Andre Chiefs

(July 6, 2020) The Intercity League has officially announced that its 2020 season has been cancelled due to COVID-19.
The ICL made the announcement on Monday morning after conducting the latest in a long series of remote meetings that was held with the Board of Directors on Sunday evening.

The ICL released the following statement: “After exploring every avenue for months, the ICL has made the extremely difficult decision to cancel the 2020 season. The Intercity League has enjoyed an outstanding and continuous tradition in Massachusetts amateur baseball since 1950 and we look forward to coming back stronger than ever in 2021. We make this decision out of an abundance of caution and after careful consideration of all factors. The safety of our players, their families, managers, coaches, umpires, administrators, and fans, remained paramount in all of our discussions. This was an exceedingly difficult choice, but we felt it was the best decision at this time. Given the ongoing situation and the ever-growing time constraints, we felt the window to conduct a meaningful ICL season this summer has become too narrow.”

Although the ICL season has been cancelled, players that choose to do so, may participate in a memorial tournament that is being organized by the Lexington Blue Sox. The tournament is being named after two former Blue Sox players that have passed away. Known as the PF-3 and DA-41 Tournament, it will honor Pete Frates, who lost a courageous battle with ALS in 2019 and Dave Ahern who died in 2016.

The ICL joins the Cape Cod League and the NECBL in the cancellation of their 2020 campaigns.

Details on the PF-3/DA-41 Tournament, and how players, teams or groups that choose to do so can participate, will be announced this week. Those interested can email Rick DeAngelis at fjdeangelis1@comcast.net.

(June 26, 2020) The Intercity League Board of Directors met again on Thursday, June 25. It was the latest in a long series of meetings to continue our discussions regarding the possibility of conducting a shortened 2020 season.

Massachusetts remains in Phase 2 of the reopening plan, which prohibits any games or scrimmages to be played. Phase 3, which was originally scheduled to begin on June 29, has been pushed back by at least a week. Per Governor Charlie Baker, the earliest that Phase 3 could now begin would be July 6.

As a result of the above, and in order to give teams time to prepare should Phase 3 begin on July 6, the best case scenario would now be an eight game regular season. If this becomes a reality, all of the nine teams would play each other once, followed by a tournament. The earliest start date would now be Monday, July 13.

In addition to the above, we must await Board of Health approval, guidelines and field availability and permits, from each of the cities and towns where ICL games could be played. These cities and towns are also subject to both the timeline and regulations that will be implemented by the Commonwealth.

The ICL’s Board maintains its position that the safety of players, managers, coaches, administrators, umpires, and fans remains our number one priority. Any decision made moving forward will certainly be reflective of this.

All sports at every level across the country are facing uncertainty at this point. The ICL is no different. These are challenging times.

We remain optimistic but are aware that the window for summer baseball may narrow.

We will keep everyone immediately informed as events evolve.

Please stay well.
ICL Board of Directors

North Reading, MA- Over 100 golfers will be teeing off on Friday in the RE/MAX Andrew Realty Services’ Intercity League Golf Tournament at Hillview Country Club.

This year’s tournament will be played in memory of Bertha Brickley who passed away in 2018. Ms. Brickley was an avid supporter of the ICL. Her sons John, George, Quintin, Matt and Andy were all involved in the ICL while her daughters Lila and Raina were fans of the league. Andy is presently the Boston Bruins’ color analyst on NESN. The ICL is thankful to the Brickey Family for their generosity.

The response has been overwhelming for the first annual tournament according to event chairman Orazio Azzarello. The shotgun start will begin at 9:00 AM with lunch and the awards ceremony to follow.

The event has drawn ICL alumni as well as many present players and fans.

RE/MAX Andrew Realty Services, whose connections have long standing ties to the ICL through owner/broker John Veneziano and founder Chuck Andre, both of the Andre Chiefs, is the main sponsor for this year’s tournament. The company has offices in Medford and Stoneham.

Other sponsors include Rick DeAngelis of the Lexington Blue Sox, Mike’s Pastry of Medford and the North End, and On Demand Storage, both thanks to James McConville of the Somerville Royals.

Hole and tee sponsors to date include; Umpire-in-chief Joe Cacciatore, the Melrose Americans, Speakeasy Sports Bar, Luke Begley, Bob Iandoli, Zorian Bat Company, Mike Kalfopoulus, the Somerville Senators, Universal Screening Studio, the Middlesex Reds, St. Pierre, Sammy Greenwood, Evan Green, North Shore Acapella, the Melrose Rams, Bob DeFelice, Frank’s Steakhouse, Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee, Walter Bentsen of the Boston Park League, and Bay State Financial.

Registration begins at the Hillview on Friday at 8:00 AM.

RE/MAX Andrew Realty Services will be the sponsor of the 2019 Intercity League Golf Tournament that will be held on Friday, October 4 at the Hillview Country Club in North Reading, MA.

The company and its connections have long standing ties to the Intercity League through Founder Chuck Andre and Owner/Broker John Veneziano. Both Andre and Veneziano began their ICL careers playing for the Hosmer Chiefs in the 1970’s & 1980’s.

Following their playing days, Andre and Veneziano entered the real estate business in 1986. They took over the Chiefs franchise in 1989 and renamed it the Andre Chiefs. Andre served as Chiefs’ Manager from 1989-2018 while Veneziano has been part of the coaching staff.

The RE/MAX Andrew Realty ICL Golf Tournament begins with a shotgun start at 9:00 AM.

RE/MAX Andrew Realty Services has offices in Medford and Stoneham.

Malden, MA – What a difference a day makes!

In a game that was the opposite of the first game’s pitcher’s duel, Lexington outslugged the Chiefs for the 9-6 win and a sweep of their semifinal series at Pine Banks Park Thursday night and advance to the finals.

Ross Curley’s grand slam in the top of third gave the Blue Sox the lead for good at 5-2. The first Blue Sox run in the inning came after a walk to Taylor Ferguson and a single by John Puttress put runners on the corners with no outs. Aaron Barbosa followed with a single up the middle that scored Ferguson and it was 2-1. Kyle Adie reached on a fielder’s choice and the bases were loaded for Curley. He quickly cleared them with a drive that went well over the leftfield fence.

On Wednesday, a lone run won the game. In game two that number was eclipsed in the bottom of the second when the Chiefs finally put a crooked number on the scoreboard.

With one out Matt Maloney walked and was followed by singles by Nick Leva and Mike Burgoyne to load the bases. Tony Serino singled for his second of three hits on the night, and was 1-0 Chiefs. Mike Gedman walked with the bases loaded to force in a run for a 2-0 lead.

Though the Chiefs’ Zach Kirby lasted until the sixth, neither starting pitcher was as good as in the first game.
After his teammates gave him a 5-2 lead, Lexington starter Junior Pena could not shut down the Chiefs who cut the lead to 5-3. The Chiefs also suffered a loss in the inning. Maloney, who hit a line drive into center for what appeared to be a single, and that drove in Nate Witkowski (double). Unfortunately Maloney had collapsed at home plate and was eventually tagged out by Sox catcher Puttress. Maloney left the game with a knee injury.

Sox reliever Jake Vesling had come in in the third and struck out Leva to end the threat. He started the fourth by getting Mike Burgoyne on a fly ball to right. The next five Chiefs batters reached base on three singles and two walks to close to within 7-6. Ben Waldrip’s RBI single brought in the first run and Kyle Dembrowski closed out the scoring for Andre with a two-run single.

Bill Christopher entered the game for Lexington after Dembrowski’s single and got a strikeout and ground out to end the fourth. He retired the Chiefs in the fifth, despite giving up two walks and was the first Sox pitcher to not give up a run.

Borja Jones-Berasaluce had a 1-2-3 sixth with two strikeouts and Lexington was three outs from a sweep.
Lexington closer Manny Delcarmen entered the game in the seventh and gave up a two-out single to Burgoyne before getting Serino looking for the final out and the Blue Sox were on the way to the championship round.

Curley was 4-for-4 with three runs and four RBI to lead Lexington. Richie Burgos added a two-run single in the fourth. Number nine hitter Puttress had two hits and scored twice.

Serino had three hits and scored and drove in a run and Waldrip scored and drove in a run for the Chiefs.

Lexington awaits the winner of the Alibrandis – Wakefield series which Wakefield knotted at 1-1 with a 2-1 win in 12 innings Thursday night. The third and final game will be at Victory Field Friday night starting at 7:30.
The finals will for the held at Melrose’s Morelli Field for the sixth consecutive season.

Thanks to Bruce Hack, Lexington Director of Media Relations