New York State League

NYSL players signed to pro teams

Name / Pos / Team
• Matt Acevedo / INF / San Angelo (ULB)
• Felix Adamkiewicz / SS / Evansville (FL)
• Khalid Afify / RHP / Lincoln (AA)
• Andre Alvarardo / INF /Chico (GBL)
• Mark Alvarez /RHP / Lincoln (AA)
• Adam Amar / INF / Blue Jays/ Auburn (NYP)
• Chris Antonides / RHP /
Gateway (FL)
• Jose Aquino / RHP /
Quebec (Can-Am)
• Andrew Barbaro / C / Traverse City (FL)
• Alex Bardequez / INF / Sioux Falls (AA)
• Josh Barney / RHP / Kalamazoo (FL)
• Arthur Barone / C / Worcester (Can-Am)
• Dan Bertolini / SS / Midwest (FL)
• Chris Bielski / OF / River City (FL)
• Ryan Boelsen / C / Sussex (Can-Am)
• Matt Britt / OF / Texarkana (CBL)
• Jono Brooks / INF / Rockford (FL)
• Pat Burgess / C / Yuma (GBL)-Texarkana (CBL)
• Jon Burke / LHP / Quebec (Can-Am)
• Maurice Butler / INF / Coastal (CBL)
• Philip Cahill / C / Rockford (FL)
• Brian Campbell / RHP / Lincoln (AA)
• John Campbell / RHP / Texarkana (CBL)
• Ryan Crespi / OF / Sussex (Can-Am)
• Pat Cummins / OF / Orange County (GBL)
• Matt Dahlin / RHP / Edmonton (GBL)
• Billy Davis / RHP / Coastal (CBL)
• Frank D'Aversa / LHP / Rockford (FL)
• Joe Dempsey / C / Lincoln (AA)-Rockford (FL)
• Ray Devaul / LHP / Yuma (GBL)
• John Ducey / RHP / Evansville (FL)
• Greg Dumouchel / OF / Ottawa (Can-Am)
• Fred Duquette / LHP / Kalamazoo (FL)
• Neil Forsyth / RHP / Texarkana (CBL)
• Anthony Franco / C / Sioux Falls (AA)
• Jesse Fuller / INF / Sussex (Can-Am)
• Sean Gildea / LHP / Gateway (FL)
• Nate Ginsberg / LHP / Yuma (GBL)
• Adam Gordon / INF / Gateway (FL)
• Sean Gottschalk / RHP /
Coastal (CAL)
• Ryan Grant / INF / Sioux Falls (AA)
• Sean Gregory / RHP / Quebec (Can-Am)
• Adam Harazenda / LHP / Reno (GLB)
• Will Hassett / RHP / Oakland (FL)
• Ben Hildreth / RHP / River City (FL)
• Dennis Jones /OF / Midwest (FL)
• Jimmer Kennedy / RHP / Gateway (FL)
• Steffan King / RHP / Coastal (CBL)
• Kyle Kowalowski / INF / Texarkana (CBL)
• James Kukucka / RHP /
Quebec (Can-Am)
• Dan Kupec / RHP / Coastal (CBL)
• Grant Ledbetter / RHP / Edmonton (GBL)
• Andrew Lihotz /LHP / Texarkana (CBL)
• Josh Likens / LHP / Reno (GBL)
• Andrew Long /RHP / Texarkana (CBL)
• Jim Ludwig / LHP / Florence (FL)
• Brian Mason / OF / Reno (GBL)
• Adam Matos / OF / Lake Erie (FL)
• Dan Maycock / OF / Gateway (FL)
• Rob Maxwell /RHP / Texarkana (CBL)
• Matt Mazurek / OF / Rockford (FL)
• Steve Mazzurco / OF / Traverse City (FL)
• Ryan McArdle/ INF / Rockford (FL)
• Ross McCoy / OF / Rockford (FL)
• Joe McGhee / C / Brockton (Can-Am)
• Greg McKeown /RHP / Texarkana (CBL)
• Brad McLaughlin / RHP / Quebec (Can-Am)
• Josh McLeod / C / Bay Area (CBL)
• John Molyneux / OF / Fort Worth (AA)
• Michael Mondesir / RHP/ Washington (FL)
• Eric Morrison / OF / Texakana (CBL)
• Boo Morrow / RHP / Texarkana (CBL)
• Kyle Obal / C / Washington (FL)
• Corey O'Neill / 1B / Texakana (CBL)
• Joe Orgovan / RHP / Pensacola (AA)
• Mark Pappas/ SS / Sussex (Can-Am)
• Lonnie Patterson / RHP / Schaumburg (NL)
• Marcus Pearson / OF / Coastal (CBL)
• Ryan Pembroke / INF / Big Bend (CBL)
• Chris Petrie / OF / Grand Prarie (AA)
• Kevin PiccIrillo / LHP / Brockton (Can-Am)
• Scott Porter / RHP / Midwest (FL)
• Jamie Quinn / C / Windy City (FL)
• Shawn Ravenscraft / RHP / Reno (GBL)-Midwest (FL)
• Jon Reed / OF / Texarkana (CBL)
• Josh Regits/ RHP / St. Paul (AA)
• Nick Riker/ RHP / Texarkana (CBL)
• Trumaine Riley / WR / Erie (AIFA)
• Vince Rizzi / RHP / Worcester (Can-Am)
• Fraser Robinson / LHP / Brockton (Can-Am)
• George Rohan / LHP / Gateway (FL)
• Brian Rzepka / OF / River City (FL)
• Rob Savarese/ LHP / Lake Erie (FL)
• Nolan Shaffer / RHP / Florence (FL)
• Mark Sikora/ RHP / Yuma (GBL)
• Zack Staniewicz / RHP / Alexandria (CBL)
• Shane Sveda / RHP / Midwest (FL)
• Michael Tansey / OF / Rockford (FL)
• Joe Walentin / RHP / Reno (GBL)
• Danny Wansley / INF / Coastal (CBL)
• Pat Warfle / INF / Atlantic City (Can-Am))
• Ryan Weber / RHP / Reno (GBL)
• Zack Welsh / C / Texakana (CBL)
• Dave Whigham / RHP / El Paso (AA)
• Paul Wilson / RHP / Reno (GBL)
• Andrew Wong / IF / Amarillo (ULB)
• Kent Wright / C / Fort Worth (AA)
• Nick Vadaro / IF / Sussex-Brockton (Can-Am)
• Ozain Valoy / C /Quebec (Can-Am)
• Scott Vanes / RHP / Somerset (ATL)
• Justin Young / RHP / Witchita (AA)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

In 1858, the first known baseball song was written, "The Base Ball Polka!" It was not quite as famous as Jack Norworth's 1908 classic, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", which was written on some scrap paper on a train ride to Manhattan, New York. Norworth then provided those paper scrap lyrics to Albert Von Tilzer who composed the music which in turn was published by the York Music Company and before the year was over, a hit song was born.

Jack Norworth was a very successful vaudeville entertainer / songwriter and spent fifteen minutes writing this classic which is sung during the seventh inning stretch at nearly every ball park in the country. In 1927, he changed some lyrics and a second version appeared.

1908 Version

Author: Jack Norworth
Composer: Albert Von Tilzer
Published on: 1908, 1927
Published by: York Music Company

Katie Casey was base ball mad.
Had the fever and had it bad;
Just to root for the home town crew,
Ev'ry sou Katie blew.
On a Saturday, he young beau
Called to see if she'd like to go,
To see a show but Miss Kate said,
"No, I'll tell you what you can do."

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

Katie Casey saw all the games,
Knew the players by their first names;
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Katie Casey knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song:

Official New York State League photos by Lauren Rose

HEAR FROM THE PLAYERS!

James Kukucka, RHP. Quebec (Can-Am) : I can’t thank Jay and the coaching staff at the NYSL enough for providing me with the opportunity to keep putting on a uniform after I exhausted my collegiate eligibility. The NYSL allows undrafted, unsigned and overlooked players to keep working towards their dream of playing professional baseball. Jay and the coaching staff are committed to helping NYSL players sign a professional contract. After gaining experience and exposure playing in the NYSL against talented players from all over the country, I was able to sign a professional contract with the Quebec Capitales, join the team’s starting rotation and win a championship ring during my first season of pro ball.

Will Hassett, RHP, Oakland (FL): Upon finishing my collegiate baseball career undrafted and unsigned, the New York State League gave me the opportunity to continue playing competitive baseball. The attitude was fun, yet serious; Jay and his staff are committed to help you become a better player. They do their absolute best to make you as marketable to professional teams as possible. The exposure attained from playing in the NYSL was no doubt a large part in helping me sign my first professional contract. The NYSL helped me realize that with hard work and a love for the game, good things can happen. I would like to thank everyone in the NYSL for helping me reach my lifelong goal of playing professional baseball.

Ben Hildreth , RHP, River City (FL): I didn't get picked up during the summer, but I quickly learned that open tryouts are for people that have recommendations from somewhere already. Having pitched well in the NYSL, allowed Jay to recommend me previous to other workouts. I think that his recommendation led to my being signed at a later tryout.

Dave Whigham, RHP, El Paso (AA): "The New York State League is an oustanding place to begin your quest to the major leagues. I cannot thank Jay, Nick, and Dave enough for their help and commitment in turning undrafted free agents like myself to promising and successful prospects. I remember going undrafted the summer following my senior year of college but thanks to the NYSL, I did not have to wait long to get back on the mound. Courtesy of the things I learned from both Nick and Dave, I was named a 2009 American Association All-Star and have thrown over 150 innings as a starting pitcher with the El Paso Diablos in the past two seasons. It was my first days in the league that I often reflect upon when I'm toeing the rubber to begin the game."

Matt Dahlin, RHP, Edmonton Capitals (GBL): “You have to start somewhere and work your way up and I think the NYSL is a GREAT place to start and the best opportunity to be noticed. Especially when someone like myself has never been noticed through high school or college that much, it’s a great way to let people see the talent one has been given. And the NYSL does just that. Now I wasn’t quite sure how I’d do but if you show up and play the game, then good things happen, and I was fortunate to have that happen. And because that happened, the NYSL was able to find a professional team for me.”

Kent Wright, C, Fort Worth Cats (AA): The NYSL provided me with a competitive atmosphere where I could showcase my talents in front of professional baseball personnel. The players were of a high caliber and the experience was an unforgettable one. New York in the summer time is a great environment for the professional baseball player.”

Grant Ledbetter, RHP, Edmonton Capitals (GBL): “Jay Acton and Nick Belmonte have created a flawless operation in the NYSL. The numbers prove it. In just two seasons over 100 college players have been given the opportunity to take their game to the next level. The NYSL is without a doubt, rhe best opportunity to showcase your skills among a high pool of competition. Along with that, Jay and Nick demonstrate the highest degree of loyalty and commitment to the success of each individual. Without the NYSL, my baseball career would have ended. Now, I am preparing for my second season of pro ball with Edmonton of the Golden League. Thanks Jay and Nick, I couldn’t have done it without you!”

Ryan Pembroke, INF, Big Bend Cowboys (CBL): “I greatly appreciate Jay Acton, Nick Belmonte And the NYSL for giving me an opportunity to play Professional Baseball. The NYSL is a great stepping stone for players who look to pursue playing Professional Baseball. Without this opportunity in 2008, I would probably still be going to tryouts looking to get picked up. Jay and Nick look out for the best interests of their players and I thank them for that. Because of them I am currently playing in the 2009 season in the Continental Baseball League for the Big Bend Cowboys. If you are looking for a place to play I highly recommend the New York State League as a place to start off.”

Jamie Quinn, C, LI Ducks (Atl): “The New York State League is the best way for the undrafted or unsigned player to begin his professional baseball career. Jay Acton, Scott Nathanson, and Nick Belmonte all helped me by giving me an opportunity to showcase my skills and play in the NYSL. I greatly appreciate all what they have done for me in helping me sign with the Frontier League. The NYSL is by far the fastest developmental league to the professional ranks and gets my highest recommendation.”

NYSL FLASHBACK: DAVE CASH
When the New York State League was reconstituted in 2007 the first manager hired was former Major League All Star Dave Cash. Cash was chosen to manage the Brewmaster team and was instrumental in the launch of the league, appearing in television, radio and print commercials as well as making many promotional and speaking appearances. Cash was a fifth round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1966 and played with greats such as Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell during his time with the club. By 1971 Cash was a regular and became a World Series Champion as the Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles. Cash was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1973 for pitcher Ken Brett and it was with the Phillies Cash would have his best seasons, being named an All Star in 1974, l975 and 1976. He finished up his twelve year playing career with stints in Montreal and San Diego. His career batting average was .283 and his fielding percentage of .984 is the highest for National League second baseman in history. When he put down his bat and glove he became a coach in the Phillies organization. First he was assigned to Batavia (A) and then to Scranton-Wilkes Barre (AAA). He later became the Philadelphia Phillies first base coach. In 2001, the Baltimore Orioles offered Cash his first managerial job at Frederick (A) in the Carolina League. Later he spent time with the Orioles AA and AA teams. In 2005 he became the Orioles first base coach and served in that capacity through the 2006 season, In 2007 he joined the NYSL. And then in 2008 he became the hitting coach for the Sussex Skyhawks and the team went on to win the Can-Am League Championship. Cash will reprise that coaching role this season. An avid fisherman, Cash enjoys spending the offseason pursuing that passion. Cash’s son David is an outfielder in the Orioles system and is currently hitting over .300 at Frederick. But what Cash enjoys doing most is working with young players and it looks like he’ll spend the future being able to do that.

The Real Independent Champions
It was 1983 that the Mohawk Valley of New York State saw its last professional baseball champs—the Utica Blue Sox of the NY-Penn League. This fully independent league won the last championship ever in an affiliated league, beating out franchises of the Yankees, Mets and Orioles among others. The Blue Sox were managed by an intense young man names Jim Gattis and their pitching coach was the venerable Bob Veale, who spent many years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Sox played at a rundown stadium in South Utica called Murnane Field. The executive offices were in an abandoned trailer with no working plumbing. And sometimes even a few fans showed up but for the most part this was about the players—Barry Moss, Don "The Cobra" Jacoby and a world-beating relief pitcher from Canada named Roy Moretti. The Blue Sox started the season with a big lead but had to win three games on the same day to get into the playoffs. Somehow they pulled off this miracle leaving the Little Falls Mets and the Oneonta Yankees behind. On September 5, 1983, the Blue Sox won the Penn League Championship in Newark, New York, against an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The old Blue Sox are long gone but the memories of that championship season have not faded.

Grover Cleveland Alexander
Alexander was born in Elba, Nebraska. Alexander was one of thirteen children and played semi-pro ball in his youth. He signed his first professional contract at age 20 in 1907 for $50 per month. He had a good first season, but his career was almost ended when he was struck by a thrown ball while baserunning. This incident set his career back, but he had recovered by 1910, became a star pitcher again, and was sold to the Philadelphia Phillies for $750. In his 1911 debut, Alexander led the league with 28 wins (a modern-day rookie record), 31 complete games, 367 innings pitched, and seven shutouts while finishing second in strikeouts and fourth in ERA. From 1912 to 1920, Alexander led the league in ERA five times (1915, 1916, 1917, 1919, and 1920), wins five times (1914-17, 1920), innings six times (1912, 1914-17, 1920), strikeouts six times (1912, 1914-1917, 1920), complete games five times (1914-1917, 1920), and shutouts five times (1915, 1916 [a single season record 16], 1917, 1919). He won pitching's Triple Crown in 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1920. In 1915, he was instrumental in leading the Phillies to their first pennant, and he also pitched a record four one-hitters. Alexander, with the Phillies circa 1910. After the 1917 season, the Phillies sold Alexander to the Cubs, ostensibly fearful that he would be lost to the army in World War I, but as Phillies owner William Baker admitted later, "I needed the money". Sure enough Alexander was drafted, and spent most of the 1918 season in France as an artillery officer, where he suffered from shell shock, partial hearing loss, and increasingly worse seizures. Always a drinker, Alexander hit the bottle particularly hard after the war. He still gave Chicago several successful years, however, and grabbed another pitching triple crown in 1920. Finally tiring of his increasing drunkenness and insubordination, the Cubs sold him to the Cardinals in the middle of the 1926 season for the waiver price. The Cardinals won the National League pennant that year and met the New York Yankees in the World Series, where Alexander had his finest moment. He pitched complete game victories in Games 2 and 6. According to teammate Bob O'Farrell in The Glory of Their Times, after the game six victory, Alexander managed to get drunk throughout the night and was still feeling the effects when he was sent out to pitch. Alexander came to the game in the seventh inning of Game 7, after starter Jesse Haines developed a blister, with the Cardinals up 3-2 the bases loaded and two outs. Facing Yankee slugger Tony Lazzeri, Alexander struck him out and then held the Yankees scoreless for two more innings to preserve the win and give St. Louis the championship. He had one last 20-win season for the Cardinals in 1927, but his continued drinking finally did him in. He left major league baseball after a brief return to the Phillies in 1930, and pitched for the House of David until 1938. Alexander died on November 4, 1950 in St. Paul, Nebraska at the age of 63.—courtesy: Wikipedia

Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers (July 21, 1883 – March 28, 1947) was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was born in Troy, New York. The name originally rhymed with beavers rather than severs, but Evers came to accept both pronunciations. Evers, a second baseman, made it to the big leagues with the Chicago Cubs in 1902 and played for the Cubs through 1913, during which time he appeared in three World Series and won two (in 1907 and 1908). One of the smallest men ever to play in the major leagues, Evers reportedly weighed less than 100 pounds (45 kg) when he first broke in, and generally played at a weight under 130 pounds (59 kg). His combative play earned him the nickname "The Crab." In 1914 Evers was traded to the Boston Braves, which proved to be a spectacular combination — the Braves won the World Series, and Evers won the Chalmers Award (a forerunner of the MVP award). Evers played with the Braves until 1917, when he was claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Phillies in mid-season. He retired from playing after that season, having batted .300 or higher twice in his career, stolen 324 bases and scored 919 runs. Evers is best known to modern-day fans as the pivot man in the "Tinker to Evers to Chance" double play combination, which inspired the classic baseball poem Baseball's Sad Lexicon, written by the twenty-eight-year old New York Evening Mail newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams in July 1910.[1] He was also the player who alerted the umpires to Fred Merkle's baserunning error in the 1908 pennant race, costing the Giants the pennant. Evers managed three teams, the 1913 Chicago Cubs, the 1921 Cubs, and the 1924 Chicago White Sox. Over his managerial career, he posted a 180-192 record. He later served as a scout for the Boston Braves and as business manager and field manager of the International League's Albany Senators. Evers was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1946. Johnny Evers died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1947 in Albany, New York. He is interred in St. Mary's Cemetery in Troy, New York.—courtesy: Wikipedia

Bucky Harris
Stanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris (November 8, 1896 – November 8, 1977) was a Major League Baseball player, manager and executive. He was born in Port Jervis, New York and discovered by baseball promoter Joe Engel, who led the Chattanooga Lookouts at Engel Stadium. Harris spent most of his playing career as a second baseman with the Washington Senators (1919-28). One of baseball's "boy managers", Harris both played for and managed the Senators beginning in 1924, directing the team to a World Series Championship in his rookie season and the AL pennant the following year. After leaving the Senators initially in 1928 (he would twice return to manage them again from 1935-42 and from 1950-54), Harris was traded to the Detroit Tigers as player-manager. His playing career essentially ended in 1928, though he had a few cameo appearances with the Tigers in 1929 and 1931. He managed the Tigers twice (1929-33, 1955-56), Boston Red Sox (1934), Philadelphia Phillies (briefly known as the Blue Jays, 1943), and the 1947 World Champion New York Yankees. He closed his 29-year managing career with the 1956 Tigers, then rejoined the Red Sox as assistant general manager in 1957-58. He succeeded Joe Cronin as Boston's GM in January 1959 and served two seasons in that post before his release in September 1960. Late in his career, Harris was a scout for the Chicago White Sox and special assistant for the expansion Washington franchise that existed from 1961-71. Bucky Harris died in Bethesda, Maryland, on his 81st birthday. He is 6th in MLB manager career wins with 2,157 wins to his name. Harris is mentioned in a version of Abbott & Costello's famous Who's on First? routine.—courtesy: Wikipedia

Baseball:
The Early Days
The earliest known mention of baseball in the United States was a 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts ordinance banning the playing of the game within 80 yards (73 m) of the town meeting house. Another early reference reports that "base ball" was regularly played on Saturdays on what was then the outskirts of New York City (which today is Greenwich Village) in 1823. The first team to play baseball under modern rules were the New York Knickerbockers. The club was founded in 1845, as a social club for the upper middle classes of New York City.—courtesy: Wikipedia