BB: General New England Discussion

[ECSUalum]

Word,

I am afraid I will not be able to come up with anything even close to those stories, however, I worked in the industrial chemical industry for many years including marketing to the Paper Industry for 15, and visited many a Paper/Pulp mill.  Basically its the pulping part of the paper making process that makes the stink, ( which by the way, chemically, is Sulfur Dioxide), and other nasty sulfur containing gaseous materials.  I certainly can sympathize, and isn't the Berlin NH mill a nice one

Interesting: pulp mill poop and cow/pig poops.  Maybe Ohio State has new strategy when Michigan comes to Ohio

[hockeyfan77]

I can throw out a couple of good stories...


1. Summer of 96: Babe Ruth Senior Northeast Championship (s) or something like  that: We had just won the Maine state title and beat RI, NH, VT and if we win the next game we are going to the championship game: but what stood in our way was Middlesex county....They had beaten teams before us by scores of like 13-1 24-0 and so on...I get to pitch,  oh fun!!: but to my surprise we are winning 5-4 in the bottom of the 7th...I get two outs and then I plunk a guy, oh well I had owed the next hitter all day...I got him to hit a fly ball to down the left field line, I pump my glove thinking this game is over: the left fielder (who later played two years of D 1 ball) steps in a rutt down the left field line, ball bounces off his glove and it's an inside the park home run to win it...The field: Harwich Cape Cod...My own field of misery....


I have an awesome hockey story I will add later about Castelton State...I have never seen anything like this place... 

[LEC Fan]

Here is a good one...Word you may have heard this through the grapevine!

Summer of 2003 I was playing for American Legion Post 4 (Keene,NH) and we were in the Fiori Tournament (I believe). A now former USM baseball player (whom I played high school and legion with) had told us a story about this infamous "Screamer" pitch. We were playing the U16 Connecticut Bombers team and sometime during the game we thought it would be funny to try out this "Screamer" lol.

I was pitching that day and will never forget what unfolded. There was a timeout in the middle of an inning and we met at the mound. I was basically dared to throw the "Screamer" (I say basically becuase I don't really remember if I thought it was a good or bad idea).

I had 2 strikes on the hitter, 2 outs. The next pitch I began my wind up and right as I was about to throw the ball I screamed as loud as I could (imagine a 12 yr old girl being scared out of her mind!!) Anyway, the hitter just froze in the batters box, he flinched when I screamed but did not move an inch after that! The pitch went right down the middle for strike 3...and before anybody realized what happened we were all off the field and in the dugout.

Boy did I get a tongue lashing from my coach afterwards and we all enjoyed some laughs but where the story really gets interesting is a couple of years later. I was a sophmore in college and one of our shortstops (from CT of course) had several friends from home up one night. Come to find out that one of the friends was the kid that had froze in the batters box 4 years ago from the screamer!!! You cannot make this stuff up!! lol

[KSCfan]

I only have two little stories nothing like LEC's story

The first one is that i was playing in a wood bat tourny when i was 16 in the fall just outside philly pa.  Our team was hitting and i was sitting in the dugout that was below ground.  The bench had you about eye level with the field and there was no fence in front of the dugouts as they where open.  One of the kids on my team swung the bat and it slipped out of his hands.  I was catching and i had on my chest and shins.  Well the bat comes flying into our dugout and drills me in the chest protector.  The bat bounces off me and hammers our shortstop in the wrist.  This busted his wrist up pretty good and he had to come out of the game.  I was ok cause of my chest that happened to still be on becuase i wasnt up for a while.

Second story i was in New Britian Ct playing legion when i was 18.  We were playing at Beehive and our pitcher threw a curve ball in the dirt.  I went to block it and woke up flat on my back with a pounding head ache.  I had no idea what had happened and what was going on.  I looked up at my legion coach and said what happened.  " Well the hitter had swung at the curveball in the dirt and i had come forward to block the ball and the lefty had a ken griffey swing with a huge backswing that snapped down.  When i came forward the kid swung missed and his back swing drilled me on the top of the head and knocked me out cold for about 2 minutes.  The players said it looked like someone shot me gangland style as i was on my knees and just fell face forward in the dirt

[wordsmith]

Here is a good one...Word you may have heard this through the grapevine!

Summer of 2003 I was playing for American Legion Post 4 (Keene,NH) and we were in the Fiori Tournament (I believe). A now former USM baseball player (whom I played high school and legion with) had told us a story about this infamous "Screamer" pitch. We were playing the U16 Connecticut Bombers team and sometime during the game we thought it would be funny to try out this "Screamer" lol.

I was pitching that day and will never forget what unfolded. There was a timeout in the middle of an inning and we met at the mound. I was basically dared to throw the "Screamer" (I say basically becuase I don't really remember if I thought it was a good or bad idea).

I had 2 strikes on the hitter, 2 outs. The next pitch I began my wind up and right as I was about to throw the ball I screamed as loud as I could (imagine a 12 yr old girl being scared out of her mind!!) Anyway, the hitter just froze in the batters box, he flinched when I screamed but did not move an inch after that! The pitch went right down the middle for strike 3...and before anybody realized what happened we were all off the field and in the dugout.

Boy did I get a tongue lashing from my coach afterwards and we all enjoyed some laughs but where the story really gets interesting is a couple of years later. I was a sophmore in college and one of our shortstops (from CT of course) had several friends from home up one night. Come to find out that one of the friends was the kid that had froze in the batters box 4 years ago from the screamer!!! You cannot make this stuff up!! lol

LEC, I was at that game and witnessed it first hand, err, ear...I remember the look on the batter's face and the tongue lashing you got in the dugout...Funny stuff..Great stories guys...keep them coming..Thanks, Word

[wordsmith]

So here is another story from the Word annals (not anal mind you!).

So I am coaching a summer college league team (CNEBA) a few years back. It is a Saturday afternoon game in mid-July. The temperature is about 95. We are playing on the Swamp at KSC. Our pitcher is a large young man. Kind of built like Vince Wolfork. He was a size that we did not have pants to fit him so we had to have him wear white sweat pants to the mound. The team we are playing is from Worcester Mass. Had several D-I kids from HC, plus a mix of WPI, Worcester St. etc. So all in all a good team.

So they see our pitcher head to the mound with his large frame and ill-fitting white sweat pants and a jersey that just would  NOT stay tucked-in. They are thinking what is this a joke!? I can hear the bench jockeying from the other dugout. Typical trash talking and laughing. Our pitcher warms-up and goes to face the first batter. He throws the first pitch takes a step back and trips over the mound, actually I think his cleat stuck in the bottom of the leg of his sweat pants and BAM down he goes on his backside, legs kicking up in the air. Now it being a really hot day and all, the young man's sweatpants were doing what they were designed to do, make him sweat, so the dirt is caked on him making a pretty messy sight. So that is pitch number 1. Their dugout is hooting and hollering and laughing like crazy. I am thinking Oh God what is next.

So what is next is that this kid goes on to pitch a complete game 2 hit shutout and we win the game. It was the 4th inning when the other team finally woke up to the fact that this kid was really good and that looks are deceiving. Every inning he came off the mound I thought it would be his last. But he persevered and fought through the heat and pitched his butt off.

Word

[KSCfan]

Word-

I know you know this one.  When i was playing in college we were playing a sunday game against Castleton state.  Well the pitcher was warming up in the first inning and he is done warming up and tells me to throw the ball down to second.  So the pitch comes in i catch it and throw it down to second.  Well the mound in the swamp is huge, and our pitcher was like 6'6" huge as well.  Well he turned his back and never got off the mound.  The ball goes down to second base, and never gets there as the ball drills our pitcher dead square in the back of the head.  Down he goes for like 20 minutes.  I have just killed our starter, and we havent even played an inning.  Pitcher stands up yells at me, tells everyone he is fine, and they decided to let him pitch...... he threw a CG 3 hitter and we won easily. 

Is this the same pitcher as described below, if that is the case that is hilarous

[wordsmith]

Word-

I know you know this one.  When i was playing in college we were playing a sunday game against Castleton state.  Well the pitcher was warming up in the first inning and he is done warming up and tells me to throw the ball down to second.  So the pitch comes in i catch it and throw it down to second.  Well the mound in the swamp is huge, and our pitcher was like 6'6" huge as well.  Well he turned his back and never got off the mound.  The ball goes down to second base, and never gets there as the ball drills our pitcher dead square in the back of the head.  Down he goes for like 20 minutes.  I have just killed our starter, and we havent even played an inning.  Pitcher stands up yells at me, tells everyone he is fine, and they decided to let him pitch...... he threw a CG 3 hitter and we won easily. 

Is this the same pitcher as described below, if that is the case that is hilarous

KSCFan,

I witnessed this act of violence first hand and was actually looking right at the pitcher when your throw smacked him "up side da head". It hit him more in the temple area as he was landscaping the mound when he got drilled. I let out a Oh God the pitcher just got killed remark and for a moment thought I had witnessed a bean-a-cide. (Is there a witness protection program for that?)

Yes and he did go onto to pitch what I'd call the second best game of his life...the best being the one against USM in the playoffs.

But no the story above is not about this player.....Mabye I can think up some other Meatty stories......


As Always Word

[LEC Fan]

The Great Dan Meattey

Word I remember that game, and Dan for that matter. Did he end up playing at AIC?

[wordsmith]

The Great Dan Meattey

Word I remember that game, and Dan for that matter. Did he end up playing at AIC?

Big Cat as we called him. Yes he did pitch for AIC. A very underrated player. Nice guy too. I enjoyed coaching him. He was a competitor.

Speaking of Big Cats, another story on a cold New England night....so I'm in the Akron Armory and it is 1973 or 74. We are attending the Saturday night wrestling show. Headlining is Bobo Brazil vs Ernie The Big Cat Ladd. Former defensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs....Ladd is a legit 6'9" and goes 325+ (he and Buck Buchannon who was 6'8" & 325+ were paired on the D-Line in the late 60's into the early 70's...huge athletic men and this was 40 years ago!)

[Hobbesy]

From St. Joe's website:

"Since 2005, only two New England programs have posted more wins (190) and just three have notched a better winning percentage (.714). St. Joe's is one of three teams in the region to have made four New England Regional appearances in the last five seasons and one of four to notch five 30-win seasons over the last six years."

From my research I found Wheaton (207) and Eastern CT (206) to be the two with more wins than the Monks.  I'm going out on a limb and saying the four 30-win teams are St. Joe's, ECSU, Wheaton but I can't figure out the final one...

Pretty impressive statement for the Monks

[Niner]

From St. Joe's website:

"Since 2005, only two New England programs have posted more wins (190) and just three have notched a better winning percentage (.714). St. Joe's is one of three teams in the region to have made four New England Regional appearances in the last five seasons and one of four to notch five 30-win seasons over the last six years."

From my research I found Wheaton (207) and Eastern CT (206) to be the two with more wins than the Monks.  I'm going out on a limb and saying the four 30-win teams are St. Joe's, ECSU, Wheaton but I can't figure out the final one...

Pretty impressive statement for the Monks

The final one I believe would be WNEC. The past 3 seasons they've had 33, 30, and 34 wins respectively.

[Hobbesy]

Right you are Niner!

WNEC has had 5 30-win seasons since 2005.

31 in '05
35 in '06
33 in '08
30 in '09
34 in '10

Missed out on a sixth in '07 with just 28.

The Monks find themselves in some impressive company

[Hobbesy]

Tufts closer Chris DeGoti named 1st Team preseason All-America by D3baseball.com.

Bobby Doyon, Ryan Walsh and Todd Keneborus second team.

http://ned3baseball.wordpress.com/

[KSCfan]

New England Board-

I dont want to take anything away from the Monks because 30 wins is 30 wins and thats always impressive.  Is this a result of playing in the GNAC or have they been that good.  I could be wrong and maybe I am being a LEC-snob, but im wondering if the Monks winning that many games is becayse they are a better team in NE playing in one of the weaker conferences?  Wow I sound like a jerk, I think that ST Joes is a great progream and one that puts a great team out there year after year.  How many conference games do the GNAC play?  If it is only 14 like the LEC then that says something becuase they are getting more wins out of thier weak conference then they are in.  If they are like some of the other leagues and play over 20 conference games then maybe that stat should be taken with a grain of salt.

Having said that i looked up St Joes archives over the last 7 years and this is how they faired in the regionals against the best of NE

2010- Good run in the regionals  3 W and 2 L
2008 Two quick Losses  0W and 2 L
2007 Two quick Losses 0W and 2 L
2006 1 W and 2 L

I dont know about 2005 and 2009, i couldnt tell if they made it based on thier archives.

That means the last four years in the regionals.... 4 Wins and 8 Losses

Not an amazing regional record but not terrible as well.  Bottom line St Joe's is a great program.