Solid baseball played at FCALBL tournament
My dad was a big sports fan, especially baseball.
I think he would鈥檝e really enjoyed himself the past few days watching the Fayette County American Legion Baseball League Tournament at Hutchinson Field. A comfy chair, hot dog with mustard and a pop, and he would鈥檝e been just fine watching the area蘑菇视频 best Legion players.
That蘑菇视频 where I spent the past five days, watching baseball, keeping my scorebook and snapping photos like I knew what I was doing. (I figure if I snap over 100 shots, at least one or two of them will be in focus and usable.) It was warm and the rain stayed away, for the most part. I returned home from Saturday蘑菇视频 doubleheader with a unique tan on my forearms after holding a camera for two games, looking like a homemade loaf of bread with the top half of my arm nicely tanned and the bottom half much paler.
Those days were spent in the visitors dugout (I felt it was a better shooting angle, especially for the plate), so I interacted with staff and players of three of the five teams in the tournament.聽
Before each American Legion baseball league game, the following code of conduct is read (usually by one of the players) and repeated by everyone involved: 鈥淚 will: Keep the rules; Keep faith with my teammates; Keep my temper; Keep myself fit; Keep a stout heart in defeat; Keep my pride under in victory; Keep a sound soul, a clean mind, and a healthy body.鈥�
Now, the code was occasionally not held to the highest standard. Hey, they鈥檙e teenage boys. But, the sponsoring Legion posts should know these young guys were there to play baseball, win (hopefully), and have a good time, and did so at the standard dictated by the code.
My post at Hutchinson Field for five days (and six games) was hugging the fence post in the visitors dugout. To be honest, I was generally in the way, but instead of being constantly reprimanded to move, I heard 鈥渆xcuse me sir鈥� or 鈥渟orry (to get in your way).鈥�
The closest I came to being hit was a foul ball that bounced off the netting and flew over my head by a couple feet. However, displaying my deft Little League fielding skills imparted to me by my dad, I snared a similarly hit foul ball off the bounce, cleanly. A soft little toss to the first baseman was met with the collective (maybe two people?) oohs and aahs of an impressed audience.
Uniontown manager Brad Yohman wasn鈥檛 as fortunate, taking a line drive off the left hand as he sat along the fence line in the home dugout. He lost his balance off his seat and later returned with an ice pack. However, he seemed no worse for the wear Tuesday night in the championship game.
Oh, I encountered some characters and personalities.聽
Smithfield-Fairchance蘑菇视频 Dylan Shea wanted to make sure the 鈥渘ewspaper guy鈥� snapped a good photo.
Connellsville蘑菇视频 Kace Shearer had a pitch bounce off the back of his helmet/head into the field of play. According to the Connellsville coaching staff (and Kace, himself), his full head of hair helped cushion the ricochet and he didn鈥檛 miss a beat, moving from center field to shortstop late in the game and making the play for the final out in Connellsville蘑菇视频 win against Belle Vernon.
If someone could find a way to bottle the energy of Charleroi second baseman Danny Verscharen, they鈥檇 put Red Bull out of business. Danny is slight of stature, but, once the game starts, he was chirping and chattering to pick up his teammates until game蘑菇视频 end.
Verscharen came on to pitch late in Charleroi蘑菇视频 12-0 loss to Uniontown in the semifinals. He was ready for another relief appearance, if needed, and proclaimed if called upon, he would unleash a knuckleball on unsuspecting batters.
About the only flaw in an otherwise five days of solid baseball was the difficulty infielders had tracking down 鈥� and catching 鈥� fly balls into the short outfield. Unfortunately, those defensive miscues often came back to bite the offending team with unearned runs scored.
Yohman, Shawn Musgrove, Thomas Jackson, Luke Mollis and Bill Simpson and their coaching staffs are to be commended for holding American Legion baseball in the area together. Faced with other demands on time, notably travel ball, these gentlemen have managed to field nine players throughout the season. That蘑菇视频 no easy task as Uniontown and Charleroi, and possibly Connellsville, continue their seasons this weekend in the regional tournament.
Pennsylvania fielded the fourth-most American Legion baseball programs (207) this season, trailing only Minnesota (395), Nebraska (271), and Wisconsin (214). The list of Major League Baseball players that have played American Legion baseball is long and illustrious.
Kudos to those folks who are trying their best to keep the tradition alive in the area. I know my dad would approve.