(11) ISLANDERS

FALL TRYOUTS

Nine new players joined the league through Fall League tryouts player draft at the Santaluces Complex on Sunday, September 30, 2012.

The Create-Core Badgers, formerly known as the Pirates, drafted a 6-5 lefthanded pitcher---Jordan Taylor, a native Californian who now lives in Boynton Beach. Taylor, who spent six years in the US Navy, showed a lively arm as he continues to recover from a pitching arm shoulder injury he suffered while trying it for a Baltimore Orioles' farm club, the Delmarva Shorebirds. Taylor is 27 and can also play first base. He showed power in batting drills, and could help the Badgers as they get set for another season in the 18AAA division.

The White Sox corraled the top hitting prospect in selecting third baseman Alain Hernandez, a 26 year old, who moved to West Palm Beach after a nice high school career at the same Hialeah HS program as Washington Nationals' star lefthander, Gio Gonzalez. Hernandez, who can also play first base and catch will bring a solid stroke to the White Sox as they hope to improve off last year's somewhat disappointing season in the highly competitive 18AAA division.

Seven others were drafted by 18AA division teams. The South Florida Giants took middle infielder Juan Mercedes, 27, of Greenacres, who showed versatility on defense and demonstrated solid hitting in live batting practice.

Two other AA division teams took three players each. The Marlins, who played the past few seasons as the Devil Rays or Rays, took a father/son team in ouitfielder-pitcher Reymar Cabrera, as well as his 43-year old dad, Reimar Cabrera, a pitcher-shortstop. The Cabreras live in Loxahatchee. They also took second baseman-outfielder Noah Tenenbaum, 23, of Wellington.

The Bulldogs added 19-year old Alex Marcantonio of Boca Raton, who plays first base, as well as the outfield, 19-year old outfielder Renard Bailey of Greenacres, and18-year old Mark Snyder of West Palm Beach.

 MANATEES Standing (l to r)-Drew Davis, Donnie Fitzgerald, Danny Laperna, Ryan McDonald, Max Johnson, Rob Wiley, Mike Wood, Cory Johnson Kneeling (l to r) Billy Campbell, Brian Fitzsimmons, Dave Gariepy, Emilio Vargas

 MANATEES AND BLUE JAYS ARE SPRING LEAGUE'S BEST

The Manatees took the 18AAA championship with an 8-4 victory Sunday over Los Tigres at Santaluces. They scored six runs in the first inning on five hits, a bases loaded walk, a hit batsman with the bases loaded, and a two run single by winning pitcher Mike Wood. They added a run in the fifth on a solo home run by center fielder Max Johnson, and an unearned run in the ninth inning. .Wood, a former major leaguer with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins, went six innings for the win, with player-manager Brian Fitzsimmons earning a save with three scoreless innings of relief. Wood was selected as the game's Most Valuable Player.

The 18AA title went to the Blue Jays, who topped the Industriales 7-2 behind a complete game victory by Chris Saxton, who scattered eight hits, and one earned run, to earn Most Valuable Player award. Centerfielder KJ Ventry led the offense with four hits, including a double, and three runs scored. Chris Laforge, in his final Palm Beach League game before moving back to Dutchess County, New York had a pair of doubles for the Jays, who collected eleven hits. Industriales centerfielder Jose Corea went 4 for 4, with four singles, a stolen base and a run batted in a losing cause.

ROAD TO THE TOP

NABA PALM BEACH LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

ALL GAMES AT SANTALUCES, LANTANA (SEEDINGS IN PARENTHESES)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

18AAA QUARTERFINALS

(6) Blades 9 #3 Beach Bums 6

(5) Dragons 7 (4) Hurricanes 1

18AAA SEMIFINALS

(2) Manatees 4 #6 Blades 2

(1) Los Tigres 6 #5 Dragons 3

18AA QUARTERFINALS

(3) Blue Jays 15 #6 Orioles 12

(5) Industriales 3 (4) Sugar Kings 0 (10 innings)

18AA SEMIFINALS

#3 Blue Jays 11 #2 La Habana 6

#5 Industriales 8 #1 Glory Days 1

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CHAMPIONSHIPS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

18AA CHAMPIONSHIP

(3) BLUE JAYS 7

(5) INDUSTRIALES 2

18AAA CHAMPIONSHIP

(2) HOME RUN SPORTS MANATEES 8

(1) LOS TIGRES 4

 MANATEES Standing (l to r)-Drew Davis, Donnie Fitzgerald, Danny Laperna, Ryan McDonald, Max Johnson, Rob Wiley, Mike Wood, Cory Johnson Kneeling (l to r) Billy Campbell, Brian Fitzsimmons, Dave Gariepy, Emilio Vargas

 MANATEES AND BLUE JAYS ARE SPRING LEAGUE'S BEST

The Manatees took the 18AAA championship with an 8-4 victory Sunday over Los Tigres at Santaluces. They scored six runs in the first inning on five hits, a bases loaded walk, a hit batsman with the bases loaded, and a two run single by winning pitcher Mike Wood. They added a run in the fifth on a solo home run by center fielder Max Johnson, and an unearned run in the ninth inning. .Wood, a former major leaguer with the Florida (now Miami) Marlins, went six innings for the win, with player-manager Brian Fitzsimmons earning a save with three scoreless innings of relief. Wood was selected as the game's Most Valuable Player.

The 18AA title went to the Blue Jays, who topped the Industriales 7-2 behind a complete game victory by Chris Saxton, who scattered eight hits, and one earned run, to earn Most Valuable Player award. Centerfielder KJ Ventry led the offense with four hits, including a double, and three runs scored. Chris Laforge, in his final Palm Beach League game before moving back to Dutchess County, New York had a pair of doubles for the Jays, who collected eleven hits. Industriales centerfielder Jose Corea went 4 for 4, with four singles, a stolen base and a run batted in a losing cause.

ROAD TO THE TOP

NABA PALM BEACH LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

ALL GAMES AT SANTALUCES, LANTANA (SEEDINGS IN PARENTHESES)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

18AAA QUARTERFINALS

(6) Blades 9 #3 Beach Bums 6

(5) Dragons 7 (4) Hurricanes 1

18AAA SEMIFINALS

(2) Manatees 4 #6 Blades 2

(1) Los Tigres 6 #5 Dragons 3

18AA QUARTERFINALS

(3) Blue Jays 15 #6 Orioles 12

(5) Industriales 3 (4) Sugar Kings 0 (10 innings)

18AA SEMIFINALS

#3 Blue Jays 11 #2 La Habana 6

#5 Industriales 8 #1 Glory Days 1

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CHAMPIONSHIPS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2012

18AA CHAMPIONSHIP

(3) BLUE JAYS 7

(5) INDUSTRIALES 2

18AAA CHAMPIONSHIP

(2) HOME RUN SPORTS MANATEES 8

(1) LOS TIGRES 4

     The North Division, featuring a half dozen players from the unbeaten Los Tigres, downed the South 6-1 in the 18AAA All Star game on Thursday, June 14 at the Santaluces Complex in Lantana.  Like the 18AA affair, the AAA contest had to be curtailed due to an approaching electrical storm with frequent lightning strikes that made continuing the game hazardous.  The game was halted after 6 1/2 innings. 

     The South All Stars, led by five members of the second place Glory Days and managed by Troy Glover, won a slugfest 15-9 over the North, headed up by a half dozen of the first Blue Jays, managed by Chris Laforge, at the Santaluces Complex in Lantana June 13. 

     In the 18AAA game, Tigres' shortstop Luis Mejia started the scoring with a bullet to right field, and when right fielder Drew Davis (Manatees) tried for a shoestring catch and missed, the speedster circled the bases for an inside the park home run.  Mejia added an RBI single in his next at bat to clinch the game's Most Valuable Player Award.

     Following Mejia's home run, the North added two more off starting and losing pitcher Brian Fitzsimmons (Manatees) in the first inning, who managed the South All Stars.  Joey Todd (Hurricanes) walked, moved to third on a single by Wes Correa (White Sox).  Correa took second on the unsuccessful throw to try to nail Todd at third base.  Todd scored on an infield out by Francis Dinzey (Los Tigres), who served as manager.  Jose De Los Rios of the White Sox drove in his teammate Correa with a single to left.      

     Stuart Machado (Pirates) doubled and scored on Mejia's single in the third.  Jose Chinea of the White Sox knocked the fourth run, plating his Sox teammate De Los Rios. who had tripled to open the frame.  The final North tally came in the sixth.  Dinzey got his second RBI of the game, an infield grounder that scored Todd, who had singled and stolen second. 

    The only South run came in their final at bat in the top of the 7th.  Davis singled to right to score Manatees' teammate Max Johnson who had singled and stole second, then third base.

     Alex Williams (White Sox) got credit for the win with two scoreless innings,  Keaton Ijams (Hurricanes and Joel Vasquez (Tigres) followed with two scoreless frames apiece before the South got one off Gustavo Lopez (Tigres).    

     In the 18AA game, the South jumped all over North division starter Dwayne Cabral for six runs on six hits in the top of the first inning.  Mike McDowell (Bulldogs) led off with a single.  Joe Perez (Sugar Kings) was hit by a pitch.  Jerry Matarazzo (Glory Days) hit into a fielder's choice force out, but then came five straight hits.  Glover, Steve Arnold (Glory Days), and Acquelle Gordon (Bulldogs) hit consecutive RBI singles, followed by a run scoring double off the bat of Aniel Cartaya (Industriales) and another RBI single by Alex Marine (Industriales). 

      A three run bottom of the first, followed by another three run outburst in the third tied the game at six apiece and took starter Cabral off the hook.  He pitched only one inning, followed by two scoreless innings by Tony Sergio (Giants). 

     Blue Jays representatives Chris Hanna and Chris Laforge both singled, followed by an RBI smash by La Habana's Eddy Sanchez, scoring Hanna.  Laforge scored on an infield error on the throw to first to try to get Sanchez.  Kevin Menchsel (Blue Jays) singled to make it 6-3. 

     In the third in ning Hanna ripped an RBI double, followed by two walks and an infield error, tying the score at 6-6. 

    The South took the lead with a four run outburst off Menschel, who is normally a catcher but who was pressed into mound duty in the fourth inning.  A walk to Matarazzo, and a hit batter (Glove), followed by a long trtple to right field by Steve Arnold made it 8-6, and Arnold scoredf on a wild pitch.  Later in the inning, Nestor Sanjurjo (Sugar Kings) ripped a single single to left, giving his team a 10-6 lead. 

    The South got a run in the sixth on Glover's RBI single, and four more on three hits in the seventhy.  Cartaya's RBI single scored Acquelle Gordon from third.  The Bulldogs' representive had been hit by a pitch, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch.  Nestor Sanjurjo (Sugar Kings) smacked a two run double and Dom DeSantis (Industriales) closed ou the scoring with a single up the middle.  

     Dargel Gomez (La Habana) singled in a run in the fourth, and the South got their final two runs in the sixth.  Laforge singled in one and the final one scored on a fielder's choice. 

    Arnold, with three runs batted, and the tie breaking triple, was selected as the game's MVP.  The pitching win went to Glover, while the loss went to Kevin Menschel (Blue Jays), who is normally a catcher, but was pressed into service due a thin pitching staff for the North.   

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     The North Division, featuring a half dozen players from the unbeaten Los Tigres, downed the South 6-1 in the 18AAA All Star game on Thursday, June 14 at the Santaluces Complex in Lantana.  Like the 18AA affair, the AAA contest had to be curtailed due to an approaching electrical storm with frequent lightning strikes that made continuing the game hazardous.  The game was halted after 6 1/2 innings. 

     The South All Stars, led by five members of the second place Glory Days and managed by Troy Glover, won a slugfest 15-9 over the North, headed up by a half dozen of the first Blue Jays, managed by Chris Laforge, at the Santaluces Complex in Lantana June 13. 

     In the 18AAA game, Tigres' shortstop Luis Mejia started the scoring with a bullet to right field, and when right fielder Drew Davis (Manatees) tried for a shoestring catch and missed, the speedster circled the bases for an inside the park home run.  Mejia added an RBI single in his next at bat to clinch the game's Most Valuable Player Award.

     Following Mejia's home run, the North added two more off starting and losing pitcher Brian Fitzsimmons (Manatees) in the first inning, who managed the South All Stars.  Joey Todd (Hurricanes) walked, moved to third on a single by Wes Correa (White Sox).  Correa took second on the unsuccessful throw to try to nail Todd at third base.  Todd scored on an infield out by Francis Dinzey (Los Tigres), who served as manager.  Jose De Los Rios of the White Sox drove in his teammate Correa with a single to left.      

     Stuart Machado (Pirates) doubled and scored on Mejia's single in the third.  Jose Chinea of the White Sox knocked the fourth run, plating his Sox teammate De Los Rios. who had tripled to open the frame.  The final North tally came in the sixth.  Dinzey got his second RBI of the game, an infield grounder that scored Todd, who had singled and stolen second. 

    The only South run came in their final at bat in the top of the 7th.  Davis singled to right to score Manatees' teammate Max Johnson who had singled and stole second, then third base.

     Alex Williams (White Sox) got credit for the win with two scoreless innings,  Keaton Ijams (Hurricanes and Joel Vasquez (Tigres) followed with two scoreless frames apiece before the South got one off Gustavo Lopez (Tigres).    

     In the 18AA game, the South jumped all over North division starter Dwayne Cabral for six runs on six hits in the top of the first inning.  Mike McDowell (Bulldogs) led off with a single.  Joe Perez (Sugar Kings) was hit by a pitch.  Jerry Matarazzo (Glory Days) hit into a fielder's choice force out, but then came five straight hits.  Glover, Steve Arnold (Glory Days), and Acquelle Gordon (Bulldogs) hit consecutive RBI singles, followed by a run scoring double off the bat of Aniel Cartaya (Industriales) and another RBI single by Alex Marine (Industriales). 

      A three run bottom of the first, followed by another three run outburst in the third tied the game at six apiece and took starter Cabral off the hook.  He pitched only one inning, followed by two scoreless innings by Tony Sergio (Giants). 

     Blue Jays representatives Chris Hanna and Chris Laforge both singled, followed by an RBI smash by La Habana's Eddy Sanchez, scoring Hanna.  Laforge scored on an infield error on the throw to first to try to get Sanchez.  Kevin Menchsel (Blue Jays) singled to make it 6-3. 

     In the third in ning Hanna ripped an RBI double, followed by two walks and an infield error, tying the score at 6-6. 

    The South took the lead with a four run outburst off Menschel, who is normally a catcher but who was pressed into mound duty in the fourth inning.  A walk to Matarazzo, and a hit batter (Glove), followed by a long trtple to right field by Steve Arnold made it 8-6, and Arnold scoredf on a wild pitch.  Later in the inning, Nestor Sanjurjo (Sugar Kings) ripped a single single to left, giving his team a 10-6 lead. 

    The South got a run in the sixth on Glover's RBI single, and four more on three hits in the seventhy.  Cartaya's RBI single scored Acquelle Gordon from third.  The Bulldogs' representive had been hit by a pitch, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch.  Nestor Sanjurjo (Sugar Kings) smacked a two run double and Dom DeSantis (Industriales) closed ou the scoring with a single up the middle.  

     Dargel Gomez (La Habana) singled in a run in the fourth, and the South got their final two runs in the sixth.  Laforge singled in one and the final one scored on a fielder's choice. 

    Arnold, with three runs batted, and the tie breaking triple, was selected as the game's MVP.  The pitching win went to Glover, while the loss went to Kevin Menschel (Blue Jays), who is normally a catcher, but was pressed into service due a thin pitching staff for the North.   

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