Connecticut Tri-State Baseball League

Copyright Peter Wallace/Rick Wilson  Reg-Citizen/Rep-American 8/27/11

The Litchfield Cowboys ended a long, long Tri-State Baseball League championship dry spell with a 7-2 win over cross-town rival Tri-Town Friday evening at Fuessenich Park in front of over 300 spectators, prolonging a shorter but possibly even more painful empty streak for the Trojans. The Cowboys joined the league in 1973, winning their last championship in 1979.  “(Current Cowboy ace reliever) Chris Blazek’s father, Richard Blazek, won that game,” smiled player/coach and historian Chris Beach. An unsuspecting Beach got the pie in the face, and there was a jubilant traffic jam near the pitcher’s mound after the final out was recorded. A lot of hugging and back-slapping accompanied by a diamond’s worth of satisfied smiles followed. The Cowboys played in four other finals, but the last previous one was 1990 with no more wins until now. “It’s been a lot of baseball” said the teams’ senior member, Kyle Weaver, who first laced up his Litchfield spikes in 1995 while still in High School.

The Trojans joined the league in 2005, soaring to their first Tri-State championship last year. “It’s tough to lose two straight, but I’m glad we lost to them if we had to lose,” said player/coach Ryan McDonald. “We’ve been one-two all year.” The No. 2 seed Trojans (19-7, 1-2 championship series) boasted the league’s best pitching, behind ace Miles Scribner, who was 13-0 coming into Friday’s game. Scribner went four innings in Sunday’s rainout, then nine more innings for the win in Game One Monday. Now he was back for another nine-inning game Friday. Litchfield starter Kevin Murray was Litchfield’s workhorse ace all summer. Blazek closed in the first half of the season, then stopped pitching with a tweaked hamstring in the second half. Murray went 4 2/3 innings on Sunday, then sat out until Friday while veteran lefty Carl Rivers took care of business on Tuesday to even the series.

Scribner (6 innings, 6 earned runs, 8 hits, 8 strikeouts, 3 walks) and Murray (9 innings, 1 earned run, 4 hits, 13 strikeouts, 3 walks, 1 hit batter) both looked like aces Friday. The difference was the Cowboys (20-4, 2-1 championship series), who rode to their number one seed on the strength of their hitting, had more chances to study their opponent and Litchfield had some help from the Tri-Town defense as well. “(Scribner’s) a great pitcher. I was just sitting on his off-speed stuff, trying to go to the right side,” said Lichfield’s Kyle Weaver (2-for-3, RBI, run scored), who joined Tri-Town’s Kyle Osolin (2-for-4) as the only players on either side with more than one hit.

The difference showed up as seven different Cowboys accounted for Litchfield’s runs in a 9-4 hitting advantage. Murray credited much of his advantage to Litchfield catcher Karl Quist. “He called a great game,” said Murray, who saved his sharpest game of the season for the championship. “I was hitting the corners and getting the strike call, so it made me want to throw that much harder. Karl changed things up on batters so much, I don’t think we threw the same to any of them twice. I threw more curves tonight than I ever have before.” Murray scattered just four hits on the night while striking out 13. He finished the season with an 8-0 record, enough to etch his name by Scribner’s when talk of the season rolls around. “I know how good Scribner is, but hats off to Kevin Murray,” said Weaver. “To me Kevin is the best pitcher in the league.”

Ed Pequignot’s was the first bat to reach Scribner, in the bottom of the third inning. Weaver walked with two outs, reaching second on a wild pitch. Pequignot dropped a Texas Leaguer over second base for the first run, then stole second. Adam Claire grounded up the middle to drive Pequignot in, 2-0. The Trojans caught up in one of just two tough innings for Murray. With one out in the top of the fourth inning, an infield error put Dan McCarty on first. Steve Price singled. Two straight walks scored McCarty. An error at home on a bunt scored Price to tie the score, 2-2.

Good pitching held the standoff another inning. Then familiarity took over for the Cowboys in the bottom of the sixth. Quist and Beach led off with singles. Blazek went up to sacrifice but reached safely on a throwing error to third base. Quist scored on the play, breaking the tie. “I would do the same thing again,” said Scribner. “I heard someone yell third and went for it.” Scribner got a strikeout. Then Collin Dickinson put in the best at-bat of the night to break the game wide open. He worked Scribner to a 2-2 count, then barely hung on through five fouls around the strike zone. Finally, Dickinson caught the pitch he wanted and nailed it to right center field for a two-run double. Weaver hit him in for a 6-2 Cowboy lead.

Murray and his hitters were on a mission for history from there. “Once the team gave me a cushion, it gave me the confidence to go forward and finish the game,” said Murray. Claire led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, ending Scribner’s season. A steal, long fly from beach and a single from Blazek added the game’s final score in the only hit off reliever Andrew Osolin. “I just didn’t feel right tonight,” Scribner said. “I think I was a little too hyped up. Give Litchfield credit. They hit.” Murray gave up just one more hit, to Kyle Osolin.

“We were always missing one piece of the puzzle,” said Beach in talking about his 13 year career with Litchfield. Until this year, with the solid pitching and defense and a team batting average over.300. Then he just smiled with his teammates. “This year, our hitters put up so many runs, it made our pitchers strong. Our defense also made the pitching stronger. (Catcher) Karl Quist has a cannon for an arm; he took away the running game from other teams.” Beach called the feeling of winning the championship “probably the best in the world.”

After two great years in a row, the Trojans can take comfort in the Cowboys’ persistence. “We wouldn’t have it any other way if we were going to lose,” said McDonald. For Litchfield, a championship night 32 years in the making.

Naugatuck wins Stan Musial State Tournament Title

Copyright   Joe Palladino  REP-AMERICAN 08/02/2011

http://rep-am.com/multimedia/videos/doc4e378c5a6c09b539600178.txt (video link of championship)

When someone presents you with an opportunity, the least you could do is take advantage of the chance. The Naugatuck Dogs won the Stan Musial state championship Monday evening at Trumbull High, beating Chad’s Lawncare of Bridgeport, 4-1, and meaning no disrespect, the Dogs shouldn’t have even been there. No, it’s true, Naugy was the sixth-seeded team in the Tri-State baseball league, and only the top five advance to the state tourney. But when another Tri-State team, Watertown, opted out of tourney play, a chance to compete for a state championship fell into the laps of the Dogs. Once there, Naugatuck (16-9) romped.

The Dogs rode the three-hit pitching of Lance Stevens to what is believed to be the first-ever Musial title for a Tri-State club. Stevens fanned nine and was in total control of a potent Chad’s lineup. Stevens is 29, a Bakersfield, Calif. native, who came to Connecticut when he signed to pitch for the Bridgeport Bluefish. “Now, 2 1/2 years later, I love Connecticut, I love playing with the boys, and I am proud of what we accomplished,” Steven said. Here is another odd-but-true fact about the Naugatuck victory: Stevens hasn’t pitched for the team in a month, and has thrown, maybe, 20 innings for the team. “He was injured,” said manager Jay Harlamon, who explained that it was a cracked ribbed that had the lanky righty sidelined. “We just told him that we wanted him ready when we got to the big game. He called me at 9 in the morning (Monday) and said, ‘I’m ready.’” Stevens said he used four-seam and two-seam fastballs, a change-up and a knuckle curve. “It was one of those days when you don’t have a pitch you don’t trust,” he added.

This win also comes only two days after Chad’s (19-14) had rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat Naugatuck in early-round tourney play, 5-4. Naugatuck went to school in that loss. “We left balls out over the plate,” said Dogs catcher Kyle Faucher. “But (Stevens) had command of his fastball, got ahead in counts, and I was able to utilize what I learned from the last game to get outs.” They had a game plan on the mound, but also in the lineup. Harlamon had moved Jeff Sturm to the lead-off spot in the order late in the season, and that sparked Naugy. Sturm had two hits Monday, Ryan Russell added a double and RBI single, and in the decisive three-run third inning, Jamie Kimberly, Russell, and Faucher all had run-scoring singles.

So now, after winning the Musial state title, the Dogs can look ahead to the Tri-State Baseball League playoffs that begins this Saturday August 6th. Chad’s, the state runner-up, and Wolcott Scrappers and the Waterbury Wild from Tri-State, all qualified out of the regional bracket portion of the state tournament and advance to the Musial regional in Braintree, Mass beginning Thursday August 4^th.

 Naugatuck’s Devin Murphy knew he had to deliver a couple of big hits on Sunday if he wanted to give his team a shot of advancing in the Stan Musial state tournament, especially after he wasn’t able to attend his team’s one-run loss to the Chad’s of Bridgeport on Saturday.

And boy did he deliver.

Murphy cracked a walk-off grand slam to mercy rule the Milford Hunters in the first game of the day, 11-0. Then in his very next at-bat in the first inning of the Dogs’ second game, he smoked a three-run shot deep into the trees at the Wolcott BAW Complex in o give Naugatuck a quick three-run lead over the Tri-Town Trojans. He followed that up by recording the clinching out of the game to preserve a 4-3 win in the semifinals of the tournament. The win propelled the Dogs into a rematch with Chad’s tonight in the title game at Trumbull High at 8. Murphy guided his team to a feat that not many Tri-State League teams have accomplished — a trip to the Musial final.

According to League Commissioner Ed Gadomski, the Brass City Brew squad from 2008, who fell to All-Star Batting out of Danbury, is the only Tri-State team to advance to the state championship game in the last 25 years. “It is a big accomplishment for all of the teams from the Tri-State league,” Gadomski said. “People have always thought of our league as the old-man league and we wouldn’t ever get too much respect but this tournament we held three of the final five teams remaining. We’re hoping that we are going to start being looked upon as one of the powerhouse leagues in the State now.”

Murphy agreed. “It’s really a privilege to represent the league which has had so many great players come through it,” Murphy said. “Every year the competition, the players and league as a whole continues to get better. A great tribute to Ed (Gadomski). We are very fortunate to be in a great position to compete for a State Championship.” Naugatuck starting pitcher Dan Connelly felt Murphy’s home run in the first inning allowed himself to relax more and to just throw strikes. “I think the team giving me a quick lead gave me a little boost and allowed me to become more comfortable out there,” Connelly said. “I just concentrated on pounding the strike zone and let my good defense make plays. And they did.”

Possibly the key moment of the game was in the top of the second inning when the Trojans loaded the bases on Connelly with no outs. Connelly then was able to induce a fly-out to leftfielder Matt Kane and the runner was forced to stay at third when Kane fired a missle to catcher Kyle Faucher. Connelly then was able to force a pop-out to third baseman Bob Augelli and another flyout to Kane to leave the bases loaded. “It was probably the difference in the game,” Murphy added. “If they broke in a few runs there then we’re in a one or two-run game so it was very big.” “He was driven,” Naugatuck catcher Kyle Faucher said. “He was locating his fastball and constantly was throwing strikes. The bases loaded jam he got out of was so crucial. He made some big-time pitches.” Connelly tossed five innings, surrendered five hits and a three-run home run to Tri-Town’s Steve Price in the top of the fifth inning. Dan Rosa closed the game out by throwing two innings of hitless relief to pick up the save.

Jeff Sturm and Macky Cianciolo both singled and scored a run for Naugatuck. The Trojans’ Kyle Osolin finished with a pair of singles. In the first game, Jeff Sturm had two hits with three runs scored while Ryan Russell added a pair of hits and two runs scored. George Harlamon contributed with a base hit and two runs scored and Murphy finished things off with the Grand Slam as the Dog’s pounded the Milford Hunters, 11-0. The Dog’s have already made a memorable run in this year’s tournament but by the looks on their faces after the game they are far from satisfied. They are ready to make history.

Copyright Republican-American (Joe Palladino) July 4,2011

Now that was a July 4th holiday. Home runs ruled at Fuessenich Park. A guy jumped out of a plane, baseballs bounced off houses beyond the right-field fence, and an old-time Yankee reminded us of what baseball stirrup socks looked like. The revived and vibrant Tri-State Baseball League brought its All-Stars to Fuessenich to play the Torrington Titans of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League in the first of what is hoped to be an annual mid-summer classic.

There may not have been a pyrotechnical display Monday, but there was some thunder. The Titan’s Cole Harrison won the Home Run Derby by swatting five homers in the first round and seven in the final. That bested Devin Murphy of Tri-State, who had six and then four.

In a Home Run Derby, they count the dingers, but the leader on the ooh and aah index was Tom Richards of the Titans. The lefty clubbed a homer off the three-family house beyond the fence in right field, nearly smashing through a third-floor window.  The crowd roared and Richards took a triumphant victory lap around the batters’ box. In the second round he had a ‘natural’ moment, when he rocked a towering homer that rattled the lights atop a light pole. No one needs to mention that the wood-bat Tri-State guys and the wood-bat Titans guys used metal bats in the Derby. “We wanted to put on a little show” noted Titans third baseman Kyle Murphy. Murphy also offered the quote of the day when he referred to the Tri-State vs Titans game as the clash between the “young guys and the old guys.” He meant no disrespect. That’s what it was, as the Glory-Days Tri-State guys hitched up their pants, which have been let out just a bit in some cases, and played the hot shot college kids.

The highlight of the game perhaps, was the scoreless inning tossed by 72 year-old former New York Yankees star Jim Bouton. The man who two games in the 1964 World Series, allowed only an infield single. In case you’re wondering, his hat never fell off once when he pitched. “I only hope the Titans don’t knock it off,” he joked. They didn’t. Bouton’s wobbly knuckler left a few Titans baffled, as did his choice of uniform apparel. He wore his old Yankee pinstripes, No. 56 on the back, and said he’ll remind fans “what stirrup socks and pajama pants are.” Also tossing an inning for the all-stars was 52-year-old Scott Arigoni, who pitched in the St. Louis Cardinals organization in the 1970’s.

The Tri-State stars led early, on a solo home run – where was he in the Deby? – by Steve Pryce, but the Titans answered back on an RBI single from Josh Band in the fifth. Band also added an RBI sac fly. Tri-State battled back on RBI singles from Devin Murphy and Adam Claire, with Claire tying the game in the eighth with a two strike, two out, two-run single. But the Titans clinched it with three in the eighth, the key hit being a Shane O’Connell RBI single. Spencer Kane grabbed the victory in relief. The final, in front of close to 1,000 fans was 8-5 Titans, but hits, runs, and errors were secondary on this day.

“The college summer league is more of a high-profile game” said league commissioner Ed Gadomski, “and this is a chance for us to showcase the talent we have in the Tri-State. In our area, for our guys, the Tri-State League is ‘The Show’. The Tri-State Show has gone on for more than 75 years, and has become THE place for baseball-mad adults to play the game of their youth. “The greatest form of flattery I get are the compliments from former players, “Gadomski added. “They are thrilled to see where the league is today.” There is no greater compliment than the one that came from the Titans. When the FCBL guys want to bring in Tri-State guys, that tells you there is something right about that operation.  It is good business for the Titans, too. The team averages less than 500 fans per game. This was a merging of two fan bases.

The game was significant for another reason: Home-town baseball has felt disenfranchised when the college game takes over each summer. That has not been the case with the new Titans management. “When we came in here there were a lot of questions,” said Titans general manager Mike O’Malley, “like are these guys going to come in and take over everything.” Gee, that sounds familiar. “We just wanted to work with everybody and show that we are just another entertainment source.” O’Malley said. “We appreciate the opportunity and we hope that bringing in the Tri-State guys starts a new tradition, and brings together the fans of both sides.” It worked. The crowd was large and vocal, and the baseball pretty good.

I’d be remiss if I did not mention that someone who went by the name of William Hung came out onto the field to wiggle and sing. Something called “She Bangs” seemed popular. Never heard of it.

 Copyright Register-Citizen (Owen Canfield) July 5,2011

When Mark Krasinski bailed out over Fuessenich Park Monday, the airplane he exited was churning along nice and level at 5,000 feet. Perfect. People in the stands were looking up and when he first emerged — just a little dot in the July evening sky at first — some said, “Uh-oh, looks like he is going to miss. He’s too far north.” They didn’t realize that the 48-year-old Krasinski, who keeps himself in excellent physical condition, knew exactly what he was doing. Before very long he had unfurled a large American flag. The Somers man has made more than 2,830 jumps in the 25 years since he first tried it.

While he was floating down, a beautiful, talented and very calm 17-year-old student at Lewis Mills High School, Aubrey Van Allen, sang the National Anthem. She had to be calm because while she was singing, the microphone she was using kept cutting out for long stretches. Imperturbable Aubrey never faltered, not once. Her performance should be noted and I hereby applaud it.

It was fascinating the way Krasinski maneuvered his ‘chute, swinging and swaying, and, Old Glory waving, landed at the very edge of the pitchers mound. A nice ovation, well-earned, I thought, followed from the sizable crowd that had assembled to watch the Titans and the Tri-State All Stars engage in a home run contest before their exhibition game. Never in the military, the ‘chutist, who has long been classified as a professional and who gives lessons in parachuting, said that once he had tried it, he knew he wanted to do it “for the rest of my life.” He’s single and a member of Aerial Pursuits Skydiving. His next jump will be at the opening of the Nutmeg State Games on July 30.

Donna Winn, Recreation Director for Torrington Parks and Rec, said of Van Allen, “Did you know about her? Aubrey was the winner in the 16 to 25 division in our Northwest American Idol competition last year.” This Independence Day event helped raise money for a United Way campership fund honoring the memory of Winn’s son, Glenn E. Winn Jr., who was 19 when he was killed in a 1997 auto accident. “It’s a great way to honor a guy,” Chris Beach said. Beach and Glenn Winn were friends. “Because Glenn loved life. His sense of humor was wonderful.”  Beach wears the uniform of the Litchfield Cowboys, who are currently 11-0 in the league that Eddie Gadomski so ably runs as commissioner.

It was Gadomski who arranged for former Yankee and “Ball Four” author Jim Bouton to pitch a (scoreless) inning for the Tri-Staters in the game, through Tom Downey, veteran Amenia manager. Gadomski said, “Jim and Tom are friends so it wasn’t hard to get him.” Bouton lives nearby. A slim 72-year-old who throws a baffling knuckler, Bouton was a big hit as were the other interesting attractions such as the excellent All-In Band, which played and sang tirelessly, William Hung, the home run hitters and Marilyn Plaskiewicz, whose voice has been heard in these parts for years and who sang “God Bless America” after Van Allen performed.

The setting and ambience of the night reminded me of a line that goes “… and a great big Fourth of July …” from the matchless Sinatra tune, “There Used to be a Ball Park, Right Here.” The weather was perfect, the crowd was large, happy and enthused, and all the pieces clicked into place, one after another. And the home runs soared. The Titans’ Cole Harrison from North Carolina-Greensboro won it. He’s 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, the genuine article as a slugger.

But Tom Richards, from Whitby, Ontario, Canada, who attends SUNY-Buffalo, made a spectacular showing. He’s also a big dude (6-2, 205). When he caromed a rocket off the house beyond the right field fence he executed an exaggerated bow to teammates seated in front of the dugout and did a little fancy-flourish footwork, which is to say, he enjoyed the moment. Later he said, “I certainly did. I enjoy everything about this park, this team, this game.” His host family is the McKennas and he can’t say enough good things about them because they treat him like family.

Richards’ father works at Scotia Bank in Whitby. His mother is a sales rep for Carlton Cards. He has a younger brother, Justin, and an older sister, Jessica. He came to the Titans on the advice of scouts after what he called a “pro day” at his college. The scouts liked his form. Canada doesn’t offer ideal climate for baseball and Richards said, “You really have to come to America for baseball.” No problem for him. There are few things he likes better than baseball. He looked around the pretty ballpark. “This place is my sanctuary,” he said. “It’s my church. And every game I wear this around my neck.” With that he reached under the undershirt he was wearing and pulled out a black rosary made of heavy cord, with knots in the cord for beads. It’s a rosary he can wear without worrying that it will break. “With me it’s God, parents, family, baseball,” he said. Sounds like his priorities are properly aligned.

Copyright Litchfield County Sports (Tim Gaffney) July 4,2011

There was a little bit of everything for the many who flocked to Fuessenich Park on Monday afternoon/night for the Tri-State All Stars/Torrington Titans, Fourth of July Spectacular. This event had something for everyone. From a sky diver (Mark Krazinski), who delivered the American Flag, to a first pitch toss by a former New York Yankees player and a couple of building-denting home runs during the Home Run Derby, this day had to be considered a success. Aubrey Van Allen (Northwest Hills Idol participant) sang the National Anthem as Krazinski deployed a giant American flag and made a perfect landing in shallow right field, not far from second base. Torrington Titans scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull out an 8-5 win.

And yes, even a former American Idol contestant, William Hung. One of the things the Carminucci Sports Group promised the people of Torrington when they first introduced themselves was that they would not only see great baseball; they would be entertained before, during and after. Monday started early in the afternoon when approximately 400 fans showed up to watch a classic fan favorite; the Home Run Derby. While the Titans Cole Harrison came away the winner with a seven bomb performance in the finals, teammate Thomas Richards got the biggest reaction when he sent a bomb over the right field fence and up past the third floor window of the house beyond the batting cages. It was still going up when it hit. Many a ball was lost by both sides into the Naugtauck River.

Harrison, accepted a trophy for winning the home run derby and good-natured ribbing from his teammates. Asked by a reporter whether he ate his Wheaties that morning, Harrison smiled and said, “I had a Subway grinder for breakfast.” Hmm, wonder if the chain can market that response? Paul Novakowski of the Tri-Staters, who played high school baseball at Holy Cross in Waterbury and then spent four years with the Assumption College team, said it was fun to be a part of the derby. “It’s not for bragging rights or anything. The Titans are young kids on their way up and we’re happy to be playing baseball. I have hit my fair share of home runs over the years and we had a few side bets as to who was going to hit more for our team.” Offered Titans manager Gregg Hunt, “We wanted to do this and then maybe not because it might mess up the guys swings. But we said let’s do it and I think it was great. The fans enjoyed it and it was nice to see a lot of people in the stands to watch.”

Jim Bouton, who spoke with John Torsiello about his latest doings, threw a scoreless fourth inning with a dead to rights knuckle ball that danced towards Titans hitters, who did not get a ball out of the infield. Pretty good for a guy who is 72 years young and still playing the game he loves. Just before the game started, a sky diver delighted the crowd with a perfect landing just behind second base, flag in hand. A terrific sight. William Hung, former Idol castoff from season three, performed during the game, including the rendition that made him known, “She Bangs”.

Adam Piechowski, former Torrington Twister and Gilbert High School graduate and baseball star, looked sharp as ever in his three innings of work to start the game. Scott Arigoni, also a living legend in Torrington lore, pitched an inning and made it about a dozen high level exhibitions over the last decade that he has pitched in. Rick Wilson has the latest on one of Torrington’s finest men later this week. The weather was great, the fans were into the game and the entertainment value was sky high (no sky diving pun intended). Those on hand on Monday (800 fans plus) sure got their money’s worth and more from a group that enjoys the business of entertaining fans while presenting great baseball memories.