90 ERA in ten innings of work for the Jaspers. On Sunday he allowed four hits and one run in Manhattan's 4-1 win over Lemoyne. Matt Cotellese (Rockies) was again selected PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Week as he led No. 7 West Chester to a 5-0 record. The junior outfielder went 11-for-19 (.579) with two home runs. Phil Rummel (Rockies) was named PSAC Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week after going 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings for Kutztown. Brent Lotito (Cadets) earned the East Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week Award after posting a win in relief against Mercy and a complete game shutout in a 5-0 Dowling win over Adelphi. Derek Gianakas (Robins, Pilots) was named NJAC Player of the Week after hitting .545 (12-for-22) with five home runs and 15 RBIs for Kean. Kevin Dalton (Pilots) won the NJAC Pitcher of the Week Award as he hurled eight shutout innings in a Montclair State win over No.3 Kean. Last week Craig Mease (Blazers) was named Middle Atlantic Conference Commomwealth Division Player of the Week. The senior infielder went 15-for-32 with 18 RBIs during the Messiah trip to Florida. Chris Anderson (Robins) gathered the Commonwealth Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week honors as he pitched a four hit shutout in a Western New England victory over Cocordia-Moorhead.

Mike McKenna (Cadets) earned Louisville Slugger's National Player of the Week honors. The senior outfielder belted seven home runs with 19 RBIs over six games last week for Florida Atlantic University. He was also named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week and tops the SBC in home runs (13), RBIs (43) and total bases (82). Last week Kyle Higgins (Pilots) was selected Player of the Week in the Northeast Conference. The Monmouth senior shortstop hit .500 for the week with a 4-for-6 day in an extra inning victory over Maine. Robert Casal (Cadets) was tabbed as Pitcher of the Week in the Central Athletic Conference as he earned a win for Caldwell over Queens. The sophomore righthander fanned 11 and did not allow an earned run in six innings.

Nate Lape (Stars) earned National Player of the Week honors after leading Marshall to six straight wins. The junior outfielder had 13 hits in 24 at-bats for a .542 average. The offensive output included five home runs, three doubles and 12 RBIs. Murphy Smith (Rockies) was named America East Pitcher of the Week after allowing only one hit in five scoreless innings as Binghamton defeated LaSalle. He struck out seven batters and improved to 2-1 on the season with a 2.05 ERA. Zach Fritz (Catz) was selected Patriot League Rookie of the Week after tossing five shutout innings in Lafayette's win over Harvard. The freshman righthander has not allowed an earned run in 11.1 innings thus far this season. T.J. Greig (Mustangs) was named East Coast Conference Player of the Week after hitting .542 with a .833 slugging average. Bobby Kay (Mustangs) was the ECC Pitcher of the Week as he pitched a four hit shutout in a 1-0 win for C.W. Post over Stonehill.

Matt Gianini (Robins) was named Northeast Conference Pitcher of the Week after he led the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils to a 8-0 victory over Iona. He did not allow a run in eight innings and faced just 27 batters. Jimmy Rivas (Robins) of the University of New Haven, was named East Coast Conference Player of the Week as the result of hitting .800 this past weekend with a double and a walk with a .833 On base percentage. Dom Lombardi (Generals, Rockies) was named MAAC Player of the Week. Lombardi went 4-for-9 and blasted a RBI double to lead Manhattan to a 4-3 win in the second game of a doubleheader with UMBC. Steve Gable (Catz) made the Ivy League Honor Roll by hitting .421 in Penn's first five games. The sophomore infielder had eight hits in 19 at bats.

Last Saturday was a special day for brothers and Blazers, Mark Angelo of Bucknell and Gregory Angelo of Lehigh. Greg faced off against 17th ranked University of Virginia, pitching 6 innings, giving up just two singles and one run, while striking out five. He held the Cavaliers to a .100 team average and .200 with runners on base. He was named Patriot League Pitcher of the Week for his efforts. Mark Angelo went 3-6, with two singles and an RBI double off the left-center field wall. He was 2-2 (single and double) against Christian Friedrich, Eastern Kentucky University, a lefty pitcher who is ranked as the 3rd best pitching prospect in the nation by Baseball America. Friedrich held opponets last year to a .155 batting average.

By Jim Salisbury, Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jamie Moyer and Charley Kerfeld were on the same field again yesterday. Moyer was there as a veteran pitcher going through his first workout of the spring. Kerfeld was there as a special assistant to Phillies general manager Pat Gillick. Kerfeld, 44, shook his head admiringly as he watched the 45-year-old Moyer bounce around the diamond with teammates, some half his age. "In 1992, Jamie and I pitched against each other in minor-league camp," Kerfeld recalled. "He was with the Iowa Cubs. I was with the Angels' triple-A club. I remember it because we were both released that day. "Sixteen years later, I have trouble throwing rocks to my dogs in the backyard, and he's still pitching. He's an amazing guy." It's difficult to argue against that. As Moyer begins his 22d big-league season, he finds himself wearing an imaginary crown that symbolizes not only his long-standing ability to get hitters out, but also his perseverance and durability. With Roger Clemens' career seemingly over amid allegations of steroid use and Julio Franco without a job, Moyer - a Mr. Clean in a tainted era - becomes the oldest major-leaguer. "I hope Julio finds a job," he said, laughing. Moyer actually doesn't mind the distinction. He's been reminded of his age for several seasons. His uniform number - 50 - makes convenient fodder for ribbing. Is that your age on your back? "I'm not as proud of the age thing as I am of the ups and downs I've overcome to create some longevity," Moyer said after yesterday's workout. "I've enjoyed that part. I can smile and say I'm doing what I want to do." Moyer, who made his major-league debut in 1986, recalled the day he was released by the Cubs in 1992. (It actually was the third time in three years that he had been let go.) It took him six weeks to land a job with Detroit's triple-A club. In the interim, his father-in-law, former Notre Dame basketball coach Digger Phelps, encouraged him to scrap the whole baseball thing and take a job with an Indiana company that made recreational vehicles. Moyer continued to pitch and got back to the big leagues with Baltimore in 1993. He has 196 wins since. What keeps him going? "He can hit a fly's ass from 100 yards," Kerfeld said. "That's why he's still pitching." Staying physically fit and avoiding injury - Moyer was the only member of the Phillies' 2007 season-opening rotation not to spend time on the disabled list - also has been a key. And don't start any of that steroid talk. The only juice this guy puts in his 187-pound body is Welch's grape juice. "The white kind," he said. "That way it doesn't stain when you spill it." Moyer has 230 wins, six more than Hall of Famers Jim Bunning and Catfish Hunter. But his accomplishments extend far beyond the field. His charity work has been extraordinary. The foundation he runs with his wife, Karen, has raised more than $10 million for children's charities. Last summer, Karen and the couple's oldest son, Dillon, went on a mission to Guatemala. They visited an orphanage and became smitten with a little girl named Yenifer. In September, as the Phillies were battling for the National League East title, the Moyers adopted Yenifer, who had some health problems, particularly with her vision. The child, almost 18 months, is spending this week in Clearwater with her six siblings. "We thought we could bring her to our country and help her," Moyer said. "She spent the first year of her life in a crib, so it's great to see her start walking now. And her eyesight is better than we thought it would be. She's a cool little girl. It's been great for our family." Though Moyer lives in Seattle, he was raised in Montgomery County, so last year was a homecoming for him. He was the starting and winning pitcher on the final day of the regular season, when the Phils clinched the division by a game. "What I recall most about that day is the excitement of winning," he said. "That's the reason I play - to be in those situations and that environment. It hasn't happened a lot to me, but when it does, I'm greatly appreciative. "It was neat to see the city wrap their arms around our team - not only that day, but during the last few weeks of the season. I heard people say, 'You guys brought baseball back to the city.' I take that as a compliment, not only for myself, but for the whole team." Now that he is the game's oldest player, Moyer knows he will be asked how much longer he'll play. He is in the final year of his contract, so it's a relevant question. "I really don't know," he said. "Time will tell. All I know is if this is my last year, I'll enjoy it, and if it isn't, I'll enjoy that, too. "For now, it's day one of spring training, and I had fun out there. Tomorrow is day two, and I'll approach it the same way - get here early, get my work done, have fun." Contact staff writer Jim Salisbury at 215-854-4983 or [email protected].

Gardner "Rusty" Leaver and a Hamptons based group are proud to bring collegiate baseball to the East End of Long Island. The Hampton Whalers are set to debut this season as part of the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League. The team, led by Michael "Butch" Caulfield (General Manager and Director of Baseball Operations) will play their home games at the historic Mashasimuet Park in Sag Harbor and the Southampton High School field. The Whaler’s roster is made up of players from the top Northeast collegiate baseball programs as well as from universities in Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas. The Whalers will carry Division I, II, and III along with NAIA players. Rusty Leaver and Butch Caulfield have assembled a staff that includes former San Francisco Giants outfielder, Julio Vega, now a St. Johns Assistant Coach, as their Field Manager; Joe Short (Assistant Coach at Molloy College) and Ed Bahns (Varsity Coach at East Hampton High School). The Whalers look forward to bringing this exciting brand of high caliber baseball to the visitors, summer residents, and most importantly, the year-round families of the East End of Long Island.

Two former ACBL players have been selected to the D3baseball.com Preseason All-American Team. Bryan Burke (LI Stars 06, LI Mustangs 07) and Jonas Fester (Kutztown Rockies 06) were named to the Second Team. Burke, who transferred from Frostburg State University, is entering his senior year at Kean University. The speedy outfielder led Frostburg with 66 hits and was a Rawlings Gold Glove winner in 2007. Fester, a senior shortstop at Johns Hopkins, was a First Team All-American selection by the ABCA this past season. Fester hit .366 for the ACBL champion Kutztown Rockies in 2006 and batted .314 for the Texas Collegiate League champion Coppell Copperheads this past summer.