 |
Randy's Ramblings
'13 Randy Seidman has long
been a follower of
Washington games, and Pub games in general. We appreciate his hustle. Randy
graduated from Washington, which his two sons also attended. Randy is an
award-winning producer of televised sporting events, in addition to
doing free-lance work for major networks. 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. |
RANDY'S RAMBLINGS RETURNS
This is
season number twelve for Randy's Ramblings, a place
where Philadelphia Public League high school
baseball players can get some recognition. "The
Pub," often maligned, usually deservedly so, is
still a place where quality kids can play quality
baseball. Obviously, this is not the Philadelphia
Catholic League or Inter-Ac League, where the ratio
of coaches to players is slightly higher than it is
in The Pub. But maybe that's part of the charm of
covering this circuit. To put it in basketball
terms, The Public League would get a twelve-seed,
the Inter-Ac a three-seed, and The Catholic League a
two-seed. Frankford and Central are always at the
top of the division, and unless some other team
steps up and shuts me up, that's the way it's gonna
be again. As always, thanks so much to Ted
Silary, for making this site possible and
caring so much about high school sports!
--------------------------------
MAY 17
PUBLIC LEAGUE QUARTERFINAL/AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Frankford 7, Washington 4
Congrats go out to the 2013 AAAA champions, the Frankford Pioneers, who overcame a 4-1 deficit by scoring in each of the last five innings to upend top-seeded Washington, 7-4. GW pitcher Jake Wright and Frankford pitcher Eduardo Sanchez each threw two scoreless innings to open the game. Pioneers CF Tim DiGiorgio got the two-time defending Public League champs on the board with an RBI single to center in the third. Scoring was leadoff man extraordinaire Kidanny Cumba, who was on base all four times (3 singles, walk, 3 runs). GW countered with a four-spot in their half inning. Corey Sharp laced an RBI double to right, Scott Siley had a bases-loaded walk, and soph catcher Chase Alexander capped the scoring with a two-run single. Too bad for the Eagles that they stranded the bases loaded with one out. Sanchez picked a great time to notch his first strikeout of the game, and then induce a groundout. The Eagles would not score again, leaving eleven runners on base for the game.
Frankford (8-8) scored an unearned run in the fourth, and tied the game an inning later on RBI singles by Sanchez and jr 2B Josiah Cedeno. Washington (13-4) started a rally with a walk and base hit to start the home fifth. Juan Namnun brought DiGiorgio from the outfield to the mound, and the Eagles would not touch the lefty for the final three innings. Tim recorded six of his nine outs by strikeout, and did not allow a hit, while walking two. Eagles coach Ken Geiser turned to jr RHP Roger Hanson to start the sixth. It was Hanson's third relief appearance of the week. DiGiorgio snapped the 4-4 tie with a sac fly to center, as Frankford manufactured a run. Kevin Montero's RBI single to center gave Juan Namnun's squad a little cushion. DiGiorgio closed it out for the win as the Frankford faithful celebrated in style. GW fans, the world will still go on, most of the players will be back, they'll be strong next year. Of course, all of this is moot, if the School District of Philadelphia doesn't have the funds to support athletics!
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
While it's hats off to Frankford for advancing to the Tournament of Champions, Randy's Ramblings also salutes the G-Dub seniors. I realize the disappointment and hurt these Eagles must feel, but they accomplished many things this season. This GW team was different than many that came before it, in attitude. It all started with strong senior leadership, and a pair of coaches who provided their knowledge of the game, in a caring manner. Head coach Ken Geiser and assistant coach Craig Sharp are to commended for a memorable season. Good luck to the departing seniors: Aaron Keen, Nick Visalli, Corey Sharp, Patrick Farrell, Aaron Goldberg, Jake Wright, Michael Honick, Geoffrey Smith, Melvin Vargas and Sean Kearney.
MAY 13
PUBLIC
LEAGUE
4A
QUARTERFINAL
Washington
9,
Furness
5
Too
bad
the
Furness
Falcons
didn't
play
a
little
better
in
their
playoff
opener
at
top-seeded
Washington.
They
might
have
pulled
off
one
of
the
more
memorable
upsets
from
the
annals
of
the
Public
League
playoffs.
Furness
sr
RHP
Augustin
Gil
is
an
absolute
marvel
on
the
mound,
and
at
the
plate.
But,
as
everybody
knows,
baseball
is a
team
game,
and
on
this
day
the
George
Washington
Eagles
were
the
better
team
...
but
not
by
much!
This
game
started
to
unfold
as
many
thought
it
would.
Eagles
sr
RHP
Aaron
Keen needed
only
ten
pitches
to
retire
Furness
1-2-3 to
start
the
game.
In
the
home
first,
an
RBI
triple
by
sr
Jake
Wright
and
an
RBI
single
by
jr
1B
Scott
Siley
gave
Washington
(12-3)
an
early
2-0
lead.
The
rest
of
this
game
would
not
follow
the
script.
Furness got
some
life
scoring
a
pair
of
two-out
runs
in
the
second
inning.
Falcons
jr
3B
Nick
Collis
smashed
an
opposite-field
RBI
double
to
right,
stole
third
base,
then
stole
home
as
part
of a
double
steal.
Furness
added
two
more
runs
in
the
third,
but
Keen
escaped
further
damage,
as
GW
rolled
a
6-4-3
double
play.
After
soph
SS
Jose
Perez
stroked
an
RBI
double
to
left
in
the
fourth
to
give
Furness
a
5-3
lead,
there
was
lot
of
hootin'
and
hollerin' on
the
visitor's
bench. However,
the
third
time
through
the
lineup
against
Gil, combined
with flimsy
Falcons
fielding,
sealed
the
fate
of
this
AAAA
match-up.
G-Dub
plated
four
runs
in
the
fourth
to
give
them
the
lead
they
never
relinquished.
Key
moments:
jr
CF
Jon
Santos'
alert
base
running,
taking
off
immediately
from
third
and
scoring
on a
wild
pitch,
and
Scott
Siley's
two-run
double,
scoring sr
LF
Corey
Sharp
and
Jake
Wright. Washington
tacked
on
single
runs
in
the
fifth
and
sixth
innings.
Keen's
day
was
done
after
throwing
114
pitches,
and
jr
RHP Roger
Hanson
pitched
a
scoreless
seventh
inning
in a
non-save
situation,
stranding
two
runners
and
recording
two
strikeouts.
Furness
really
battled
hard,
but gave
away
too
many
free
outs
defensively. Washington
was
happy
to
cash
in
on
the
opportunities,
but
will
need
to
pick
their
play
up a
notch
to
beat
Northeast
and
reach
the
4A
championship
game
on
Friday.
YES,
CHASE,
YOU
ARE
THE
MAN!
Catcher
Chase
Alexander
may
be
the
only
sophomore
starter
for
Washington,
but
he
has
already
become
the
glue
for
coach
Ken
Geiser's
squad.
He
knew
when
to
go
out
and
talk
with
pitchers
Keen
and
Hanson,
and
was
constantly
communicating
with
his
infielders.
At
the
plate,
he
had
quality at-bats
against
Gil,
forcing
him
to
throw
several
extra
pitches.
On
the
eighth
pitch
of
his
AB
in
the
sixth,
Corey
muscled
a
grounder
to
shortstop,
and Wright,
who
was running
on
contact, scored,
and
gave
GW
an
extra
insurance
run.
Jake,
the
leading
MVP
candidate, had
scored
after
hitting
a
double,
his
league-leading
15th
extra
base
hit
of
the season
(7
doubles,
6
triples,
2
HR).
OTHER GAMES
After Washington's victory, the other two large-enrollment schools in Public League Division A had mixed results. Frankford snapped a six-game losing streak, edging Edison in a come-from-behind 4-3 win. It would certainly be foolish to under-estimate coach Juan Namnun's Pioneers at this point in the season. But the big shocker came in the other game as Olney threw a Division C smackdown on Central, earning a 6-4 win on the road. Northeast got revenge for a regular season loss against Lincoln, by defeating the Railsplitters, 3-1. That sets up the semifinals to be played Wednesday: Olney at Frankford, and Northeast at Washington. The winners would meet on Friday for the 4A crown. The 4A champion would then advance to the Tournament of Champions, featuring the winners of the A, AA and AAA classifications, with the winner being named the Public League champion.
MAY 6
PUBLIC
LEAGUE DIVISION
B
Northeast 3,
Roxborough 0
I started to
go to the
Washington-Central
game with first
place at stake
in Public League
Division A. Made
a wrong turn,
and wound up at
Northeast HS,
covering a B
Division game.
Seriously
though, Randy's
Ramblings made a
return to
Division B,
fulfilling a
commitment to
the
Sports Fan Base
Network,
which broadcast
the game on the
internet (look
here).
It was a
beautiful day,
the game was
quick (1:27),
and fairly
well-played.
What could be
better than
that? Let's play
two!!
Although
both teams
combined to play
twelve
mercy-rule games
this season,
this one would
go the full
seven innings.
Roxborough and
Northeast were
already locked
into playoff
positions, so
this was a game
for fine-tuning.
Vikings coach
Sam
Feldman,
as is his
custom, was able
to give some of
his key players
rest during the
game. Top hitter
Shahir
Gates
entered the game
in the third
inning, and
promptly lined a
clean single to
center to knock
in a run.
Daquan
Bohannan,
a three-sport
star athlete,
played shortstop
for the first
three
innings, then
came in to pitch
the final four
innings, earning
the win and
striking out ten
batters.
Roxborough
hurt its chances
for a win by
committing a
pair of errors
that turned into
two Northeast
runs. Other than
that, both teams
played
relatively clean
baseball.
Indians soph
Mike
Moore
had one of the
two Roxborough
hits, and
made some nice
scoops at first
base. The
pitchers,
starter
Eric Krok,
and reliever
Randy
Krok,
gave Roxy an
opportunity to
win, but the
failure to make
contact against
Bohannon sealed
their fate.
Both
squads enter the
playoffs next
Monday.
Northeast will
visit Lincoln in
the playoff
opener of the
AAAA
championship.
Coach Feldman
called it "a
revenge game,"
as the
Railsplitters
handed the
Vikings one of
their two losses
this season.
Roxborough's
first round foe
in the AA
championship is
against Bracetti.
The
match-up marked
the last time
that both
coaches would
lead their
troops in
a regular season
game. Roxborough
head coach
Bob
Stowman
is calling it a
career after 39
years in
the School
District of
Philadelphia.
Vikings skipper
Sam Feldman is
also opting for
retirement after
this season.
Feldman made
four
championship
game appearances
in his time at
Northeast. I'm
thinking there
are going to be
a lot of head
coaches vacancies
once the school
year ends. Stay
tuned!
WP: DAQUAN
BOHANNAN (4-0),
LP: ERIC KROK (1-5).
APRIL 30
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 6, GAMP 4
When Washington
(9-3) plays at Central
(9-2) on Monday, with first
place at stake in Division
A, the Eagles will try to
avoid falling into an early
hole. In their most recent
games at home, GW trailed
4-0 early on in games vs
Prep Charter (6-5) and GAMP
(2-10). However, in each
game, Washington scored a
run in the second inning,
put up a combined five runs
in the fourth and fifth
innings to come from behind,
and win 6-4. Identical
formula two straight games.
Head coach Ken
Geiser acknowledged
he doesn't want to be
trailing in games, but
said the comeback
wins really highlighted the
spirit of this current crop
of Eagles.
This game featured one
of the top pitching matchups
in the 2013 Pub season as
GAMP jr RHP Jake
Kurtz faced Eagles
jr RHP Roger Hanson.
Both guys threw complete
games, and I won't mention
their pitch counts, but
let's just say they
were easily into triple
figures. GAMP's first seven
batters reached in the first
inning:
single-single-single-walk-walk-single-walk.
That resulted in four runs,
bases loaded, still no outs.
Hanson humped up and struck
out the 8 and 9 hitters,
then induced a groundout.
The Pioneers would not score
again in this game. They
left 12 runners on base, a
fact that was very
distressing to GAMP head
coach Art Kratchman.
"We just haven't been
getting the key hits
lately," Art sighed.
GW went to work in the
home second. Jake
Wright led off the
inning with a rocket to left
field that was a single
misplayed into a hustle
triple. Jake was out at home
on a double steal ... but
wait ... the muscular
Wright knocked the ball out
of the catcher's mitt, he's
safe. Meanwhile, Hanson was
dealing on the mound.
Lacking command on his
fastball, he relied on his
hook, which he threw
consistently for strikes.
Kurtz, who wound up with 11
K's in the game, ran into
trouble in the fourth. A
line drive single up the
middle by sr C/OF
Corey Sharp and
Wright's second triple of
the game cut GAMP's lead to
4-2. With a 10-15 mph wind
blowing in, Wright's
moon shot was a one-hopper
to The Gray Monster
in right. Five-hole hitter
Scott Siley,
who has been on an offensive
tear during the Eagles
five-game winning streak,
promptly singled in Wright.
Mike Honick
continued things with a bunt
single. Soph 3B Joel
Goldberg had a
bases-loaded walk, and
John Santos
sac fly put the Eagles ahead
to stay. They tacked on an
insurance run in the fifth,
as Wright showed tremendous
opposite-field power, and
indeed got his third triple
of the game. Siley once
again knocked in Wright with
an RBI single. WP: ROGER
HANSON (7-0), LP: JAKE KURTZ
(1-3).
APRIL 11
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 4, Central 3
(8 innings)
Jake Wright
once again led George Washington to
a win, with his bat and his
pitching. On the mound, he gave
coach Ken Geiser
quality innings and protected a 1-0
lead into the sixth inning. He got
hit around in that frame allowing
three earned runs, before giving way
to jr RHP Roger Hanson.
At the bat, Wright went a whopping
0-for-1. So, how does that have an
effect? Jake has terrorized opposing
pitching staffs for four years now,
and it's clear what strategy coaches
will employ against him ... don't
give him anything to hit. Jake drew
three walks (one intentional, two
semi-intentional). Of course, those
tactics will work only if your
following hitter doesn't produce.
Well, five-hole hitter Scott
Siley took care of
business, with an RBI single, an RBI
groundout (scoring Wright), and the
game-winning, walk-off double
(scoring Wright) in the eighth
inning. Siley also was flawless in
the field.
The Lancers finally got on the board
in the sixth, parlaying three hits,
a walk, and a sac bunt into three
runs. GW promptly scored twice in
the home sixth, knotting the score
at 3-3. It stayed that way until the
bottom of the eighth, when Wright
walked, and Siley knocked him home
with the winning hit.
Central pitcher Anthony
Devito gutted out 7+
innings, and was hurt by four
Central errors. Lancers skipper
Rich Weiss
acknowledged that he has a nice,
veteran squad that has beaten itself
for the second time this season.
Winning pitcher Roger Hanson retired
all eight batters he faced, and
improved to a Public League leading
4-0. After games played on Thursday,
four teams sit atop the division
standings.
| Division A | Record | April 11 Result |
| MASTERMAN | 4 -- 2 | Win @ FTC |
| CENTRAL | 4 -- 2 | Loss @ Wash |
| WASHINGTON | 4 -- 2 | Win vs Cent |
| FRANKFORD | 4 -- 2 | Win vs GAMP |
| PREP | 3 -- 3 | Win vs Esp |
| GAMP | 2 -- 4 | loss at FKD |
| ESPERANZA | 1 -- 4 | Loss @ Prep |
| FTC | 1 -- 4 | Loss vs Mast |
WHATSA MATTER, NO DOUBLE
DIGITS?
Maybe it was those two crazy, hot
days of summer in the second week of
April. Or maybe it was because those
aluminum bats of yesteryear are in
the garage, gaining dust. Or maybe,
just maybe, Public League Division A
is playing quality baseball this
season. Whatever the heck it was, it
resulted in a statistical oddity. No
team in the division scored double
digit runs, or collected double
digit hits in the four games played
on Thursday. There were no 10-run or
15-run rule games played. When was
the last time four division games
yielded 29 innings played in a day?
For numbers nerds, each team
averaged 4.25 runs on 5.6 hits.
DON'T GIVE UP THE DAY
JOB!
I had a blast providing color
commentary on the internet
broadcast of this game. Sitting
alongside former Northeast High
great Ari Bluestein,
it was a pleasure to broadcast a
quickly paced, well played game.
I applaud the efforts of the
Sports Fan Base Network (SFBN).
They have provided coverage of
Philly area high school football
and basketball games this past
season. Baseball provides many
challenges, and I look for this
venture to grow and to continue
to improve their coverage.
In my sports career, I have
produced numerous pro and
college games, and have
critiqued announcers such as
Jack Ramsay, Hubie
Brown, Marc Zumoff, Matt Guokas,
Mike Schmidt, Tug McGraw, Jay
Johnstone, etc. Well,
for the first time, I critiqued
me. And this is what I would
tell me: great content, need a
little work on your delivery,
and pick up the energy. The
on-demand broadcast is available
here.
(Go to On Demand tab and click
WATCH for Cent-Wash.)
Overall site is
here.
WHO'S UP NEXT
Central and Washington each play
four games in the next week, with
non-conference games against Father
Judge.
CENTRAL: Mon. vs FTC, Wed. at Prep
Charter, Thur. vs Judge, Fri. at
Masterman
WASHINGTON: Sat. at Judge, Mon. vs
Frankford, Wed. vs FTC, Fri. at
Esperanza
MARCH 22
PUBLIC
LEAGUE
Washington 9, Franklin Towne Charter 3
While
most Philadelphians were comfortable in their homes
watching Temple beat NC State, and La Salle hold off
Kansas State in the NCAA Tournament, others were
congregating at baseball fields throughout the city
for season openers. It was chilly baseball weather,
but the skies were clear, so PLAY BALL!
GW won
this game, thanks to timely hitting and good
defense. In years past, it might have gone down as
a loss, but the Eagles are a veteran team this
season, and that proved to be the difference. With
Philly schools entering spring break, the win was
even more satisfying. Coach Ken Geiser
has a nice mixture of seniors and juniors. His team
is led by senior Jake Wright, in
his fourth year in the starting lineup. An
All-Public selection the last two seasons, Wright is
also doubling up as a pitcher this season, which
could give opposing hitters some nervous moments. In
addition to a couple of RBI singles, Jake came in
to close the game out on the mound. Aaron
Goldberg, another senior, contributed with
a pair of hits, including a second inning triple. A
pair of juniors, John Santos and
Gilad Metro, also were clutch for
G-Dub. It's a new season, and a new attitude for the
Eagles, whose goal is to win the Public League
championship for the first time since the
Bill Clinton administration.
AT THE NEXT LEVEL
Both schools have graduates playing college
baseball this season. Franklin Towne Charter's
George Klein made his pitching
debut at Penn State Abington a memorable one. On
March 6, he pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless and
hitless relief, and earned the win against St.
Vincent, from western PA. Washington's Mike
Foley is a 3B/OF/RHP for Community College
of Philadelphia.
WHO'S UP NEXT
The
schedule resumes after the spring break. FTC will
host GAMP, and GW will be at home against Esperanza,
Games are 3:15pm on April Fool's Day.