Mountaineers Place Seven On
All-Star Team
Montpelier, VT – The Vermont Mountaineers, defending champions
of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, have placed seven
players on the Northern Division All-Star Team, including four
infield players, its designated hitter, the starting pitcher and
a middle inning reliever.
NECBL Commissioner, Mario Tiani, released the all star lists for
the Northern and Southern NECBL Divisions today. The
Mountaineers will have two starters on the squad: Curt Smith
(Maine) as the designated hitter, and Mike Gaggioli (Georgetown)
as the starting pitcher. Gaggioli was also chosen to be the
starting pitcher in the 2005 NECBL All Star game. Mountaineer
pitcher Justin Gutsie (St. John’s) was also selected for middle
relief on this year’s team.
The Mountaineers placed four infielders in back up positions,
but they are sure to see action: Chad Durakis (Maryland) behind
the plate, Mike Sheridan (William & Mary) at first base, Michael
Brady (California) at either shortstop or second base, and Matt
Prokopowicz (Hofstra) at third base.
One More All Star
The Mountaineers have one more All Star, although not a player.
Paul Roper (Seton Hall), the season-long Mountaineer Internet
Broadcaster, was chosen by the NECBL to represent the Northern
Division to call the play by play nationwide through the
TeamLine facilities on the NECBL website. Ironically, one of the
all star game internet broadcasters last year was Kyle Dorau,
the present radio broadcaster for the Mountaineers.
Russo In Competition to Manage the Northern All Stars
The selection of the team managers will be known late Tuesday
night. Traditionally, the managers of the north and south squads
will be the managers of the teams in first place in the two
divisions on the Wednesday morning before the All Star Game.
The Holyoke Giants, presently a co-leader of the Northern
Division with the Mountaineers, have a game tonight and Tuesday
night. If Holyoke splits its games and Vermont defeats Danbury
at Recreation Field Tuesday night, Mountaineer Manager, John
Russo, who won his 100th NECBL game on Sunday night in North
Adams, will be the manager of the Northern Division All-Stars
for the second consecutive year.
This year’s NECBL All Star game on Sunday, July 22 at Joe Wolfe
Field in North Adams, MA, will also see three special skills
competitions: Most Accurate Arm, Fastest Runner and the
traditional Home Run Derby. Selections for these competitions
are expected within two or three days.
The Week Ahead
The final two weeks of the season will prove the competitiveness
of the contenders for the NECBL Northern Division pennant and
the playoff slots leading to the NECBL Championship.
This week the Mountaineers will gird up for the Westerners from
Danbury, CT. on Tuesday night. Then it’s Northern Division
battles with division co-leader Holyoke, on Wednesday; fourth
place Lowell on Friday (fireworks tonight courtesy of NorthStar
Fireworks); and third place Keene on Saturday.
After the All-Star break on Sunday, the final week of the
regular season finds Mountaineer playing six consecutive games
beginning with a make-up game on Monday, July 23, at home
against the Lowell All Americans. This game was rained out on
July 9. The Mountaineers are then on the road for four out of
five games ending up at Lowell on Saturday, July 28.
Robin Roberts Returns
The final game of the regular season is scheduled for Tuesday,
July 31. This game will feature the return of Hall of Fame
great, Robin Roberts, back to the same field were, in his final
season of summer baseball, he led the Twin City Trojans to the
Northern League Championship 60 years ago. His 18-3 record in
1947 caught the eye of a Philadelphia Phillies baseball scout
and he was signed to an amateur free agent contract the next
spring.
Two years later, Roberts, the ace of the Phillies, pitched the
“Whiz Kids” to their first National League pennant in 35 years.
Roberts was a 20 or more game winner between 1950 and 1955 with
his high water mark in 1952 when he won 28 games. Roberts was
inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.
Roberts agreed to serve on the Mountaineers board of directors
at the outset of central Vermont’s entry in the New England
Collegiate Baseball League in 2003. His strong support for the
Mountaineers program is seen through his contribution back to
the organization of any fees he receives in the sale of his
memorabilia when he is in town.
Mountaineers officials are planning a special event to mark the
60th anniversary of Roberts’ last amateur appearance at
Recreation Field. Roberts will hold an autograph session the
morning of the game (9am to Noon at the Capital Plaza), and will
be at the ball park for pre-game festivities that begin at 6pm.
