(11) ISLANDERS

   What a great game baseball is. Something you may never have seen before ALWAYS seems to happen. It did on December 11 at Dyer Park in Riviera Beach.

  The 18AAA division All Star game, rained out on Dec. 5, was rescheduled for Dec. 11, but had to overcome some problems to play the game. Due to a scheduling miscommunication, no umpires were assigned to the game. While the field, apparently, had been dragged, there was a huge puddle behind home plate, making it difficult for catchers. Thirdly, both teams had problems getting pitchers to participate, and some rule changes involving innings limitations had to be invoked. One by one, the problems were worked out. Veteran umpire Hector Cruz was contacted and after he tried, unsuccessfully, to get other umpires to the game, he decided to make the trip from his home in Boynton Beach to suburban Riviera Beach.

     Meanwhile, Dave Salley of the winning American Division and the South Florida Beach Bums, agreed to work as a lone umpire behind the pitching mound and did a fine job for almost three complete innings until Cruz arrived and took the standard position behind the plate. One of the fans brought a rake along and by the third inning, catchers Ryan Togher (Beach Bums) and Jose Chinea (Manatees, Nationals) smoothened things out behind the plate to make it playable. Umpire Cruz also picked up the rake to help out.

     As for pitching, Manatees' ace Danny LaPerna, the only regular pitcher assigned to either team, pitched the first three innings and held the Americans to one unearned run and finished his tour with the game tied ast 1-1. On the other side, John Dolan (Thunder) pitched three hitless innings for the Americans, but allowed a run on two walks, a stolen base and a double play grounder that brought Justin Irby (Bandits) across the plate. 

  The Americans posted two runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth as Nationals manager Brian Fitzsimmons was forced to the mound due a pitcher shortage was touched for the five runs on seven hits. The Americans brought in Christian Cancio, who doesn't pitch regularly with his league team, the Senators. He did a nice job for five innings, limiting the Nationals to three runs on five hits. Coupled with an RBI double and a fielder's choice RBI, Cancio was chosen as the game's Most Valuable Player.

  With a 6-4 lead, the Americans scored a run in the 7th on three walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch, all by the Tigres' Martin Suarez, then exploded for five in the 8th inning and three walks, and four hits. Suarez gave up three more walks, and a two run single to Dolan. Tigres' teammate, Nick Adames, gave up a run scoring double to Eric Morales (Thunder), an RBI hit by BJ Smith (Thunder), a single to Charlie Pacheco (Beach Bums) and Cancio's run scoring grounder.

  The game had to be halted by a local 10PM curfew, resulting in the field lights having to be turned off before the 9th inning could start.  That's another thing, lights are turned on and off on Palm Beach County fields by a national lighting company in IOWA.   

  Who says baseball isn't fun?

NATIONALS 12 AMERICANS 3

The National All Stars, led by players from the first place Nationals, scored six runs in the sixth inning to beat the Americans, topped by the second place Sugar Kings 12-3 at Dyer Park in suburban Riviera Beach.  Chris Alicea copped MVP honors by going two for two with a pair of run scoring doubles, a base on balls and stolen base.  He added three shutout innings on the mound, in which he fanned five batters and allowed only one hit.  Nationals' teammate Tyler Wampler got credit for the pitching win, pitching two complete innings in relief of starter Austin Souther, who allowed two of the three Americans' runs with a wild inning-plus, in which he issued six walks.  Wampler struck out four in his relief stint.  Catcher Victor Monteagudo (Nationals) had two RBI singles in two official bats and Mike Alfinez (Nationals) drove in two runs with a pair of singles.  Alfinez, who leads the AA division pitchers with a 6-1 record, finished up the game by striking out the side in the 7th and final inning as the teams ran up against the three hour time limit. 

The Americans managed only three hits.  Yandri Cabrera (Sugar Kings), Juan De La Paz (Colt 45s) and Carlos Sotolongo (Sugar Kings) had singles.  Americans' players struck out fifteen times against the four Nationals' hurlers.  The losing pitcher was Joshua Rivera (Colt 45s), who gave up five runs, four of them unearned.  Joe Mazzeo and Alex Williams (both Marlins) followed him to the hill.  .Nine of the Nats' twelve runs were unearned as the American squad committed four costly errors.   The 18AAA All Star game was postponed on December 5 due to heavy rains and wet gournds at Dyer Park.  It has been rescheduled for Dec. 11.  Scroll down for details. 

   What a great game baseball is. Something you may never have seen before ALWAYS seems to happen. It did on December 11 at Dyer Park in Riviera Beach.

  The 18AAA division All Star game, rained out on Dec. 5, was rescheduled for Dec. 11, but had to overcome some problems to play the game. Due to a scheduling miscommunication, no umpires were assigned to the game. While the field, apparently, had been dragged, there was a huge puddle behind home plate, making it difficult for catchers. Thirdly, both teams had problems getting pitchers to participate, and some rule changes involving innings limitations had to be invoked. One by one, the problems were worked out. Veteran umpire Hector Cruz was contacted and after he tried, unsuccessfully, to get other umpires to the game, he decided to make the trip from his home in Boynton Beach to suburban Riviera Beach.

     Meanwhile, Dave Salley of the winning American Division and the South Florida Beach Bums, agreed to work as a lone umpire behind the pitching mound and did a fine job for almost three complete innings until Cruz arrived and took the standard position behind the plate. One of the fans brought a rake along and by the third inning, catchers Ryan Togher (Beach Bums) and Jose Chinea (Manatees, Nationals) smoothened things out behind the plate to make it playable. Umpire Cruz also picked up the rake to help out.

     As for pitching, Manatees' ace Danny LaPerna, the only regular pitcher assigned to either team, pitched the first three innings and held the Americans to one unearned run and finished his tour with the game tied ast 1-1. On the other side, John Dolan (Thunder) pitched three hitless innings for the Americans, but allowed a run on two walks, a stolen base and a double play grounder that brought Justin Irby (Bandits) across the plate. 

  The Americans posted two runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth as Nationals manager Brian Fitzsimmons was forced to the mound due a pitcher shortage was touched for the five runs on seven hits. The Americans brought in Christian Cancio, who doesn't pitch regularly with his league team, the Senators. He did a nice job for five innings, limiting the Nationals to three runs on five hits. Coupled with an RBI double and a fielder's choice RBI, Cancio was chosen as the game's Most Valuable Player.

  With a 6-4 lead, the Americans scored a run in the 7th on three walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch, all by the Tigres' Martin Suarez, then exploded for five in the 8th inning and three walks, and four hits. Suarez gave up three more walks, and a two run single to Dolan. Tigres' teammate, Nick Adames, gave up a run scoring double to Eric Morales (Thunder), an RBI hit by BJ Smith (Thunder), a single to Charlie Pacheco (Beach Bums) and Cancio's run scoring grounder.

  The game had to be halted by a local 10PM curfew, resulting in the field lights having to be turned off before the 9th inning could start.  That's another thing, lights are turned on and off on Palm Beach County fields by a national lighting company in IOWA.   

  Who says baseball isn't fun?

NATIONALS 12 AMERICANS 3

The National All Stars, led by players from the first place Nationals, scored six runs in the sixth inning to beat the Americans, topped by the second place Sugar Kings 12-3 at Dyer Park in suburban Riviera Beach.  Chris Alicea copped MVP honors by going two for two with a pair of run scoring doubles, a base on balls and stolen base.  He added three shutout innings on the mound, in which he fanned five batters and allowed only one hit.  Nationals' teammate Tyler Wampler got credit for the pitching win, pitching two complete innings in relief of starter Austin Souther, who allowed two of the three Americans' runs with a wild inning-plus, in which he issued six walks.  Wampler struck out four in his relief stint.  Catcher Victor Monteagudo (Nationals) had two RBI singles in two official bats and Mike Alfinez (Nationals) drove in two runs with a pair of singles.  Alfinez, who leads the AA division pitchers with a 6-1 record, finished up the game by striking out the side in the 7th and final inning as the teams ran up against the three hour time limit. 

The Americans managed only three hits.  Yandri Cabrera (Sugar Kings), Juan De La Paz (Colt 45s) and Carlos Sotolongo (Sugar Kings) had singles.  Americans' players struck out fifteen times against the four Nationals' hurlers.  The losing pitcher was Joshua Rivera (Colt 45s), who gave up five runs, four of them unearned.  Joe Mazzeo and Alex Williams (both Marlins) followed him to the hill.  .Nine of the Nats' twelve runs were unearned as the American squad committed four costly errors.   The 18AAA All Star game was postponed on December 5 due to heavy rains and wet gournds at Dyer Park.  It has been rescheduled for Dec. 11.  Scroll down for details. 

PALM BEACH LEAGUE VETERAN RENAULT FIRES SHUTOUT TO WIN 18+ TITLE

     Nick Renault, who has pitched for several seasons with the Palm Beach League's Beach Bums, threw a five-hit complete game shutout to lead the New York Mariners to their second straight championship in the 18+ division title game at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter.  Renault, who has been the MVP in the German Professional League the last two years, fanned eight in hurling the Mariners to a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Thunder.  He also contributed a pair of singles in the New York victory. 

     The Mariners scored two runs in the first inning and added three more in the second to give Renault all the support he needed.  Renault was honored as the game's Most Outstanding Player and received several awards.  Mariners' third baseman Cheecho Vengoechea won the Gold Glove Award for his outstanding defense at the hot corner. 

     Renault's Beach Bums teammate, David Salley, was also part of the title squad, which ousted the top seeded Miami-Dade Marlins on Saturday 5-3 in a thrilling 11-contest in the Stadium.  The Marlins had four Palm Beachers on their roster, including outfielders Jimmy Efre and Max Johnson, pitcher Alex McEnaney and catcher/utility man Jose Chinea.

QUARTET OF PALM BEACHERS HELP WIN 25+ TITLE FOR UNBEATEN GIANTS

     Four Palm Beach League players helped lead the top seeded Born in a Cage Giants to a 12-3 victory over the number two seeded Dallas Redbirds.  Palm Beach veteran Rob Wiley banged out three of the Giants' 21 hits in the title game, while Guy Bichatcho, one of the team's organizers, posted a key two run single.  Danny LaPerna and Ryan Togher of the Palm Beach League, had made significant contributions to the team's title earlier in the tournament, in which the Giants wound up as the only unbeaten team, winning all seven of their games. 

     Jason Benson was the pitching star, hurling a complete game five hitter, with seven strikeouts, to win Most Outstanding Player honors.  All three runs he allowed were unearned as he and his teammates survived an eight error game.  The Redbirds had four miscues of their own.

     The Giants' smooth centerfielder, Mel Stocker, was the recipient of the Gold Glove awards for his flawless play.  The speedy Stocker also had two hits, including a single that turned into a "Little League" home run when the Redbirds committed a pair of misplays trying to stop the speedster from circling the bases.  Team manager and catcher Jose Garcia led the barrage with four hits, including a double and two runs batted in.   

TIGRES ADVANCE TO 18+ PLAYOFF, LOSE OUT TO TAMPA BAY TEAM

     The Palm Beach Tigres, a last minute entry into the NABA's World Championship Series at the Roger Dean Complex in Jupiter, gained the number three seeding on Saturday, November 2 with a 10-6 victory over the defending champion New York Mariners, but lost out in the 18+ division playoffs.  The Tigres, managed by Santos Adames, wound up 3-2 in pool play, only to lose to the Tampa Bay Thunder 7-1 in the semifinal.  The team was organized by the league to replace the Florida Cardinals, who dropped out in late October, and acquitted itself quite well.  Rick Schnur of the Palm Beach League's South Florida Beach Bums was the winning pitcher in the victory over the Mariners, dropping the New Yorkers to the number four seeding, but going on to the 18+ division championship.

     For complete Florida WCS results, log on to the NABA's national web site at www.dugout.org.