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2004 News
Some 2004 Moments
Ricola adds Kevin Brink to '05 Roster
Ricola Mens's Fastpitch Softball Club is pleased to
announce that third baseman ,Kevin Brink, of Olean, NY will play for the
the Cough Drops in 2005. Brink is known as a line drive hitter and also
as a fine fielder. He was a 3rd team All American Selection at the ASA
"C" Nationals in 2000. Previously, Kevin Brink has played for Angies,
Coors Third Base and Big Al's.....all of the Olean, NY area.
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Chris Mendell Bags Big Buck
Ricola's hard hitting first baseman Chris Mendell scored big during NY
State's Bow season. His 9 point buck had a 17 inch inside spread. It was
a 20 yard shot from a treestand. Chris has promised to bring the
deersteaks for the grill to Cape Vincent in '05. |
Billy Collins Returns to Ricola
To Coach/Pitch for Ricola in 2005
Billy Collins will be Ricola's first base and pitching coach in
2005 and he will also be asked to throw for Ricola on an occasional
basis.
Player-Coach Doug Smith had the following to say: " I'm pleased to have
Billy back with Ricola. This will be his 3rd tour of duty with us...he
has a lot of history with Ricola. Billy has been around a long time and
he's done a lot of things including winning a national tournament......
he will be a valuable asset as a pitching coach and as a base coach. It
also won't hurt having his arm .......it wasn't too many years ago that
he won 30 games for us and had over 300 strikeouts. Billy and I had a
nice talk and I look for Billy to be a real positive influence with our
younger pitchers. Billy is a technician and a gamer.....he'll work on
mechanics with our pitchers and will also help them with the mental part
of the game.....Billy hates to lose. We've also never had a first base
coach that didn't play....this will let our players concentrate even
more on just playing. Billy is retired Air Force....he's the first one
at the field, he's always in the right uniform and he has that military
type of discipline that is a plus. The guys will like him and he'll
quickly earn their respect."
Collins was the MVP in the 1987 ASA B Nationals and is a 3 time All
American.
Collins will pitch league ball in Summit/Meyersville NJ with Buniak's
Boys, the same team that Smith and Brett Belcastro play on.
Ricola Finishes 3rd
at NAFA A-Major World Series
Click
here to see more pictures...
The Cough Drops finished
in 3rd place at the NAFA "Class A-Major" World Series in Hutchinson,
Kansas and placed 5 players on the All World Team.
Ist Team All World
selections were shortstop Judd Williams and 1st baseman Chris Mendell.
2nd Team All World selections were center fielder Dave Rennie, 3rd
baseman Paul Furlong, and pitcher Jamie Thompson.
Ricola's 4-2 record
went like this. Wins over Rice Lake Wisconsin and Hamilton, Ontario.
A loss to Fisherville, Ontario and then two wins in the loser's bracket
against Abies Bar of Michigan and Rice Lake Wisconsin before a loss to
the Boise Idaho Clippers to be eliminated. Boise, Idaho came out of the
loser's bracket to beat Fisherville, Ontario twice to win the title.
Notes:
Offense- Judd Williams and Chris Mendell both hit .600 or better and
once again established themselves as two of the games premier hitters at
this level. Dave Rennie and Paul Furlong also contributed alot
offensively....Furlong had two home runs, one a grand slam. A bit too
little from a few but then again we got a lot more than expected from a
few, most notably from first year player Brett Belcastro.....watch out
for Belcastro as the years go on.
Defense- A bit disappointing. Too many runs given away on plays
that were routine.
Pitching- Good but faded down the home stretch. Jamie Thompson
had 4 wins. Barry Van Hooser had a save and as has been the case all
year did not get much offensive support.....he should have won against
Fisherville, Ontario but Ricola gave up 3 unearned runs to lose 3-2. Too
many long balls were given up. A coaching error, probably....when times
were getting tough I probably should have thrown Paul Furlong as a
starter or in relief and taken my chances with the defensive shake up it
would have caused. Furlong is a bulldog, is capable of a strong game at
any time and throws a hard drop that would have put the damper on the
long balls that were killing us......Wins ands losses are 98% about
players and 2% about coaches.....none the less, the 2% on this one will
cause me more than a few sleepless nights this winter as I second guess
myself.
Attitude-Great! Team Alpha Dog, Judd Williams, stepped up and
took charge leading by example. There was plenty of fun after hours but
at the right times. The team was there to play and Williams made sure of
it. Ricola was cited for sportsmanship based on comments from other
teams and umpires......that's nice. A great group....maybe the best ever
Ricola Team for attitude ...in past years there was always an attitude
or two at the nationals......not the case here......everyone knew their
role and lived with it. Of particular note was the class that Barry Van
Hooser showed when Jamie Thompson threw both games one and two....his
response was simple...he said, "I'm here to help the team win....I'm a
team guy, let me know what you want me to do and I'll do it." Talk about
refreshing!
On the Outcome: 4-2 was a nice record and a 3rd place finish was
our best ever in a national tournament. Each player gave their best.
But.....!
On Hutchinson, Kansas: Fun Valley was a nice complex. No bad
weather so we don't know how well they would have responded. The fields
were always ready to go at game time and they were in good shape with
one exception that I can think of. Hutchinson, Kansas is a town of about
50,000...not much of a tourist town although there is a museum and a
zoo. Accommodations were overpriced and the prices were non-negotiable.
We stayed at the Econo Lodge and the rooms were shabby at $70 a night
plus tax. It is usually the small towns like Hutchinson, Kansas that
really support a national tournament......simply put, Hutchinson, Kansas
is no Minot, North Dakota but then again, few are.
On NAFA: Kudos for a job well done. Director Benjie Hedgecock
runs a nice show. He told 30 players to stay home because they didn't
belong on an A-Major Roster......that kind of screening made for a
tournament where any of the teams could have won it........nobody snuck
in a big chucker or hitter and that was refreshing. Umpires were
good.....no complaints at all. A nice, simple opening ceremony with
every team in attendance. The All World selections had to do with more
than batting average......Hedgecock and his NAFA staff noted defensive
performances and the little things...example...they knew that Furlong
had a number of sac bunts and that he "pushed" one.....there is a whole
lot more than batting average that makes a good ballplayer and it was
nice to see that recognized. Would we go to another NAFA World
Series.....oh ye.
This coming
weekend Ricola will be in Elkland, Pa for the 52nd Elkland Open Labor
Day Tournament
Joining our ranks will be lefty thrower
Jeff Van Hooser, Barry's brother........tough tournament but we hope to
make a little noise!
Please check back for updates later!
More news from
Hutchison, Kansas...
Ricola's final record was 4-2 and
finished 3rd in the A-MAJOR Tournament. Five Members were named to
the NAFA All-World Team:
2nd Team All World
Jamie Thompson - Pitcher
Paul Furlong - Third Baseman
Dave Rennie - Center Fielder
1st Team All World
Judd Williams - Short Stop
Chris Mendell - First Baseman
Ricola's current over record is currently 14-14.
News from Hutchinson,
Kansas
Sunday - August 29th, 2004 - 11:00am
Ricola lost to Boise Idaho Clippers,
8-4.
Losing Pitcher - Jamie Thompson.
Ricola had a 4-0 lead but Boise kept chipping back with 3 home runs late
in the game.
News from Hutchinson,
Kansas
Sunday - August 29th, 2004 - 9:00am
Ricola beat Abbey's Bar and Grille from
Michigan, 10-3.
Paul Furlong hit 2 home runs, one of which was a grand slam. He also
scored 4 runs.
Ricola's current record in the
tournament is 4-1.
News from Hutchinson,
Kansas
Saturday - August 28th
Ricola beat Rice Lake Wisconsin in Loser's
Bracket Activity by a score of 9-4. Ricola's record is now 3 wins,
1 loss.
Other Notable News:
Winning Pitcher - Jamie Thompson.
Barry VanHooser got a save
Chris Mendell got 3 hits, 4 RBI's including a 2-run home run.
Judd Williams added 2 hits and 2 runs scored.
Ricola continues action Sunday morning @ 9:00am vs. Abbey's Foreign
Grill from Michigan.
News from Hutchinson,
Kansas
Friday - August 27, 4:00pm
Ricola loses 3-2 to Fisherville, Ontario.
Losing Pitcher - Barry VanHooser
Judd Williams had 3 hits for Ricola includng a homerun!
The difference in the game was Ricola
gave up 3 unearned runs in the 3rd inning to Fisherville.
Ricola's record is now 2-1 they play
tomorrow @ 6:00pm.
News from Hutchinson,
Kansas
Friday - August 27, 10:00am
Ricola beat Hamilton Ontario Hawks,
10-3
Winning Pitcher - Jamie Thompson
Ricola was lead by Chris Mendell who had 3 hits and 3 RBI's
Judd Williams - 2 hits and 2 RBI's
News from Hutchinson,
Kansas
Thursday - August 26
Ricola met Rice Lake, Wisconsin,
5-3.
Winning Pitcher - Jamie Thompson - 8 strikeouts!
Other notable news:
Judd Williams - 3 hits, scored a run!
Chad Miller - Hit a 3 run home run!
Rice Lake was the opening game in NAFA (North American Fastpitch
Association) World Series A-Major Category.
Ricola is off to a great start!
Check back shortly for more updates.
"We're Off to See the Wizard!"
"Follow the Yellow Brick
Road"...."Follow the Yellow Brick Road" ......"Follow the Yellow Brick
Road"
No witches, it ain't about lions and tigers and bears, and there really
is noone called Dorothy but it sure as hell is about having a brain,
having courage and having heart.........this is about Fastpitch
Softball.
We're off to see the Wizard!
Hutchinson, Kansas,: Fun Valley Sports Complex: Ricola Men's Fastpitch
Softball Club: The 2004 North Amercian Fasptitch Association's World
Series: August 26-29th:
We're off to see the Wizard!
Game One....Thursday, August 26 4:00 PM: vs Wisconsin's Rice Lake
Orangemen.
We're off to see the Wizard!
"If I only had a brain".......we do.....catchers Foster and Smith
"If I only had a heart".......we do.....pitchers Thompson, Van Hooser
and Furlong
"If I only had the nerve".....we do....Mendell, Kent, Williams,
Belcastro, Rennie, Miller, Rowan......talk about Courage!
We're off to see the Wizard!
Ricola's "Gettin Dirty Dozen" promises:
Not to be : "Gentle as a Lizard"
To be: "Clever as a Gizzard"
To be: "Brave as a Blizzard"
We're off to see the Wizard........Don't kid yourself....The Wizard's
from NJ , he likes cough drops, and he dresses in green and gold!
We're off to see the Wizard...............See you in OZ (on the
ballfield) !
Ricola Goes 1-2 at NSA World Series
News from Salem,
Virginia: August 6-8, 2004
Ricola traveled to Salem, Virginia for the
NSA World Series this past weekend. The Cough Drops won one game and
lost two in what was a deceptively strong performance.
Recap:
Ricola 9- Ridleys 2: Winning pitcher Jamie Thompson. Fred Kent
had 2 triples and a double for Ricola. Ricola was more than this
Virginia team could handle in all ways.
Lonesome Oak Rockers
4-Ricola 3: Losing pitcher Jamie Thompson: Chris Mendell hits a 2
run dinger for Ricola. The Cough Drops had opportunities to win but came
up short in a well played game to a quality team from Virginia.
Columbus Ohio Cyclones
3-Ricola 2: Losing pitcher Barry Van Hooser: Another tight game
against a solid opponent. Some silliness by the plate umpire in the
first inning was probably the difference......Ohio scored all three runs
in the first while the plate umpire was trying to figure out what her
real strike zone was going to be......if Van Hooser didn't come down
broadway with it, it wasn't a strike.
Comment:
Salem Virginia is always fun, the NSA World Series is always very
competitive, and Moyer Complex is super. The umpires that we had were
below average at best......no sour grapes, just fact. Defense
pretty darn good.
Pitching pretty darn good.
Jamie Thompson is getting better by the weekend and he wants the ball in
a big way. Hitting.......not so darn good. Failure to sacrifice
bunt probably cost us 3 runs. No one other than Chris Mendell has hit
consistently all year and we're paying the price.
The good news....all of
the Cough Drops are giving it their best and there is salvation in that.
We lost 2 tight games to two very good teams. A Few more runs scored and
it's a totally different tournament.
A decade ago, Ricola was
known for playing their best at the end when it mattered most. Rumor has
it that is going to be the case with this group.
Next up is Hutchinson, Kansas, August 26-29 for the annual NAFA
Nationals....Ricola will be competing in the "A-Major" class.
Stay tuned!
Ricola Holds Their Own at Keating's Fitness Invitational
Lyons, Pa. July 31 and August 1,
2004
The Cough Drops traveled to Lyons Pa. this past weekend to participate
in the 1st Keating's Fitness Invitational Tournament. They won 2 and
lost 3 in a very competitive field of teams.
Recap as follows:
Saturday
Ricola 7-Landis Market 0: Winning pitcher Jamie Thompson. Alan
Esporin had 3 hits and 5 RBI for Ricola. Small ball and Alan Esporin
offensively, a tight defense and a nice job of throwing by Jamie
Thompson of the cough Drops proved too much for Landis.
Orr Park 5- Ricola 3:
Losing pitcher Barry Van Hooser. Ricola had opportunities but couldn't
quite deliver when needed the most. Ricola did pull off a triple play on
a line drive to First Baseman Chris Mendell to dazzle the fans.
Ricola 5-Armour Rise 1:
Ricola's pitcher Paul Furlong was in control from the start and threw a
very nice game....always ahead in the count and trusting his stuff.
Quaker Riversharks
9-Ricola 2: Jamie Thompson took the loss for Ricola. Ricola went up
on Quaker by 2 early with some dazzling baserunning. Quaker battled back
and systematically kept adding runs and their chucker Reno Lato was too
much for Ricola playing their third strait game of the day.
Sunday
Keating 5-Ricola 0:
A well played game by both teams. Jamie Thompson got the loss for Ricola.
Mike romeo had 2 hits against Keating pitcher Earl Rutledge
Comment:
Ricola faced their toughtest competition of the year. All 5 teams they
faced were noteworthy. Landis and Rise fared very well in their
respective national tournaments last year and Ricola beat them. Ricola's
3 losses were to last year's ASA B National Champs (Keating Fitness) and
the ASA B champ from 2003 (Orr Park Ohio). Quaker is a bona fide Major
Team and they showed it.
The Cough Drops went to see 5 good teams and they did. They continued to
improve and to meld as a team. Many thanks to pickups Alan Esporin,
Chris Pagano, and Mike Romeo.
Keating's Fitness gets high marks for running a quality tournament.
Tournament Director Mike Fulton had the tournament rules, schedule, and
other necessary paperwork out in advance of the tournament for review by
the teams. The games went as scheduled and Fulton and his crew handled
the Saturday night and Sunday morning rain well....they got the fields
in order and playable with only minimum delays. Communication during the
rain delays was way better than typical. The food was good, the T-shirts
were nice and the facilities were ideal for a tournament of this type.
It was nice to finally go to a tournament where all of the teams were in
full uniforms and looking right. Mike Fulton clearly put the time into
organizing the tournament and it paid dividends....Kudos to Mike Fulton
and Keating's Fitness.....a nice genesis of what will surely be an
annual tournament.
Ricola travels to Salem, Virginia August 6-8 for the NSA World Series.
News from Jersey Shore, Pa.
Ricola Mens fastpitch Softball
Club went 2-3 at the annual Jersey Shore, Pa. July 4th tournament.
Kreider and Flick won the tourney with a perfect 5-0 record. With Bob
Cup, and Mike Ohl on the hill they were the class of the tournament.
Recap:
Ricola 1- Marysville 0: Winning pitcher Jamie Thompson (11-K's). Dave
Rennie had the game winning hit in an exciting, well played game on both
ends.
Ricola 18-Condo's 3: Winning pitcher, Barry Van Hooser. Chris Mendell
had 2 HR's and 8 RBI's for Ricola in this 5 inning blowout.
Bob Boob 3- Ricola 1:
Losing pitcher Paul Furlong. Ricola bats go quiet.
Kreider Flick 3- Ricola 0: Losing pitcher Jamie Thompson. Ricola bats
become semi-comatose.
Marysville 3-Ricola 1:
Losing pitcher Barry Van Hooser. Ricola bats are dead.
Comment:
Tim Saar of Jersey Shore, Pa, ran a nice little tournament. It went
smoothly and he did a good job of keeping it on the B-C level....he
didn't let anybody sneak in with a big thrower.
By the way, for those of
you that are wondering, it's called Jersey Shore because the town is on
the Jersey side of the Susquehanna River....so what if it's 3 hours west
of NJ.
Now back to Ricola......
Ricola throwers, Van Hooser, Thompson, and Furlong did their
jobs.....they kept Ricola close enough to win but the Ricola bats went
bad and defense was not as tight as usual.
The Ricola schedule heats
up from here on in.......two doubleheaders against the Armour Rise of
Quakertown, Pa on July 17th and 18th.......should be a good indication
as to how good or not good Ricola really is..
The Cough Drop's record is now 7-7.
News from Elkland, Pa.
The Cough Drops traveled to
Elkland , Pa on June 26th for a one day, four game, round robin. They
finished with a 3-1 record for a 2nd place finish out of six teams.
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Judd Williams |
Recap:
Ricola
7: Elkland 6: Winning pitcher Jamie Thompson. A hard fought game. Mike
Romeo homered for Ricola. Chad Miller got the game winning hit for
Ricola.
Ricola 6: Williamsport 0:
Winning pitcher Paul Furlong. Furlong throws another gem and Chris
Mendell homers for Ricola.
Bombers 7: Ricola 1: Losing pitcher Barry Van Hooser: Ricola was sloppy
and the Bombers capitalized. Justin Heyman , Bomber's pitcher had
Ricola's number and the Bomber bats seemed to hit balls with eyes.
Ricola 16: Rage 2: Winning
pitcher Jamie Thompson: Homers by Dave Rennie and Chris Mendell. No
contest and it shouldn't have been.
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Chris Mendell |
Comment:
Elkland is always a
pleasure...this day was no exception... 70 degrees, a little breeze, 4
games in one day , the concession stand was grilling and Joe Cevette of
Elkland Softball ran a smooth one day affair....who could ask for more.
Ricola had a good day. The boys in green and gold are still coming
together as a team and are working out the kinks.....this was only their
second outing of the year. Rookie infileder Brett Belcastro showed
moments of defensive brilliance and rookie chucker Jamie Thompson is
settling into his role nicely and showed more poise and confidence than
in his last outing. Paul Furlong threw a dandy and Barry Van Hooser got
little support for the second time this year. Defense was good except
against the Bombers and hitting was good except against the
Bombers...... a positive....Justin Heyman, Bombers ace thrower only had
2 Ricola K's....that's a good thing.
Next stop....Jersey Shore Pa., July 3-4. We'll keep the light on for
you.
Click here to view more pictures!
News from Cape Vincent,
NY
Click here to view pictures!
June 12-13, 2004: The Cough
Drops traveled to Cape Vincent, NY for their first tournament of the
year. They won two and lost three. The tournament format was round robin
on Saturday and then single elimination on Sunday.
Recap:
In the opening game, Ricola lost to Brownville, NY 9-3. Ricola rookie,
Jamie Thompson, took the loss for Ricola. Game two saw the Cough
Drops dropping a 1-0 decision to Knoxville, Ontario. Craig Hollingsworth
threw a 1 hitter for Knoxville and Barry Van Hooser threw a gem for
Ricola but the Ricola bats were overmatched by Hollingsworth who was in
a real groove on the mound. The third game for Ricola was against
LaBatt's Beer of Croghan, NY. Ricola won 5-2 with Paul Furlong getting
the win for Ricola. It should be noted that Furlong threw what was
probably his best game ever.....always ahead in the count and he had
command of three pitches......all good news for Ricola.
Sunday morning matched
Ricola vs The Duck Inn in a five inning 11-0 blowout with Ricola
winning. Jamie Thompson got the win and had 11 K's and Mike Pisano had a
solo homerun. Next up for Ricola was Knoxville Ontario... Ricola lost
9-7 to be eliminated form the tourney.
Comment:
Great weather, a wonderful setting and a tournament that was well run by
Mike Lennox. The only suggestion would be to have the single elimination
format on Sunday conclude earlier so that those with long rides can get
home earlier. Mike Lennox is a ballplayer and the tournament is run as a
ballplayer would like it.
This tournament was the beginning of a new era for Ricola. Lots of new
faces. Alot more youth and speed than we've had in the past. The young
guys stepped up nicely and left little doubt that in time they will be
major contributors to a Ricola that has the potential to be better than
ever. Team chemistry was good with the veterans clearly setting a very
positive tone.
Next up....Ricola travels to Elkland, Pa. on June 26th for a one day
round robin.
 Armour-Rise to Host
Ricola for Two Doubleheaders
Ricola will
visit Quakertown, Pa. for two doubleheaders in July against The Armour
Rise. Saturday night , July 17 at 7:00 pm will be the first doubleheader
and then Ricola and The Rise will match up for another doubleheader
Sunday morning, July 18th at 9:00 am.
The Rise won 3 games at
the 2003 ICS II tournament. They have long been one of Pa's premier
fastpitch teams. Leading The Rise on the mound is veteran Tom Vogel and
hard throwing Scott Adams.
4/16/04 - Mendell and
Dry Named All Americans
Chris Mendell |
In late breaking activity
by the Piedmont Virginia ASA, the host for the 2003 Class B National
Tournament, Chris Mendell and John Dry have been named 2nd team All
Americans for their performance at the National Tournament last August.
Both Mendell and Dry were named All Americans as "Utility Players."
Mendell played a stellar
first base throughout the tournament and he batted .434 with 7
RBI's.....many of Mendell's RBI's coming in clutch situations. Dry was
Ricola's DP for the tournament. He batted .545, had an on base
percentage of .600, he had 10 RBI's, and 2 home runs.....one a grand
slam.
Congratulations to Chris
Mendell and John Dry.........their recognition as All Americans is
certainly well deserved.
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John Dry |
4/9/04 - Belcastro
Signs With Ricola --2004 Roster Complete
 The final
piece to the 2004 puzzle has been put in place as Brett Belcastro has
signed on with the Cough Drops. Ricola's recruiting strategy for this
season has been to recruit youth and speed. Belcastro fits both of those
criteria. He is 21, and has "Bob Hayes speed" according to one source.
Belcastro was a high school all state infielder in New Hamsphire. He
played two years of college baseball and hockey before concentrating on
hockey only this year. Doug Smith, Ricola's player coach, has indicated
that Belcastro will be used as a utility player and along with Mike
Abbate, and Chad Miller he'll add yet another speed merchant to the
Ricola offense. "Bats slump but speed doesn't" according to Smith. "One
of our goals this year will be to get our young guys on base any way we
can and then let them drive defenses crazy," Smith continued......Brett
Belcastro will certainly be a part of that if all goes according to
plan. Belcastro will be playing league ball in Summit, NJ on the same
league team as Doug Smith.
3/25/04 - Jamie
Thompson To Throw For Ricola
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Jamie Thompson of
Ontario, Canada, will throw for the Ricola Cough Drops in 2004.
Thompson has committed to the Ricola schedule in full and he along
with Paul Furlong and Barry Van Hooser will make up the Ricola mound
staff this year. At 23 years of age, Jamie Thompson is yet another
young additon to the Ricola roster. Thompson is described as a hard
thrower with good control that can get hitters out in a multitude of
ways. A good hitter, Thompson will also be called on as a pinch
hitter. |
3/24/04 - Chad Miller
Joins Ricola
| Chad Miller, a hard
hitting infielder from Ontario, Canada, has joined the Ricola ranks.
Miller is 27 years old. He is known as a versatile infielder and a
fine hitter. Ricola will look for Miller to bolster the middle of
the lineup and also to provide defensive help at various positions
in the infield. Miller is young and quick and along with Mike Abbate
is part of Ricola's campaign to add youth and speed to their roster. |
 |
3/22/04 - Abbate to Play For
Ricola
|
Mike Abbate |
Ricola Fastpitch
Softball is proud to announce that 23 year old Mike Abbate will be
wearing the Ricola green and gold in 2004. Abbate comes to Ricola
from Moravian College where he was Moravian's starting centerfielder
and leadoff hitter for 4 years. Abbate brings some much needed youth
and speed to the Ricola roster. Abbate will help tremendously to
fill the void in the outfield left when Ricola lost two outstanding
outfielders in Roger Karn and Steve Cifonelli at the end of the 2003
season. |
2/11/04 - Jim
Fraser's and Joe Skiff's numbers retired
|
Jim Fraser |
Jim Fraser's #20 and Joe
Skiff''s #25 have been retired by Ricola Fastpitch Softball. Skiff and
Fraser both had many years of service with Ricola and predecessor teams.
Fraser was originally an outfielder who turned into one of the best
defensive 3rd basemen in recent memory in NJ. Skiff was a shortstop by
trade who over the years played all of the infield positions for Ricola
and could play the outfield as well if necessary. Skiff went to one
Class A National Tournament and one Class C National Tournament with
Ricola. Fraser attended two Class A National Tournaments and one Class C
National Tournament with Ricola. Fraser and Skiff were both key
elements in establishing and maintaining the Ricola tradition which has
endured for over twenty years.
See the
Retired Uniform Numbers
section for more details.
|
|
Joe Skiff |
2/5/04
- Mike
Kral Retires From Travel Ball- Ricola Retires His Number 26
 After
twelve seasons of traveling all over the globe with Ricola, Mike Kral is
calling it a career although he will still play a little bit of league
ball in NJ. Mike played in 4 ASA Class A National Tournaments, 1 Class B
ASA National Tournament and 2 Class C ASA National Tournaments with
Ricola. During Mike's twelve seasons with Ricola he usually hit in the
middle of the order and was known for tape measure home runs and clutch
hits in key spots. Most recently, Mike will be remembered for his 2 out,
2 RBI double that won the NY ASA Class B State Championship for Ricola.
Dependable, enthusiastic, and never a hair out of place. He was a leader
in his own way and always set a fine example of what a ballplayer should
be like for the younger guys on the team to see. Mike will be remembered
fondly by all who associated with him over the years. His loyalty and
commitment to Ricola was unquestionable.
In honor of Mike's
contributions and commitment to Ricola during his 12 years of service,
his number 26 will be retired.
2003 News
Dry, Mendell, Williams lead Ricola
to 4-2 record at "B" Nationals
The Cough Drops visited Salem, Va., Labor Day weekend for the ASA Class
"B" Fastpitch National Tournament.
DP, John Dry, led the team in hitting with a .545 Batting average, a
.600 on base percentage, 10 RBI's and 2 home runs (one a grand slam).
Chris Mendell, Ricola's first-baseman, hit .434 with 7 RBI and Judd
Williams hit .380 and scored 7 runs from the leadoff spot. Ricola
finished 9th overall with a 4-2 record.
Ricola clobbered Sodalina, Missouri, 13-0 in their first game. Chuck
Smith was the winning pitcher and John Dry had 2 home runs. Ricola
rookie Fred Kent also homered in this game.
Game 2 was against Key AC of Maryland. Ricola won 6-5 with Larry Puzan
as the winning pitcher.
Ricola came out on the short end of things against The Crush, another
Maryland team, by a score of 8-3 to get knocked into the loser's bracket
on Saturday. Chuck Smith suffered the loss.
Saturday night Ricola beat the Kearny, NJ Wizards 10-7 in a 9 inning
affair. This game was played under protest because of the Wizard's host
of illegal players. Paul Furlong pitched very well and got the win in
this highly charged and emotional contest. Steve Cifonelli saved the
game for Ricola throwing out what would haven been the winning NJ run at
the plate in the bottom of the 7th inning to send the game into extra
innings. This game was well played by both teams....it's just a shame
that the game was overshadowed by the protest situation due to The
Wizards illegal roster.
Early Sunday morning Ricola upped their record to 4-1 with a 4-2 win
over Back and Gold of St. Louis Missouri. Chuck Smith got the win in
relief of Larry Puzan who went 5 strong innings.
Next up for Ricola was Las Cruces New Mexico. With Ricola leading by a
run with 2 out in the bottom of the 7th inning, a Chuck Smith wild pitch
allowed New Mexico to tie the game and win it 6-5 in 9 innings wasting a
good outing by pitcher Paul Furlong and to eliminate Ricola from the
tournament.
Notes:
Facilities - Moyer Complex in Salem, Va. is a quality facility.
Never seen fields take water better. Why they had our 3rd game in the
winners bracket at an off site field I'll never know.....want some more
sour grapes......the plate umpire for that game was from
Maryland.....same place as our opponents, The Crush, who beat us.
Ricola Offense - By far the best performance by a Ricola team at
any National Tournament.....EVER! John Dry had the best ever offensive
performance by a Cough Drop at a National.....EVER!....not far behind
were Mendell and Williams. Dry, Mendell and Williams hit for power and
average. Dry and Mendell came up with RBI hits time after time. Dave
Rennie, Ricola's center fielder, had 6 sacrifice bunts.....all leading
to runs. Ricola bunted well throughout the tourney and their run
production was testimony to that fact. Paul Furlong hit a solid .375
Ricola Defense - Stingy.....solid throughout the tournament with
brilliant moments like Cifonelli's game saving throw in game 4. Fred
Kent gets the gold glove award for the tournament......he was the DEFO
(defense only) a lot and earned his keep by playing a stellar second
base.
Ricola Pitching - It was pitching by committee all weekend long
for this banged up staff. Chuck Smith had his foot in a cast. He was
game but nowhere near himself. Larry Puzan, Ricola's pickup from the
East Coast Ravens, came along to help out not expecting to do much
except work on his tan...fact is he got a lot of innings as well as a
win and a save and pitched effectively despite having a tender groin.
Paul Furlong pitched a gem against the NJ Wizards and came back against
New Mexico and threw equally as well....he should have gotten a win out
of it and Ricola should have won.....woulda, coulda, shoulda. Furlong is
up and coming.....look in the crystal ball about 2 years down the
road......we all like what we see....he should not have had the pressure
on him that he did at this stage of his development but he will benefit
from the experience. It was a tough tournament for the Cough Drops
pitching staff but they gave it their best. The offense and defense
stepped up when it was needed the most.
Ricola Team Attitude - Excellent.....they were there for a reason
and acted accordingly....nobody was there to vacation...it was all about
ball. Pride in appearance, pride in performance, and pride in acting
like a team was evident.. This group has been close all year and became
closer during the tournament....most notably during the fiasco against
the NJ Wizards.....they wouldn't be denied and it was clear that the
Cough Drops were 15 acting as 1. Much credit to Judd Williams for his
pre-tournament "players only" meeting.....it clearly set the tone for
the tournament. Williams has emerged as Ricola’s "Alpha Dog".....a
vacancy since Larry Wilson's departure.
All in All - This group is a veteran, tournament savvy
team.....and it showed. They put on the uniform, went to war, and saved
their best of the year for the nationals...had all of the pitchers been
healthy???? who knows! This group take cares of their own....They have
respect for all and they have fear of none. If you're ever looking to
fill up a foxhole take a look at the Ricola roster.
Is the best yet to come?
Ricola loses in Elkland "B"
Tournament to eventual 1st and 2nd place teams.
The Cough Drops traveled to Elkland, PA August 23-24 to compete in the
10th Annual Elkland "B" Tournament as their last tune up for the ASA "B"
Nationals in Salem, Virginia next weekend.
Ricola went 1-2 for the weekend. In their opener, Ricola was overmatched
by Keatings Fitness of Wilkes Barre, PA losing 9-0. Ricola scratched
only 2 hits against Keatings pitcher, Art Devoe. Ricola pitcher Paul
Furlong had control problems from the outset and Keatings capitalized on
it big and early. Yale Hughes finished up on the mound for Ricola and
again did a good job when put into a tough situation.
Later on Saturday, Ricola beat Warner's of Lancaster, PA 8-3. Leading
the way for Ricola was leadoff hitter, Judd Williams. Williams has 2
homeruns and a double. Also hitting round trippers were Dave Rennie and
cleanup hitter, John Dry. Barry VanHooser got the win for Ricola.
Games were backed up so Ricola's next game in the Loser's Bracket was
moved to Sunday morning at 8:30 am. Kreider and Flick of Gap, PA was the
opponent for this contest and Ricola dropped a tough 3-2 decision to get
KO'd from the tournament. VanHooser was the losing pitcher for Ricola
and Bobby Culp got the win for Kreider and Flick in a contest that was
well played and where the lead changed hands 4 times. Kreider and
Flick's catcher, Brad Theys, hit a 6th inning home run for Kreider and
Flick to break a 2-2 tie and to give them the win.
Notes on the Weekend:
- Ricola defense was good ... not
great as it has been.
- Ricola offense sputtered ... they
were stymied by Devoe although they only had 3 strikeouts. The display
of power in game 2 while impressive was at the expense of a young
pitcher that candidly should have been spanked by the Cough Drops ...
he's been nowhere and done nothing so you can't make too big a deal
out of beating up on him. Bobby Culp of Kreider and Flick dodged a
bullet ... Ricola had their chances but just didn't deliver ... the 5
K's and 2 failed sacrifice bunt attempts were contributors to a poor
offensive performance. Brightest spot without much notice being given
... Roger Karn had 3 hits ... one in each game and 2 of them against
solid pitchers.
- Pitching was OK. Furlong is out of
the groove he had been in earlier. Furlong and VanHooser do both get a
lot of credit for doing their best to fill the shoes of the void left
by the injured Chuck Smith who has been on the blink in one way or
another all year long. Tough shoes to fill in anybody's book. Yale
Hughes also gets a thumbs up for helping some on the mound ... he's
really just a local league pitcher that has been thrown to the dogs in
a few tournaments for "mop-up" duty and he's done a nice job in that
role.
- How about the ASA "B" Nationals in
Virginia - Labor Day weekend, say you?
Watch out for the Cough Drops is what the Vegas line has it at ...
they don't like to lose and the last two outings they have been 1-2
with the 4 losses coming against some very good teams ...... too much
talent and too much "bar room brawl" in this group for that to
continue. I wouldn't want to be in their path in VA. There might be a
surprise on the hill down south, too ... if that happens, the smart
money has Ricola finishing in the money.
Final Note:
There is no better place in the east to play Fastpitch Softball than
Elkland, PA ... and that includes Allentown, PA. The Elkland Softball
Association has a tradition lasting more than 50 years and they take it
seriously making sure that all of the details for a successful
tournament are well attended to. The complex simply wreaks of tradition
and of the great players who have played great games there in the past.
Playing at the Elkland Softball Complex is as close to a religious
experience as you can have in our game. If you are open to it, the
ghosts talk to you and the shadows tell stories of times long ago. If
you play there and you don't walk away with a special feeling
afterwards, you either don't have blood in your veins or you belong
playing slow pitch.
Arriving at the field Sunday morning at 7:00am, the field was already
dragged, lined and ready to go. The fire was ablaze at their world
famous barbecue pit and the chicken was about to go on. Litter patrols
had the 3 field complex neat and clean after very late games Saturday
night. Commemorative T-shirts were nice and in good supply. The beer was
wet, cold and dispensed by friendly Elklanders. The concession stand had
a good variety of modestly priced fare. Brackets were well displayed and
were kept current. All testimony to what is done, how it is done, and to
the respect they have for their tradition and reputation.
One suggestion would be to have the Elkland Softball Association toughen
up on team uniforms ... there were too many teams that were rag-tag in
appearance with little or no regard being given to looking sharp,
looking uniform, and looking like a team. That took away from the
overall effect of the tournament. You do not have to spend a lot of
money to look like a team and Elkland Softball Association should
consider mandating some sort of uniform rule for all participating teams
... they run too good a tournament to have teams step on the field
looking anyway other that the right way.
Ricola logs a disappointing 1 and 2
in the NSA World Series in Salem, VA
Life turns on a dime and that was the case for the Cough Drops in Salem,
VA. on August 9-10 at the NSA World Series. They went from the penthouse
to the outhouse in short order.
Ricola got a bye in the first round and then beat Elkland, PA 4-1 in
their first game riding the pitching of Barry VanHooser and the hitting
of Judd Williams. At this point, Ricola was sitting in the catbirds seat
but things quickly fell apart.
Their next opponent was Kentucky's Rare Breed. Judd Williams led off the
game with a homer for Ricola and Dave Rennie manufactured another run on
pure hustle. In the bottom of the first inning, With Ricola leading 2-0,
Ricola's ace, Chuck Smith, injured his foot and Kentucky took full
advantage of Smith's injury. They bunted on Smith at will and Smith had
little pop on the ball leading to a barrage of hits. VanHooser came back
in to throw for Ricola but couldn't stop the bleeding. Final score
Kentucky 8, Ricola 2.
Sunday morning, Ricola lost 7-1 to Ashland, Ohio in a lackluster
performance all the way across the board to be eliminated fro the
tournament. The bats were silent and VanHooser, already overworked at
this point, didn't have his good stuff. Relief pitcher Paul Furlong was
ineffective in a brief stint. The bright spot was the pitching of Yale
Hughes. Hughes, in his 4th year with Ricola, is a first or third baseman
by trade. He came in to pitch the 6th inning against Ashland and quickly
sat down all 4 batters he faced ... Hughes put on a brief clinic
demonstrating once again that you don't have to throw hard to get outs.
Hughes threw strikes and changed speeds enough to keep the Ashland
hitters off balance.
Ricola travels to Elkland, PA August 23-24. Following that, it's back to
Virginia over Labor Day Weekend for that ASA Class "B" National
Tournament. While optimistic about Ricola's chances at the Nationals,
Ricola realizes that they need Chuck Smith at or close to 100% to make a
real run at it ... without Smith, Ricola simply isn't operating on all
cylinders.
Ricola Goes 5 and 0 in Buffalo
The Cough Drops last played in Buffalo, NY in 1991 when they took 3rd
place in the Class A Mid Atlantic Regional Tournament. They returned
this past weekend in fine fashion and won the Buffalo Round Robin which
was played at the beautiful Lockport Complex.
Ricola went 5-0 for the weekend.
Ricola's first game was their toughest as they prevailed 1-0 over
Elkland Pa. Ricola's Chuck Smith and Elkland's Brad Porter hooked up in
an old fashioned pitching duel. Smith had 13 K's and the Canadian,
Porter, had eight. Ricola scored their run in the first inning as Yale
Hughes doubled and Chris Mendell singled driving in Hughes. Both teams
played stellar defense in support of their respective pitchers and the
one Ricola run held up.
Ricola went on to beat the Lackawanna NY Ravens 11-3, Big John's of
Buffalo, NY 9-1, Tonawanda NY 10-3 and Dunkirk NY forfeited their game
to Ricola.
Chuck Smith had two wins for Ricola as did Ricola's up and coming
thrower, Paul Furlong.
The Cough Drops played their trademark brand of "blue collar" softball
throughout the weekend using a mix of "small ball" and power to
manufacture an unusual abundance of runs for the game of fastpitch. The
offensive display exhibited by the Cough Drops combined with a stingy
defense and solid pitching from Smith and Furlong to make for a
successful weekend.
It should be noted that the Lockport Complex was an excellent
facility....well groomed and manicured fields and an on site
restaurant-bar which was ballplayer friendly....it was air conditioned,
had food and drink reasonably priced and it had large picture windows
facing the main field so that you could watch the action while dining
and cooling off in between games..........a National Tournament
atmosphere on a smaller scale.
Kudos to tournament organizers Larry Puzon and Eric Hemphill...we hope
to see more tournaments held here.
The Cough Drops have a weekend off and then travel to Salem, Va., for
the highly competitive NSA World Series on August 8-10.
Ricola Wins NY Class "B" State
Championship
The Cough Drops traveled to Holland Patent, NY, July 19-20 and captured
the 2003 NY Class "B" State Championship.
Ricola had to beat a tough Croghan, NY, team twice to win the
championship. Chuck Smith was the winning pitcher in the first win over
Croghan by a score of 4-2. Smith had 11 K's.
Paul Furlong pitched Ricola to their second win over Croghan for the
championship. Furlong went the distance in the 8 inning affair and had 7
K's.
Mike Kral, Ricola's DH, hit a dramatic two out double with two men on
base in the 8th inning to give Ricola the 5-3 win. Ricola was let
offensively by Judd Williams, Matt Foster, and Chris Mendell.
Results to date-2003
Earlier in the year, Ricola had finishes as follows:
May:
Jersey Shore, PA - Rained Out
June:
Cape Vincent, NY - 2nd Place
Elkland, PA - 2nd Place
July:
Croghan, NY - Did not place
Holland Patent, NY - 1st Place-NY Class B State Tournament
Buffalo, NY - 1st Place
August:
NSA World Series - Salem, VA - Did not place
Elkland "B" Tournament - Elkland, PA - Did not place
September:
ASA "B" Nationals - Salem, VA - 9th place
Ricola Fastpitch
Shuffles off to Buffalo
Ricola will travel to Buffalo, NY, July 26th and 27th, to play in a
Round Robin affair.
Ricola will be led by
their young, hard throwing pitcher Paul Furlong of Olean, NY. Furlong
has demonstrated that he is for real and is only going to get better.
Barry Van Hooser of Inverary, Ontario, and Chuck Smith of Rochester, NY,
Ricola's other two throwers will round out the mound staff. Van Hooser
and Smith are both veterans that Ricola has grown to expect big things
from on a perennial basis.
Judd Williams leads Ricola hitters with a .423 batting average. John Dry
.326 and Chris Mendell .316 respectively hold down the middle of the
Cough Drop lineup.
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