MARTELLA'S PHARMACY

Mike Mastovich The Tribune-Democrat

JOHNSTOWN — This series had been anticipated, even predicted, by many since late May or early June.

The formalities are over. Defending playoff champion Delweld and current regular-season champ Martella’s Pharmacy will play Game 1 of the best-of-5 AAABA?League title series tonight at Point Stadium (7 p.m.).

“It seems like these two teams have been on a collision course all year,”?said Martella’s Pharmacy manager Chris Pfeil, whose team won the regular-season crown by three games over Delweld despite losing the season series between the teams, 5-4.

“Over the course of the season we separated ourselves from everybody else. It’s going to be a great series.”

Both top-seeded Martella’s and second-seeded Delweld swept their respective semifinal series against No. 4 Roxberry Creamery and No. 3 Berkley Hills Renegades.

“For the most part this thing was expected,” Delweld manager Chris DelSignore said. “It’s the series that we prepared for.

“We wouldn’t want it any other way. We definitely have a great deal of respect for each other on the field. These are two teams going after each other and trying to beat the other team. It’s highly competitive when we get out there between the lines.”

There are plenty of similarities beginning with the managers, who are two of the most recognizable and respected leaders in the local baseball scene.

Each man officially started in 1999, with Pfeil managing a fledgling Johnstown Grays franchise that eventually became Martella’s three years ago. DelSignore joined Delweld as the top assistant to manager Ross Kott when the team entered the league. DelSignore took the head job after Kott left. He briefly stepped aside to take a GM role in 2008 before returning to the field last summer.

DelSignore has managed AAABA?Tournament teams in 2003 – when Delweld advanced to the title round against Baltimore – 2007 and 2009.

Pfeil led the Grays to 231 wins in nine seasons, including AAABA?Tournament appearances in 2002, 2004 and 2005. He managed Martella’s in last year’s tournament as the Pharmacy replaced Washington D.C. in the 16-team field.

Since 2002, either Delweld (four times) or the Grays/Martella’s (three times as champ, once as runner-up) represented Johnstown in the AAABA?Tournament each year except 2006 (Principle Development).

Martella’s scored 40 runs in the nine games this season, one more than Delweld.

The teams produced co-Pete Vuckovich Award winners in Delweld’s Carter Lehman (8-0 including the playoffs) and Martella’s Scott Dixon (7-1 including the playoffs). Coincidentally, those two pitchers are tonight’s projected starters.

Martella’s Sam Watkins is the AAABA?League MVP, and Delweld’s Nate Plummer is the Bill Jenkins Award winner as top rookie pitcher. Martella’s Mike LeViseur won the league batting title with a .476 average.

“It has turned into a great rivalry,”?Pfeil said. “Both franchises have been very successful. Both of us have been in championship series seven of the last nine years.

“We’ve gone head to head. They bring out the best of us, and I think we bring out the best in them.”

Both teams have big-game players in the local league and players who have collegiate experience.

“Guys like George Roberts, Drew Westover, Matt Cornetti, Tyler Uphouse and Kody Reighard have been through this before,”?DelSignore said. “It’s important for the first-year guys to see it just is another baseball game and the stage isn’t too big for them. The new guys have adapted well to playoff baseball. It’s a been-there, done-that thing. It’s familiar territory this time of year.”

“Delweld has a lot of guys that have played in a lot of big games,”?Pfeil added.

“There is a great amount of poise in that dugout. They’re going to keep coming at you with their arms. One through nine in the order there’s not an easy out. Our pitchers are going to have to work and we have to play good defense behind them.”

Martella’s and Delweld have one other important similarity.

Both teams will advance to the AAABA?Tournament regardless of their playoff finish.

Johnstown will have two representatives in the tournament.

Martella’s secured a spot by winning the regular-season title. If Martella’s wins the playoff championship, then Delweld would be the second representative. Should Delweld win the playoff crown, then Martella’s would move on based on the regular-season title.

That doesn’t mean either team will lower the intensity level.

“I don’t think it changes either one of our approaches,”?Pfeil said. “First of all you have two very proud franchises. This is the team we measure ourselves against. This is the team that we wanted to play. They're the defending champions. I don’t think the fact that both of us are going to the tournament is going to affect the way the series is going to be played. I think both teams will go full-tilt after it.”

The playoff winner will be Johnstown’s official representative and will select its four pick-up players first. Martella’s and Delweld will not be permitted to pick up players from each other.

“For us second place is still the first loser,” said DelSignore, who was one of the local managers who opposed having two teams in the tournament. “It’s a multitude of different things. It’s a combination of wanting to be the host team but also to go out and try to beat Martella’s. It’s a competitive environment all the way around. You never want to head into a tournament on a sour note. You want to go into that tournament with a lot of momentum and try to play good baseball throughout the series.”

The Johnstown AAABA League announced the award winners for the 2010 Season on Thursday night.  Sam Watkins was selected as the Most Valuable Player and Scott Dixon won the Pete Vuckovich Award that goes to the most outstanding pitcher. 

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER:  Sam Watkins, Martella's Pharmacy
PETE VUCKOVICH AWARD:  Scott Dixon, Martella's Pharmacy and Carter Lehman, Delweld 
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:  Dan Ranieri, Berkley Hills Renegades
ROOKIE PITCHER OF THE YEAR:  Nate Plummer, Delweld
BATTING CHAMPION: Mike LeViseur, Martella's Pharmacy (.476)

ALL-AAABA TEAM
C: Steve Bills, Martella's Pharmacy
1B: Mike LeViseur, Martella's Pharmacy
2B: Kyle Bowser, Martella's Pharmacy
SS: George Roberts, Delweld
3B: Tyler Uphouse, Delweld
OF: Alex Buccilli, Roxberry Creamery
OF: Mike Kastelic, Berkley Hills Renegades
OF: Josh Robinette, Delweld
OF: Drew Westover, Delweld
DH: Mike Pelekanos, Martella's Pharmacy
UT: Matt Donaldson, Principle Development
UT: Zach Vignero, Delweld
SP: Bobby Carbaugh, Delweld
SP: Cory Kaltenbaugh, Berkley Hills Renegades
SP: Nate Kohuth, Roxberry Creamery
SP: Luke Novosel, Martella's Pharmacy
SP: Kody Reighard, Delweld
SP:  Clint White, Martella's Pharmacy
RP:  Jon Murphy, Martella's Pharmacy
RP:  Rylan Schnably, Roxberry Creamery 

ALL GAMES AT POINT STADIUM

BEST-OF-FIVE SEMIFINALS

Friday, July 23 
Martella's Pharmacy 11, Roxberry Creamery 4 
Delweld 9, Berkley Hills Renegades 0

Saturday, July 24 
Delweld 4, Berkley Hills Renegades 2
Martella's Pharmacy 3, Roxberry Creamery 1 

Monday, July 26
Martella's Pharmacy 10, Roxberry Creamery 0
(Martella's wins series 3-0)  
Delweld 13, Berkley Hills Renegades 0 
(Delweld wins series 3-0)

BEST-OF-FIVE FINALS

Wednesday, July 28 
Delweld 10, Martella's Pharmacy 0 

Thursday, July 29
Delweld 2, Martella's Pharmacy 1 

Friday, July 30  
Delweld 11, Martella's Pharmacy 3 
(Delweld wins series 3-0) 

Saturday, July 31  
Martella's Pharmacy vs. Delweld, if necessary 

Sunday, August 1  
Delweld vs. Martella's Pharmacy, if necessary

Mike Mastovich mmastovich@tribdem.com

JOHNSTOWN — Martella’s Pharmacy enters the 66th AAABA?Tournament as Johnstown’s second representative, but veteran manager Chris Pfeil believes his lineup has the potential to make a big impression.

Pfeil used two of his pick-up selections to solidify his outfield and add a jolt to the batting order.

He also added some pitching to an already solid staff. A bonus will be the return of a few arms that had been bothered by injuries throughout the season and especially during the stretch run.

“We’re going to be healthy for the first time in three weeks. We were fortunate to get some good offensive players with our pick-up players,” said Pfeil, whose team will play at 1 p.m. Monday at the Point. “We think 1 through 9 we’re going to put guys at the plate who can swing the bats. We have team speed. If we get guys on we’re going to be able to move them and hopefully use our speed to put some runs on the board.”

Martella’s will be led by AAABA League MVP and four-year veteran Sam Watkins. The shortstop/closer has been an everyday starter since age 17.

Local league batting champion Mike LeViseur (.476 average) can catch or play first base while adding power to the middle of the lineup. Last year’s Pete Vuckovich Award winner Mike Pelekanos had an arm injury that prevented him from pitching this year. Instead, he was one of the league’s top sluggers as a designated hitter. Second baseman Kyle Bowser has a steady bat, as does catcher Steve Bills.

“Sam Watkins has played in big games for four years,”?Pfeil said. “You have the luxury of having the MVP and the batting champion in your lineup. Plus Kyle Bowser, Mike Pelekanos and Steve Bills have had great years at the plate. We didn’t hit well in the championship series, but we feel with some time off to regroup we have the potential to be potent offensively.”

Pfeil brought in two of the league’s top center fielders, Alex Buccilli (Roxberry Creamery) and Mike Kastelic (Berkley Hills Renegades). Buccilli will play center for Martella’s while Kastelic will play left.

When he’s not pitching, Scott Dixon will be in right. David McKolosky also plays right field.

Dixon was co-Pete Vuckovich Award winner this season but he also is one of the team’s better hitters.

“Buccilli is going to play center field,”?Pfeil said. “(Regular center fielder/pitcher) Pat Kohl is going to be able to throw for us again, which is going to boost our bullpen. He’s day-to-day as far as swinging the bat (due to a late-season injury). If we get anything out of him at the plate that’s another bonus for us. We’re going to use Mike Kastelic in the outfield. He’s a tough out from the left side of the plate, and he runs the bases as well as  anybody in the league.”

Dixon, Jon Murphy, Clint White, Kyle Zambanini, Alex Naggy, Luke Novosel and Landon Wahl are pitchers as well as pick-ups Evan James and Joe Fearer.