Randy's Ramblings Return to TedSilary.com Home Page    Randy Seidman is a constant at Washington games and has offered to file reports. We appreciate his hustle. Randy graduated from Washington, which his two sons have also attended. Randy is an award-winning producer of televised sporting events and now works for CN8, in addition to doing free-lance work for major networks and The News Gleaner. His career highlight -- producing games, on back-to-back days, when Julius Erving scored his 30,000th point and Mike Schmidt slammed his 500th homer. He may be reached at rseidman9@aol.com.    Check out Randy's reports from 2002 .. 2003 and 2004.

PUBLIC LEAGUE - THE FINAL FOUR
MAY 31 - SEMIFINALS
Central 7, Washington 4
Frankford 7, Northeast 3
JUNE 2 - CHAMPIONSHIP
Frankford 9, Central 6
  Coach Bob Peffle and his Frankford Pioneers won their third consecutive Public League baseball championship, defeating Central, 9-6, at La Salle University’s DeVincent Field. With the win, the Pioneers (20-0) capped off an unbeaten season in league games, the third time they have accomplished that feat in the last four years. 
     The game was decided in the first inning. Central loaded the bases with one out, but could not score. Frankford, on the other hand, loaded the bases several times, en route to an 8-run inning. Kelinton Tejada, got the mound assignment for Frankford, and made perhaps the play of the year in The Pub, to deny Central from scoring in the inning. Central jr C Joe Magdovitz hit a little dribbler, that appeared to be a bases loaded RBI single. But Tejada quickly got to the ball, and threw a bullet in the dirt to catcher Ramon Reyes, who made the backhand scoop for the forceout. The most athletic part of the play was Tejada’s leap into the air, before he threw the ball home. “The ball was right on the line, and I jumped to get a better angle, so I could throw the ball over the runner,” he said. On the very next pitch, sr DH Richard Avanzato grounded out to Tejada, to end the inning. Central’s two walks and a single went for nought, and they never recovered, though they did not quit. “After that first inning, we were a little shell-shocked,” said Central head coach Bob Barthelmeh. “But we hung in there, and I told them we can’t get it all back at one time. Score a couple this inning, score a couple next inning, and we did make it fun at the end.“ 
     Trailing 9-3 entering the final inning, Central (15-5) mounted one last comeback. After Andrew "Potter" Reynolds reached on an error, first baseman Walter King connected on a 1-0 pitch, driving the ball an estimated 355 feet, easily clearing the left-field fence, for a 2-run home run. Back-to-back singles, and a throwing error, put runners at second and third with no outs. Richard Jiminez, in his second inning of relief, then recorded a pair of huge strikeouts. After Joe Tierney’s RBI single made the score 9-6, Jared Farbman popped out to end the game. Farbman was superb in relief of embattled starter Dave Kisleiko. Farbman, the All-Public soph, shut Frankford down, limiting them to only one run in 5.2 innings. What a great way to finish their Public League career for Pioneer seniors Kelinton Tejada, Andrew Bracero, Carlos Rosada and Luis Alicea.
  Frankford reached the championship game for the third straight year by downing Northeast, 7-3, in the semifinals. The Vikings’ late-season pitching sensation, Brandon O’Malley, battled Frankford lefty Edwin Burgos scoreless for the first three innings. However, neither pitcher would survive the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Nick Diamond walked and Chris Steinke singled, staking Northeast (11-8) to a 2-0 lead. Burgos departed for Jiminez, who got a groundout on his first pitch. Frankford, which did not trail in many games this season, received their wake-up call. O’Malley yielded a pair of singles, and hit a batter to load the bases with no outs. Burgos’ grounder to shortstop was booted, scoring a run, and the proverbial floodgates were open. The mark of a champion is taking advantage of opportunities, and having a killer instinct. The Pioneers went on to score four more runs in the inning, as sophomore Joe Breitweiser came in to relieve O’Malley. Northeast’s six errors were their undoing, denying the Vikings a chance to return to the championship game for a fourth straight season. Cliche time: baseball is a game of inches. Well, in this case, 24 inches. With a runner on third, O’Malley crushed a first inning pitch out of LaSalle University’s DeVincent Field. If it’s fair, it’s gone for a 2-run dinger. But the ball curved and went about two feet foul.     
     In the other semifinal, Central defeated Washington, 7-4, to return to the finals for the first time since beating Lincoln in 2001. Andrew “Potter” Reynolds showed why he is one of the better players to come out of The Pub this decade. His 3-hit, 9-strikeout performance, was a gutsy effort, the kind of effort that team leaders make. It helped the Lancers overcome an early 3-0 deficit. For Washington (13-6), the loss was their fourth straight in the semifinal round. They lost to Northeast in 2002 & 2003, and to Frankford last season.

MAY 26
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL
Washington 15, Edison 0 (4 innings)
    Washington advanced to the Public League semifinals for the fourth straight season, with a 15-0 quarterfinal win against Edison. The 3rd-seeded Eagles will meet #2 Central in the second semifinal game at LaSalle University next Tuesday. The first game, at 1 pm, pits top-seeded, unbeaten, and two-time defending champion Frankford against 5th seeded Northeast, a 3-2 winner against #4 GAMP. 
    In the only quarterfinal matchup where the mercy rule applied, Washington (14-4) not only qualified for The Pub’s Final Four once again, but also gained a measure of revenge against 6th-seeded Edison (7-10). The last time these two met was at Edison on May 2, as the Owls came away with the 3-2 upset win against GW. Javier Lafuente was the winning pitcher that day, baffling Eagles hitters, and allowing just two runs, a GW season-low. This time around, Lafuente was nowhere as dominating, or as quick, but his defense really let him down. BIG TIME. The Owls committed four errors on the day, none more costly than a one-out, bases loaded grounder to shortstop in the first. An inning-ending double play was possible on the play. Even a forceout at home would have worked. But after bobbling the hot shot from sr 3B Mike Werb’s bat, Edison SS Alex Perea, a sophomore, threw wildly to first, and the ball rolled, and it rolled, and it rolled, and it rolled some more. The error resulted in three unearned runs. Compounding Edison’s fielding woes, were five wild pitches from Lafuente. 
    Washington scored four times in each of the next three innings, to halt the proceedings with a four-inning, 15-0 win. Hitting stars on the day were many. Matt Peterson, featured by Ted Silary in the May 27th Daily News, went 3-for-4, to continue his torrid hitting pace. Since moving to the 2nd spot in the batting order, Peterson has responded by hitting .615, with an on-base pct of .700! In those 12 games, he has scored 23 runs and has 17 RBI. Leadoff hitter Chris Phares, one of only three juniors on this senior-laden team, had a 2-run single in the third, and another in the fourth. Justin Presley was outstanding in the field at 1st base, contributing a booming 2-run triple. Justin is capping an excellent senior year at Washington. He called the defensive signals at linebacker for the Public League champion football team, and was just named All-Public in baseball. 
THE EAGLES NEST
  This is the unofficial name I have selected for Washington’s home field. With playoff wins against Kensington and Edison, the Eagles finished the season at 9-1 at The Nest. Guess who the only loss was against. It’s the team the Eagles would love to play one more time -- FRANKFORD. The funniest name submitted for the field was a combination of one of Coach Max Bilkins’ many nicknames and “The Launching Pad.” Madison Avenue marketers of female hygienic products would surely love to watch a game played at “The Maxi Pad.”
MOST VALUABLE EAGLES 
  Congratulations to the All-Public selections: Marc Tankel, 1st-Team Pitcher...Justin Presley, 2nd-Team First Baseman, and Matt Peterson, 2nd-Team Designated Hitter. However, everyone should remember that baseball is a team sport. Players, in particular, and the team, in general, can attain success only when all parts of that team are working as one unit. There were other Eagles worthy of All-Public consideration. Mike Werb and CF Anthony O’Donnell, among others, had stellar senior seasons. All of the Eagles players know how important each member of this team is, going from the first player to the last player.   
YANKMATE OF THE YEAR
  Congratulations to sr. Matt Yankowitz, just named by a blue-ribbon panel, as the tedsilary.com Teammate of the Year. Yank, sidelined all season by a freak, spring training injury in Florida, is a very deserving recipient of this distinguished award. He becomes the 2nd Public League player to win this award in its five years of existence. Ken Wlodarczyk, from Northeast, won in 2003. For more teammate stuff click here.

MAY 25
PUBLIC LEAGUE OPENING ROUND
Washington 11, Kensington 1 (5 innings)
    The Eagles opened the playoffs with an 11-1 win at home against Kensington. The game lasted only five innings, as all eight of the Public League playoff openers were ended by either the 10-or-15-run rules. Mike Werb, the senior 3B/P, got the starting mound nod, and turned in an impressive 5-inning complete-game 3-hitter. Kensington batters were off balance all day against the submariner. Werb retired nine of the first ten hitters he faced. Six of those outs were on ground balls, many of them the result of being jammed. Mike has made the most of his two varsity seasons, and is the ultimate team player. He will be attending Penn State’s main campus, starting next month. Good luck, 6-Kid!
 Kensington sr RHP Ricardo Feliciano kept his team in the game as they trailed GW 4-1 into the fourth inning. The Eagles scored four in the second on RBIs by sr RF Bill Jamieson, jr DH Chris Phares, and sr SS Marc Tankel. Mike Werb helped his cause with a 4th inning RBI. The Eagles ended the game with a 6-run fifth inning. Key blows were RBI singles by jr LF Rolando Fontanez, sr C Matt Peterson, and Tankel. Kensington’s 6’5” sr 1B Odaly Santana gave his teammates hope with a double, that took a bounce before hitting The Gray Monster in right. The Randy’s Ramblings Turning Point of the Game occurred ironically enough on Kensington’s only RBI of the game. Trailing 4-0 in the fourth, Kensington put two on with no out, as sr LF Armin Ismakovic singled, and jr CF Justin Velazquez walked. Antonio Rodriguez, the senior catcher, laced an RBI single to left. Ismakovic scored, but Rolando Fontanez threw behind the runner who had taken a wide turn off of second base, and nailed him for the first out of the inning. What could have been a threat was thwarted, and the Eagles were not tested from that point on.
FLASHBACK
  Washington last played Kensington in 2002, also in the opening round of the playoffs. GW won 17-0, as Rob Ritterson pitched a five-inning no-hitter, and went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Brian Morgan went 3-for-3 and scored three runs. Washington had seven hits in a 14-run fourth.

MAY 16
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 8, Washington 4
   Frankford continued its winning ways with an 8-4 win over visiting Washington. With a win on Wednesday against Edison, the Pioneers can finish the regular season undefeated, for the third time in the last four seasons. The mark of a truly great team, is their ability to win, even when playing at less than their best. Frankford is a team, that when being challenged, always responds, and finds a way to win. I’m sure the coaches, players, and parents of Central, GAMP and Northeast, can fully understand. Just when you think you have a chance to beat the Pioneers, somebody delivers a clutch hit, makes the key play in the field, or gets the important strikeout. Bob Peffle and Juan Namnun have done a fantastic job over the years, and always seem to get their players in a position to win. OK, so everybody made a big fuss about the Olney and Mastbaum transfers this year. Yes, the transfer rules and loopholes probably need to be scrutinized a little closer, but that doesn’t change the fact that the game is played between the white lines, and that the players must still perform. Frankford (15-0) did not bring their “A” game vs the Eagles, and started to sweat it when GW scored three times and loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth inning. With the score at 8-4, Peffle removed Kelinton Tejada, and replaced him with lefty Edwin Burgos. Edwin limited the damage, and pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the save. Tejada improved to 3-0 on the season, and gave the Pioneers a quality start, limiting Washington (11-4) to just one run in the first five innings. True, the Pioneers do not have an overpowering pitcher like Joe Farina, but their rotation by committee has worked just fine thus far, as five different pitchers have accounted for their 15 wins this season.
COMING BACK HOME
   Coach Peffle was delighted to have almost half of his former team come back and support the Pioneers. Reigning Public League MVP Joe Farina (East Stroudsburg) commented how weird it was just watching. He posted good grades and gained a valuable year of experience on the baseball team in his freshman year. Two-time All-Public shortstop Cory Shaeffer played soccer alongside Rick Bates (Lincoln HS) at Manor College and is looking forward to his sophomore season. Carlos Masip attends Penn State-Abington, and is a teammate of Washington’s Brian Morgan. Jeff Newman and Matt Romanusky were also at Baldwin Field, a.k.a. Pioneers Park.
THE SCHEDULE MAKERS HAD CRYSTAL BALLS!
   How else to explain the great matchups as the regular season winds down. In addition to Monday’s Frankford-Washington game, Northeast beat Central, 5-3, behind Brandon O’Malley’s pitching. Brandon was featured in Tuesday's Daily News by Ted S. In finales on Wednesday, Washington and Central (each at 11-4) play for second place, while Northeast and GAMP (each at 9-6) play for fourth place. In addition, Prep Charter (16-0) plays at King (15-1) for the Division C crown on Tuesday.
WIN OR GO HOME (ON THE YELLOW SCHOOL BUS), THE 2005 PL PLAYOFFS
   There is no way I am going to try and explain the playoffs. With their inclusion into the PIAA postseason, the Public League playoff alignment is a little wacky. Take two Advil, then take a look for yourself right here. It appears that Washington would play either Kensington or Germantown in the opener next Monday. If they win, take two more Advil - they could play either Northeast or Edison. OUCH! In years past, the first two playoff games, for the most part, were mere formalities. This year, the second round games look to be blockbusters. Teams not named Frankford, better be ready in a hurry, or their seasons can come to a crashing, sudden halt, a problem no amount of Advil could rectify!
G-DUB UPDATE
   Marc Tankel will get the start for Max Bilkins’ club on Wednesday at Central. Andrew “Harry Potter” Reynolds will take the hill for the Lancers. Should be a great matchup, with the winner securing second place. Tankel has been a workhouse the last two years for GW, and has gotten it done in a very workmanlike, unassuming fashion. Check out Wednesday’s Northeast News Gleaner where I prominently featured Tank. Also, kudos go out to Max Bilkins, and volunteer assistant coaches Jason Welte and Jim O’Hara, for putting together this past weekend’s First Annual Home Run Derby for the Andrew Farrell Memorial Scholarship Fund. Andrew was a member of the Washington Eagles baseball team, and graduated in 2001. Last year, he lost his long running battle with leukemia. As a way to honor his memory, a scholarship fund was instituted. One of the fundraisers was the home run derby, which was held at the varsity baseball field last Saturday. The event was a huge success. "The Washington Baseball family wishes to thank everyone who participated," said Bilkins, GW's athletic director and baseball coach. "There were over one 120 participants in Saturday's event. The money raised will be used to present scholarship money to a deserving GW varsity baseball player." A crew from Comcast SportsNet was on hand for the festivities, and aired a feature on its Sportsnite show, as well as a repeat airing on Phillies Postgame Live. The winner of the home run derby was not a baseball player, but a football player for coach Ron Cohen's Washington Eagles. Thomas Wilmer will be the starting quarterback for the defending Public league champions this fall, and displayed his baseball skills and power hitting to all in attendance. Thomas' younger brother, Damien Wilmer, is a freshman on the baseball team, and is projected as the starting fullback for the football team. Damien recently hit a grand slam at Olney. "I want to thank each one of you for coming out and participating in something special that means a lot to all of us," said Bilkins. "I hope everyone had a good time. Thanks again for your support!" Everyone is encouraged to make a donation. For more information, contact Jason Welte at jwelte19@comcast.net

MAY 14
PUBLIC LEAGUE ROUNDUP
   OK - I'm back! Sorry for the delay, folks. Go get a sandwich and a liquid refreshment. This report will be lengthy, but we'll get through it together! OK, let's see where I left off. On April 22nd, Frankford was in first place and undefeated. Central and Washington were battling for second place. Northeast and GAMP were fighting for fourth place. Edison was in the middle of the pack and had a quality win (vs Northeast). Lincoln, Olney and Mastbaum rounded out the division. Fast forward three weeks, and it was status quo. Frankford is still undefeated, and has clinched their fourth consecutive regular season championship. Central and Washington are tied at 11-3, and square off against each other in the season finale on Wednesday. That same day, GAMP visits Northeast. Both teams are tied at 8-6 for fourth place. Edison is still in the middle of the pack, and picked up another quality win, 3-2, against visiting Washington. Javier Lafuente's pitching and John Fuentes' timely hitting paced the Owls. However, Edison lost two days later to Lincoln, stifling any advancement up in the standings. Lincoln, Olney and Mastbaum continued to round out the division. In addition to Wednesday big games, GW plays at Frankford and Northeast hosts Central on Monday.

MAY 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 7, Northeast 2
   Marc Tankel and the George Washington Eagles got revenge on Joe Breitweiser and the Northeast Vikings with a 7-2 win at The Eagles Nest earlier this week. As dominant as Breitweiser was in their first meeting this season (Vikings 8-4 win), Tankel was equal to the task, allowing just two hits and two runs, all in the 7th inning. In their first meeting, GW mounted a 7th inning comeback that was too little, too late. Ditto for Northeast in this game. Entering the 7th inning, the Vikings had no hits, and only two baserunners on the day. Chris Steinke chipped a one-out swinging bunt in the first inning. Tankel pounced on the ball, and made an accurate throw that would have been in time, but the ball was dropped. Sorry, Chris, but I ruled E-3. Just to be sure, I did an unofficial survey to bear that out. After Breitweiser's two-out walk in the second, a Northeast courtesy runner was nailed attempting to steal second by sr C Justin Presley. Tankel did not allow any runners in innings three through six, retiring all 12 Vikings batters on 3 groundouts, a popout, five flyouts, and three strikeouts. Entering the 7th with the comfort of a 7-0 lead, Tankel went to a full count on Steinke, who grounded to third, but Mike Werb's throw was off the mark. E-5, really sorry, Chris! Brandon O'Malley, who saw very few good pitches on the day, walked. Seth Shapiro and Derek Butler broke up the no-hitter and the shutout with clean RBI singles. After Chris McNamee bounced into a forceout, Justin Presley threw out another base stealer. Tankel ended the game with a strikeout against Breitweiser. Marc finished with 5 K's. The offense was led by Matt Peterson, who continues to thrive out of the "2-hole" in the lineup. Matt went 2-for-3, with 3 RBI. He knocked in the game's first run with a sac fly in the third, and had the key hit (2-run single), as GW scored six runs in the fifth. Bill Sanginiti also went 2-for-3, with a 2-run single in the fifth.
SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER! 
   Well at least school is out for most of the college players who played in The Pub recently. Attending the game were the four horsemen from last year's Eagles squad: Adam Eisman (Penn), Ken Radziak (Temple), Eric Seidman (Penn State) and Brian Morgan (Penn State-Abington). As noted earlier in the season, Morgan's new coach will be Dennis Weiner, Northeast's current assistant coach. Matt Kane, GW class of 2002, also was in the house, as was Ari Bluestein, NE class of 2002. Kane attends Penn State and Bluestein plays club-level baseball at Rider. When I was talking to Ari, people thought I was with the Arizona Diamondbacks' Luis Gonzalez, a dead ringer for the classy Bluestein.
CALL HIM SMARTY JONES
   Northeast catcher Brandon O'Malley is capping off a great high school career. He was just named as the Northeast News Gleaner Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Brandon is a lock to secure his second straight All-Public honors, with a return appearance in the Carpenter Cup. Congrats to Brandon, parents Stacey and Jim, and brother Chad! O'Malley is leaning toward Philadelphia University in the fall. He is also interested in Widener.                              
FIELD UPDATE - THE NORTHEAST WARNING TRACK
   I like to think "The Ramblings" makes a difference in some small way. Earlier in the season I stated that the Northeast warning track was an absolute lawsuit waiting to happen. Guess what? It was repaired before the Vikings' next home game. Coincidence? Nah! On the subject of fields, Washington does not get a free ride. What's the deal with Washington's playing surface? It stinks! It is very bumpy in the infield and outfield, and has caused many an infielder to stop the ball with their chest, or worse, face, instead of their glove. Well, help is on the way. Ron Cohen, GW's legendary football coach, assists Cliff Hubbard on the state of playing conditions in The Pub. Coach Cohen informed me that help is on the way for Washington's field, among others.
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 5-Pack
I decided to group Washington's 5-game run against the bottom half of the division into one report. In most sports, going 4-1 over a 5-game stretch is desirable. Not for Max Bilkins, GW coach. The Eagles beat Mastbaum twice, Lincoln and Olney, but stumbled at Edison. Here are some random thoughts on those games....We live in a cut and paste world. On April 22, Washington defeated GAMP by the score of 17-7. Mike Werb had 5 RBI. Five days later, Washington beat Lincoln, 17-7. Mike Werb had 5 RBI. Two days after that, Washington's defense tightened as the Eagles topped Mastbaum, 17-6. Werb, in a sudden RBI slump, had only one ribbie...Edison's win over Washington was extremely satisfying for coach Larry Oliver. The Owls had lost 5 straight to the Eagles, losing by an average of 9 runs.....Lincoln's Joe DiGrazio slugged a mammoth home run over the "The Gray Monster," Washington's right-field fence. He was only the fourth player in the last three years to hit the ball out of Washington's field onto Northeast Avenue. The others were Harry Parfitt (2003, Washington), David Scirrotto (2003, GAMP), Joe Farina (Frankford, 2004)......Barry Bonds? Sammy Sosa? Matt Yankowitz? Jason Giambi? No, I'm not talking about steroid users, I'm talking about power hitters. With Yank out of the lineup, who would have ever thought that Washington's only home runs on the year were hit by a pair of reserves: sr IF Rodrigo Valladares (at Mastbaum) and fr C Damien Wilmer (grand slam at Olney).....Here's a note to an unnamed Mastbaum pitcher, who knows who he is. After striking out an Eagles batter in a 17-6 loss, the pitcher pointed to the batter and did a little celebratory dance. Maybe not such a great idea when your team is winless on the season, and has been "10-run ruled" in 11 of its 14 losses this season.
WHERE'S THE BEEF?
I had a lot of fun doing a feature on Swenson baseball, and their "breath of fresh air" coach, Shawn "Beef" Williams. If you want to see a how coach can impact people's lives, go to http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14514038&BRD=2340&PAG=461&dept_id=488594&rfi=6 
REMEMBERING THE MAN 
   Frankford beat Central in a pair of hard fought wins during my hiatus. "On The Trail with Ted," and "Nick at Mid-Afternoon," filed great in-depth reports of those classics. Frankford coach Bob Peffle has now guided his Pioneers to a 53-1 record since the 2002 season. It was with deep sadness to learn of the passing of Bob's dad, Stanley Peffle, at the age of 92. A Frankford High and Temple University graduate, Mr. Peffle went on to coach at Mastbaum and Central, before spending many years in the Philadelphia School District's Department of Athletics. I was very moved after Frankford beat Northeast for the Public League championship two seasons ago. Here is my mention from the Northeast News Gleaner of the Peffles, senior and junior, after that title game:
   An especially tender moment occurred after most of the fans and media had departed. The entire Frankford team left the field and surrounded a wheelchair-bound 1930 graduate of Frankford. That special graduate was Stanley Peffle, who was just beaming at the accomplishments of his son. "I'm a happy camper," said a smiling, emotionally drained Bob Peffle.
   Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Peffle family, which includes Bob and his sister, Margery Conn, who was a computer sciences teacher for one of my sons at George Washington High School.

APRIL 27
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Division A Midseason Report      
   At the halfway point, the Frankford Pioneers continue to cruise in The Pub. Central and Washington have an outside chance of winning the division, while Northeast, GAMP and Edison are hovering around the .500 mark. With a strong second half, Lincoln and Olney can finish with respectable records, and Mastbaum, well, eh, well, welcome to the Division! Over the last 4 seasons, the Top 4 teams have been Frankford, Central, Washington and Northeast. GAMP is always the X-factor in the division. Northeast coach Sam Feldman: “GAMP always seems to beat somebody good and change the standings.” Nevertheless, I have developed the very unscientific and unofficial Randy’s Ramblings Ratings, forever to be known, as the RRR, or 3-R. It shows how a Top 4 (T-4) team has fared against the other Top 4 teams. Also, it reflects how the middle and bottom-half of the division has done against the top-half. If GAMP and Edison continue to play well and beat T-4 teams, they will enter that very distinguished group. Northeast is the only T-4 team with losses to a non T-4 team (GAMP, Edison). The T-4 are a combined 22-2 against the nons this season and are 120-13 (.902) since 2002. Each of the T-4 teams play six games against other, while non T-4 teams have eight such games.   
Frankford (9-0, 2-0 vs Top 4)
   The Pioneers have won 48 of their last 49 regular season games, but are entering a tough second half schedule, featuring two games against second place Central in the coming week. If the Pioneers sweep those games, they could run the table. Frankford does have late season home games against Northeast and Washington. The only scare the Pioneers received this season was from the Pioneers...the GAMP Pioneers. GAMP led 6-2 in the 3rd, and it was tied 7-7 in the 6th, before Frankford scored 4 runs to win, 11-7. Five different pitchers have recorded victories this season, with Richard Jimenez leading the staff with 3 wins. He also has led the hitting attack that has very few holes, if any.
Central (7-1, 1-1 vs Top 4)
   Can Harry Potter perform his magic against Frankford? If Andrew Reynolds and the Lancers play their “A-game,” they have a chance of still making this a race for first. Walt King and Jim Benek have been pleasant surprises for coach Bob Barthelmeh’s offense. After Reynolds in the rotation, it’s another boy wonder, soph Jared Farbman. It should be interesting to watch Farbman down the stretch. He and Northeast’s Joe Breitweiser will become dominant starting pitchers in their remaining two years. The Lancers finish the season with contests against Washington and Northeast, but the game I circled on my calendar is May 10th against Edison. The Owls have absolutely driven Central nuts in the last 2 seasons, including last year’s playoffs. Central always manages to sneak away with a win. Stay tuned!    
Washington (6-2, 1-1 vs Top 4)
   Max Bilkins’ teams in recent years have started off slowly and then gone on an extended midseason winning streak. With hard-earned wins against Central and GAMP, the Eagles can go on a little run, as their next five games are against non T-4 teams. But their last week is a killer, and could make or break their season. They finish with games vs Northeast, and at Frankford and Central. Justin Presley has provided the offensive punch and leadership with Matt Yankowitz on the shelf. Marc Tankel, the 6'4" senior RHP, is winding up a very successful high school baseball career.
Northeast (5-4, 1-2 vs Top 4)
   Vikings fans, don’t worry about the record. Sam Feldman’s mantra is, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” Feldman and his team have been in the last three titles games, and to get there again he is going to need a healthy Joe Breitweiser down the stretch, and in the playoffs. The sophomore righty is developing into the next great Northeast hurler. Brandon O’Malley won’t let this team lose this year, and Nick Diamond has helped jump-start an offense that lost talented graduated seniors (Bryan Adamson and Andrew Lihotz), and unsung heroes (Joe Cross and Jason Zitman). Feldman has a trio of games to fine-tune his team, before they meet all of the other T-4 teams in a 7-day span in the second week of May.
GAMP (4-5, 1-5 vs Top 4)
   The Pioneers are knocking on the door. They want in. They want to be included in the Top 4. All they need to do is find a way to win against a T-4 team, like they did in their 9-7 win vs Northeast. Four of their five losses to the Tops were by a total of just 8 runs, including a pair of one-run losses to Central. Any team with Vinnie Evangelista and Dom DeMarco is always in the game, but look out for Anthony Venafro, another of a very talented sophomore group in Division A. The Pioneers’ next four games are against teams with losing records, before they play Frankford and Northeast late in the season. They should finish over the .500 mark.
Edison (3-5, 1-4 vs Top 4)
   For the second straight season, Edison earns my unofficial award as “The Team You Really Hate to Play.” Because they always come out to play. Their battles against Central are now part of the lore of each team’s program. They beat T-4 Northeast in that wacky completion of a suspended game, before losing to the Vikings in the nightcap, 16-11. But that’s what they do. They slug it out with you. With an upset win in any of their remaining T-4 games, Larry Oliver's squad can have a winning record this season.
Lincoln (2-6, 0-5 vs Top 4)
   The Railsplitters have only played 3 games against the second-half of the division, winning twice. John Larsen’s team is currently in the middle of a brutal 8-game stretch, where they will play six T-4 games. If they survive that, they might get some momentum going into the playoffs, as they end the season with games against GAMP, Olney, Edison and Mastbaum. Righthander Jeffrey Leriche could play a pivotal role in the stretch run.
Olney (2-7, 0-5 vs Top 4)
   OK, everybody knows what the deal was, that Olney lost several key parts of their team. Guess what, it’s over, and everyone now has to move on. Coach Barry Strube’s team has gotten blown out against the T-4 losing by an average of 15 runs per game. But there is good news. His name is Felix Madera, another talented soph. In a pair of wins against Mastbaum he recorded 21 K’s in just 11 innings. The Trojans home-and-home series with GAMP will have a big impact on playoff positioning for several teams.
Mastbaum (0-8, 0-3 vs Top 4)
   The bad news first - Mastbaum has only played three T-4 games. Just take a look at their next five games: at Northeast, vs Washington, at Frankford, at Washington, vs Central. Ouch!! Now the good news...

APRIL 22
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 17, GAMP 7
   With its win two days earlier at home against Northeast, GAMP moved ahead of the Vikings into 4th place in Division A. With a win at Washington, GAMP would move into a third place tie with the Eagles. Things looked good early on for the Pioneers, as they scored three runs in the first inning and three more in the second. However, Washington (6-2) tallied in all four innings they batted, and beat GAMP, 17-7, putting the Eagles solidly in third place, a half-game behind Central. Since both staff aces pitched in their previous game (Marc Tankel vs Central, Vinnie Evangelista vs Northeast), it was up to the back-up starters to get the job done. Andrew Caines, GAMP's sophomore lefty, was wild and walked five in the first as Washington scored 4 times. The big hit in the inning was Mike Werb's 2-run single. Werb, who compiled a 4-2 record as a junior, was making his first mound appearance of the season. GAMP (4-4) wasted little time against the sidewinder, with 3 singles and an opposite field double by sr Gabe Natale in the first. An inning later, sr Vinnie Evangelista's 2-run triple down the right field line, and soph Anthony Venafro's RBI single gave the Pioneers a 6-4 lead. As the misty rain continued to fall, Werb delivered another 2-run single in the second to knot the score, 6-6. The Eagles took the lead for good in the third on an RBI single by sr Marc Tankel, and a bases-loaded walk to sr Justin Presley, who finished the game with 3 walks, a single, 3 runs, and 3 RBI. Venafro relieved Caines and got out of the third, but was roughed up in the fourth as G-Dub scored 7 times on 6 hits. Washington scored 2 more in the fifth against soph Brandon Henson, and the Eagles had their 2nd 10-rule run win of the season.
SCARY MOMENT
   GAMP jr 1B Joe DeStefano had to leave the game after getting hit near the eye on a relay throw that bounced. Joe was shaken up, but Jim "Doc" Rogers was once again, thankfully, on the scene. Doc said Joe had a nasty cut, but looked to be OK. Imagine the phone call Joe's mom received. She drove up from South Philly and took Joe to the hospital for precautionary X-rays.
FUNNY MOMENT
   Last season's funnyman/slick fielding 3B Ken Radziak was at the game. Now a freshman at Temple, Ken always had his GW teammates cracking up with his antics. The new guys on this year's squad got a taste of his slapstick humor. After a foul ball landed on the top netting of an adjacent batting cage, Ken raced over, and instead of slowing down as he approached the side netting, he sped up, ran in to the netting, and promptly landed on his butt. Also, when Ken was informed that he was mistakenly pictured instead of Marc Tankel on a recent player of the week feature, Ken shouted out, "Hey everybody, I'm the player of the week." Good stuff, Radziak-kid!
THE TUGGER
   GW jr RHP Sean Engelberg shares a nickname with a Phillies icon, Tug McGraw. He doesn't necessarily resemble "The Tugger," but takes the good natured ribbing of his teammates in stride. Other variations are "The Tugboat," and "The Tug-Meister." By the way, Sean struck out the side in his one inning of relief.
GOOD GENES
   Speaking of Engelberg, his brother Danny Engelberg plays 3B and pitches for the JV team. Other JV players with family ties are David Mullen (brother Craig, Class of 2001), Jared Shafer (brother Brett, Class of 2001) and Corey Seidman (brother Eric, Class of 2005).
THE SUN WILL COME OUT TOMORROW
   Even though it was a dreary and drizzly day, and GAMP was disappointed in defeat, the players couldn't stay in a funk for long, as they had to perform that evening, not on a field, but in a theater. GAMP (Girard Academic Music Program) was performing the play "Annie," and the Pioneers' baseball team was well represented in the production as actors, in the band, chorus, and crew. The starting time of the game was moved up 45 minutes to 2:30, to accommodate these thespians.
MAYBE JEFFREY LURIE WILL MAKE A DONATION
   More suggestions for the unofficial naming of GW's field include "The Eagles Perch," "Eagles Nest Stadium," and "Ian Eagle Stadium." The always silly sr C Mike Kline offered "Kline's Kitchen." I can already picture the 30-second TV spot that starts off with "Hey, do you know what's cookin in Kline's Kitchen?"
THE CENTRAL GAME
   Although I missed the Central-GW game last week, I felt like I was at the game, when I read the in-depth game report of tedsilary.com's own Nick Cammarota. To see his report, go to nickcamBB05.htm
READING MATERIAL
   Try and pick up last week's Northeast Times. Sports editor Joe Mason wrote a nice article on Washington's Matt Yankowitz, entitled "Tough Break." There also was a feature on Northeast's sensational soph, Joe Breitweiser, or as he was reported in the score service last week, "Joe Breitmeisti."    Go to  http://www.northeasttimes.com/index.html

APRIL 18
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Frankford 13, Washington 3
   The Frankford Pioneers have not missed a beat since the graduation of Public League stud Joe Farina. After their annihilation of Washington, Frankford stands in a familiar position, first place, with an unblemished 6-0 record. Every Frankford opponent knows by now that they must play mistake-free baseball in order to have a chance to win. The Eagles buried themselves with a pair of costly mistakes in the first inning. After Eagles sr LHP Bill Jamieson recorded two quick outs on fly balls, sr 2B Carlos Rosado grounded a 1-1 pitch to shortstop that was booted. The Pioneers then took full advantage with three straight hits, and jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Olney transfer jr 1B Juan Torres stroked an RBI single, and jr C Ramon Reyes followed with a 2-run double. In the bottom of the first, the Eagles ran themselves out a golden opportunity. After jr RHP Richard Jimenez uncharacteristically walked two of the first three hitters, runners were on the corners with one out. Jimenez then reached into his bag of tricks, and picked off Marc Tankel, who was leaning on a 3-2 count to sr C Justin Presley. With 2 outs and a runner on third, Presley was called out on strikes, ending the inning. Jiminez went on to hurl a 5-inning complete game, allowing 5 hits and only one unearned run, while fanning 4. Now the staff ace, Jiminez was not overpowering, but had enough savvy to strand five GW base runners, all of them in scoring position. Washington (4-2) scored a pair of runs in the second on a 2-out double to deep RF by jr Chris Phares, cutting Frankford's lead to 5-2. However, the Pioneers went on to score in all five innings, and posted their third "10-run rule" win of the season in 6 attempts.
NO WALK ZONE
  Frankford had 33 plate appearances on the day, and faced just 74 pitches from Jamieson and jr RHP Sean Engelbert. That is an average of only 2.2 pitches per plate appearance. The longest at bat of the day belonged to Reyes, who faced five pitches before grounding out in the third inning. However, Ramon did his job and advanced Torres into scoring position. Torres eventually scored in the inning. 
PIONEERS ROLL ON
  Since 2002, Frankford has left everybody else in their dust in the Public League. The two-time defending PL champs have won 55 of their 57 games during that period for a winning percentage of .965. Their only two losses came in the 2002 semifinals against eventual champion GAMP, and a regular season loss vs Northeast and Andrew Lihotz in 2004. Although they lack the power hitting of previous stars Joe Farina and Matt Colon, this current squad plays "small-ball" very effectively. In the win against GW, Frankford (6-0) pounded out 17 hits, all but three of which were singles. "Our one through nine batters all hit," said Pioneers coach Bob Peffle. "We don't have any gaps in the lineup this season." Frankford had at least three hits in every inning, and most of them were rockets.
FARINA...GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN 
  Joe Farina graduated and is now playing for the East Stroudsburg Warriors. Even though he has struggled as a freshman pitcher, Joe has made six starts this season, and posted his first collegiate win with a complete game 7-5 win vs Merrimack on March 11th in Fort Myers, Florida. In a limited hitting role, Joe has three hits in nine at bats, with three walks for an on-base percentage of .500. Joe's last game at Washington's field (I still need a catchy name for this place - see below), was memorable. He slammed two mammoth home runs over The Gray Monster in right-center. Here are his numbers from the 11-0 Frankford win last April 28: 4-for-4, single, double, 2 HRs, 7 RBI, 3 runs scored, while pitching a 2-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in 6 innings. The Pioneers have dominated Washington since Joe's sophomore season in 2002. (He played at Northeast as a freshman in 2001). Frankford has now won eight straight meetings against the Eagles by a combined score of 87-20. Four of those victories were by 10 runs or more.
NAMING RIGHTS
   Here are some of the suggestions that have been received for the unofficial naming of Washington's field: Eagles Park at Yankowitz Yards....Bilkins Bowl......Sanginti Stadium (weak!)....The Ballpark of Bustleton.....and of course, my favorite, The House That Mike Kline Built!
BILLY BALL 
  Even though he has been an important reserve this season, slick fielding 2B/SS Bill Sanginiti has not had many at bats. Whenever he does come to the plate, he has contributed. No wonder Bill was bummed when his two-run double at Northeast was attributed to sr 2B Chris Zervoudis. I must have been in shock at the sight of Bill rounding first, and was suffering from temporary insanity when I misidentified that momentous hit. Hang in there, kid!

APRIL 13         
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Northeast 8, Washington 4        
   Renewing their long-standing rivalry, Washington traveled to Northeast, and was dominated by the pitching of Joe Breitweiser, and the clutch hitting of Brandon O’Malley. After the Eagles got on the board with a 2nd inning RBI double by sr RF Bill Jamieson, the Vikings posted three runs in the third, then broke open the close game with three more in the 5th. Northeast extended their lead to 8-1 in the sixth inning, before  Washington (3-1) mounted a 7th inning rally, featuring a 2-run double by sr 2B Chris Zervoudis. Breitweiser then reached back and shut the door on the Eagles for his 2nd win of the season. 
THIS BREITWEISER’S FOR YOU
   Soph P Joe Breitweiser will be facing all of the top teams this season as Northeast’s new pitching ace. Last season, with LHP Andrew Lihotz as their top starter, Joe was brought in primarily against the bottom-half teams in the division, and had success. With his new status as the main Vikings pitcher, Breitweiser needed a big game to prove he can handle the role. After throwing 23 pitches in the first inning, and yielding a run in the second, Joe settled down, and got into a groove. He recorded 9 whiffs (4 looking) in the first four innings, en route to an 11-strikeout complete game. He struggled in the last inning, but coach Sam Feldman had confidence in his tall righthander. Relying on his fastball, he was overpowering at times. His curveball was not called for that often, but when it was, Joe was able to throw it for strikes. I would think that he will have to mix in his curve more often in the long run, as players in the division start to time his heater.
BATTERY CHARGER 
   With Breitweiser on the mound, and batterymate sr C Brandon O’Malley behind the dish, the Vikings have, what I believe is, the top battery in the Public League this season. That is no disrespect to Frankford’s combination of jr C Ramon Reyes, and any of the Pioneers starting pitchers (Edwin Burgos, Luis Alicea and Richard Jimenez). Washington’s duo of sr RHP Marc Tankel and sr C Justin Presley is also at the top of heap. But on this day, Breitweiser and O’Malley got the job done in a big way. I have not seen an athlete work harder to better himself than O’Malley. I remember him as a shy starting catcher as a sophomore, who was just trying to fit in. He made tremendous strides as a junior. His physical and mental improvements boosted his confidence, not only as a catcher, but he became a bigger part of Northeast’s offense. This season, he is turning into a feared hitter for his opponents, and he delivered big-time in this game with a pair of doubles, on his way to a 4-RBI outing. His at bat in the home fifth qualifies as this game’s Randy’s Rambling Turning Point of the Game. With the Vikings holding a slim 3-1 lead, O’Malley stepped to the plate with runners at the corners and no outs. His 2-run double down the third base line against GW starter Tankel, broke the game open, as the Vikings improved their record to 3-1, and more importantly helped them rebound from a 14-9 loss to division leader Frankford earlier in the week.
WARNING TO OUTFIELDERS - THE NORTHEAST WARNING TRACK
   The much-ballyhooed improvements to the athletic fields at Northeast have earned mixed results. The football field now has an all-weather turf, and Charlie Martin Stadium hosted many games last season, and will start to become a bonafide supersite in the 2005 grid season. However, the anticipated changes to the baseball field were not evident. The only difference was erecting an 8-foot high outfield fence, which ironically prevented O’Malley from homering in the third inning. His blast wound up as a double off the LF fence. The warning track is an absolute lawsuit waiting to happen. The 8-foot wide swath of asphalt is filled with potholes and crevices. There are cones in the outfield highlighting these areas, but it is a very scary place for an outfielder going after a ball. Two balls were eventful on that warning track. On O’Malley’s double, Washington jr LF Rolando Fontanez navigated the warning track superbly, fielded the ball off the fence, and fired a bullet to relay man sr 3B Mike Werb, who wheeled and nailed Northeast’s Chris Steinke at the plate. The other play turned into a nightmare for Eagles sr CF Anthony O’Donnell. Not only did he have to worry about his footing on the track, but he had to battle a very high sun on sr SS Nick Diamond’s shot in the fifth inning. O’Donnell appeared to have his footing, but lost the ball in the sun, and it smashed into his nose, as Diamond pulled into second with a double. Play was halted for 15 minutes, as O’Donnell was attended to. He left the game with a bruised and swollen, but not broken, nose.
NAME GAME
   While the two daily newspapers in Philly do a great job promoting high school sports, sometimes the names that appear in the paper are humorous. In this past week, one of the papers (not the Daily News), printed a pair of interesting names. Washington’s Fontanez appeared as Rolando Kontanez. Rolando’s dad, Hector, laughed and said if they were going to get it wrong couldn’t they at least have spelled it Montanez. The other name that evoked laughter concerned John Larsen’s Lincoln Railsplitters. His two players, sr 1B Joe DiGrazio and OF Josh Candelario, have suddenly been merged into one player with the unusual name of Digrazio Candelario.
CAROL KING
   Although Washington’s Mike Werb had a decent day in the field, the same can’t be said of his mom, Carol Werb. Early in the game, she went to the Northeast side of the field, and a foul ball was hit in her direction. Carol bailed out and didn’t even make an attempt on the ball. Her skin tone changed several colors. Then in the next inning, she was reprimanded (gently) by home plate umpire Eddie Grove for sitting in the field of play in foul territory. “Mike’s not going to let me come out to anymore games,” she joked.
HAZARD PAY 
   Speaking of home plate ump Grove, he is making a habit of appearing in the Ramblings. After taking an unimpeded pitch to the collarbone in Washington’s win over Olney on Monday, Grove got nicked by Eagles batters twice in the first two innings at Northeast. Note to the assigner of umpires: let Eddie do the bases once in a while!

APRIL 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 18, Olney 3
   Searching for positives...well, at least it was a beautiful day to watch a game. End of report. Next report will recap the Washington at Northeast game this Wednesday. See ya then!  
OK, OK!! 
   So I will do a report, but can I keep it brief? I don't think so. Washington is a team still searching for its identity. Although they have beaten GAMP, Edison, and new division opponent, Olney, the hitting has been inconsistent. The Eagles did collect 17 hits against Olney, but in reality folks, most of them were routine fly balls misjudged into doubles, usually RBI doubles, at that. At least it was a game for the first half-inning. But once Olney went out to the field in the bottom of the first, that all changed. Every fly ball hit their way became an adventure, but in fairness to Olney, they were playing at less than full strength. Missing four starters from this season's squad for various reasons, coach Barry Strube was forced into fielding a freshman outfield and shortstop. OUCH! It will be a day those outfielders won't soon forget, or for their sake, maybe they will! The sun field is notorious for all outfielders at Washington Field. Washington Field? I hate that name, how about Eagles Park, no, that stinks, somebody e-mail me a good unofficial name for this place, and I'll use it. Rambling again. The sun field was treacherous and absolutely ate up the Trojans left, center and right fielders. It might look good for the GW stats, but a routine fly ball is just another out in most cases.
TURNING POINT
   Yes, even this game had a turning point. Senior lefthander Bill Jamieson got the starting nod for the Eagles, and instantly ran into trouble. Olney's leadoff hitter, Felix Madera, reached up out of the strike zone on a 1-1 count, and poled a clean single into left field. Madera, the sophomore starting pitcher, was the Trojans' lone shining star on this day. He then swiped second base. Walks to Raphael Vargas and John Miles, loaded the bases with no outs. Cleanup hitter jr 1B Eric Cruz hit a deep sac fly to center, plating Madera. With first and second and one out came the Randy's Ramblings Turning Point of The Game. Junior 2B Giovanni Romero, got the bunt sign, and dropped one down, but didn't push it far enough to be effective. Catcher Justin Presley pounced on the bunt, and made a quick throw to nail the lead runner at third. Problem was, Justin's throw fell just short of the base. Sr 3B Mike Werb made a great scoop and got the force. He saved at least one, and maybe two runs from scoring. Could that have sparked Olney? Werb made sure we'll never know. Sr C Joseph Bundy made the third out on a swinging bunt. This time Presley's throw was on the mark. Olney had just one run after loading the bases with no outs. In the home first, a crucial 2-out Olney error helped the Eagles post five runs. They scored four more in the second and nine in the third, thankfully invoking the mercy rule. Unfortunately for Olney, the game ended so early, they had to wait about an hour for their bus to come. Oh boy, transportation in the Public League - don't get me started on that. I'll save that for another day!! Jamieson earned his first varsity win, and it was extra special for him. His dad, Bill, is a former Olney Trojan!        
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?
   A fastball from Felix Madera caught home plate umpire Eddie Grove square on the collarbone in the third inning. Jim "Doc" Rogers was on the scene and attended to Grove. Doc goes between Washington and Frankford High Schools during athletic events representing the Temple University Sports Medicine program. His diagnosis: contusion of the clavicle. His outlook: With ice on it, Eddie should be OK. His comment on Grove: "He's a gamer, he didn't want to leave the game." Thanks, Doc, and to his staff of 8 that he supervises keeping the Public League athletes cared for. I guess Eddie was glad this game went only 3 innings, and didn't last as long as the infamous 4-hour, 6-minute, 24-23 GW-Northeast slugfest from May 1, 2003, when he also was behind the plate.           
SHINING STAR
   Olney coach Barry Strube has a rising star in Felix Madera. The soph seems to have all the tools, and easily stood out on the Olney squad, which as mentioned was missing four starters from this season's team, not to mention those four starters they miss from last season's team, who are still active elsewhere in The Pub. Maybe Strube and the Olney High administration should sign Felix up for his remaining two years of eligibility. Wait a second, is that legal???
GET HER OUT TO THE BALLPARK
   Any coincidence that Matt Peterson snapped out of a mini-slump with a booming triple to deep center, once his girlfriend, Jaclyn Miller, appeared at The Ballpark of Bustleton? The House That Mike Kline Built? The Washington Center? Somebody name this place already!

APRIL 6
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 11, Edison 4
   None of the four Public League baseball powers -- Frankford, Northeast, Washington and Central -- enjoys playing against Edison. Coach Larry Oliver’s Owls always put forth a great effort, particularly on offense. While Edison will not be patient enough to draw walks, they usually pound the ball all over the field. Their new motto should be “Offense - all the time.” Although they never got untracked against Washington and its one-man wrecking crew, Marc Tankel, the Owls are a sleeping offensive giant, that once awoken, can get in a groove, and make life miserable for their opponents. Edison collected just four hits against the Eagles, and only one of them was for extra bases, a double to deep left field by soph SS Javier Lafuente. However, Tankel was the difference in this game. He had his usual effective game on the mound: 7 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. But Marc did a great Joe Farina impersonation at the plate, going 3-for-3 with 6 RBI, and a walk. Coach Max Bilkins must have been very thankful when Tankel delivered in the home first. After the Eagles stranded an outlandish 18 runners in the season opener at GAMP, Marc got a clutch 2-out, 2-run single. He followed that up with a 2-run double over sr CF Carlos Maldonado's head in the third, and then in the 4th inning, after an intentional walk to Justin Presley loaded the bases, Tankel hit another 2-run double. This was a game when those hits mattered, as the Eagles tried to give this game away with shoddy fielding, and less than stellar base running. It is early in the season and mistakes will be made, but the Eagles will not fare well against the top half of the division with outings like this. Junior 1B Chris Phares made his varsity debut, and did what a leadoff batter should do. In his first three plate appearances, Chris walked, stole a run and scored, singled and scored, and advanced a runner with a beautiful sac bunt down the first base line. Edison’s lone bright spot on offense was their leadoff batter, Lafuente, who went 2-for-3, with a single, double and walk.
CLASS SYSTEM
  I don’t like to categorize teams as “haves” and “have nots” but it is fact that the Public League has recently been dominated by four teams. Frankford, Northeast, Washington and Central have consistently been in the top half of the standings. They are a collective 107-11 (.907) vs all other teams since 2002. Frankford: 28-1, last loss vs GAMP, PL championship, 6/3/02. Northeast: 26-3, last loss vs Lincoln, 4/29/04. Washington: 27-3, last loss vs GAMP, 5/12/03. Central: 26-4, last loss 4/28/03 vs Lincoln.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
  Don’t put Edison sr 1B Mathew Padro and Washington fr C Damien Wilmer in the same room at the same time. Wilmer bears an uncanny resemblance to the power hitting Padro, who could be headed for an All-Public berth this season. Wilmer played fullback for the powerful Washington football team last fall, and is projected to be a starter as a sophomore next September. Damien is a rarity, being the first freshman to make the Eagles since Harry Ley. Harry was a freshman in 1997, and is one of the greatest GW players ever. Ley is a senior on the Temple Owls roster.
FULL TANK
   Through the first two games of the season, Tankel is 4-for-4 with 5 walks. Next closest to his 1.000 on base percentage, is 9-hole hitter sr 2B Chris Zervoudis. He is 3-for-4 with 3 walks, good for an OBP of .857.
ALMA MATTERS
   Several former Eagles were on hand for the home opener. Brian Morgan, an All-Pub First-Teamer the last 2 seasons with a high school career batting average of .527, was there with his dad, Ted Morgan, better known to many as “Teddy Ballgame.” Brian played for Penn State-Abington during their fall season. By the way, Northeast Vikings assistant coach Dennis Weiner was just named as PSU-Abington’s new baseball coach. Not many baseball people in our area are as knowledgeable or talented as Weiner. Also in attendance: Ken Radziak, Jim Micoletti (Class of 2003), Jason Welte (2002) and Matt Gilson (2002). Radziak, a 3-year letterman, now attends Temple. He finished just behind La Salle High’s Matt Malloy and Northeast’s Joe Cross in tedsilary.com Best Teammate of the Year for 2004. Gilson, who also starred in soccer at GW, is headed off to Navy boot camp in three weeks in Great Lakes, Illinois. He will then go for training in San Antonio, Texas. Good luck, Gilson kid!

APRIL 4
PUBLIC LEAGUE - Division B
Franklin Towne Charter 8, Germantown 6
   OK - OK - by popular demand from all of my fan, I am trying to expand my horizons and watch other than Division A baseball. Thus, my travels took me to lovely downtown Wissinoming Park in Frankford. While not exactly a supersite for District 12, the park is home to the Franklin Towne Charter Coyotes. Even in normal weather, this field is suspect, but with the recent rains, the field was a mess. However, coach Kyle Riley and his team spent over an hour working on the infield, making it playable. They are to be applauded for their efforts, but isn’t the Philadelphia School District responsible for the condition of its fields? Unfortunately in The Pub, field maintenance seems to be an afterthought in too many cases. In last Thursday’s scheduled Northeast at Lincoln game, there were two teams ready to play, the umpires were on the scene, there was no precipitation, but only one problem. The field had not been tended to. It could have been done on the previous day, a beautiful, warm day. Or it could have been done on the morning of the game, how ‘bout even the afternoon of the game? But no, instead what I had to watch was the Lincoln varsity trying their hardest to rake the left side of the infield. Players want to play so much, they put in All-Public efforts in landscaping, but wait a second, that should not be their responsibility. Who needs to step up to the plate here? The coach? The athletic director? The principal? Somebody has to step up to the plate. Gimme a break, and give these kids a break, too. They just want to play!! Only in The Pub!#$%*&$%$ - OK - where was I, oh yes, this game between The Bears and The Coyotes. Reader’s note: Isn’t the title Randy’s Ramblings appropriate? Thank you for indulging me. Now the game...   
GAME STUFF 
   I have been around baseball a long time, but never heard the phrase, “Hit it in the trees!” But that’s all I heard at this game. When a long fly ball disappears into the trees, it’s almost comical to watch the outfielders searching for the ball to come down. However, if you hit it in the trees more than your opponent, you’ll probably win. I’m sure that wasn’t coach Riley’s strategy, but a couple of promising underclassmen hit it into the trees. Sophomore LF John Carroll hit a 2-out, 2-run double to left-center tree. Junior shortstop Javier Nunez had an RBI double that hit a tree in left and ricocheted back toward the infield. Hey, it’s better than Arena Football, folks! Meanwhile, FTC sr SP Rich Brown endured through some early wildness to get the win and record 11 strikeouts. He mixes his pitches nicely, and has a fastball that is sneaky quick. Germantown took a 5-4 lead in the third, putting up a 3-spot on RBI singles by soph 2B Josh Williams, sr 3B/P Brandon Cuff and soph 1B Hamid King. But Brown settled down after that, as FTC held on for the 8-6 win, improving their record to 2-1 on the young season. Coach Tom Monson saw his Bears fall to 1-2.     
YOUTH CENTER
   FTC fields a very young team, which may cause problems for Division B teams for this season and beyond. Breakdown by class of their starters: 1 freshman, 3 sophs, 3 juniors and 2 seniors. One of the sophs, John Carroll, looks to have a promising career, but might want to take a course with the Philadelphia Eagles Freddie Mitchell on how to be modest about your talents. John let me know (and everybody else within earshot) that he was the best player on his team.
CUFF LINKS
   It is always a pleasure to watch Germantown’s Brandon Cuff in action. He’s winding up a very successful high school athletic career manning third base and batting cleanup, and also pitching for the Bears. He seems headed for his second straight All-Public baseball honors, to go along with twice being named All-Public in football. Poised and confident on the field, he stands out among his competition. Cuff played the last two summers in The Keystone Games representing the Philadelphia region. The games are played in Scranton, and Brandon must have enjoyed his surroundings - he will attend nearby Lackawanna Junior College in the fall, and will play football and baseball. In attendance rooting on his son was proud papa Kenny Cuff. In 2003, Kenny actually smashed a 450-foot pinch double in the Northeast Philly Developmental League, a free summer league I run with my son, Eric “Seidburns” Seidman. Franklin Towne Charter 1B jr Steve Aviles played in the NPDL last summer. For information on the league, go to http://www.angelfire.com/ult/npdl/   
GIRLS PUBLIC LEAGUE SOFTBALL FOR SWIMMERS
   As bad as the baseball field was, it was significantly better than the FTC girls softball field in an adjacent corner of this complex (really not that complex, kinda simple). There was a pool of standing water on top of home plate. Once the umpire showed up and realized he had no game to officiate, he was elated at the fact of going home to watch the Phillies opener. Hey and what was the deal with that game being on Channel 3, KYW-TV? Did anybody know about that? Did anybody care?
BEARS AND COYOTE MOVE UP
   Both teams toiled in Division C last season, but have made the jump to Division B in 2005. Both finished 12-1 a year ago. FTC lost to Central and Andrew "Harry Potter" Reynolds in the first round of the playoffs, while Germantown fell to Northeast and Joe Breitweiser. Last season's Division C MVP was Germantown's Haneef Hill. He is currently a starting pitcher for the Virginia State University Trojans (D-2), and has posted complete-game wins against Shaw University and Seton Hill (not to be confused with Seton Hall).

MARCH 30
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 4, GAMP 2
   WOW - What a beautiful day to kick off another year of The Ramblings!! Playing in the shadows of Citizens Bank Park in South Philly, the pitching matchup featured two of the league’s top righthanded seniors, Marc Tankel and Vinnie Evangelista, teammates on last season’s Public League Carpenter Cup squad. Even though his control wasn’t sharp, Evangelista was able to pitch out of trouble in each of his 4 innings, stranding many Eagles’ runners. More on that later. He wound up going only 4 innings (93 pitches), walking seven, but allowing only one unearned run. Vinnie was almost out of the first inning until a 2-out throwing error allowed leadoff hitter sr RF Bill Jamieson to score. Tankel got roughed up in the first, giving up RBI doubles to Evangelista and jr CF Ryan Challender. All-Public sr RF Dom DeMarco started the inning off with a heroic at bat. After falling behind in the count, 0-2, Dom proceeded to foul off pitch after pitch en route to a 10-pitch at bat before singling to right-center. He stole second base and scored on Evangelista’s opposite field double. Dom also hit a bloop double, and threw out a baserunner on the day. Tankel settled down after the first inning, and really seemed to get in the groove after the Eagles pushed across 3 runs in the fifth inning and took a 4-2 lead. Tankel’s impressive (and usual) pitching line: 7 IP, 8 hits, 2 earned runs, no walks, 9 strikeouts on 90 pitches. Considering he threw 24 pitches in the first inning, Marc averaged only 11 pitches per inning the rest of the way.
L.O.B. FEST
   I’m sure there must be a high school team somewhere that stranded the bases loaded every inning in a 7-inning game to set the national high school record for left on base in a game. The Eagles came pretty darn close to doing that. They stranded the bases loaded 4 times, and left 2 on base in the other 3 innings. GULP! They left 18 runners on base hitting a puny .176 (3-17) with runners in scoring position on the day. However, a pair of Eagles came through in the clutch. Senior C Matt Peterson and sr 2B Chris Zervoudis had RBI singles in the decisive 3-run 5th inning.
LOBSTER FEST
   Martin Tankel, Marc’s dad, must have been checking his wallet yesterday. His offer to buy lobster for any Eagle who could reach the Schuylkill Expressway with a fly ball, was tested only once. In the top of the 5th, sr 3B Mike Werb crushed a 1-2 pitch that hit the left-center field fence on one hop for a double. Werbie wasn’t really that close, but it gave Martin a scare.
TURNING POINT
   The Randy’s Ramblings Turning Point of the Game occurred in the home fourth when GAMP had runners on 2nd & 3rd with one out. With fr 3B Foster McKoskey batting, the squeeze sign was put on. Foster could not get the bunt down and Ryan Challender was tagged out coming home from third. McKoskey struck out to end the inning. Even though Foster didn’t get the bunt down, he looks like he can be the next great GAMP player in a few seasons. It was just three years ago when Vinnie Evangelista was also a starting third baseman as a freshman for the Pioneers.
PURPLE HEART
   GAMP soph C Eric Funaro is the winner of The Very Unofficial Ramblings Purple Heart. He caught all 7 innings on a day when three GAMP pitchers (Evangelista, soph Anthony Venafro, soph Andrew Caines) had difficulty finding the plate. In all, GAMP pitchers walked 14 batters, hit a batter with the bases loaded (sr CF Anthony O’Donnell), and cranked up 189 pitches (27 per inning). To his credit, Funaro did his job and then some. He made three nice fielding plays, throwing two runners out on bunts, and making a putout on a bases loaded swinging bunt. Eric also chipped in with a single in 3 at bats.
REGULAR HEART
   As always, GAMP gets my award for the team with the most heart, for the 5th consecutive season. Everybody knows by now about the limited enrollment of boys at the school, but that doesn’t stop coach Art Kratchman for consistently getting the most out of his team. Usually it is a very young team (there is no JV), and they are also physically overmatched in many cases. However, they also put forth great effort, and will surprise some teams this season....Again!
DISABLED LIST UPDATE
   GW had two players with injuries, most notably sr LF Matt Yankowitz. The first-team All-Public outfielder suffered a fractured fibula and torn ligaments during an outfield drill during the Eagles’ recent Florida spring training, and is out for the season. Yank had surgery last week and is sporting a full cast. Even though this injury is serious, I thought it was much worse when Yank informed me that he is not allowed to put pressure on the leg for six months! OUCH - he meant to say six weeks. Yank can still be a very important part of this year’s team, and be an MVP (Most Vocal Person) by cheering on his team from the bench. Northeast’s Ken Wlodarczyk had a similar senior season two years ago. The other injured Eagle is sr Mike Kline, who can only pinch run. Kline is out a minimum 5 weeks with a rotator cuff injury. Kline was the place-kicker for the Eagles football team in their memorable 2004 season, as they fell just short to Easton, 15-10, in the state quarterfinals.