i THE DALLAS Post | _. Sports The Dallas Post Dallas, PA Thursday, July 4, 2002 9 From the bullpen Timothy J. Raub Wanted: All- ootar voters with a clue Major League Baseball has opened a position for a profes- sional All-Star Game selector. Interested candidates must have little or no knowledge of the vot and the league's best play- <rs, and should have a strong loyalty to one and only one Ma- jor League team. Looks like a great job to have, but before anyone runs out like a bullet train to apply for this fantasy job, you should know there will likely be a lot of inter- ested candidates. Of course this is only a joke, but from looking at the results 8 this year’s American and Na- ional League All-Star balloting, there could be over two million suitable candidates for the posi- tion. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is supposed to pit the top positional players from both leagues against each other in a showcase of baseball's best. 2 Someone must have forgotten o tell the fans that. Over 1.3 million voters named Boston Outfielder Manny Ramirez — a guy who has not played in even half of the Red Sox 80 games — to the team, and omitted statistically better and more deserving players from honors they have earned. Boston teammate Johnny Da- mon, who has played in 73 of the Red Sox 80 games, is a good @ ple. In 73 games this season, al- most double what Ramirez has played in, Damon is batting .307 with 94 hits, five of them for home runs. White Sox out- fielder Magglio Ordonez and Anaheim’s Darren Erstad have stats that are even better yet. But all three will have to com- ete for the booby prize — a fan vote for the 30th and final spot on the roster as a “We're sorry we didn’t pick the best player for each position” spot on the team. : The same holds true in the National League. Osama Bin Laden will attend mass at St. Therese’s Church before Mets’ catcher Mike Piazza catches a runner stealing sec- .ond, and the Dodgers’ Paul LoD- @ and San Francisco's Benito Santiago each have better field- ing percentages, while Piazza only betters LoDuca at the plate in home runs and strikeouts. At least the MLB brass has the brain power to allow the game's managers to select the pitchers and all but one reserve. e could just imagine what pitch- rs would be on the team if the fans selected them. Any time you allow the fans to select an all-star team, you are asking for a tribute to turn into a popularity contest. By the way, are Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron on the All-Star bal- lot? They would definitely make the team based on their names. Butcofski Update Wilkes-Barre /Scranton Pio- neer Rich Butcofski, a Dallas High School and East Strouds- burg University alumnus, had two receptions for 24 yards, and hauled in the first touchdown reception of his professional ca- reer in the Pioneers’ 55-38 loss to Rochester in af2 action June 29. Wilkes-Barre /Scranton is cur- rently 4-9 on the season, and must win all of their final three See BULLPEN, pg 10 1 “ 2 SUBNCIGREA CY, RE Becka Banks applied the tag a bit late at third to an Avoca/Dupont-Exeter runner last week. The Back Mountain Major League girls all-stars ran away with a 13-2 win in a game called after five innings. BMT girls all-star open with pair of wins DALLAS — In a pitchers’ duel, the Back Mountain Major League softball team won their second game of the District 16 Softball Tournament Sunday night in Dallas, beating Moun- tain Top 2-1. Allison Evans pitched a five hitter for the Back Mountain and Kim Orloski pitched a three hitter for Moun- tain Top. The Back Mountain took a one-run lead in the second in- ning on back-to-back doubles by Kathleen Paley and Megan Youells. Mountain Top answered back and tied the game in the top of the third inning. In the bottom = of the fourth, Back Mountain scored a run when Kathleen Paley hit a leadoff in- side-the-park home run to right field. Mountain Top threatened in the top of the sixth by loading the bases. With one out, Allison Evans struck out the last two Mountain Top batters to end the game. Back Mountain hitters; Kath- leen Paley a home run and a double. Megan Youells had a double with an RBI. Mountain Top 001000-1 Back Mountain 01010X-2 WP - Allison Evans 6 IP, 5H, 1R, 11SO, 2BB LP - Kim Orloski 5 IP, 3H 2R, 5S0O, 3BB ,8BB American wins meeting of Back Mountain all-stars DALLAS — Back Mountain American scored six of its seven runs in the fifth inning, with Scott Skammer delivering a two- run single, in its 7-6 winners bracket victory. After National moved within 7- 6 in the sixth, American out- fielder Josh Backes threw out the potential tying run at the plate to end the game. Doug Harding led National by going 3-for-4 day with two RBI. Plains 9, Harveys Lake 4 HARVEYS LAKE — Chris Iroiro and Ray Black each hit a single and a double to lead POST PHOTOS/JIM PHILLIPS Paige Selenski turned on a pitch last week. Back Mountain 13, Avoca-Dupont-Exeter 2 Back Mountain won its open- ing gametournament Friday night at home. Megan Youells, Allison Evans and Ellen Morgan combined to pitch a no-hitter for the Back Mountain. Back Moun- tain took a first inning lead of 3- 0 and never looked back. A-D-E scored two runs in the fifth in- ning of the rule shortened game. Back Mountain hitters Allison Evans, Paige Selenski, Kathleen Paley, Megan Youells, Becca Banks, Julianne Pettit, Jill Spring, Laura Kurello, Britanny Rice and Shauna Phillips, com- bined for 10 hits and 13 runs. Back Mountain 31306-13 A-D-E 00002-2 WP - Megan Youells (3-1/3 IP, OH, 2R, 7S0O, 5BB) LP - Sarah McDermott (5 IP, 10H 13R, 1SO, 4BB) The Back Moun- [& tain Bearcats U- 10 Girls Travel Team recently concluded their EF Spring 2002 sea- pases SON, competing in fee the 18th Annual Quakertown Invi-{ Gi tational Girls £ Tournament, where they cap- tured first place in the Red Divi- sion. They de- feated Souderton South Parkland, Schnecksville and Quakertown. In June, the Bearcats competed in the Vereinigung Erzgebirge Annual Tournament. The Bearcats defeat- ed previous unbeaten The Hulmesville Hotshots 2-1 in the championship game to win the A Division. The team competed in the Boys A Division Back Mountain Travel Tournament and lost 2-0 to the unde- feated Abington Lightning. Members of the team are: from left, first row: Taylor Bowman, Kelsey Hannigan, Danielle Castrig- nano, Kylie Kustrin, Mady Hackett, Amy Heindel, Emily Clay. Second row: Coach Kevin Bowman, Ari- anna Anglovich, Ellen Arnoud, Melissa Attanasio, Dominque DeAngelo, Annie Van Scoy, Erica John- son, Coach Wayne Heindel. Gaby Olshemski is absent from photo. Giants win Major League championship The National League champion Giants overwhelmed the Ameri- can League champion Yankees 14-3 to capture the 2002 overall championship of Back Mountain Baseball, Inc. Doug Harding tossed a complete game for the Giants, striking out seven. Hard- ing, James Sutton, Dylan Cleaves, Sam Davidowitz and Jimmy Decker each had two hits for the Giants, including one double apiece by Harding and Decker. Myer Messinger and Henry Messinger combined to strike out four for the Yankees, who played in the championship game for the second consecutive year. NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Giants 4, Cardinals 2 Bobby Peron struck out nine batters en route to earning the complete game victory. Peron also smacked a double and a single for the Giants. Cody Kus- trin and Dylan Cleaves each had a triple and a single for the win- ners while teammate Chris Daly added a double. Mark Covert pitched a complete game for the Cardinals, fanning six. Ryan Phillips led the Cardinal offense with a double. NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Giants 11, Reds 4 Cody Kustrin led the Giants Plains. Nate Volkel and Rick Bower each had a single for Harveys Lake. Bob Horlacher 19, Avoca/Dupont 3 BEAUMONT — Bob Hor- lacher’s Jake Shook and Josh Jastervinski each went 2-for-4 with a double, and Jastervinski was also the winning pitcher as Bob Horlacher defeated Avoca- Dupont in a losers bracket game. John Waleski and Dave Riviel- lo each “had: a ‘hit. for Avoca/Dupont. BMT BALL ROUNDUP with a double and two singles. Doug Harding and Bobby Peron each contributed two hits for the Giants, including a Harding double. Harding got the win, recording six strikeouts. For the Reds, Tom Perry swatted a home run and Jordan Jiunta added a double and a single. Mike Prater, Perry and Joe Bevevino combined to fan seven Giants. AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Yankees 11, Orioles 0 Myer Messinger struck out six en route to shutting out the Ori- oles on one hit. Michael McHutchinson singled twice for the Yankees while teammates Josh Shaver. Scott Skammer, Thomas McGrath and Henry Messinger each doubled. Rangers 5, Red Sox 2 Matt Ruch blasted a home run and a double to power the Rangers. Josh Backes added a double and a single for the win- ners. Ruch collected the victory, fanning ten. For the Red Sox, Kevin Little had a double and a single while teammate Dave Zurek added a double. Little struck out four Rangers. REGULAR SEASON Yankees 20, Indians 5 The Yankees defeated the Indi- ans 20-5, elevating their record to 15-4 and clinching the Ameri- can League regular season crown. Myer Messinger led the See BMT BALL, pg 10 BMT Cards take ‘double header’ from Braves to claim title Back Mt. Cardinals 6, Back Mt. Braves 5 Back Mt. Cardinals 5, Back Mt. Braves 4 On May 20, the Cardinals and Braves were tied 5-5 after six in- nings when darkness prevented further play. This necessitated a JUNI ro) R doubleheader of sorts on June M=y:Xel§|=8 29 as the teams needed to con- clude that earlier game before they could play the rematch on the regular season's final day. The encounter was made mean- ingful by the fact that the teams entered the first game in a virtu- al tie for first. place, knowing that a sweep by either team would result in a championship for the victor, but that a split would probably give the 13-team division championship to the Back Mt. Indians. The Cardinals had rallied from a two-run deficit to tie the score 5-5 in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI groundout by David Harding and a two-out RBI sin- gle by Dylan Seeley. When the game resumed, Harding set the Braves down in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, Mike Zaleskas singled and stole second with one out. With two outs, a Chris DeRojas ground ball made it through the" infield, plating Zaleskas with the winning run. Harding struck out eight in four innings on the mound while Seeley fanned two in three innings of pitching. Za- leskas had two singles for the Cards. Matt Shumbris and Tom Parrish each had two singles for the Braves. Shumbris pitched a complete game, fanning six. In the first inning of the sec- ond game, Shumbris singled home Brian Goeringrer to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, a Seeley ground ball drove home Za- leskas to tie the score. The Cards went ahead on a two-run single in the second inning by Stephen Cornia, scoring Mike Pelleschi and Zaleskas. The Braves took a 4-3 in the fifth in- ning, primarily on the strength of a two-run single by Shumbris. However, the Cardinals rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to sweep the double- header on ‘the strength of a clutch single by Chad Gelso and infield grounder that DeRojas barely beat out. Harding fanned nine in five innings of pitching while Seeley recorded three strikeouts in two innings of shutout relief. Shumbris and Jake Stryjewski combined to strike out ten for the Braves. The Cardinals completed the regular season with a record of 12-2.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers