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2021 News/Highlights

9/29/21

Highlights for games played 9/27/21

In the first game, Alan Massey continued his pitching mastery of Team Toyota. His pitching, plus the outstanding hitting of Jeff Blatt and Larry Levin, paced Sloane to a 

5 to 3 defeat of their red car rivals. This happened to be the last game of the season for both clubs. Larry was 3 for 3 with 3 singles and 2 runs scored, while Jeff went 3 for 4 with 3 singles and 1 run scored. Bob Gaines added a triple for Sloane.

Stymied for 6 and 2/3 innings by Alan Massey, Team, suddenly made a game of it, when starting with 2 out in the bottom of the 7th, they produced several back to back hits. Team's bats awoke, Team's bench awoke, but when George Groves tried to score on a booming hit off the bat of Jim O'Brien, he was just gunned down at the plate to end the valiant effort, that resulted in a quieted and stunned crowd. That's baseball folks. (softball too)!

Despite the loss, Team Toyota still ended up as all season champs of the FYSSL.

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A bevy of hits by Betz, as they bombed State Farm in another onslaught 15 to 5.

Dave Ortlip was a perfect 4 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. Dennis Burza, Jack Harte, Jack Donahue, and George Groves all had 3 hits. George drove in 3 runs with a triple. FYSSL welcomes newcomer, Paul Giannaula, who had 2 hits for Betz, and welcomes back Charlie Whittaker, who also had 2 hits for Betz.

Bob Gaines went 2 for 3, with a run scored and 3 RBI's for State Farm. One of Bob's hits was a triple. Jim O'Brien and Kevin Culp both doubled for State Farm. This was the last game of the season for both teams.

9/22/21

Highlights for games played 9/13/21

Team Toyota trounced State Farm Insurance 11 to 6. The hot hitting Dennis Burza went 4 for 4, while teammates Dave Ortlip and George Groves were both 3 for 4. Not bad!

Burza capped off his perfect day by also knocking in 4 runs in the rout. 

Kevin Culp, Jim O'Brien, Jack Feehan, Bob Gaines, and Kevin Jerdan were the top hitters for State Farm. After taking a commanding 4 run lead in the first 2 innings, Team pitcher Tom Delaney, shut out State Farm the rest of the way. Besides the sharp pitching of Delaney, Team Toyota's stellar defense also played a key part to the victory.

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Dennis Burza going 3 for 3 and driving in 2 runs was all the Betz Plumbers needed to defeat Sloane Toyota by a score of 4 to 1. Other teammates who had good games were Jim O'Brien, Phil D'Angiolini, Jack Harte, Tom Delaney, and Ron Cohen. Each player had 2 hits, whereby, Phil had the only extra base hit in the game, which was a booming triple.

Sloane Toyota had a tough day scoring runs, as Harris Braunstein, knocked in the only one with a single in the 5th inning. Teammate John Tvarok was 2 for 2 , while outfielder Jeff Blatt and 3rd baseman Terry Abrams each went 2 for 3 to lead Sloane's offense. 

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Highlights for games played 9/17/21

Everybody Hits --whew who! Betz had 20 knocks total. Are you kidding me? In the biggest offense explosion of the season, Betz tripled up State Farm 15 to 5.

John Tvarok was 4 for 4. Jack Donahue was 3 for 3. Kevin Jerdan was 3 for 3 with 5 RBI's , a double and 2 triples. This game also included the most  combined walks of 4 and sacrifice flies of 3 for the entire year.

Phil D'Angiolini led State Farm by going 3 for 3, with 3 singles. Bruce Ludlow, Jim O'Brien, and Bob Gaines all had 2 hits. Bob had 2 RBI's as well.

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Strategic manager, Bill Schwartz decided to throw southpaw Alan Massey against the big bats of Team Toyota. It turned out to be a brilliant move, as Massey making a rare start, held Team to only 1 run. Ron Fein and Terry Abrams topped Sloane with 3 hits each, whereby, Abrams also knocked in 2. Spencer Snyderman was credited with 3 RBI's, as the final score ended up to be: Sloane Toyota 7 and Team Toyota 1.

Dave Ortlip and Ron Miller had 4 of Team's total of 6 hits. Jack Rosania scored the only run for the red car dealers, and that came in the first inning. After that, Sloane's Alan Massey settled down to limit Team and cruise to a complete game victory.

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Highlights for games played 9/20/21

Team Toyota overcame Betz Plumbing's 4 run lead to win going away 11 to 5. Jack Rosania and Dave Ortlip led Team with 3 singles each. Dennis Davidowski knocked in 3 runs with his 2 hits. The pitching of Ron Miller and the excellent defense of Team were noteworthy for the win. Two unbelievable defensive plays were made by shortstop Dave Ortlip and outfielder Bill Russell, which both thwarted Betz rallies.

Pitcher Ron Miller also gave some credit to Dennis D. for calling a great game behind the plate and the Big Borrowed Glove of Tom Sikora, which he used to make some nice plays at first base.

For Betz, Dennis Burza, keeps being  perfect at the dish, by again going 3 for 3 on the day. Jack Donahue and Terry Klein both helped out by going 2 for 3. Newcomer Jack Harte knocked in 2 runs with a hard hit double to left.

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Sloane Toyota, down by 3 runs going into the bottom of the 7th, erupted for 4 runs and a walk off win against State Farm by 8 to 7. It was an ugly game marred by several controversial umpire calls and decisions. You could hear many disgruntled players and bad comments all over the ballpark. Anyhow, Jeff Blatt led all Sloane players with 3 hits. Other teammates who contributed to the victory were Dave Ortlip, Jack Donahue, Ron Miller, John Tvarok, Tom Delaney, and Harris Braunstein. Wow, that must be the whole lineup? Oh, and Terry Klein knocked in the winning run.

After taking the lead and being up by 3 runs halfway through 6, State Farm surrendered 4 in the bottom of the 7th and lost a heartbreaker to Sloane. Shortstop Phil D'Angiolini and 3rd baseman Ron Cohen had 2 hits for State. Jim Feehan knocked in 2 with a triple, and both Jim O'Brien and Jim Stabene clubbed doubles.

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9/20/21

Highlights for games played 8/30/21

Tom Delaney tossed a shutout as Team Toyota defeated Sloane Toyota 7 to 0. John Tvarok led the Teamsters with 2 singles and a double. Other members contributing were Dave Ortlip, Jack Feehan, Tom Sikora, Dennis Davidowski, and Delaney, where all got 2 hits.

Sloane had a tough time getting a clutch hit. Jeff Blatt and John Salmon both had nice games with 2 hits apiece.

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In the second game, Betz beat State Farm 13 to 6. Dennis Burza had 3 hits and 2 RBI's for Betz. Other plumbers with good games were: Steve Bradley, Jack Donahue, Jack Harte, John Lutz, and Kevin Jerdan. Kevin also had 3 RBI's.

Mark Rodill and Daryl Puzan tried very hard to keep State Farm in the game by leading the insurance men with 2 hits each. Mark also added 2 runs batted in.

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Highlights for games played 8/20/21

Team Toyota tripled up Sloane Toyota 9 to 3. Dave Ortlip also liked playing 3's by going 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored for the red Team. Phil D'Angiolini, Dennis Burza, and Jack Feehan all went 2 for 3, with Burza knocking in 4 runs.

Jeff Blatt topped Sloane by going a perfect 3 for 3 with a run scored. Dave Cohen, Bruce Ludlow, and Eric Gottlieb each chipped in with 2 hits.

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Betz toppled State Farm by a score of 8 to 2. Bruce Ludlow, George Groves, Dennis Burza, and newcomer Jack Donahue all had 2 hits with Phil D'Angiolini knocking in 3 for the plumbers.

Jack Feehan had 2 of the 5 hits garnered by State Farm. Jim O'Brien, Terry Klein, and Jim Stabene had the other 3.

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Highlights for games played 8/16/21

Team Toyota pummeled State Farm 12 to 5. Dave Ortlip, Tom Sikora, and Dennis Burza had 3 hits. Harris Braunstein and Ortlip each slugged a double while Burza knocked in 3 runs. Jack Rosania, Bruce Ludlow, Tom Delaney, John Tvarok, and Braunstein helped the Team effort with 2 hits each.

Jim O'Brien had 3 singles and Daryl Puzan, Guy Petroziello, and Jack Zupan had 2 for State Farm. Mark Rodill had the only extra base hit, which was a double.

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Sloane bested Betz by a score of 13 to 8. Alan Massey, Ron Fein, and Terry Abrams had 3 hits. One of Fein's hits was a triple. Jeff Blatt, Dave Cohen, and Bruce Barsky all collected 2 hits. Ron Fein also was credited for 4 RBI's.

In this game, the Betz plumbers seemed to have enough hits to win the game. Apparently, they were scattered and not clutch. Dave Ortlip went 3 for 3. Phil D'Angiolini had 3 ribbies. Rick Dietrick, Jim O'Brien, Kevin Jerdan, and D'Angiolini all had 2 hits. Dennis Burza slugged a double.

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Highlights for games played 8/09/21

Team Toyota whipped Sloane 6 to 1. Tom Sikora went 3 for 3 with 2 singles and a double. Bob Esterly, Dave Ortlip, Jack Rosania, and Tom Delaney had 2 singles each. Esterly batted in 2 runs as well.

Newcomer Jack Donahue knocked in the only run for Sloane. Larry Levin, Dave Cohen and Donahue all had 2 singles. It was a tough day at the plate for Sloane against Tom Delaney's spinner.

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State Farm just slipped by Betz plumbing 7 to 6. Aaron Sacharov, Kevin Culp, Bob Gaines, Daryl Puzan, and Jack Zupan all led the hit parade for State Farm. Feehan had a double and Gaines had a triple, while Ron Cohen launched a sacrifice fly to aid in the win.

Dave Ortlip and Steve Bradley went 3 for 3 for Betz. Rick Dietrick, Vince Burkett, and Dennis Burza added 2 hits each. Note, that Bradley had 4 RBI's in this game.

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Highlights for games played 8/06/21

State Farm rocked Team Toyota 10 to 6. Kevin Culp and Mark Rodill were the hitting stars for State Farm. Kevin and Mark both were 3 for 4. Jim O'Brien, Bob Gaines, and Bill Russell collected 2 hits. One of O'Brien's hits was and double and one of Gaines' hits was a triple. Rodill and Gaines had 3 RBI's and Culp scored 3 runs.

Phil D'Angiolini went 3 for 4 that included a triple. George Groves, Dave Ortlip, Dennis Burza, and Rick Dietrick helped the Team cause, however, it was not enough as Team Toyota suffered a tough defeat.

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Betz nudged Sloane Toyota 9 to 8. Rick Dietrick had an awesome day at the plate by going 4 for 4. John Lutz was also a perfect 3 for 3. Mino Cruz had 3 hits as well for Betz.

Bruce Ludlow and Jack Feehan had 3 hits for Sloane. Jeff Blatt, Ron Fein, and Bruce Barsky were stand outs too. 

9/09/21

Highlights for games played 8/02/21

In a closely fought game, Sloane Toyota nipped State Farm 12 to 11. State Farm was streaking and Sloane needed the game badly. Terry Klein, who knocked in the winning run, was 4 for 4 with an RBI. Terry Abrams was also a perfect 3 for 3. The following hit parade of 2 hits each went to: Blatt, Ludlow, Fein, D. Cohen, Salmon, and Braunstein. The following Sloane players had 2 Ribbies each: Blatt, Ludlow, Fein & Schwartz.

For State Farm, Guy Petroziello had 3 hits and 2 RBI's. Other State Farmer's driving in 2 runs were Daryl Puzan and Ron Cohen. Mark Rodill had to be different by knocking in 3 via 2 hits with one being a triple.

 

In the second game, Betz clobbered Team Toyota 17 to 8. With just an explosion of 28 hits from Betz,  the Red Car Salesmen never had a chance in this one. Dennis Burza, Kevin Jerdan, and Jim Lindner each had 4 hits. For the record, Jerdan knocked in a season league game high of 7 RBI's. Other plumbers contributing to the bombing were Vince Burkett, Terry Klein, and Bruce Ludlow with 3 hits. Almost everyone else in the lineup had only a measely 2 hits. Are you kidding me?

Also noteworthy, was that Jerdan and Larry Levin both had a double and triple.

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For Team Toyota, the following players had 2 hits each: Phil D'Angiolini, Dale Cassidy, John Tvarok, Ron Miller, Tom Sikora, and yes Dennis Davidowski. BTW, Tom Sikora knocked in 3 runs to boot.

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7/26/21 -----

State Farm beat Team Toyota 8 to 6. From the score , one would think this was a close contest. Believe me, it was not. This game was won in the first 2 innings when State Farm jumped out to an 8 nothing lead. With the score 4 to 0, Jack Feehan's 3rd homer of the year, a grand slam that some veteran players think was the longest home run ever hit at Middletown Park, seemed to put the game out of reach. It was another towering bomb to left field for Jack.

At any rate, besides Feehan's homer and 4 RBI's, outfielder Jim O'Brien continued to stay hot with a single, double and 2 more runs batted in.

Nevertheless, give Team Toyota some credit, as they chipped away from the 2nd inning, as pitcher Ron Miller stymied the State Farm bats for 5 straight innings.

On offense, Dale Cassidy had a nice day by going 3 for 3 , with 3 RBI's , in garnering a double and 2 singles. Mino Cruz, Chuck Resnick, and red hot John Tvarok all had 2 hits for the Red car dealers.

 

It was the 6th inning, and the score was Betz Plumbing 10 and Sloane Toyota 4. Things looked bleak and the S-Toyotans were again on the way to another loss. However, this writer bets that you know what was to happen next. You are right! In a game that will probably catapult Sloane, the Blue car dealers pulled out victory from the jaws of defeat. Sloane scored 7 runs in the final 2 innings to nail Betz 11 to 10. With the bases loaded and 2 outs, Dave Cohen's single, drove in the winning runs in the bottom of the 7th. Dave had 3 hits, that included 2 singles and a double and 4 RBI's. Jeff Blatt had 3 hits, with Terry Abrams, Bruce Ludlow, Alan Massey, and Coach Bill Schwartz all with 2. This is the type of win that should give Sloane some good momentum going forward the rest of the way.

Howard Borochaner led Betz with 3 hits and 2 RBI's. A host of other Betz players, including Bob Dunfee, Mino Cruz, Phil D'Angiolini, Jim Lindner, John Lutz, Bill Weinstein, and Bob Gaines all collected 2.

7/23/21 ------

State Farm defeated Sloane Toyota 8 to 5. State Farm continues to play good ball by winning 3 of their last 4 games. Jack Feehan was a perfect 3 for 3 in leading State Farm to the victory. Kevin Culp had a big day as well by going 2 for 4 and driving in 3 runs. Swiss Army Jim O'Brien, Slugger Bob Gaines, and Coach Jack Zupan all collected 2 hits. Kevin had the only extra base hit for the Farmers by clubbing a 2 base hit.

Larry Levin of Sloane Toyota matched Jack Feehan by also going 3 for 3. Larry scored 1 and drove in 1 for Sloane as well. Alan Massey, Dave Cohen, and Cousin Brucie (Bruce Barsky) each chipped in with 2 hits. 

Sloane just has been playing into some tough luck this season and for some reason they cannot get it going with their star studded lineup.

 

Team Toyota held on by the skin of their teeth and also an angel in the outfield to nip Betz Plumbing 13 to 12. The lead changed hands several times throughout, in that every time the 2 people sitting on the bench in left field looked up a different team was winning. 

Jack Feehan, Dave Ortlip, and John Tvarok all had 3 hits. Jack and John both had 3 RBI's too.

John's were all clutch hits. Three times he came up with men on base with 2 outs and he ripped a big hit every time. Dale Cassidy, Phil D'Angiolini, and Mark Rodill all helped by spanking 2 hits apiece.

Mino Cruz and Dennis Burza had 3 hits each for Betz Plumbing. Dennis just missed hitting for the cycle as he collected a single, double, and triple while knocking in 2 runs. Bob Gaines, Bob Esterly, and Tom Delaney backed up Burza with 2 hits apiece. Gaines and Delaney had 2 RBI's for the game to help the cause.

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This week, we welcome back Craig Wright and Jim Lindner. Craig played for Sloane Toyota in the first game, and Jim played for Betz Plumbing in the second game.

 

Jack Feehan proposed a great idea by having batting practice after the second game on Tuesday 7/27/21. (Like Jack really needs it !)  Anyhow, I know I will be there and anybody else who feels like they need to get a few GOOD swings should be there too. Practice should start about high noon on the 27th. 

7/19/21 ------

In the early game, Team Toyota slept through the first 3 innings, but finally woke up in the bottom of the 4th to score 5 runs and take the lead over Sloane Toyota 5 to 4. Team Toyota continued the pressure in the bottom of the 5th with 4 more runs, which ended up to be enough to defeat Sloane by a score of 9-7. Both car dealers had  battled right down to the last out as Dave Ortlip made 2 outstanding defensive plays in the last inning to seal the win for Team and end the game.

Phil D'Angiolini, again stood out for Team Toyota with 2 hits, 2 runs scored, and 3 runs batted in. Old  pal Mino Cruz returned and along with Dale Cassidy, Tom Sikora, and Chuck Resnick added 2 hits as well. One of Mino's hits was a loud triple.

Terry Klein went 3 for 3 to lead Sloane with Jeff Blatt, Alan Massey, Dave Cohen, Harris Braunstein, and Jim O'Brien adding 2. One of Jeff's hits was a double while OB had a sacrifice fly RBI.

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The following players joined Betz Plumbing with Tom Delaney named as manager:

John Lutz, Rich Dietrick, Kevin Jerdan, Bob Dunfee, Fred Weiner, Steve Bradley, Dennis Burza, Mino Cruz, Tom Delaney, Joe Newell, and Clete Mahoney.

We  again welcome these guys and hope they have some fun playing in the FYSSL.

Back to the action!

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The Betz Plumbers pummeled State Farm 11 to 4 and stopped the insurance mens' current win streak. Clete Mahoney was 4 for 4 including a double and Rich Dietrick knotted 3 hits and 3 runs scored. Other players who collected 2 hits were Mino Cruz, Phil D'Angiolini, Bob Dunfee, and Fred Weiner.

For State Farm, Jim O'Brien, Bob Gaines, and Mark Rodill each knocked 2 hits. O'Brien and Jack Feehan both scored 2 runs.

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Note: Some new names have entered the Top 10 Leaders this week.

7/16/21 ------

Due to a stretch of extremely hot weather, only one game was played Friday in the FYSSL.

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The only game saw State Farm club Team Toyota 11 to 7 and put themselves right back in the mix for the pennant. Kevin Culp both pitched and hit the State Farmers to the win by getting 3  hits, scoring 3 runs , and knocking in one more. Kevin scattered 17 hits (count 'em), thereby only allowing 7 runs.

He continued to pitch out of trouble with the help of some solid defense from all the insurer's.

Jack Feehan, who was hitting into some tough luck on the day, added 2 big RBI's. One of his runs batted in, came on a deep sacrifice fly to left field.

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It was a tough loss for Team Toyota as their woeful defense snatched defeat from the heart of a very possible victory.

However, what a day at the dish for George Groves and Phil D'Angiolini. Both guys were a perfect  4 for 4, with George scoring 4 runs, Phil 3 more , plus he added an RBI to boot.

Dave Ortlip, Dale Cassidy, and Jack Rosania joined in with 2 hits apiece.

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We all wish Ron Cohen of State Farm well and hope to see him back playing 3rd base next week! Ron was injured from a hard hit, bad hop ground ball, in the first inning of today's game.

7/12/21 ------

The second half started with a bang by adding several talented players from the city to Betz Plumbing. Betz would be playing the second game of the doubleheader.

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In the first game, State Farm defeated Sloane Toyota by a score of 8 to 5. Aaron Sacharov and Darryl Puzan paced State Farm by getting 2 hits and an RBI each. Kevin Culp, Ron Cohen, Bill Russell, and Charlie Johnson added fuel to the win by each stroking a single to help the cause.

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For Sloane Toyota, Bruce Barsky, (Jerry's cousin) had 3 hits including a double. Bruce Ludlow, John Salmon, and Ron Miller each added two hits apiece. However, it was not enough as the insurance men won their 2nd game of the season.

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In the nightcap, Team Toyota outlasted the newly formed Betz team 8 to 7. Jim O'Brien and Jack Rosania led Team Toyota, by knocking 3 and 2 hits respectively. O'Brien was credited with 2 RBI's as well.

With Team Toyota leading by 3 runs going into the 7th inning, Betz had one more fight in them that got them within a whisker of a tie or possible win. A nice game saving catch by Bruce Barsky in right field saved the day for the car dealers. 

For Betz, Mino Cruz and Bruce Ludlow spanked out 3 hits. Newcomers, Dennis Burza and Steve Bradley each had 2. Rich Dietrick hit a booming double in the last inning rally that fell short.

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7/10/21 ------

We have picked up some players from the City for July that will now play on the Betz team.

The second half begins Monday, July 12 with the first game starting at 9:00 AM.  Note, that both games are each starting one half hour earlier in the second half.  See Schedule above on the Menu Line for a complete list of all second half games.

(Courtesy of J. Zupan)

7/10/21 ------   IMPORTANT

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 The Township is holding Summer Camp at this time.  Cones are set up are set up to keep cars away from the upper area. Someone apparently went into the area recently.  We must respect that space as we wish to maintain a good relationship with Parks and Rec.  I have copied the original email as a reminder.

As you have probably noticed part of the upper parking lot is barricaded and there are a lot of kids at the park in the mornings.  The summer camps begin in July and run through part of August.  One should be extra careful in the parking lot during this time.  Drive slow, carefully and do not cross the barricades. Be polite if one of the counselors approaches you.  It is important that we are cooperative and polite.

 

The chance to play on these fields is a great opportunity and we want the Township to be glad we are there.

Please contact Jack Zupan, if you have any questions.

(Courtesy of J. Zupan)

6/30/21 ------

The Second Half will start on Monday July 12th . Enjoy the Break!

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BTW - A big thanks to Jim O'Brien for his excellent suggestion to move the latest FYSSL news to the top of the page, instead of adding it to the bottom. It definitely makes it much more easier and quicker to read. It also seems better organized. 

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Please keep those suggestions coming in, not only because I like them, but they could make our website the best.

6/28/21 ------

Highlights for games played 6/28/21 Game 6

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In the only game played in the FYSSL Monday, Team Toyota overpowered State Farm Insurance 11 to 6.  Right Fielder, Jack Rosania, was the brightest hitting star for Team Toyota as he was a perfect 4 for 4 with 4 RBI's. Other bright lights included George Groves and Dave Ortlip, who also were 4 for 4 with both middle infielders each scoring 3 runs. The offense for Team Toyota pounded out 19 hits, Ron Miller's pitching was again strong and sound, and both first basemen, Benny Baird and Dennis Davidowski, made some nice defensive plays to solidify the victory and propel Team Toyota into first place at the end of the first half.

Mark Rodill and Guy Petroziello stood out at the plate for State Farm with both guys collecting 2 hits apiece. Daryl Puzan helped out by scoring 2 runs and also knocking in 1.

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Game 2 between Sloane Toyota and Betz Plumbing was canceled due to excessive heat.

6/25/21 ------

Highlights for games played 6/21/21 Game 5

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In the opener, Sloane Toyota continued to dominate, as they doubled up State Farm 10 to 5. Bruce Ludlow, Ron Fein, and Dave Cohen paced the winners with 3 hits each. Bruce's 3 hits were all doubles, while Dave was credited with 3 RBI's.

Mark Rodill led State Farm with 2 hits, which were both singles.

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In the nightcap, Betz Plumbing outlasted Team Toyota 8 to 6. Jack Feehan walloped a double and long homer to

set the stage for a Betz victory. It was Jack's second home run of the season. Aaron Sacharov and Bill Schwartz did a nice job for Betz as both Aaron and Bill knocked out 3 hits.  Kevin Culp was the winning pitcher.

Dave Ortlip was the hitting star for Team Toyota lacing a triple and a single, while also knocking in 3 runs.

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6/21/21 ------

Highlights for games played 6/18/21 Game 4

 

Team Toyota drubbed State Farm by a score of 11 to 3. It was a total team effort literally, however, standouts were Phil D'Angiolini in slugging three doubles, and Chuck Resnick by walking twice and also knocking a single for Team. Walks seemed to be the flavor of the day as Team collected a season high nine (9) walks. Pitcher Tom Sikora was very sharp on the mound in gaining his second win of the year.

It was a tough day for State Farm pitchers as they had a hard time finding the strike zone. Having plenty of baserunners allowed Team Toyota many opportunities to score the eleven (11) runs needed in victory.

Terry Klein had a double and a single for State Farm.

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In a tight game, Sloane Toyota bested Betz Plumbing 4 to 1. Terry Abrams was the hitting star for Sloane by clubbing two doubles and a single. Dave Cohen also chipped in with two (2) singles.

Chuck Resnick, working double duty, scored the only run manufactured by Betz Plumbing. A very sound defense by Sloane, limited the plumbers to just the only one (1) run.

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6/14/21 ------

Due to rain all games have been canceled for today. Game 3

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We are taking a small break at the July 4th weekend.  The last game of the first half is on June 28th and play will not resume until Monday, July 12th.  

(Courtesy of J. Zupan)

6/13/21 ------

Highlights for games played 6/11/21 Game 2

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The score between State Farm and Sloane Toyota see-sawed back and forth for about 5 innings before Sloane took over and opened up the game in the 6th inning.  Sloane Toyota led 8 to 5 going into the bottom of the 7th inning when with one out for State Farm, Mark Rodill and Jim O'Brien both singled. That brought up newcomer Jack Feehan.  Just for shits and giggles, Jack just smashed a towering home run to left center to tie the game and send it into extra innings.

That bomb left many players with their mouths open wondering what just happened. The FYSSL has just added another slugger to the growing list of talented players to cope with in our league.

Anyway, in the 8th, State Farm made no threat and went down quietly, but Sloane dug down deep and managed to push a run across the plate to win the game by one run.

The hitting stars for State Farm were Jim O'Brien and Jack Feegan. OB went 4 for 4 with a double and 3 singles, while Jack had 2 singles and the big blasted home run. Mark Rodill scored 3 times for the insurance men.

Bruce Ludlow and newcomer Ron Fein carried the weight for Sloane to claim the win.  Bruce slashed 3 singles and Ron contributed 2 more.

 

 Betz Plumbing outlasted Team Toyota 4 to 3 by scoring late to win a close contest. In the bottom of the 6th and the score knotted at 3 to 3 , new slugger Jack Feegan came to bat. With Bruce Ludlow at first base and 1 out, Feegan hit a high pop fly to mid left which was caught by shortstop Dave Ortlip. On the play, Ludlow had run about 3/4ths of the way toward 2nd base, when Dave made a throw to first base in trying to double him up at first. The throw caught Dennis Davidowski sleeping and the ball thrown by Ortlip rolled past first base to the fence. Ludlow made it all around to third base and eventually scored the winning run. Previously, on a better and brighter defensive play, leftfielder Phil D'Angiolini of Team gunned down a Betz runner trying to score that kept the game tied at 3.

It was an easy 3 up and 3 down for Team Toyota in the top of the 7th and Betz sent the red Toyota's home reeling with a very heartbreaking loss.

Bruce Ludlow and Jim O'Brien led the way for the winners. Both teammates had 2 hits and Ludlow also scored 2 runs for good measure.

For Team Toyota, Phil D'Angiolini had a double and 2 singles. Dennis Davidowski and the speedy newcomer John Hom, each added a couple of hits to help keep Team Toyota within close range.

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6/27/21 ------

Highlights for games played 6/07/21 Game 1 

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Game 1, saw Team Toyota jump out to a big lead against State Farm Insurance with (4) runs in the top of the 1st inning. Of course, as luck would have it,  the insurance guys answered right back with (5) runs of their own in their half inning. With what turns out to be an important run, the car dealers got a run in the 2nd inning to tie the score at 5.

The game moved somewhat slow for about the next five innings with no score, good defense and strong pitching. In the top of the 7th, Team Toyota broke out and tallied (7) runs to open up the lead.

Again, State Farm came right back in their half of the 7th, scoring (6). In spite of making it a (1) run game, State Farm lost by a nose 12 to 11.  They left  the bases loaded as the final out was recorded by a pop up to the infield.

 

John (the Unknown), led Team Toyota with 3 hits while 6 other guys spanked 2 hits each (Groves, Ortlip, Miller, Sikora, Tvarok, and Galante).  It is noted that In the 1st game of the season, Team Toyota fielded , 3 Johns and 2 Jacks or a full house in some parlance. (Jack Rosania, Jack Galante, John Tvarok, John Hom, and John Unknown.) Hopefully, by Monday 6/28/21, Coach Barsky, Coach Schwartz, or Coach Zupan can identify this Unknown Slugger. Otherwise, I want to get some of that stuff Doc Barsky is prescribing.

Back to reality, Jon Hom, in making his debut for Team Toyota, had a triple and 3 RBI's.

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For State Farm Mark Rodill, Jeff Blatt, Jim O'Brien, and Jack Zupan were the big hitters. Each of these insurance men had 2 hits, with Jack Zupan and Jim Stabene knocking in 2 runs each.

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In the 2nd game, our newest team, Betz Plumbing, got off to a good start by drubbing Sloane Toyota by a score of 9 to 3.  John Hom and Phil D'Angiolini paced the plumbers by smacking 2 hits. For good measure, John also scored 2 runs and Phil added a sacrifice fly RBI. 

Jeff Blatt laced 3 singles while Dave Cohen and Terry Abrams each collected 2. However, Sloane's hits were mostly scattered as Jim O'Brien's "phantom" pitching solidified the win for Betz.

6/15/21 ------

NOT SO NEW BREAKING NEWS 

In a stunning last minute admission, the supposed new team for our league has bowed out of competition after paying fees and ordering hats and shirts. Certainly, a crazy head -shaking bold move?

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Reference: Nelson Tobolsky's email broadcast to the all FYSSL player's dated 6/14/21 and titled Teams Update.

6/09/21 ------

As you all probably know by now, we have lost our 4th team for the time being. Our board is in the process of hopefully recruiting enough new players to build a 4th team like we did way back in 2019. Of course, the 4th team should be Betz Plumbing. In the meantime, Jack Zupan, comically coined the combo team as the Phantoms. The Phantoms consist of players of all the other 3 teams who feel like playing an extra game on game day. Well named and well played! However, as of 6/18/21 the board decided to revert back the name from the Phantoms to Betz Plumbing.

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The FYSSL First Half Schedule has now been posted in this website. It was copied to the website from the work of Jack Zupan and some other board members who have designed it. You now have two places to look to check your game day and time. The 2021 FYSSL schedule was sent via email to everyone by Jack, and I have transposed it to our website as well.

 

Note, that the next set of doubleheader games to be played will now be listed on the HOME page of this website. The date and time of the games appear near the top of the page.

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5/22/21 ------

The 2021 FYSSL season is scheduled to start Monday June 7th. This year we have added a new sponsor. We welcome with a loud FYSSL shout out going to W.M.Betz Plumbing and Heating Supply. Betz has locations in Philadelphia, Bensalem, and Lester Pennsylvania. You can get more information by clicking the RED Betz button now found on the HOME page. We would also like to welcome back all our other previous sponsors: SLOANE TOYOTA, TEAM TOYOTA, FIRST TRUST BANK, and STATE FARM INSURANCE, The FYSSL greatly appreciates all the support from these great business institutions. Please check out their current web sites by clicking on their RED buttons found on the HOME page as well.

5/04/21 ------

We will have the first practice for the Forever Young Senior Softball League next week.  It will be held on Monday, May 10 at 10:00 AM.  Don’t forget to bring a copy of your COVID vaccination card to the practice if it is not already on record with the League.  This is very important!  Members who don’t have proof of vaccination will be asked to leave the fields.  The practice will be at Middletown Community Park, Field 3.

(Courtesy of J. Zupan)

4/19/21 ------  IMPORTANT

It has been a while since you have heard from your Board but rest assured, we have been busy.  The league will have a season with a tentative starting date of June 7.  This date assumes that everyone can get vaccinated before then.  If something changes regarding vaccine administration, we will let you know, especially if it affects the start date. 

If you do not intend to play this year, let me know so I can remove your name from the mailing list.

There are several changes in effect this year as well as some minor rule changes that have been taken.

First all men playing in the league will be required to have been vaccinated for COVID-19 and have proof of said vaccination.  If you can make an electronic copy of your vaccination card, you should do so and send it to Jerry Barsky at housecalldrjb@aol.com.  If you do not send an electronic copy, you must bring a paper copy to the field at the first practice.  Any player who does not show proof of vaccination will not be allowed on the field and will be asked to leave.

There will be a new team playing this year formed by Nelson Tobolsky.  The league will still consist of four teams.  The players from the First Trust team will be added to the rosters of the other three teams.  This should help in making the teams more equal in terms of skill and make the games more fun.

A new rule is in effect for 2021.  There will be only two walks per inning allowed.  No batter can be walked once that limit is reached.  The batter can still strike out either on swings or third strike fouls.

Bats have been discussed as a possible cause for concern since there appear to have been some changes in the group that set bat standards.  At this time only single wall aluminum bats with a BPF of 1.20 are allowed.  It seems that new bats have a BPF rating of 1.21 and this will be addressed by the Board at a future date.

The League has gotten its insurance certificate and expect to get the field permit soon.  Once that the permit is obtained, we will be holding practice shortly thereafter.

The township requires a COVID plan along with insurance to issue a field permit. A copy of the plan that will be sent to the Township is listed below:

  1. All personnel including players, managers and umpires are required to have been fully vaccinated and to have provided a copy of their COVID vaccination record with league officials.  The league will maintain a copy of the COVID vaccination record for all personnel.

  2. Antiseptic wipes will be utilized to sanitize all bats before the start of each game.

  3. Antiseptic wipes will be utilized to sanitize player benches before and after each game.

  4. The umpire will be responsible to wipe the game ball with sanitary wipes after each half inning or in the event of a pitching change in the middle of an inning.

  5. Since players will all be vaccinated the wearing of masks will not be required and will be optional.

  6. Social distance guidelines will be reviewed with all personnel.  The following social distance guidelines will be in effect.

    1. There will be no more than 5 players in team dugouts at any one time.

    2. There will be no shared water bottles.

    3. High fives and handshakes will be discouraged.

    4. There will be no team line handshakes at the end of games.

One final note regards field preparation.  Craig Wright and Ray Buchichio were the guys who came out early to prep the field and drive the tractor.  Ray will not be playing this year and Craig is a question mark at this time.  We need someone to volunteer to take their place and learn how to drive the tractor.  This will require coming early for every day a game is scheduled whether you are playing the second game or not.  Also, credit should be given to Bob Gaines, Ron Decker and Ron Miller who always came early to help prep the fields before each game

(Courtesy of J. Zupan)

3/11/21 ------

BREAKING NEWS 

Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly posthumously join USA softball and become honorary members of the FYSSL today, March 11th, 2021. In order to get the scoop, check under the Category MORE tab and scroll down to USA Softball member.

Reiterating from an above note, on a smartphone or a tablet, there is not a  MORE category  under the Mobile Menu ICON. All topics on these type of devices can be found in line below the topic About.

2/27/21 ------

I hope that 2021 finds you and your families in good health and good spirits.  I have some very good news, the Forever Young Senior Softball League is planning to have a season this year! 

 

Your Board met on Thursday, February 25, 2021 begin discussions on how to proceed.  The following items were discussed and several decisions taken.

 

  1. The League will require all participants to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to play this year.  This decision is made taking the safety of everyone into consideration.

  2. Depending on the vaccine roll-out, we expect to be able to take to the fields sometime around mid-May and initiate league play the first week of June.

  3. We will not take a one month break this year because of the truncated season.

  4. There will be four teams in the league again this year with some changes in personnel.  Players from the First Trust team will be moved to the other three teams to balance talent and a new team put together by Nelson Tabolsky with be the fourth team.  Players on the new team will have an entry fee of $100 vs. the normal $75 to cover the cost of uniforms.

  5. The Board asks that you respond to this email to confirm your interest in playing this year.

 

We will keep you informed of Board activities as we move forward towards spring.

(Courtesy of J. Zupan)

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2/22/21 ------

More for 2021

The 2019 Gallery was totally redone by adding many new photos containing each player's name.

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A Blog for 2021 was started with the Topic being to write some True But Unknown Fact/Facts About You. In 2019, I removed the FYSSL Blog because I noticed very little response. When I did that, I received many emails asking me to put it back. The primary argument was that it makes our softball website different and unique. So don't be shy and email me an Unknown Fact/Facts About You, or write something in the comment section about any of the three blog topics you can view under the category MORE tab. You should know by now that at our age we don't care what we do, what we wear, what we write, or what we say. Witness Mr. Rudy Guliani.  However, on our blog, I promise you that you will not get sued for couple billion. But, please do not have a don't care attitude toward the blog. You have a platform where you can write on any topic you wish, whether it pertains to the FYSSL or not.

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Clicking the The RED buttons on the Home Page that contain our sponsors names, provide quick access to their respective commercial websites. The same would apply for all the sponsors we have in 2021. 

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The new RED FYSSL button, serves dual purpose. The obvious one is to identify the acronym for our league right on the top of the Home Page with all team buttons shown according to final standing finish right below . The not so obvious one is that if you click the FYSSL button , you can get the weather report for game days or any day for that matter. The Weather Channel image is just that and is not a button. To see the weather, you must click the RED part of the FYSSL button.

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2/18/21 ------

New for 2021 and (last year 2020) :

This year another well known statistic will be recorded. We need to include the all important RBI to the scorecard. 

I ask that coaches date their scorecards and please write the name or some sort of abbreviation of each team on the scorecard per inning boxes. ( eg. TT, SF, FB, ST, or Team, State Farm, First Bank, Sloane, etc. ). 

 

As you may have already noticed, some new type player statistics were added last year (2020) to our 2019 records.  Yearly and Lifetime Slash Lines were added under the category MORE tab. If you are not familiar with this stat, there is a whole web page dedicated to explaining the meaning of this relatively new statistic now being used in baseball/softball.

 

Last year, a 2019 Sponsor Slideshow page was added under the category MORE tab.

2/15/21------

New for 2021:

An approved FYSSL Bat list has been added to the website and can be found under the category MORE tab.

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2/3/21 ------

Access the menu categories such as News, Schedule, Standings, Scores/Stats , etc. by hovering over the specific category on the menu line shown above. Note, that the menu category MORE tab, contains various topics that cannot fit on the Main Line Menu. Click on the specific year and topic that you wish to view. Note that the menu for a smartphone or a tablet can be found behind the 3 Parallel Line Mobile Menu ICON which is located in the upper right corner of their window. On a smartphone or a tablet, there is not a MORE category  under the Mobile Menu ICON. All topics on these type of devices can be found in line below the topic About.

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1/28/21 ------

The township recently received an update to their website, and as a part of that we have created a Sports Organization’s page.  This page has links to the websites of local organizations that are offering opportunities to our community to participate in various sports, and receive permits to use township facilities as a part of their program.  We will be sharing this page periodically on our Facebook page and through email blasts to help direct the public to your website in the hopes it will increase participation for your programs.  The page can be found at:

https://www.middletownbucks.org/sports. 

Please verify we have the correct website listed for your organization.  If you have any questions regarding this web page please let me know!

 

Patrick Graham

Program Coordinator

 

215.750.3883

www.middletownbucks.org

(Courtesy of J. Zupan)

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