Trumbull Post 141 decided to intentionally walk Erich Lange to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but it came back to bite them as pitcher Brett Blueweiss hit Ben Cook on the first pitch to force home Tyler Prehoda and give the Saratoga Stampede a 6-5 win on Friday night at Saratoga’s East Side Rec.
Trumbull showed off their offensive prowess right from the start, as shortstop Daren Micalizzi belted a line drive to the left-center field gap for a leadoff triple. Tim Zubrinsky then got his job done, hitting a ground ball to the right side of the infield to knock in Micalizzi for a 1-0 Trumbull lead.
Saratoga starting pitcher Levi Washburn settled down after that, and yielded just a harmless single before retiring the side.
The Stampede tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Lee Jay Pollachi singled and stole second base. Justin Wilock flied out to right field, and Pollachi alertly tagged up and went to third. Mike Allen followed with a fly ball to medium depth left field, and Pollachi came home to tie the game at one.
Neil Callahan and Scott Hladik then smacked base hits, but Kyle Baldani struck out to end the inning.
Trumbull would jump back out ahead in the top of the second. With one out, Washburn walked Anthony Vinci, and then Kurt Sieier doubled, putting runners on second and third. Colin Moore grounded out to Wilock at second, scoring Vinci to make it a 2-1 game. Sieier, now at third, then tried to steal home, but Baldani was waiting for him to apply the tag.
Saratoga was sent down in order by Trumbull starting pitcher Brett Blueweiss in order in the bottom of the inning, but Trumbull continued to build their picket fence with another run in the third.
Zubrinsky drew a walk to start the inning, and then stole second. Lou Tarantino then doubled to make it 3-1. Washburn then received a little luck, and Ben Benigno cracked a line drive right to Allen at short, and with Tarantino leaning off the base, Allen flipped to Wilock to complete the 6-6-4 double play. Washburn then got Ben Walkley to fly out to left field to end the inning.
The Stampede again were sent down in order in the third, but then mounted a serious threat in the bottom of the fourth. Three straight two-out walks would load the bases, but Blueweiss got Chris Curcio to ground out to second to end the threat.
Both teams would find some offense in the fifth. Micalizzi struck out to begin the inning for Trumbull, and a walk and an infield single put two base runners on. After Washburn struck out Benigno for the second out, Walkley ripped a double to drive in a pair of runs to give Trumbull a 5-1 lead. An error on Pollachi in center field allowed Walkley to advance to third, but Washburn stranded him there when he got Chris Bove to pop out to Allen at short.
Saratoga began their rally with two outs and Allen on first. Callahan doubled, driving in Allen and cutting the deficit to 5-2. Hladik singled to left field, holding Callahan at third, but then a wild pitch scored Callahan to make it 5-3, and sent Hladik to third. Baldani then grounded to short to retire the side.
Washburn was very sharp in the sixth, sandwiching two strikeouts around a ground ball to short.
In the bottom of the frame, the Stampede would tie the game. Lange opened the inning with a base hit to left, and then Cook followed with a double. An error on the play on shortstop Micalizzi allowed Lange to score and sent Cook to third. After Curcio popped out to shallow right, Pollachi laid down a beautiful bunt just as Cook was racing towards home for a perfect suicide squeeze to tie the game at 5-5. Blueweiss settled down after that and he got both Wilock and Allen to foul out to Walkley, the catcher, for the final two outs.
Things got very interesting in the top of the seventh. With one out, Washburn walked Zubrinsky before getting Tarantino to ground out to Lange at third. With two outs and first base open, the Stampede decided to intentionally walk Benigno to set up the force out. But instead, Washburn walked Walkley, and the bases were loaded.
The tension mounted as Washburn went to a full count on Bove, but then Bove fouled out to Baldani behind the plate to end the inning.
The base-on-balls would play a major part in the bottom of the inning as well. Callahan drew a free pass to start the inning, and then he moved to second when Hladik grounded out to first baseman Bove. A base hit by Baldani sent Callahan to third, and then Prehoda was sent in to replace him as a pinch runner.
With runners on the corners and one out, the Trumbull coaching staff then decided to intentionally walk Lange to set up a force at any base. That strategy would backfire, however, as Cook was then hit by the first pitch, forcing home Prehoda and giving the Stampede a 6-5 win.
Trumbull, the defending Connecticut State Champions, had come into the game with a 26-2 overall record, which is very impressive. With a veteran roster like they have, it made it all the more impressive that this young Stampede club came away with the win for their fifth straight in the tournament.
The Stampede will face Saugerties on Saturday afternoon, and if they win, they will go to the semi final game on Saturday night, which will determine who will play in the championship game on Sunday at East Field in Glens Falls.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Saratoga Tops Rondout in Extras
It took eight innings, but the Saratoga Stampede pulled out a win against the Rondout Royals on Thursday night for their fourth straight win in the 13th Annual Cooper’s Cave Tournament at Saratoga’s East Side Rec.
During the tournament, there is a coin flip to determine the home team. Saratoga lost the flip and was playing as the visiting team on its home field.
Both starting pitchers put on terrific displays of working into, and mostly out of, trouble over the first five innings, as just one run was scored during that time frame.
After a scoreless first inning, the Stampede would pick up the game’s first run in the top of the second.
Scott Hladik drew a walk to lead off the inning, but then Rondout starting pitcher Jackson Quinn got Erich Lange to foul out to catcher Nick Mason, and then he struck out Steve Brennan for the second out.
Ben Cook came up next, and he lined a double to left field, scoring Hladik and giving Saratoga starter Matt Coleman a 1-0 lead.
The Stampede continued to get runners on base over the next few innings, but could not get the clutch hit to bring runners home.
Meanwhile, Coleman breezed through the second inning, walked a pair of batters after striking out the first two in the third, and then got the final out without any damage done.
In the bottom of the fourth, he again got the first two batters out, and then gave up a single to Craig Gilliland. Gilliland went to second on a wild pitch, but then Ryan Layton popped out to Tyler Shattuck at second for the final out.
Saratoga made it a 3-0 ball game in the top of the sixth when Cook drove his second and third runs of the game when he knocked in Justin Wilock on a two-run blast over the left field wall.
The Royals would respond in a big way in the bottom of the inning. Nick Mason led off with a base hit to left field, and then Coleman went to 2-0 on Joe Dennin before he was relieved by Ryan White.
White went on to walk Dennin, and then gave up a three-run shot to left field off of the bat of Freddie Moore, and the game was tied at three. That apparently sparked a competitive fire inside of White, because he went to strike out the next three batters, and then struck out the side in order in the seventh.
The Stampede had been sent down quietly in the top half of the frame, so the game went into the eighth.
Leading off for Saratoga in the top of the eighth inning was Neil Callahan, who was 0-for-1 on the night with a pair of walks. Rondout starter Jackson Quinn had been very careful with Callahan all night, and he hadn’t let Callahan beat him to this point.
But Jackson got cute on the first pitch, trying to sneak the first strike in, and Callahan made him pay, crushing it over the left field wall for a 4-3 lead. Cook singled two batters later for his third hit of the night, but was stranded at first.
White came out to close the game, and if he felt any pressure, it would soon be relieved as Mason led off the inning by grounding out to Wilock at second. Dennin followed with a base hit to right field, and then once again White settled down. He was facing Moore, who had taken him deep just two innings before, but this time White struck him out on four pitches. He then fanned Joe Viviani on three pitches to end the ball game and lift Saratoga’s record to 4-0 in pool play.
Their next game will be on Friday night against Trumbull, Connecticut. Trumbull has looked very impressive so far in the tournament, and most of the team is comprised of scholarship ball players. It shows, because that team can hit from top to bottom in the batting order, and it’s going to take some very good pitching to keep them off of the scoreboard.
During the tournament, there is a coin flip to determine the home team. Saratoga lost the flip and was playing as the visiting team on its home field.
Both starting pitchers put on terrific displays of working into, and mostly out of, trouble over the first five innings, as just one run was scored during that time frame.
After a scoreless first inning, the Stampede would pick up the game’s first run in the top of the second.
Scott Hladik drew a walk to lead off the inning, but then Rondout starting pitcher Jackson Quinn got Erich Lange to foul out to catcher Nick Mason, and then he struck out Steve Brennan for the second out.
Ben Cook came up next, and he lined a double to left field, scoring Hladik and giving Saratoga starter Matt Coleman a 1-0 lead.
The Stampede continued to get runners on base over the next few innings, but could not get the clutch hit to bring runners home.
Meanwhile, Coleman breezed through the second inning, walked a pair of batters after striking out the first two in the third, and then got the final out without any damage done.
In the bottom of the fourth, he again got the first two batters out, and then gave up a single to Craig Gilliland. Gilliland went to second on a wild pitch, but then Ryan Layton popped out to Tyler Shattuck at second for the final out.
Saratoga made it a 3-0 ball game in the top of the sixth when Cook drove his second and third runs of the game when he knocked in Justin Wilock on a two-run blast over the left field wall.
The Royals would respond in a big way in the bottom of the inning. Nick Mason led off with a base hit to left field, and then Coleman went to 2-0 on Joe Dennin before he was relieved by Ryan White.
White went on to walk Dennin, and then gave up a three-run shot to left field off of the bat of Freddie Moore, and the game was tied at three. That apparently sparked a competitive fire inside of White, because he went to strike out the next three batters, and then struck out the side in order in the seventh.
The Stampede had been sent down quietly in the top half of the frame, so the game went into the eighth.
Leading off for Saratoga in the top of the eighth inning was Neil Callahan, who was 0-for-1 on the night with a pair of walks. Rondout starter Jackson Quinn had been very careful with Callahan all night, and he hadn’t let Callahan beat him to this point.
But Jackson got cute on the first pitch, trying to sneak the first strike in, and Callahan made him pay, crushing it over the left field wall for a 4-3 lead. Cook singled two batters later for his third hit of the night, but was stranded at first.
White came out to close the game, and if he felt any pressure, it would soon be relieved as Mason led off the inning by grounding out to Wilock at second. Dennin followed with a base hit to right field, and then once again White settled down. He was facing Moore, who had taken him deep just two innings before, but this time White struck him out on four pitches. He then fanned Joe Viviani on three pitches to end the ball game and lift Saratoga’s record to 4-0 in pool play.
Their next game will be on Friday night against Trumbull, Connecticut. Trumbull has looked very impressive so far in the tournament, and most of the team is comprised of scholarship ball players. It shows, because that team can hit from top to bottom in the batting order, and it’s going to take some very good pitching to keep them off of the scoreboard.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Stampede Holds off Saugerties for Third Tourney Win
The Saratoga Stampede took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning, and then spent the rest of the night fending off a solid Saugerties Post 72 club for a 10-6 win, their third in the 13th Annual Cooper’s Cave Tournament, on Thursday afternoon at Saratoga’s East Side Rec.
There was plenty of offense early on, and Saugerties wasted no time against Stampede starting pitcher Travis Wilson. Jon Perrin led off the game with a base hit to left field, and then Joe Riccio moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt. Riccio’s twin brother Nick followed with a double, and Saugerties took a 1-0 lead. Wilson came back to strike out Kevin Casey, but then walked Mike Gunn. Sean Wachtel then smacked a swinging bunt that was near the mound, but Wilson fumbled the ball for the error and the bases were loaded.
Wilson then made up for his error, as he buckled down to go ahead on B.J. Doyle 0-2 before inducing Doyle to smack a grounder to Allen at short, and he flipped to Wilock at second to escape any further damage.
Saratoga would take advantage of several mistakes by Saugerties in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.
LeeJay Pollachi tried to start the game off with a bunt base hit, but Saugerties starter Will Weissburg fielded it and fired to first for the first out. Levi Washburn followed with a double, and when Mike Allen reached on an error on Casey at first, the Stampede had runners on first and third with just one out. Walks to Neil Callahan and Scott Hladik and a pair of wild pitches plated two runs, and Saratoga had a 2-1 edge.
With runners on first and second with just one out, the Stampede could not take advantage of the situation, as Kyle Baldani struck out and Steve Brennan flied out to right field to end the inning.
In the second, a walk and back-to-back singles scored a run for Saugerties, and the game was tied at two.
In the bottom of the frame, Saratoga had some luck and did some damage to take the lead with two away. Wilock and Phil Dilorenzo struck out to start the inning, but then Pollachi reached on an error and stole second. Washburn’s base hit scored Pollachi to make it a 3-2 game, but he was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw home to end the inning.
Saratoga extended its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the third, when Allen was safe for an infield single, Callahan reached on an error, and after Hladik grounded into a double play, Baldani drove in Allen on a base hit.
Saugerties, however, would get the run back in the top of the fourth. After Ryan Hastie led off with a single to right-center field, Gabe Depoalla tapped one back to the box, and Wilson threw to first for the out. Depoalla, who advanced to second, took a shot at third, and Callahan gunned him down to complete the unconventional 1-3-5 double play.
The inning wasn’t over, however, and Perrin re-started the rally with a single to left. After Joe Riccio drew a walk, Nick Riccio drilled a base hit up the middle to knock in Perrin and pull Saugerties to within 4-3.
Wilock led off the fourth with a base hit to left field, and he was sent to second on Dilorenzo’s sacrifice bunt. But he would be stranded there as Pollachi and Washburn both struck out to end the inning.
Saugerties was sent down quietly by Wilson in the top of the fifth, but Saratoga would pad its lead in the bottom half.
With one out, the Stampede then received four consecutive singles by Callahan, Hladik, Baldani, and Dan Brennan. Baldani’s shot drove in Callahan, and Brennan’s plated Hladik and Baldani to raise Saratoga’s lead to 7-3.
Trailing by five runs, Post 72 would show its resiliency in the final two at-bats. With one out in the sixth, Depoalla singled to left, but Wilson picked him off for the second out. Then Wilson surrendered back-to-back walks to Perrin and Joe Riccio. Nick Riccio reached safely on an infield single, and Perrin came around to score from second to make it a 7-4 game. A stolen base, an error, and a wild pitch brought home Joe Riccio and made the score 7-5.
Wilson was then pulled in favor of southpaw Ryan White, and he got Casey to ground out to Allen at short for the final out.
The Stampede would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning. Pollachi led off by using his lightning-fast speed to leg out an infield single, and then he promptly stole second. Pollachi is so quick that just about any time he lands safely on first base, you might as well pencil him in at second, because he’s usually there before too long.
Washburn then slapped a 3-0 pitch to third base, and Nick Riccio threw to first for the out. Pollachi was then caught straying off of second, and Casey threw over to Gunn for the unlikely 5-3-6 double play.
Allen then drew a walk, and back-to-back singles by Callahan and Hladik made it an 8-5 affair. Baldani then crushed a double, driving in both Callahan and Hladik to give Saratoga a 10-5 lead.
The trio of Callahan, Hladik, and Baldani had a tremendous day at the plate, as they combined to go 7-for-10, with five runs scored and five runs batted in, four of them by Baldani. Out of 12 total plate appearances, the three amigos reached base safely 10 times.
Saugerties was obviously disappointed to fall further behind, but they would not give up. With one out and Wachtel at the plate, Callahan dropped a pop up in foul territory that gave Wachtel new life. He ended up walking, and then a passed ball moved him over to second. White came back and struck out Doyle, but then Hastie drilled a double to score Wachtel and pull Saugerties to within 10-6.
But White again showed his mental toughness, and he struck out Depoalla to end the game.
The Stampede improves to 3-0 in pool play in the tournament, and it looks good for them to make the playoff round this weekend.
There was plenty of offense early on, and Saugerties wasted no time against Stampede starting pitcher Travis Wilson. Jon Perrin led off the game with a base hit to left field, and then Joe Riccio moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt. Riccio’s twin brother Nick followed with a double, and Saugerties took a 1-0 lead. Wilson came back to strike out Kevin Casey, but then walked Mike Gunn. Sean Wachtel then smacked a swinging bunt that was near the mound, but Wilson fumbled the ball for the error and the bases were loaded.
Wilson then made up for his error, as he buckled down to go ahead on B.J. Doyle 0-2 before inducing Doyle to smack a grounder to Allen at short, and he flipped to Wilock at second to escape any further damage.
Saratoga would take advantage of several mistakes by Saugerties in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.
LeeJay Pollachi tried to start the game off with a bunt base hit, but Saugerties starter Will Weissburg fielded it and fired to first for the first out. Levi Washburn followed with a double, and when Mike Allen reached on an error on Casey at first, the Stampede had runners on first and third with just one out. Walks to Neil Callahan and Scott Hladik and a pair of wild pitches plated two runs, and Saratoga had a 2-1 edge.
With runners on first and second with just one out, the Stampede could not take advantage of the situation, as Kyle Baldani struck out and Steve Brennan flied out to right field to end the inning.
In the second, a walk and back-to-back singles scored a run for Saugerties, and the game was tied at two.
In the bottom of the frame, Saratoga had some luck and did some damage to take the lead with two away. Wilock and Phil Dilorenzo struck out to start the inning, but then Pollachi reached on an error and stole second. Washburn’s base hit scored Pollachi to make it a 3-2 game, but he was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw home to end the inning.
Saratoga extended its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the third, when Allen was safe for an infield single, Callahan reached on an error, and after Hladik grounded into a double play, Baldani drove in Allen on a base hit.
Saugerties, however, would get the run back in the top of the fourth. After Ryan Hastie led off with a single to right-center field, Gabe Depoalla tapped one back to the box, and Wilson threw to first for the out. Depoalla, who advanced to second, took a shot at third, and Callahan gunned him down to complete the unconventional 1-3-5 double play.
The inning wasn’t over, however, and Perrin re-started the rally with a single to left. After Joe Riccio drew a walk, Nick Riccio drilled a base hit up the middle to knock in Perrin and pull Saugerties to within 4-3.
Wilock led off the fourth with a base hit to left field, and he was sent to second on Dilorenzo’s sacrifice bunt. But he would be stranded there as Pollachi and Washburn both struck out to end the inning.
Saugerties was sent down quietly by Wilson in the top of the fifth, but Saratoga would pad its lead in the bottom half.
With one out, the Stampede then received four consecutive singles by Callahan, Hladik, Baldani, and Dan Brennan. Baldani’s shot drove in Callahan, and Brennan’s plated Hladik and Baldani to raise Saratoga’s lead to 7-3.
Trailing by five runs, Post 72 would show its resiliency in the final two at-bats. With one out in the sixth, Depoalla singled to left, but Wilson picked him off for the second out. Then Wilson surrendered back-to-back walks to Perrin and Joe Riccio. Nick Riccio reached safely on an infield single, and Perrin came around to score from second to make it a 7-4 game. A stolen base, an error, and a wild pitch brought home Joe Riccio and made the score 7-5.
Wilson was then pulled in favor of southpaw Ryan White, and he got Casey to ground out to Allen at short for the final out.
The Stampede would put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning. Pollachi led off by using his lightning-fast speed to leg out an infield single, and then he promptly stole second. Pollachi is so quick that just about any time he lands safely on first base, you might as well pencil him in at second, because he’s usually there before too long.
Washburn then slapped a 3-0 pitch to third base, and Nick Riccio threw to first for the out. Pollachi was then caught straying off of second, and Casey threw over to Gunn for the unlikely 5-3-6 double play.
Allen then drew a walk, and back-to-back singles by Callahan and Hladik made it an 8-5 affair. Baldani then crushed a double, driving in both Callahan and Hladik to give Saratoga a 10-5 lead.
The trio of Callahan, Hladik, and Baldani had a tremendous day at the plate, as they combined to go 7-for-10, with five runs scored and five runs batted in, four of them by Baldani. Out of 12 total plate appearances, the three amigos reached base safely 10 times.
Saugerties was obviously disappointed to fall further behind, but they would not give up. With one out and Wachtel at the plate, Callahan dropped a pop up in foul territory that gave Wachtel new life. He ended up walking, and then a passed ball moved him over to second. White came back and struck out Doyle, but then Hastie drilled a double to score Wachtel and pull Saugerties to within 10-6.
But White again showed his mental toughness, and he struck out Depoalla to end the game.
The Stampede improves to 3-0 in pool play in the tournament, and it looks good for them to make the playoff round this weekend.
Callahan Drives in Two in Seventh for Dramatic Win
Neil Callahan drove in two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Saratoga Stampede a come-from-behind, 5-4 win over South Kingston, Rhode Island Post 39 in their second game of the 13th Annual Cooper’s Cave Tournament at East Side Rec on Wednesday night.
After a scoreless first inning, Post 39 opened the scoring in the second.
With one out, designated hitter Anthony Tortalano took Saratoga starting pitcher Tyler Prehoda’s 1-1 pitch and drilled it into center field for a base hit. A wild pitch moved Tortalano to second base, and then he went to third on Ryan Stone’s ground out. Will Frost then smacked a single to drive in Tortalano, and South Kingston held a 1-0 lead.
Meanwhile, South Kingston starter Brian Lessard had faced the minimum amount of batters through the first three innings, erasing a leadoff single by Lee Jay Pollachi in the first by getting Justin Wilock to ground into a double play.
That would change in the bottom of the fourth, as Saratoga sent six batters to the plate. With one away, Wilock drew a walk. After Mike Allen struck out for the second out, back-to-back hits by Callahan and Scott Hladik scored Wilock to tie the game at one apiece.
South Kingston, however, would answer back in the fifth with a pair of runs. Ryan Stone led off with a base hit to right field and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Frost. Jay Romano was then sent in to pinch run for Stone, and he stole third. Kevin Carey then smacked a sacrifice fly to score Romano to give Post 39 the lead back at 2-1.
Chris Cocci came up next and he lined a base hit to right, and then stole second. The inning turned ugly after that for Saratoga, as a single, a walk, and another wild pitch ended Prehoda’s night and he was replaced by Chris Curcio.
Curcio’s night started out rough, as he issued a free pass to J.P. Stone. Tyler Shattuck then misplayed a ball hit to short, and by the time Curcio got Graham Manning to look at a third strike, it was a 3-1 ball game.
The Stampede offense would bail out the defense in the bottom of the fifth, and they did it with two outs. Erich Lange began the inning by reaching on an error. Ben Cook then grounded to Cocci, and he threw over to second base for the force. After Levi Washburn, pinch hitting for Tyler Shattuck, struck out, Pollachi came up with a clutch hit, a double to left-center field that would plate Cook to pull the Stampede to within 3-2. Wilock was then hit by a pitch, and then a throwing error by Frost scored Pollachi all the way from second to tie the game at 3-3. Saratoga had a chance to take the lead with runners on first and second, but Callahan popped out to second to retire the side.
Callahan would replace Curcio to start the sixth, and he had major control issues. After hitting Tortalano on the first pitch, he walked Romano on four pitches. He then threw two hard fastballs to Frost to go ahead in the count 0-2. Frost desperately wanted to bunt the runners over with no outs, but when he still attempted to lay one down with two strikes, his bunt went foul and he was called out. Callahan then walked Carey and Cocci, plating Tortalano to put Post 39 up by a 4-3 margin.
With the bases still loaded, Callahan was relieved by Levi Washburn, who would stop the bleeding. Washburn would first get James McKinney to hit a ground ball to second, and Wilock fired home to Baldani for out number two. After that, he went to a 2-2 count before getting J.P. Stone to hit a dribbler towards first. Callahan fielded the ball and flipped to Washburn, who was covering first, and the inning was over.
In the bottom of the inning, Saratoga again had an opportunity to tie the game but could not. Hladik led off with a double, and the inning looked promising. But then Baldani struck out, and Lange bounced a ball that was fielded by pitcher Brian Lessard, and Hladik took off for third. Lessard’s only play was to first base for the second out. Ben Cook then pushed the count to 3-1, but he just got under the next pitch and fouled out to Lessard, stranding Hladik at third and wasting a leadoff double. But that would only add to the drama that was to come.
South Kingston led off the seventh with a single and a stolen base by Forest Dwyer. After Manning looked at a curve ball with two strikes for the third time in the ball game, there was one out. Tortalano grounded out to second, and that moved Dwyer to third.
Not wanting to fall behind any further, Washburn did a terrific job of striking out Romano on three pitches to retire the side.
Washburn led off the Stampede’s final at-bat, and he worked the count full before finally drawing the walk to get the leadoff batter aboard. Pollachi then legged out an infield single, and Saratoga had the tying run in scoring position, the winning run on first, and still nobody out.
Wilock then laid down a sacrifice bunt, and the runners advanced to second and third.
That’s when the tension began to mount. Mike Allen went to a 3-2 count before looking at a called third strike, and Saratoga was down to its last out of the game with Callahan coming up.
Callahan’s at-bat was equally dramatic, as he also worked a full count. Down to his final strike, the ball park was electric with anticipation and cheering for both sides, with the Rhode Island crew rooting for the final out, and the Saratoga faithful looking for a big hit out of their biggest bat.
Callahan would not let the home crowd down, and with the runners taking off on contact, he lined a bullet to left field, scoring both runners for the walk-off base hit and a Stampede victory.
It was a hard-earned win for the Stampede, and they are now 2-0 in pool play of the tournament. Their next game is tomorrow against Saugerties.
After a scoreless first inning, Post 39 opened the scoring in the second.
With one out, designated hitter Anthony Tortalano took Saratoga starting pitcher Tyler Prehoda’s 1-1 pitch and drilled it into center field for a base hit. A wild pitch moved Tortalano to second base, and then he went to third on Ryan Stone’s ground out. Will Frost then smacked a single to drive in Tortalano, and South Kingston held a 1-0 lead.
Meanwhile, South Kingston starter Brian Lessard had faced the minimum amount of batters through the first three innings, erasing a leadoff single by Lee Jay Pollachi in the first by getting Justin Wilock to ground into a double play.
That would change in the bottom of the fourth, as Saratoga sent six batters to the plate. With one away, Wilock drew a walk. After Mike Allen struck out for the second out, back-to-back hits by Callahan and Scott Hladik scored Wilock to tie the game at one apiece.
South Kingston, however, would answer back in the fifth with a pair of runs. Ryan Stone led off with a base hit to right field and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Frost. Jay Romano was then sent in to pinch run for Stone, and he stole third. Kevin Carey then smacked a sacrifice fly to score Romano to give Post 39 the lead back at 2-1.
Chris Cocci came up next and he lined a base hit to right, and then stole second. The inning turned ugly after that for Saratoga, as a single, a walk, and another wild pitch ended Prehoda’s night and he was replaced by Chris Curcio.
Curcio’s night started out rough, as he issued a free pass to J.P. Stone. Tyler Shattuck then misplayed a ball hit to short, and by the time Curcio got Graham Manning to look at a third strike, it was a 3-1 ball game.
The Stampede offense would bail out the defense in the bottom of the fifth, and they did it with two outs. Erich Lange began the inning by reaching on an error. Ben Cook then grounded to Cocci, and he threw over to second base for the force. After Levi Washburn, pinch hitting for Tyler Shattuck, struck out, Pollachi came up with a clutch hit, a double to left-center field that would plate Cook to pull the Stampede to within 3-2. Wilock was then hit by a pitch, and then a throwing error by Frost scored Pollachi all the way from second to tie the game at 3-3. Saratoga had a chance to take the lead with runners on first and second, but Callahan popped out to second to retire the side.
Callahan would replace Curcio to start the sixth, and he had major control issues. After hitting Tortalano on the first pitch, he walked Romano on four pitches. He then threw two hard fastballs to Frost to go ahead in the count 0-2. Frost desperately wanted to bunt the runners over with no outs, but when he still attempted to lay one down with two strikes, his bunt went foul and he was called out. Callahan then walked Carey and Cocci, plating Tortalano to put Post 39 up by a 4-3 margin.
With the bases still loaded, Callahan was relieved by Levi Washburn, who would stop the bleeding. Washburn would first get James McKinney to hit a ground ball to second, and Wilock fired home to Baldani for out number two. After that, he went to a 2-2 count before getting J.P. Stone to hit a dribbler towards first. Callahan fielded the ball and flipped to Washburn, who was covering first, and the inning was over.
In the bottom of the inning, Saratoga again had an opportunity to tie the game but could not. Hladik led off with a double, and the inning looked promising. But then Baldani struck out, and Lange bounced a ball that was fielded by pitcher Brian Lessard, and Hladik took off for third. Lessard’s only play was to first base for the second out. Ben Cook then pushed the count to 3-1, but he just got under the next pitch and fouled out to Lessard, stranding Hladik at third and wasting a leadoff double. But that would only add to the drama that was to come.
South Kingston led off the seventh with a single and a stolen base by Forest Dwyer. After Manning looked at a curve ball with two strikes for the third time in the ball game, there was one out. Tortalano grounded out to second, and that moved Dwyer to third.
Not wanting to fall behind any further, Washburn did a terrific job of striking out Romano on three pitches to retire the side.
Washburn led off the Stampede’s final at-bat, and he worked the count full before finally drawing the walk to get the leadoff batter aboard. Pollachi then legged out an infield single, and Saratoga had the tying run in scoring position, the winning run on first, and still nobody out.
Wilock then laid down a sacrifice bunt, and the runners advanced to second and third.
That’s when the tension began to mount. Mike Allen went to a 3-2 count before looking at a called third strike, and Saratoga was down to its last out of the game with Callahan coming up.
Callahan’s at-bat was equally dramatic, as he also worked a full count. Down to his final strike, the ball park was electric with anticipation and cheering for both sides, with the Rhode Island crew rooting for the final out, and the Saratoga faithful looking for a big hit out of their biggest bat.
Callahan would not let the home crowd down, and with the runners taking off on contact, he lined a bullet to left field, scoring both runners for the walk-off base hit and a Stampede victory.
It was a hard-earned win for the Stampede, and they are now 2-0 in pool play of the tournament. Their next game is tomorrow against Saugerties.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Stampede Opens Tourney With Win
Mike Allen, Scott Hladik, and Justin Wilock all doubled and scored, and starting pitcher Kyle Baldani gave up just two runs and worked into the sixth inning as the Saratoga Stampede defeated Helmuth-Ingalls Post 232 in their opening game of the 13th Annual Cooper’s Cave Tournament at East Side Rec on Tuesday night.
After a scoreless first inning, Helmuth posed the first scoring threat in the bottom of the second.
Baldani walked Justin Corney to start the inning, but then Cory Gogola bounced a 0-1 pitch to Allen at short, and he flipped to Matt Coleman for the force. Tyler White drew a walk, and Helmuth had runners on first and second.
But Baldani fought back and worked out of the inning by striking out Jeff Ostrander and Wes Roberts.
Saratoga took the lead in the top of the third. After a walk to Erich Lange, Wilock doubled, and when the return throw from the outfield went wild, Lange scored on the error for a 1-0 lead. Coleman then laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Wilock to third. Lee Jay Pollachi followed with a ground ball to short, but Helmuth shortstop Matt Martin threw the ball away, and Wilock scored to put Saratoga on top by a 2-0 margin.
The Stampede doubled their lead in the fourth. Allen opened the inning with a double, but then Neil Callahan popped out to Martin for the first out. Hladik then doubled, plating Allen to make it a 3-0 game. After Baldani reached on an infield single, putting runners on the corners, Lange popped out to Corney at first for the second out. Wilock then came up with the big hit, a two-out single to right-center field to score Hladik and give Saratoga a 4-0 advantage.
Helmuth put together its second serious threat in the bottom of the frame, but again Baldani worked out of it. Martin led off by reaching on an infield single, and was advanced to second and then third on a pair of ground outs. But Baldani enticed White to swing at a 1-2 pitch, and it was grounded to Coleman for the final out.
Saratoga went quietly in the top of the fifth, but Helmuth finally broke through in the bottom of the inning. Ostrander led off by smacking a single to right, but Baldani struck out Wes Roberts on four pitches, his fifth K of the game. Tyler Heck drew a walk, and then Chris Hughes moved the runners up when he grounded out to third baseman Levi Washburn. A passed ball brought Ostrander home to cut the deficit to 4-1, and then a wild pitch plated Heck to reduce Saratoga’s lead to 4-2. Baldani walked Lee Foxton next, but Foxton was gunned down by Hladik trying to steal second to end the inning.
In the sixth, the Stampede threatened, but couldn’t extend their lead. Callahan drew a walk to start the inning, and then after Hladik flied out and Baldani struck out, Lange doubled to put two runners in scoring position. But Wilock struck out on a 2-2 pitch, and Helmuth was out of the jam.
The bottom of the inning would be Baldani’s last. Martin led off with a scorching line drive to right field, but Wilock chased it down before hauling it in on a full-extension dive while running backwards for the first out. Baldani was showing signs of wear, and when he walked Corney, he was pulled in favor of Callahan.
Callahan got Gogola to chop a 1-0 pitch in front of home plate, and Callahan threw to first for the out, advancing Corney to second. A wild pitch moved Corney up to third, but then Callahan got Jordan Doroshenko to look at a called third strike on a 2-2 pitch to retire the side.
In the top of the seventh, Saratoga tried to bring home an insurance run, but didn’t get it done. With one out, Lee Jay Pollachi reached on an error, and made it all the way around to third on a wild pitch. With a 1-2 count on Washburn, the Stampede let Pollachi attempt to steal home, but he was tagged out just before his foot hit the plate.
The Helmuth Post proved that they had some fight left in them, but Saratoga held them off. Ostrander led off the inning by smacking a grounder to deep short, but Allen’s throw got past Hladik, who had replaced Callahan at first. Ostrander then took off for second, but Hladik recovered and threw over to Allen and the run-down was on. Allen threw back to Hladik, who placed the tag for the first out of the inning. Roberts then slapped a single up the middle, but Callahan got Heck to smack a ground ball to short, and Allen stepped on second and fired to first for the game-ending double play.
Next up for the Stampede in the tournament will be South Kingston, Rhode Island on Wednesday.
After a scoreless first inning, Helmuth posed the first scoring threat in the bottom of the second.
Baldani walked Justin Corney to start the inning, but then Cory Gogola bounced a 0-1 pitch to Allen at short, and he flipped to Matt Coleman for the force. Tyler White drew a walk, and Helmuth had runners on first and second.
But Baldani fought back and worked out of the inning by striking out Jeff Ostrander and Wes Roberts.
Saratoga took the lead in the top of the third. After a walk to Erich Lange, Wilock doubled, and when the return throw from the outfield went wild, Lange scored on the error for a 1-0 lead. Coleman then laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Wilock to third. Lee Jay Pollachi followed with a ground ball to short, but Helmuth shortstop Matt Martin threw the ball away, and Wilock scored to put Saratoga on top by a 2-0 margin.
The Stampede doubled their lead in the fourth. Allen opened the inning with a double, but then Neil Callahan popped out to Martin for the first out. Hladik then doubled, plating Allen to make it a 3-0 game. After Baldani reached on an infield single, putting runners on the corners, Lange popped out to Corney at first for the second out. Wilock then came up with the big hit, a two-out single to right-center field to score Hladik and give Saratoga a 4-0 advantage.
Helmuth put together its second serious threat in the bottom of the frame, but again Baldani worked out of it. Martin led off by reaching on an infield single, and was advanced to second and then third on a pair of ground outs. But Baldani enticed White to swing at a 1-2 pitch, and it was grounded to Coleman for the final out.
Saratoga went quietly in the top of the fifth, but Helmuth finally broke through in the bottom of the inning. Ostrander led off by smacking a single to right, but Baldani struck out Wes Roberts on four pitches, his fifth K of the game. Tyler Heck drew a walk, and then Chris Hughes moved the runners up when he grounded out to third baseman Levi Washburn. A passed ball brought Ostrander home to cut the deficit to 4-1, and then a wild pitch plated Heck to reduce Saratoga’s lead to 4-2. Baldani walked Lee Foxton next, but Foxton was gunned down by Hladik trying to steal second to end the inning.
In the sixth, the Stampede threatened, but couldn’t extend their lead. Callahan drew a walk to start the inning, and then after Hladik flied out and Baldani struck out, Lange doubled to put two runners in scoring position. But Wilock struck out on a 2-2 pitch, and Helmuth was out of the jam.
The bottom of the inning would be Baldani’s last. Martin led off with a scorching line drive to right field, but Wilock chased it down before hauling it in on a full-extension dive while running backwards for the first out. Baldani was showing signs of wear, and when he walked Corney, he was pulled in favor of Callahan.
Callahan got Gogola to chop a 1-0 pitch in front of home plate, and Callahan threw to first for the out, advancing Corney to second. A wild pitch moved Corney up to third, but then Callahan got Jordan Doroshenko to look at a called third strike on a 2-2 pitch to retire the side.
In the top of the seventh, Saratoga tried to bring home an insurance run, but didn’t get it done. With one out, Lee Jay Pollachi reached on an error, and made it all the way around to third on a wild pitch. With a 1-2 count on Washburn, the Stampede let Pollachi attempt to steal home, but he was tagged out just before his foot hit the plate.
The Helmuth Post proved that they had some fight left in them, but Saratoga held them off. Ostrander led off the inning by smacking a grounder to deep short, but Allen’s throw got past Hladik, who had replaced Callahan at first. Ostrander then took off for second, but Hladik recovered and threw over to Allen and the run-down was on. Allen threw back to Hladik, who placed the tag for the first out of the inning. Roberts then slapped a single up the middle, but Callahan got Heck to smack a ground ball to short, and Allen stepped on second and fired to first for the game-ending double play.
Next up for the Stampede in the tournament will be South Kingston, Rhode Island on Wednesday.
Junior Stampede Wins Under the Lights
The Saratoga Junior Stampede team got its opportunity to play under the lights at East Side Rec on Monday night, and they made the most of it, coming away with a 6-5 win over the Tri-County Bees.
Dylan Anderson was Saratoga’s starting pitcher, and he was quite impressive, going the distance and surrendering just two earned runs on two base hits, while walking five batters and striking out six.
Catcher Jack Keller and second baseman Sam Maxwell each helped to provide the offense, as Keller was 2-for-3, including a two-RBI double, and Maxwell singled twice and scored a run.
After a scoreless first inning, the Stampede opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning on Matt Angelini’s RBI single.
With one out, Luke Fauler looked at a called third strike, but the catcher dropped the pitch, and Fauler hustled to first ahead of the throw. Dylan Anderson’s ground out to first baseman Matt Gage moved Fauler to second, and then with two away, Angelini gave Saratoga a 1-0 lead with a base hit on the first pitch that he saw to drive in Fauler, who was running on contact.
The Bees answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead, thanks to a pair of Stampede errors.
Tri-County added to its 2-1 lead in the fourth, when a leadoff error, the fourth of the game by Saratoga, a stolen base, and a wild pitch led to a 3-1 Bees lead.
The Stampede cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the frame, as they took advantage of Tri-County’s second miscue of the contest.
With Chris Davis on first base, Ryan Coseo singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Dylan Anderson helped his own cause, driving home Davis on a ground ball to make it a 3-2 game.
Saratoga would take the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. Maxwell led off with a base hit, and then pinch hitter Nate Foster drew a walk, and the runners were on first and second. Jordan Stubblebine also walked to load the bases, and then Dale Long smacked a sacrifice fly to left field, plating Maxwell to tie the game at three. Keller followed with a double that scored both Foster and Stubblebine, and the Stampede held a 5-3 lead.
In the sixth, the Bees would pull to within a run. With one out, Tri-County played small ball, and a walk and a two-base error on Davis landed D.J. Hoagboon on third base. A beautifully placed bunt by Kurt Kowalcyzk brought Hoagboon home to make it a 5-4 affair.
The Stampede would get the run back in the bottom of the sixth. Fauler led off and ended up on second due to an error by shortstop Brandon Eutermarks. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third, but first baseman Matt Gage tried to throw Fauler out at third, and when the throw went awry Fauler cruised home for a 6-4 lead.
Angellini then reached on a two-base error, but Maxwell slapped a hard line drive to second, and R.J. Pingitore made the grab and then stepped on second to double-up Angelini and retire the side.
Two more miscues by the Stampede would make the game interesting in Tri-County’s final at-bat.
A Ryan Coseo error opened the inning, and then Anderson fought back and struck out Owen Chizek to take a little of the pressure off. The count then ran full on Pingitore, but Anderson lost him, putting a runner on second, and more importantly, the tying run on first and the go-ahead run at the plate.
Anderson then tried to pick Steve Dygon off of second, but the throw went wild and Dygon advanced to third. Jordan Kaplan then slapped a grounder to short, and Coseo flipped to Maxwell to get Pingitore, but the run scored and the Bees were within 6-5. Anderson then took things into his own hands, striking out Eutermarks to end the ball game.
Anderson pitched a fantastic ball game, surrendering just two base hits and overcoming seven of his defense’s errors to earn the win.
Now the younger guys in the Stampede program have a little taste of what it’s like to play at the East Side under the lights, and they have something to look forward to once they make it to the American Legion squad.
Dylan Anderson was Saratoga’s starting pitcher, and he was quite impressive, going the distance and surrendering just two earned runs on two base hits, while walking five batters and striking out six.
Catcher Jack Keller and second baseman Sam Maxwell each helped to provide the offense, as Keller was 2-for-3, including a two-RBI double, and Maxwell singled twice and scored a run.
After a scoreless first inning, the Stampede opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning on Matt Angelini’s RBI single.
With one out, Luke Fauler looked at a called third strike, but the catcher dropped the pitch, and Fauler hustled to first ahead of the throw. Dylan Anderson’s ground out to first baseman Matt Gage moved Fauler to second, and then with two away, Angelini gave Saratoga a 1-0 lead with a base hit on the first pitch that he saw to drive in Fauler, who was running on contact.
The Bees answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning to take a 2-1 lead, thanks to a pair of Stampede errors.
Tri-County added to its 2-1 lead in the fourth, when a leadoff error, the fourth of the game by Saratoga, a stolen base, and a wild pitch led to a 3-1 Bees lead.
The Stampede cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the frame, as they took advantage of Tri-County’s second miscue of the contest.
With Chris Davis on first base, Ryan Coseo singled up the middle to put runners on first and second. Two batters later, Dylan Anderson helped his own cause, driving home Davis on a ground ball to make it a 3-2 game.
Saratoga would take the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. Maxwell led off with a base hit, and then pinch hitter Nate Foster drew a walk, and the runners were on first and second. Jordan Stubblebine also walked to load the bases, and then Dale Long smacked a sacrifice fly to left field, plating Maxwell to tie the game at three. Keller followed with a double that scored both Foster and Stubblebine, and the Stampede held a 5-3 lead.
In the sixth, the Bees would pull to within a run. With one out, Tri-County played small ball, and a walk and a two-base error on Davis landed D.J. Hoagboon on third base. A beautifully placed bunt by Kurt Kowalcyzk brought Hoagboon home to make it a 5-4 affair.
The Stampede would get the run back in the bottom of the sixth. Fauler led off and ended up on second due to an error by shortstop Brandon Eutermarks. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third, but first baseman Matt Gage tried to throw Fauler out at third, and when the throw went awry Fauler cruised home for a 6-4 lead.
Angellini then reached on a two-base error, but Maxwell slapped a hard line drive to second, and R.J. Pingitore made the grab and then stepped on second to double-up Angelini and retire the side.
Two more miscues by the Stampede would make the game interesting in Tri-County’s final at-bat.
A Ryan Coseo error opened the inning, and then Anderson fought back and struck out Owen Chizek to take a little of the pressure off. The count then ran full on Pingitore, but Anderson lost him, putting a runner on second, and more importantly, the tying run on first and the go-ahead run at the plate.
Anderson then tried to pick Steve Dygon off of second, but the throw went wild and Dygon advanced to third. Jordan Kaplan then slapped a grounder to short, and Coseo flipped to Maxwell to get Pingitore, but the run scored and the Bees were within 6-5. Anderson then took things into his own hands, striking out Eutermarks to end the ball game.
Anderson pitched a fantastic ball game, surrendering just two base hits and overcoming seven of his defense’s errors to earn the win.
Now the younger guys in the Stampede program have a little taste of what it’s like to play at the East Side under the lights, and they have something to look forward to once they make it to the American Legion squad.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Rick Ankiel: A Story of a Changed Career
For those who may not be familiar with the story, Rick Ankiel is a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. But that has only been for the past two seasons of his nine year Major League career.
Ankiel broke into the major leagues in 1999 as a left-handed starting pitcher for the Redbirds.
At age 19, Ankiel was brought up by the Cardinals and appeared in 19 games, and did a pretty good job, as he gave up 26 hits, 12 earned runs, walked 13 while striking out 39, and had a 3.27 earned run average in 33 innings.
He followed that up in 2000 with a strong campaign, as he went 11-7, and his ERA was 3.50 and he struck out 194 batters while walking just 90.
Suddenly, in 2001, Ankiel began to break down. He couldn’t find the plate any more, and he totally lost his command and his control.
He only pitched 24 innings in the 2001 season, and threw five wild pitches and walked 25 batters while striking out 27. Ankiel also surrendered 25 hits, 21 runs, 19 of them earned, seven home runs, and hit three batters as his ERA ballooned to 7.13.
Ankiel was having problems and the Cardinals didn’t know what to do about it. The harder that they worked on his control, the worse it got. Dave Duncan and Tony LaRussa were completely befuddled.
They decided to send Ankiel down to the minor leagues, and they took a different approach. As the many attempts to straighten him out proved futile, the Cardinals decided not to give up on Ankiel, but to instead have him change positions, no longer being a pitcher. Ankiel has completely turned his career around after that decision was made.
Ankiel slowly worked his way through the minor leagues after that, and he was even out of baseball for the entire 2006 season.
But he came back strong in 2007, as he was playing for AAA Memphis, where he played 102 games, and he clubbed 32 home runs, drove in 89, had over 100 hits on the season, and boasted a slugging percentage of .568. Not bad for a guy who was on the pitcher’s mound just three years earlier.
Although he didn’t even finish the season in the minor leagues, he would go on to be named the 2007 Minor League Player of the Year.
Ankiel was brought up to the Cardinals for the final 47 games of the 2007 season, and he made the most of the opportunity. In 172 at-bats, he smacked 49 hits, cracked 11 homers, and drove in 39 runs while maintaining a .285 batting average as well as a slugging percentage of .535.
He now continues to tear up the National League, as he has been with the Cardinals since the start of the 2008 campaign, and already this season he has 18 home runs, which makes him tied for 11th in the league, driven in 45 runs, and scored 49 runs himself, and his batting average is a respectable .265, but he has an on-base percentage of .339, and a slugging percentage of .523. Ankiel’s batting average over the past two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals currently stands at .275. Those are pretty good stats for a guy who thought that his major league career was in jeopardy just a few seasons ago.
And he has also shown that he has more than just an offensive game. Several times this season Ankiel’s acrobatic catches have ended up on Sports Center, and a few of them have been top-10 highlights.
Ankiel has done an incredible job of not just getting back to the majors, but excelling, as he is now the starting center fielder for the Cards.
Ankiel’s story is an amazing one, and it also sends a message about weighing your options, not giving up, and finding out that through perseverance, there is more than one road that leads to the major leagues.
Ankiel broke into the major leagues in 1999 as a left-handed starting pitcher for the Redbirds.
At age 19, Ankiel was brought up by the Cardinals and appeared in 19 games, and did a pretty good job, as he gave up 26 hits, 12 earned runs, walked 13 while striking out 39, and had a 3.27 earned run average in 33 innings.
He followed that up in 2000 with a strong campaign, as he went 11-7, and his ERA was 3.50 and he struck out 194 batters while walking just 90.
Suddenly, in 2001, Ankiel began to break down. He couldn’t find the plate any more, and he totally lost his command and his control.
He only pitched 24 innings in the 2001 season, and threw five wild pitches and walked 25 batters while striking out 27. Ankiel also surrendered 25 hits, 21 runs, 19 of them earned, seven home runs, and hit three batters as his ERA ballooned to 7.13.
Ankiel was having problems and the Cardinals didn’t know what to do about it. The harder that they worked on his control, the worse it got. Dave Duncan and Tony LaRussa were completely befuddled.
They decided to send Ankiel down to the minor leagues, and they took a different approach. As the many attempts to straighten him out proved futile, the Cardinals decided not to give up on Ankiel, but to instead have him change positions, no longer being a pitcher. Ankiel has completely turned his career around after that decision was made.
Ankiel slowly worked his way through the minor leagues after that, and he was even out of baseball for the entire 2006 season.
But he came back strong in 2007, as he was playing for AAA Memphis, where he played 102 games, and he clubbed 32 home runs, drove in 89, had over 100 hits on the season, and boasted a slugging percentage of .568. Not bad for a guy who was on the pitcher’s mound just three years earlier.
Although he didn’t even finish the season in the minor leagues, he would go on to be named the 2007 Minor League Player of the Year.
Ankiel was brought up to the Cardinals for the final 47 games of the 2007 season, and he made the most of the opportunity. In 172 at-bats, he smacked 49 hits, cracked 11 homers, and drove in 39 runs while maintaining a .285 batting average as well as a slugging percentage of .535.
He now continues to tear up the National League, as he has been with the Cardinals since the start of the 2008 campaign, and already this season he has 18 home runs, which makes him tied for 11th in the league, driven in 45 runs, and scored 49 runs himself, and his batting average is a respectable .265, but he has an on-base percentage of .339, and a slugging percentage of .523. Ankiel’s batting average over the past two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals currently stands at .275. Those are pretty good stats for a guy who thought that his major league career was in jeopardy just a few seasons ago.
And he has also shown that he has more than just an offensive game. Several times this season Ankiel’s acrobatic catches have ended up on Sports Center, and a few of them have been top-10 highlights.
Ankiel has done an incredible job of not just getting back to the majors, but excelling, as he is now the starting center fielder for the Cards.
Ankiel’s story is an amazing one, and it also sends a message about weighing your options, not giving up, and finding out that through perseverance, there is more than one road that leads to the major leagues.
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