NEW FRANCHISE FOR 2012:
The YBL welcomes our 16th franchise, Forest Hills - JM Force Baseball - under the direction of Junior Medina and Peder Von Harten. Congratulations!!

2011 YAWKEY BASEBALL LEAGUE HALL of FAME:

2011 YAWKEY BASEBALL LEAGUE AWARDS:
The Yawkey League Board is very proud to announce the following list of Awards for the 2011 season. These Awards are a result of voting that took place over a period of two months. Each YBL Franchise nominated and voted upon these people who will be recognized at our Banquet in December.

Congratulations to the Award Winners. Everyone is a winner in the Yawkey League. We have some of the finest young men in New England playing in our ranks. We are proud of your accomplishments on and off the field.

Thanks to Dave Treska who moderated the voting. This is a very fair process and we can all be proud of how teams came forward to identify winners in all categories.
Dave McKay League
President.

IN MEMORIAM - KYLE PIAZZA - FORMER YBL PLAYER OF THE CAMBRIDGE SPINNERS:
It is with great regret that I announce the passing of Kyle Piazza former Yawkey League player with the Cambridge Spinners. Kyle was a beloved teacher and coach at Braintree High School. He was 28 and died last weekend after a long battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He played one year with the Cambridge Spinners in '04, and was their best hitter.

Even though the Funeral has passed, we would like to share this tribute that was printed in the Boston GLOBE and his obituary

SOMERVILLE ALIBRANDIS HONORED BY BOSOX CLUB:
The BoSox Club, the Official Booster Club of the Boston Red Sox, honored the 2011 Yawkey Baseball League Champions Somerville Alibrandis Baseball Club at its annual Awards Luncheon, this past September 16th at the Newton Boston Marriott.  This was the 12th time that the Somerville Alibrandis Baseball Team have been invited to attend this very special event.  Team President David Treska, Sponsor Tony Alibrandi, Coach Cam Lynch, Bernie Driscoll, Mike Powers, Marc DesRoches, Matt Deeb, Jay Wisner, Justin Crisafulli, Sean Sullivan, Sal Mendonca, Andrew Babb and Mike Maguire were in attendance for the event and were presented with the Championship Trophy by Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Tommy Harper. 

In 1967, Red Sox officials and fans organized the BoSox Club. Today it is the largest and oldest official fan club of its type in all of major league baseball. Former Red Sox player Dom DiMaggio was the Club's first president, while former broadcaster Ken Coleman is a charter member. The BoSox Club promotes baseball at all levels and assists the Boston Red Sox in community and charitable endeavors.

Every September, the BoSox Club honors championship teams with a special trophy at this luncheon. Other leagues being recognized include the Massachusetts American Legion, Massachusetts Babe Ruth League, Cape Cod League, Division I College Baseball, Division 1 High School Baseball, Division I College Women's Softball and Division I High School Girls' Softball teams, Intercity Baseball League, Massachusetts Little League, and the Boston Park League.

ALIBRANDIS PLAYERS HONORED BY NATIONAL SEMI-PRO BASEBALL ASSOC:

Two Somerville Alibrandis Baseball players were recognized by the National Semi-Professional Baseball Association (www.eteamz.com/NSPBA) this week.  Ted Dziuba and Chris Foundas who were the Co-Most Valuable Players of the 2011 Yawkey Baseball League Championship Series, have been named 2nd Team All Americans for the season.  Dziuba had a great regular season and led all players in the postseason with 18 hits in 11 games posting a .529 batting average.  Foundas was also among league leaders during the season and lead the team with 4 playoff wins and posting a 1.00 ERA in 21 innings pitched.

2011 YAWKEY LEAGUE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR - SOMERVILLE ALIBRANDI CLUB

I have enjoyed doing the Player of the Week reports every week since May. Congratulations to those players and teams whom I recognized along the road to early September in 2011!

It is appropriate and important that we end this season by naming the Somerville Alibrandi Club – our 2011 Yawkey Baseball League Players of the YEAR! Somerville is built to win every year and they did it again. 12 YBL Championships is nothing to sneeze at.

Dave Treska and Mike Powers have been there for all of the Somerville Championships. I am sure that every "new" Championship brings great satisfaction. Congratulations to the on field managemnt team of Bernie Driscoll, Marc DesRoches, Justin Crisafulli and young Cam Lynch. Sponsor Tony Alibrandi is a very special guy who is a great supporter of our League.

The players who gravitate to play in Somerville know the deal. The Regular Season is the prep time and the Post Season is FOR REAL. Somerville positioned itself well for August play by edging Malden out (by one point) for the Ted Williams Division Championship. Alibrandi amassed a record of 23 Wins – 8 Losses and 1 Tie for 47pts. The batters scored 178 runs and the pitching staff allowed a paltry 100 runs across the dish.

In August: no one takes vacations; no one has babies; no one plans to go to country and western concerts; no one gets married; no one has over-time or unscheduled work and no one dies – if you play for Somerville. This team is focused and prepared for the grueling three-step process towards the Championship. They have it all figured out!

Somerville always finds someone new to help them out each year. Andrew Babb was the new kid on the block in 2011. Just take a look at his stats – not too shabby:

Andrew joined the usual cast of winners to help bring another ring to Tony Alibrandi’s Legionary Team!

The Post season was another great success in 2011.

The Hitters and Sluggers led the way:

A key to their 11 previous Championships was their ability to control the opponent’s offence. Those who mounted the bump in the post season – got the job done:

Congratulations to the TEAM, but warm regards go out to Ted Dziuba and Chris Fondas for being named Co-MVP’s for the Play Offs!

I would like to add some personal comments and a point of explanation to the players on Somerville and Malden. I have led the Yawkey League for 19 years! It has always been my privilege to celebrate with you gentleman and those who came before you on the field and at the League Banquet – EVERY YEAR! This year I was physically unable to be a part of the celebration. I am sorry for that. I am struggling with a very tricky and sometimes debilitating illness – Vertigo. This spring and summer was a challenge for me as a manager & league administrator. If any of you noticed – I was unable to even coach 3^rd base – something I have been doing for 41 years!

I survived it, because I was able to pace myself. I balanced work, social life and most importantly my duties as Manager of the McKay Club & YOUR League President!

My job begins and ends with the end of every season and the beginning of the next. There are not too many days during a colander year that I am not selling or promoting OUR LEAGUE. Know that I am proud of you all and all of our players! I will state it again – everyone is a Champion in the Yawkey Baseball league. BUT – there is only one Somerville Alibrandi Highlander Alumni Baseball Club.

I look forward to celebrating with you all at our League Banquet that will take place Thanksgiving Weekend. I will also see you all at our All Star Game, which will be played the last week of September at Fallon Field in Boston.

Dave McKay

President – Yawkey Baseball League of Boston

SOMERVILLE ALIBRANDI'S CROWNED 2011 YBL CHAMPIONS:

For the 12th time and 2nd year in a row, the Somerville Alibrandis Baseball Club won the Yawkey Baseball League Championship. The series went 5 games and lasted over 2 weeks (with all the rain that hit the area). The final game was won by a score of 8-1 at Maplewood Park in front of many of the team's friends, alumni, and families. This year the team had series co-Most Valueable Players; Ted Dziuba and Chris Foundas. Congratulations to the team's first year on field staff made up of Bernie Driscoll, Marc DesRoches, Justin Crisafulli, and Cam Lynch.

100 INNINGS BASEBALL FOR ALS:

Family, Friends, Baseball Associates, Umpires: The 8th Annual 100 inning baseball game for ALS will be held @ Adams Field in Quincy, MA over Columbus Day weekend starting @ 9:00am on Saturday, 10/8 and continuing for 30+ straight hours, ending sometime Sunday afternoon, 10/9. To register, and for a history of the 7 previous games: www.bostonbaseball.com/100innings.php

Since it’s inception in 2004, the 7 previous games have raised a staggering $488,000 for ALS, an incredible amount especially in these tough times. There are about 10 ballplayers who have played all 100 innings of each of the 7 previous games and they plan to be back again!!   Once again, the MBUA (Mass Baseball Umpires Assoc.) will officiate this game as members from several statewide umpiring boards will donate their services, many also raising money for ALS. We’ll have at least 4 umpires on the field for all 100 innings as over 80 different umpires will participate working 2 hour timeslots. Thank you “Men in Blue”. In 2011, participants in the 100 innings and Walter Bentson will partner with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the ALS Clinic at BIDMC to help patients and programs in their clinic. I’ve personally been involved in this 100 inning game since 2006 when I umpired 62.5 of the100 innings behind the plate for my final game as an umpire. 2007 saw me work 2 innings, 2008 I got through 1 full inning, 2009, I survived only 6 batters. Last year, I managed to work the 3 batters in the top of the 52nd ( @ midnight – thank God it was a 1-2-3 inning ) … So, in 2011, I will try again at midnight, hoping the first 3 batters all swing at the first pitch and pop out. I started the Bentson Scholarship Fund in 2006 for pALS ( patients with ALS ) for their children to ease the cost of their higher education. Several families have benefited from your generous support over these past few years and we will continue to help pALS kids who have lost a parent or guardian to ALS. We are now into our 5th year of ‘Clinic Connections’ at Beth Israel Deaconess where my ALS clinic is located. This lunch support group that I started is the model used for other disease clinics at both BIDMC, and other hospitals as it allows pALS and their caregivers to come together and take a break from a grueling appointment day schedule at no cost to the patients. In 2010, the Boston Red Sox and Beth Israel Deaconess honored my efforts for creating Clinic Connections with an on-field presentation before the Tampa Bay game on Sunday, 4/18 and, earlier this season, the Red Sox and BIDMC also made a generous donation of a skybox on July 4th where over 20 ALS patients and caregivers were treated to a day at Fenway. We are in our third year of our hotel accommodation program which allows patients coming to BIDMC from long distances to stay at no charge the night before their clinical appointment day. This program is especially critical in the winter months where in the past, patients were traveling as early as 4am to rush to their first appointments in Boston, battling the cold, traffic, and tough driving conditions, all to begin 8 hours of various doctor visits and tests. This program has been a great success for both the patients as well as the clinic as cancellations are now minimized plus the patients and caregivers are able to get a fresh start to a very difficult day. The above mentioned programs and others have greatly helped relieve some of the stress and pressures of fighting this horrible disease called ALS. I’d personally like to thank Mike Lembo & Brett Rudy, creators and organizers of the original 100 innings of baseball, for continuing their relationship with ALS as their charity of choice. I’d also like to especially thank both Curt and Shonda Schilling for their continued support of the ALS cause. They’ve been true champions and have been directly responsible for raising over 10 million dollars for ALS since Curt began his major league career. Finally, to all of you receiving this e-mail, if at all possible, please consider making a donation to the ALS Clinic @ BIDMC and supporting this great event and cause. You can click on the link below to our secured site, or send a check made out to: BIDMC and please write “100 innings” in the memo section. If mailing in check, please send to: BIDMC Office of Development Attn: Kelly Wallace 109 Brookline Avenue (BR) Boston, MA 02215 Donations: http://www.gratefulnation.org/100innings Thank you for spending the time reading this letter and hope to see you at the game. Yours in Baseball, Walter Bentson

PLAYOFF STANDINGS IN THE YBL:

2011 Yawkey League
Final Standings and Championship Play Off Picture

2011 PLAY OFF RANKINGS

* Al Thomas defeated South Boston 7-2 on August 14, 2011 in a PLAY IN GAME to attain the #8 Seed.

2011 THOMAS AUSTIN YAWKEY Baseball Championship tournament Round 1Schedule.

YAWKER'S BIG BAT:
The McKay Club Beacons steamrolled their way through the Yastrzemski Division of the Yawkey League by posting 25 wins this season, believed to be one win shy of the record of 26 held by perennial power Somerville Alibrandis. Coincidentally, McKay plays Somerville in a makeup game to close the regular season this afternoon (4 p.m.) at Trum Field. Read the enitre story online at the Boston Hearlad.

VETERANS DEFY THEIR AGES:
As the various amateur leagues finish up the regular season, some grizzled veterans gave recent notice they aren’t quite ready to pull the curtain down on their playing careers. In the Yawkey League, Dave “Satchel Paige’’ Hanley of the Medford Maddogs was 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in a 10-1 win against the South End Astros, four weeks shy of his 54th birthday. Read the complete story online at the Boston Herald.

2011 OLDTIME BASEBALL GAME:
Steve Buckley's 18 Annual Oldtime Baseball Game from St. Peter's Field in Cambridge, MA on Augus 11, 2011.

BOSTON HERALD HIGHLIGHTS PLAYERS FROM PARK, YAWKEY, AND INTERCITY:
Mike McCarthy - Revere Rockies, Bryan Curran - McKay Club Beacons, and Juan Rosario - East Boston Knights, highlight a list of local players mentioned in John Connolly's Boston Herald article "Delcarmen hits stride", featuring top performers in the Boston Area Amateur Baseball Leagues. Click here for the full article.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK AWARDS:
Check out the new Player of the Week section. Each week a new posting will be added honoring those who are deserving. All of this will be brought to you by our own President McKay.

FENWAY CHALLENGE RED SOX TALKS:

IN MEMORY OF SEAN TUPPER:

	Brighton Sox and the Yawkey League Family remember Sean every game this and every season. May he rest in Peace.

YAWKEY LEAGUE PLAYERS SIGN PRO CONTRACTS:
 Great news from the Malden Spring Training Camp! Two of their players have inked Pro Deals over the weekend.
 
John Shephard out of Wheaton College has signed on to pitch for the New York Federals of the CAN-AM League. Another pitcher, Kenny Luongo from Salem State College also has been signed by the New York Federals to play Pro ball.
 
The Malden Bull Dogs posted the best record in the YBL in 2010. They led the league in pitching with a poultry 1.60ERA. Shephard appeared in 16 games; accumulated a record of 0-2 and 21.2 innings pitched. John had a 1.62ERA and served as one of the top closers in the league with 8 saves. He allowed 13 runs - 7 of them were earned. Shephard fanned 23 batters.
 
Luongo saw limited action in 2010.
 
The Yawkey League Board and members are very proud of these young men and wish them well in their future endeavors.

The Yawkey Baseball Family is sad to learn of the passing of Lou Gorman. Mr. Gorman is enshrined in the YBL Hall of Fame. He was always very proud of this honor and spoke about it frequently in public forums. Lou was a Decorated Korean War Hero. His military service and dedication to the game of baseball were a passion. He was the architect of the 1986 American League Champion Red Sox. A team that was one strike away from a World Series Championship.

We will always remember the kindness shown to our league by this baseball icon. May he rest in Peace. Our sympathy and prayers go to Lou's family and legion of friends.

The Yawkey Baseball League lost one it's own members last week. Sean Tupper passed away unexpectedly on Friday, March 11th. Sean was a member of the YBL since 2008, when he played with the Brighton Brewers. He played for the Brighton Black Sox last season and was an active memeber of the roster for the upcoming season. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday March 17, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Georges Church, 74 School St., Framingham (Saxonville). Relatives and friends are kindly invited. The YBL extends our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Indoor Workout Subsidy:

The Yawkey League is taking the initiative to subsidize indoor workout expenses by covering 50% of the cost when YBL players utilize Extra Innings or the Boston Athletic Club.  Times must be reserved by the field manager, coach or team captain.  The discount will be applied at the time of payment and 50% will be billed to the Yawkey League.  Thanks to Dan Pill for working with us on this initiative!

The Boston Athletic Club in South Boston has recently converted 18,000 sq. ft. of their facility into an indoor Field House for baseball and soccer.  There are 4 cages, pitching mounds and plenty of space for infield drills or long toss.  The BAC has offered the Yawkey League a pricing structure of $12 per player, per hour with a $125 per hour minimum for use of their Field House baseball facility. 

The Boston Athletic Club
653 Summer Street (between Summer and 1st in South Boston)
Contact is:
Neill Caine
Field House Manager
617-269-4300
ncaine@bostonathleticclub.com

Extra Innings
100 Parker Street,
Watertown, MA
617-393-3858. 

*Happy New Year to all Yawkey League players, coaches and families from all of us at Extra Innings Watertown. 
*Gear up for 2011 with exclusive offers for teams of the Yawkey League on all batting cage rentals and items in the pro shop.
*Call now to save $10 on any 1-hour cage rental.  Also for every ten hours of cage rentals receive a free additional hour. 
*Also receive 10% or more  off pro-shop purchases.   
Be sure to mention this ad when you call. 
*Follow us on  at www.facebook.com/extrainningswatertown.

*Times are starting to fill up!  Reserve  you cage  time at (617)393-3858

Extra Innings Watertown
100 Parker St
Watertown, MA 02478