Around the Block, Around the World: Baseball Edition
All stories compiled by the Associated Press

Fielder, Tigers agree to 9-year deal
DETROIT — Free agent first baseman Prince Fielder and the Detroit Tigers agreed Tuesday on a nine-year, $214 million contract that fills the AL Central champions’ need for a power hitter, a person familiar with the deal said.
CBS first reported the agreement.
The person told the Associated Press that the deal was subject to a physical. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract was not yet complete.
Detroit boldly stepped up in the Fielder sweepstakes after the recent knee injury to star Victor Martinez. A week ago, the Tigers announced that the productive designated hitter could miss the entire season after tearing his left ACL.
The Tigers won their division by 15 games before losing in the AL championship series to Texas. Adding Fielder gives the Tigers two of the game’s premier sluggers, pairing him with Miguel Cabrera.
The move also keeps Fielder’s name in the Tigers’ family. His father, Cecil, became a big league star when he returned to the majors from Japan and hit 51 home runs with Detroit in 1990. Cecil played with the Tigers into the 1996 season.
Several teams had shown interest this winter in the 27-year-old Fielder, who had spent his entire career with Milwaukee. He visited Texas, and the Washington Nationals also got involved in the discussions.
The beefy slugger hit .299 with 38 home runs and 120 RBIs last season. He is a three-time All-Star and was the MVP of last year’s event in Phoenix.
Fielder has averaged 40 homers and 113 RBIs over the past five years. He’s also been among the most durable players in the majors, appearing in at least 157 games in each of the last six seasons.
The deal is only the fourth $200 million contract in baseball history, following Alex Rodriguez’s $275 million, 10-year contract with the New York Yankees, A-Rod’s $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas and Albert Pujols’ $240 million, 10-year contract last month with the Los Angeles Angels.
Among current players, his $23.78 million average salary is behind only A-Rod ($27.5 million), Ryan Howard ($25 million), and Cliff Lee and Pujols ($24 million each).
Detroit general manager Dave Dombrowski said last week he felt finding a replacement for Martinez was a short-term problem, but he left himself some wriggle room, saying it depended who the player was.
Acquiring Fielder opens all sorts of possibilities, such as moving Cabrera to third base or having one of the two sluggers be the designated hitter.

Lincecum, Giants agree to 2-year deal 
SAN FRANCISCO — Two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants reached a verbal agreement Tuesday on a two-year contract worth $40.5 million.
The deal includes a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $18 million this year and $22 million in 2013, a person familiar with the agreement said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the terms were not announced.
Lincecum had asked for a near-record $21.5 million in salary arbitration and had been offered $17 million by the club. He remains eligible for free agency following the 2013 season.
The 27-year-old right-hander, the winning pitcher in the Game 5 World Series clincher at Texas in 2010, earned $13.1 million last season when he completed a two-year deal worth $23.2 million.
When the sides exchanged numbers last Tuesday, Lincecum’s request neared the record amount sought in arbitration. Houston pitcher Roger Clemens asked for $22 million in 2005.
San Francisco’s offer was the highest in arbitration history, topping the $14.25 million the New York Yankees proposed for shortstop Derek Jeter in 2001.
As Giants vice president Bobby Evans expected, they found common ground around the midpoint of the figures — and did so in only a week.
San Francisco’s front office had hoped to lock up Lincecum and fellow starter Matt Cain with long-term deals, though Lincecum seemed set on keeping his options open in the near future on a shorter contract. A call to the pitcher was not immediately returned and his agent declined to comment.
With Lincecum earning a hefty contract, Evans joked last week, “I usually leave off the final three zeroes because it’s easier to calculate.”
In February 2010, Lincecum agreed to a $23 million, two-year contract ahead of the scheduled hearing. He had been set at that time to ask for $13 million.
That last contract was quite a raise for the undersized, hard-throwing pitcher his teammates call “Franchise” and “Freak” after he earned $650,000 in 2009.
Lincecum — the 10th overall draft pick out of Washington in 2006 — has been an All-Star in each of the past four seasons. He went 13-14 with a 2.74 ERA last year for his first losing record. The Giants scored no runs while he was in the game in seven of 33 starts, had one run six times and two runs five times, according to STATS LLC.
San Francisco, which sold out every game in 2011 but missed the playoffs, will have a payroll of around $130 million.

Morrow and Blue Jays agree to $21M, 3-year deal
TORONTO — Pitcher Brandon Morrow and the Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a $21 million, three-year contract that avoided salary arbitration.
Morrow gets $4 million this year and $8 million in each of the following two seasons. Toronto has a $10 million option for 2015 with a $1 million buyout.
The 27-year-old Morrow was 11-11 last season with a 4.72 ERA.
But the right-hander also set career highs in wins (11), innings (179 1-3) and strikeouts (203).
On Monday, the Jays announced the signing of 44-year-old infielder Omar Vizquel to a minor league contract.

A’s agree to terms with right-hander Bartolo Colon
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athletics and free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon have agreed to terms on a one-year contract.
The team made the announcement Tuesday. The sides had an agreement last week pending a physical.
The 38-year-old Colon, a former A’s nemesis during his four-year stint with the AL West rival Angels from 2004-07, went 8-10 with a 4.00 ERA in 29 appearances and 26 starts last year for the New York Yankees in his 14th big league season. He won the 2005 AL Cy Young Award.
Last month, the A’s traded away starter Trevor Cahill to Arizona and All-Star lefty Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals. Oakland sent All-Star closer Andrew Bailey to the Red Sox on Dec. 28.
He is 5-1 with a 2.14 ERA in seven appearances at the Coliseum.

Orioles sign Betemit to two-year contract
BALTIMORE — Infielder Wilson Betemit and the Baltimore Orioles have agreed to a two-year, $3.25 million contract.
The Orioles announced the deal with the free agent Tuesday and say it includes a vesting option for 2014.
Betemit will receive a $500,000 signing bonus and earn $1 million this season and $1.75 million in 2013. The option for 2014 becomes guaranteed if he has a combined 7000 plate appearances over the first two seasons.
The switch-hitting Betemit batted .285 with eight homers and 46 RBIs in 97 games for Kansas City and Detroit last season. In nine big league seasons with six teams, Betemit has hit .269 with 63 homers and 243 RBIs.
To make room for Betemit on the 40-man roster, the Orioles designated RHP Rick VandenHurk for assignment.

All stories by The Associated Press


Ohio wrestler gets 32 years in HIV assault case

CINCINNATI — A former professional wrestler was sentenced Monday to 32 years in prison for having sex with women without telling them he had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS.
Andre Davis, 29, was sentenced in Hamilton County Common Pleas on 14 counts of felonious assault. Davis, who wrestled using stage names including Gangsta of Love and Sweet Sexy Sensation, was convicted in November.
Prosecutors said Davis violated state law by not telling a dozen sex partners about his HIV status or lying to them.
Davis told the judge Monday that he was a “sex addict” and that his addiction grew worse when he lost his dream of becoming a professional wrestler after getting the HIV test results.
He said sex addiction is probably the worst addiction anyone could have.
“Drugs and alcohol are terrible, but sex is something everybody wants,” he said.
Davis, who said he didn’t disclose his HIV test results because he didn’t want his family to know, said he never intended to hurt anyone.
“I am not a monster,” he said.
Assistant prosecutor Amy Tranter had argued during trial that Davis should go to prison for a long time, saying the case was about his responsibility to tell the women his test results.
Davis’ attorney, Greg Cohen, argued that the state law regarding HIV and felonious assault is poorly written because it doesn’t require proof that there has been harm or an attempt to commit harm.
Cohen said Monday that his client was sorry for what he had done and that the women Davis slept with also had some responsibility for choosing to have unprotected sex.
The judge, citing medical privacy laws, had prohibited attorneys from bringing up whether any of the women was infected with the virus, which can be transmitted through unprotected sex.
The Cincinnati Enquirer has reported that World Wrestling Entertainment told Davis in July 2009 that it wouldn’t hire him because he failed his physical and tested positive for HIV.
Cohen had noted during the trial that a company, not a doctor, told Davis that he was HIV-positive and that he did not think prosecutors could prove that Davis has HIV. But the state law requires those who test positive for HIV to inform their sex partners of that status and it was not necessary to prove that Davis is HIV-positive, Tranter said.
Tranter and Cohen didn’t immediately return calls for additional comment Monday.
Davis, who could have received over 100 years in prison, faces similar charges in Warren County, north of Cincinnati.


Posada to announce retirement Tuesday
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees say Jorge Posada is going to announce his retirement Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
The 40-year-old five-time All-Star catcher will end his 17-year big league career with the team that drafted him rather than pursue another team. Posada became a free agent after a trying season in New York, the final year of a four-year, $52 million contract.
The Yankees announced Posada’s decision in a statement Monday. Sports radio station WFAN first reported his plans two weeks ago.
The clubhouse leader helped the Yankees win five World Series titles. For his career, Posada hit .273 with 275 home runs and 1,065 RBIs. But he lost his catching job this year and his playing time diminished.


Tears, joy as woman sets Antarctic crossing record 
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — British adventurer Felicity Aston became the first woman to ski alone across Antarctica on Monday, hauling two sledges around crevasses and over mountains into endless headwinds, past the South Pole and onward to the coastal ice shelf, persevering for 59 days in near-total solitude.
She made it to her destination ahead of schedule, using nothing but her own strength to cover 1,084 miles (1,744 kilometers) from her starting point on the Leverett Glacier on Nov. 25 to Hercules Inlet.
The most surprising thing about her journey, she said, was how emotional it proved to be, from the moment she was dropped off alone, through every victory and defeat along the way.
“I’m not a particularly weepy person, and yet anyone who has been following my tweets can see me bursting into tears,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press on Monday while waiting for a plane to pick her up.
“When I saw the coastal mountains that marked my end point for the first time, I literally just stopped in my tracks and bawled my eyes out,” she added. “All these days I thought there was no chance I was going to make it in time to make that last flight off Antarctica, and yet here I am with three days to spare.”
Aston also set another record: the first human to ski solo, across Antarctica, using only her own muscles. A male-female team earlier skied across Antarctica without kites or machines, but Aston is the first to do this alone.
Aston, 34, grew up in Kent, England, and studied physics and meteorology. A veteran of expeditions in subzero environments, she worked for the British weather service at a base in Antarctica and has led teams on ski trips in the Antarctic, the Arctic and Greenland.
But this was the first time she traveled so far, so alone, and she said the solitude posed her biggest challenge. In such an extreme environment, the smallest mistakes can prove treacherous. Alone with one’s thoughts, the mind can play tricks. Polar adventurers usually take care to watch their teammates for signs of hypothermia, which is easier to diagnose in others than yourself, she said.
She thought she was done for when her two butane lighters failed high in the Transantarctic Mountains, where it got “really very cold.”
“Suddenly I realized that without a lighter working, I can’t light my stove, I can’t melt snow to make water, and I won’t have any water to drink, and that becomes a very serious problem,” she said. “It’s quite stressful. It was just a matter of every single day, looking at my kit, and thinking what could go wrong here and what can I do to prevent it?”
She did have a small box of safety matches, and counted and re-counted every one until the lighters started working again at lower altitude, she said.
This Antarctic summer has seen the centennial of Roald Amundsen’s conquest of the South Pole, where Britons still lament that R.F. Scott’s team arrived for England days later, demoralized to see Norway’s flag. Scott and his entire team then died on their way out, and some of their bodies weren’t found for eight months.
Aston had modern technology in her favor: She kept family and supporters updated and received their responses via Twitter and Facebook, and broadcast daily phone reports online. She carried two satellite phones to communicate with a support team, and a GPS device that reported her location throughout. She also had two supply drops — one at the pole and one part way to her finish line — so that she could travel with a lighter load. Otherwise, her feat was unassisted.
While others have traveled farther using kites, sails, machinery or dogs (now banned for fear of infecting wildlife with canine diseases), she did it on her own strength.
“She’s pretty average really, stands about 5-foot-6 I suppose, with an athletic build, but nothing outstanding,” said Brian Dorsett-Bailey, a trustee with the British Antarctic Monument Trust. “It’s only when you talk to her that she stands out. ... Whatever she wants to do, she’ll do. She’s a very determined lady.”
Aston, whose journey also helped raise money for monuments to the 29 Britons killed on Antarctica since Scott, had to fight near-constant headwinds across the vast central plateau to the pole. Then she turned toward Hercules Inlet, pushing through thick, fresh snow, until she reached her goal on the Ronne Ice Shelf, a spot within a small plane’s reach of a base camp on Union Glacier where the Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions company provides logistical support to each summer’s expeditions.
With skies clearing Monday, Aston tweeted that she’s been promised red wine and a hot shower after she gets picked up. “A very long, very hot shower,” she emphasized. “It’s something I haven’t had in quite a long time now!”
From there, she’ll join dozens of other Antarctic adventurers on the last flight out, a huge Russian cargo plane that will take her to Chile. Then she will fly home next week to Kent, in southeast England.
There, after two months of little but freeze-dried food, she can look forward to chicken pie, her mother said.
“I think there will be lots of cuddles, lots of hugs, it will be quite emotional,” said Jackie Aston, 61.
Felicity Aston, pondering her last hours of solitude Monday, told the AP she felt both joy and overwhelming sadness at finishing.
“I’m still reeling from the shock of it that I’ve made it this far. I honestly didn’t think I’d be getting here,” she said.
What remains, she hopes, will be a message about perseverance.
“If you can just find a way to keep going, either metaphorically or literally, whether you’re running a marathon or facing financial problems or have bad news to deliver or it’s tough at work or whatever, if you can just find a way to keep going, then you will discover that you have potential within yourself that you never never realized,” she said.
“Keeping going is the important thing, persevering, no matter how messy that gets. I mean, for me, sometimes I’ll be sitting in my tent in the morning bawling my eyes out, having tantrums. It’s not been pretty. But I’ve kept going, and that is the important thing because at some point in the future you’ll look back and just be amazed at how far you’ve come.”

The 6th annual "Burdell Bailey"  Coopers Cave Tournament gets underway today with 19 teams from across the Mid-Atlantic Region competeing at the U19 American Legion level.

Here is my story in today's Saratogian.

2010 Coopers Cave Tournament divisions
Red DivisionPost 233 Tri-County, New York
Hoxie Cleaners, Rhode Island
S.D. Ireland, Vermont
Post 150 Kingston, New York
Westbrook, Maine
Post 168 Morris J. Edwards, New Jersey

White Division Saratoga Stampede
Post 141 Trumbell, Connecticut
Post 232 Helmuth-Ingalls, New York
Colchester Cannons, Vermont
Post 72 Saugerties, New York
Post 735 West Seneca, New York

Blue DivisionPost 1080 Shrub Oak, New York
Post 64 Wicomico, Maryland
Post 20 Clinton County, New York
Post 323 Granville, New York
Anaconda Indians, New York
Post 184 Hudson Post, New York

Coopers Cave Tournament
Pool play schedule
Tuesday, July 6
Moreau Rec Park3 p.m. S.D. Ireland vs. Morris J. Edwards
6 p.m. Tri-County vs. S.D. Ireland
Veterans Memorial Park5:30 p.m. Colchester Cannons vs. Granville
8 p.m. Granville vs. Anaconda Indians
East Side Rec.8 p.m. Saratoga Stampede vs. Halmuth-Ingalls

Wednesday, July 7
East Field, Glens FallsNoon Kingston vs. Morris J. Edwards
3 p.m. Shrub Oak vs. Colchester Cannons
6 p.m. Hudson vs. Shrub Oak
Moreau Rec Park3 p.m. Kingston vs. Hoxie Cleaners
6 p.m. Tri-County vs. Hoxie Cleaners
Veterans Memorial Park3 p.m. Saugerties vs. Colchester Cannons
5:30 p.m. Granville vs. Wicomico, MD
8 p.m. Wicomico, MD vs. Anaconda Indians
East Side Rec9 a.m. Morris J. Edwards vs. Westbrook, ME
Noon Helmuth-Ingalls vs. Trumbell, CT
3 p.m. Tumbell, CT vs. West Seneca
5:30 p.m. Helmuth-Ingalls vs. West Seneca
8 p.m. Saratoga Stampede vs. Colchester Cannons

Thursday, July 8
East Field9 a.m. Hudson vs. Colchester Cannons
Noon Colchester Cannons vs. Wicomico, MD
3 p.m. Tri-County vs. Morris J. Edwards
6 p.m. Kingston vs. Tri-County
Moreau Rec3 p.m. Shrub Oak vs. Granville
6 p.m. Hudson vs. Anaconda Indians
Veterans Memorial Park3 p.m. S.D. Ireland vs. Westbrook, ME
5:30 p.m. Helmuth-Ingalls vs. Colchester Cannons
8 p.m. Trumbell, CT vs. Colchester Cannons
East Side Rec9 a.m Hoxie Cleanders, RI vs. Westbrook, ME
Noon Hoxie Cleaners, RI vs. S.D. Ireland, VT
3 p.m. Saugerties vs. West Seneca
5:30 p.m. Saratoga Stampede vs. Saugerties
8 p.m. Saratoga Stampede vs. West Seneca

Friday, July 9
East Field9 a.m. Colchester Cannons vs. Anaconda Indians
Noon Tri-County vs. Westbook, Maine
3 p.m. Hoxie Cleaners, RI vs. Morris J. Edwards
6 p.m. Morris J. Edwards vs. Kingston
Moreau Rec9 a.m. Kingston vs. Westbrook, Maine
Noon Colchester Cannons vs. West Seneca
3 p.m. Hudson vs. Wicomico, MD
6 p.m. Hudson vs. Granville
East Side Rec9 a.m. Shrub Oak vs. Wicomico, MD
Noon Saugerties vs. Helmuth-Ingalls
3 p.m. Shrub Oak vs. Anaconda Indians
5:30 p.m. Trumbell, CT vs. Saugerties
8 p.m. Saratoga Stampede vs. Trumbell, CT

Suburban Council Baseball 2010 All-Star Team

There was a three-way tie for Coach of the Year: Paul Deluca/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, John Furey/Niskayuna and Peter Mravlja/Shaker.

Pitcher of the Year was Nick Cioffi/Averill Park and Player of the Year was Matt Zanotta/Guilderland

Suburban Council First TeamCatcher: Brian O` Keefe/Colonie
First base: Matt Zanotta/Guilderland
Middle infield: Bret Dennis/Burnt Hills and Branden Cogswell/Shen
Third base: Derek Gardella/Shaker
Designated hitter: John Craig/Shen
Utility: Brian Guilder/Ballston Spa
Outfielders: Kyle Willmott/Saratoga, Scott Buniak/Shen and Keaton Flint/Burnt Hills
Pitchers: Nick Cioffi/AP, Matt Coleman/Saratoga, Chris Kalica/Colonie and Jeff Hoffman/Shaker

Suburban Council Second TeamCatcher: Brandon Galluppi/Shen
First base: David Wixted/Shen
Middle infield: Sean Geisel/Guilderland and Christian Brown/Columbia
Third base: Andrew Kalish/Shen
Designated hitter: Dan Buff/Burnt Hills
Utility: Stephen Proper/Columbia
Outfielders: Nick Valletta/Niskayuna, Luke Fauler/Saratoga, Luke Stark/Guilderland
Pitchers: John Prendergast/Shen, Matt Dempsey/Shen, Mike Nowak/Shaker and Corey Parks/Burnt Hills

Extra Innings in Saratoga features former college and professional coaches at their upcoming Summer Camp programs.

Fastpitch Softball camps are headed by Oneonta’s Michelle Norwich; Skidmore pitching coach Jackie Hall; Castleton’s Laura Rodgers, along with former Shen standout and current Syracuse pitcher, Angie Sagnelli, among others.

The Baseball camps are headed by former Cortland SUNY/AC player of the year, Coach Michael Hubbs, with former professional players, Will Groff (Cardinals) and Jimmy Dougher (Blue Jays), along side Castleton’s Oliver Aldrich, and SUNY Albany’s Chris Hackett, among others.

Camps include play at Extra Innings and DoubleDay Park in Ballston Spa for June 28th – July 2nd, July 5th – July 9th, and August 9th – 13th. Enroll in the Rookie Camp Ages 6-9; Advanced Youth Camp 9-12; and Senior Division/Big League Camp Ages 13-15.

The camps will provide instruction in all areas of the game. Extra Innings invites you to the only camp in the area offering a 20-hour camp with your choice of specialized instruction in Catching, Infield, or Pitching.

Junior EXPRESS announces Summer Indoor Baseball
Extra Innings – Saratoga announces its instructional Summer Indoor Baseball programs. Both the T-Ball Division Ages 4-6 and the Rookie Division Ages 6-9 will meet twice weekly throughout the summer. All players receive instruction every week with games, and skill contests every Friday. All aspects of the game including hitting, throwing, catching, fielding, and base running are taught.


Extra Innings announces Summer Pitching Clinics
Both Fastpitch and Baseball summer pitching clinics are now registering at Extra Innings. Fastpitch clinics are every Wednesday from 4:30 – 6:00pm beginning May 5th and continuing throughout the summer with instruction focusing on speed and control. Summer. Baseball pitching clinics will begin July 12th and with a 12 session program that meets on Monday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 – 7:30. Ages 9-15 are welcome in both programs.

Well, spring has officially sprung with the baseball and softball players have finally been freed from their gymnasium purgatory with the blessing of Mother Nature and along with unblemished records for all the Saratoga Springs varsity baseball squad has a new head coach, Dean Bailey.

I caught up with Bailey prior to the Blue Streaks scrimmage against Lake George Thursday afternoon in a short video and you can read the full story in today's Saratogian.

Bailey has been with the school district and the baseball program for the past nine years and brings a lot of positive energy and enthusiasm to the program. He will be joined by former head coach, Rich Lofink, who stepped down to spend more time with his family, but applied for the assistant position to remain close to the program.

A win-win for everyone.

-- Posted by Stan Hudy

Saratoga National Little League, in cooperation with Saratoga American Little League is accepting registrations for our Fall Baseball League and is open to residents of Saratoga Springs, Greenfield and Wilton.

Children between the ages of 7 to 12 that will be playing in the Majors or Minors in either League next spring are encouraged to sign up for Fall Ball. Registrations will be accepted now through August 26, 2008.

Please go to our website at www.saratogafallball.com to printout the registration and medical forms. Please mail both the registration and medical forms to the address listed by August 24, 2008.

Fall Ball will stress the instructional aspects of the game as well as encouraging children to have fun and try new positions. There will be five weeks of instructional clinics by Extra Innings along with weekend games.

If you have any questions, please contact Bret McArthur 583-9691 or via email hcorsett@nycap.rr.com

The Wilton Red Sox are a local baseball team made up of boys aged 11 and 12 from Saratoga Springs, Schuylerville and Wilton.

"This is a group of players that really appreciate the sport of baseball," head coach Jim Bennett said. "It has been a goal of mine for quite some time to be able to pull them all together and help make this experience happen."

The Wilton Red Sox are just one team of the 25 that will be arriving in Cooperstown's All-Star Village on Saturday. Teams are coming from as far
away as Illinois and California.

"It's going to be a good time," Wilton Red Sox pitcher Matt Wells said. "It doesn't really matter if we win or lose, we are going to have a lot of fun playing baseball and being with our friends"

Fall Baseball registration for Saratoga Baseball players ages 13 to 15 will be held at Geyser Field on Tuesday, August 18th at 6 p.m.

Games are played on weekends beginning early September through late October. Players who were 12 in Spring, playing in Little League or Cal Ripkin, are now eligible for the 13 Prep team playing on regulation size fields for the first time.

Players who were 13 and 14 in the spring are now combined on the 15u team.

Registration forms may be downloaded from the website at SSNYBabeRuth.org.
Registration fees are $150 with $50 to be credited to players who register in the spring at Saratoga Babe Ruth.

Please bring a copy of your birth certificate if new to the Saratoga Babe Ruth League. For more information check the website at SSNYBabeRuth.org or email SSNYBabeRuth@hotmail.com.

Wilton Youth Baseball will be running a FALL BALL program on Saturdays beginning September 12th through October 24th. There will be skills clinics for our T-ball and Rookie level players and games for Minor and Major level players. Practicing or scrimmages during the week will be left to the discretion of the coach. A fall ball season is primarily an instructional season with the emphasis on developing baseball techniques without the pressure of winning.

WYB will need coaches/volunteers for the T-ball and Rookie skills clinics, along with coaches for the teams in the Minors and Majors. Coaches/parents will umpire the Minor and Major games.

If your son/daughter is interested in playing fall ball travel, please indicate that on the registration form. Once details have been provided by the Cal Ripken Baseball organization, the details will be forwarded to those players who are interested in playing fall travel.

The completed registration form and registration payment can be mailed to WYB, P.O. Box 2269, Wilton, NY 12831 or dropped off in the office at Gavin Park. There is a drop box specifically for WYB. Registration deadline for the fall ball season is Monday, August 20th. Registration have to be received by this date so that uniforms can be ordered and received by the first day of clinics and games.

If you have any additional questions on fall ball, or Wilton Youth Baseball, please contact Mike Herman at michaelherman@amesgoldsmith.com.

The Saratoga Phillies New York Collegiate Baseball League East Division playoff game scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight has been postponed to 1 p.m. on Monday.

If Saratoga is unsuccessful in closing out the Glens Falls Golden Eagles in the afternoon, both squads will head up the Northway to East Field for the deciding game at 7 p.m.

On the other side of the East Division playoffs, Amsterdam holds a 1-0 lead over Mohawk Valley after an 11-0 win last night and are scheduled to face off tonight at Shuttleworth Park in Amsterdam.

In the West Division, Hornell and Alfred were first round winners and face each other 7 p.m. tonight in the first game of the division title round.

Thanks to Andy Santillo for the numbers updates.

Siena College second baseman Dan Paolini, who enjoyed perhaps the most productive offensive season in program history in 2009, has been selected to participate with Team USA in the World Port Tournament (WPT) July 2-12 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

According to its website, the WPT is a highly ranked international baseball tournament, which has been organized by the "Stichting Rotterdam Baseball" for over 20 years. The WPT is one of the most important international baseball tournaments and one of the characteristic events on the the sports calendar of the City of Rotterdam.

The WPT is organized bi-annually, in cooperation with the "Haarlemse Honkbal Week", which takes place in the ‘even' years. One exception was made in 2005, when the tournament was not held due to the Baseball World Championships, which took place in our country during the summer.

After four years of absence the World Port Tournament returned in 2007 successfully back on the international sports calendar, more than 65.000 people came to Rotterdam to see the best participations field ever.

The participating countries in 2009 include the Dutch national team, USA, Cuba, Chinese Taiwan and Japan.

The 12th edition of the WPT will take place from July 2-12 in the "Neptunus Family Stadium" in Rotterdam. During the Tournament’s 11 days, 21 matches will be played, with two matches on every day except for the final Sunday. Matches will be played in the afternoon and evening.

Paolini was a Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-American, the ECAC and MAAC Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-Northeast pick by the American Baseball Coaches’ Association. His .430 batting average was tops on the Northeast, second among all freshmen nationally and ninth in all of Division I.

He collected a school-record 86 hits in just 50 games and his 53 RBI were one shy of the single-season Siena record.

Catch the updates, hits, runs along with the rain from West Side Rec with the Saratogian's exclusive coverage of the 2009 Mayor's Cup championship games.

Mother Nature may not be a Mayor's Cup fan afterall...

As of 5:30 p.m. Friday night the Mayo'r Cup championship majors contest will have Saratoga American's New Country facing off against the Saratoga National Lions. The Saratoga Nationals will be represented by U-Store-It and will face the to be determined the Saratoga American champion whose game is being played tonight.

There is still time to vote for who you think will win both games on Saturday (weather permitting)...vote at Saratogian.com

Ace sports reporter Ian Pickus was on-site at West Side Rec. for the final result and New Country captured the Saratoga American majors title and will face the Saratoga National league champion 6 p.m. at West Side Rec. in the Mayor's Cup 2009 championship game.

Can New Country do it? Do you think they can do it? Vote now at the Saratogian's Mayor's Cup '09 poll. Click here.

As additional league champions are determined we will up date you here and don't forget to stop back Saturday night, 6 p.m. for live blogging and message boards from the Mayor's Cup '09 championship contests.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will welcome five Hall of Fame members to kick off its inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic, the contest that has replaced the annual Hall of Fame Game in Cooperstown.

The contest is set for Father’s Day weekend, June 21 at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown and will welcome Hall of Fame baseball legends Bob Feller, Ferguson Jenkins, Paul Molitor, Phil Niekro and Brooks Robinson along with 20 other former Major League Baseball players beginning at 2 p.m. on Father’s Day.

Other major leaguers committed to the contest include George Foster, Bill Lee, Steve Rogers and Lee Smith with additional announcements slated as players commit throughout the spring.

A parade will kick off the day’s events followed by a 1 p.m. hitting contest following the first pitch at 2 p.m. for a seven inning event.

Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. April 18 at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum box office. Tickets are $12.50 for first- and third-base seats and $11 for outfield seats.

While 2,500 tickets are available during the one-day sale in Cooperstown, museum members can purchase tickets over the phone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. by calling a special number active only for this sale at 877-849-7770. Callers must be museum members prior to the April 18 date and must provide their membership number at the time of the call.

Phone purchases are subject to a $3.50 handling fee per ticket and limited to six tickets per member. Member phone orders will be handled through Sunday, April 26 or as long as tickets last.

Tickets remaining after Sunday will be made available to the general public via phone on April 27.

For more information, call 888-HALL-OF-FAME (888-425-5633), 607-547-7200 or visit their web-site at www.baseballhall.org.

SUNY-Oneonta sophomore hurler Dave Filak was named Red Dragon co-Athlete of the Week after leading his squad to a 3-0 win over Gettysburg in the second game of a double-header Saturday.

The Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake graduate earned a complete game shutout, throwing seven full innings, scattering three hits and striking out 11.

This season, Filak is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA. He has three starts under his belt for SUNY-Oneonta and has thrown 19 innings while allowing only two earned runs and 12 hits. He has struck out 31 batters and has kept opposing batters to an anemic .182 batting average.

Filak is looking to top his freshman season where he earned a host of awards including Oneonta State Male/Fred Puritz First-Year Athlete of the Year award, the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year award and the ECAC Division III Upstate New York Rookie of the Year honors.

He finished his 2008 campaign with a 4-3 record with four saves an a 4.05 ERA. He pitched 40 innings, allowing 36 hits leading to 22 runs, 18 of them earned. He struck out 58 batters and walked only 16.

-- Stan Hudy

One of the fastest growing youth baseball organizations in New York State has just opened up its registration for this spring.

Wilton Youth Baseball in currently open for both its Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth divisions and will register players through March 3.

The registration form can be downloaded at www.wiltonhouthbaseball.org or by clicking here and mailed to WYB P.O. Box 2269, Wilton, NY 12831 or dropped the form off at the WYB box located in the office at Gavin Park.

The link will also allow provide a secure link for on-line registration.

A Last Chance Registratio sign-up will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. March 3 at Gavin Park, also.

See you on the fields!

- Stan Hudy