AAABA Tournament

[ball66]

i agree.... Roberts looked a little off tonight, but after watching him play through out the last two years the one thing that seems to stand out to me, is that George struggle's with Bad pitching, seems like he will pick a good pitcher apart. But his fielding of the ball tonight was good, His throws were another story! I look for him to rebound tomorrow night like it never happened... Good Luck to Johnstown teams tomorrow night, Martella's is one win away delweld is two from a match up of the in town teams!

[knowitall]

I hope the powers that be notice that a Johnstown entry is 2-0 in the upper bracket. I hope that influences at least one change to the tournament in the future. The need for a distinction between upper bracket and lower bracket teams is not necessary.

[sydfinch]

I hope the powers that be notice that a Johnstown entry is 2-0 in the upper bracket. I hope that influences at least one change to the tournament in the future. The need for a distinction between upper bracket and lower bracket teams is not necessary.

1000 percent agreed!!!! And then you could go to a straight, simple 16-team bracket instead of that monstrosity they have now with dotted lines and conditional games on the final three days.

[knowitall]

The bracket itself is fine. The dotted lines and conditional games are in place so a team that loses early in the tournament doesn't have to play seven or eight games to four or five by the other team.

[ball66]

wow talk about firing on all cylinders! Delweld is scoring at will, and to think they still have bandzuh tomorrow night, and last years number 2 started in skoner, shaulis, reighard, smithmyer, carbaugh, fees Mcdermit, novotny, and sorry if i have missed somebody, but if they can keep putting runs up they got the pitching to support it.. Great job by Martella's today to not giving up, and coming back to make it a game.

[Jtwnbaseballguy]

When you talk about 20-year-olds stepping up, Vescovi and Staub have defined that. Staub had been good, not great, in his last couple regular season starts, but to go out in the tourney and throw 98 pitches and 71 strikes? Amazing. Offensively, Delweld has really taken advantage of walks and hits batsmen to an extreme level. With no walks, those games are maybe 5-0 and 4-0 so it's going to be key for them to be ready to be in that kind of game when they face a guy with good control. I'd guess Bandzuh today and then Skoner, but who knows, Delsignore has all kinds of options now. For Martella's, a bye could not have come at a better time. That Martella's/Delweld game is still looming, especially if Delweld drops one of the next two. I'd assume Wahl is coming back Friday for Martella's on three days' rest.

[yankee]

The Oldtimers cannot afford to eliminate the upper/lower brackets. It used to be that way and Johnstown would end up drawing Detroit then Washington, Baltimore, or NO. Its too much of a financial risk. They need Jtown to stay in as long as possible.

[knowitall]

Detroit has been gone for a long time. Johnstown's entry has gotten much better (or the majority of the other entries have gotten quite bad). I would much rather watch Johnstown play New Orleans or Baltimore on opening night than the Zanesvilles and Schenectadys (ies?).

[Jtwnbaseballguy]

It's a shame a game that good had to tilt on a strike zone that was that bad. It takes a lot for me to criticize umpiring but I hope the Oldtimers were paying attention because there's no way that can be the quality of umpiring in this tourney, no way. And Delweld didn't necessarily get screwed, they just got the worst of the worst calls at the worst time. I truly think that guy started getting tired in the eighth inning when he widened out to Little League proportions and by the 12th I don't think he had any idea any more what was a ball and what was a strike and somehow he decided to squeeze poor Andy Smithmyer in the bottom of the 12th. Great game. Poor officiating. Sometimes, that's how it goes.
Likely Shaulis v. Wahl today although Skoner and Helman are possible, I guess. No Kaufmann, no Pelekanos for Martella's but Burkett and Antone might be the two most physically gifted players in the league. Should be a great game. The most likely scenario for the winner: Brooklyn, New Brunswick and NOLA in the title game. But there's a lot of baseball to be played between here and there.

[ball66]

i totally agree that was bad.... But i will say this delweld is a team full of guys that have no quit, Martella's to for that matter! Great game they could not seem to get the hit when they needed it, George Roberts ( like stated in a post earlier from me) picks apart good pitching better then anybody in this league and i will stand by that 100 percent after last night... No matter what count they had him in he was totally confident. He was on base in the 9th to start it, led off the 10th, with a single, and roped a double in the 12th just couldn't find anybody else to hit him in! And that play on short was sports center top play of the night! Good Luck to Martlella's and Delweld tonight, i am going to say Delweld has to much fire power for them in the pitching department this late in the tournament!