[Archelirion]

JUNE 2017

BEST RECORD: Queens Diamonds, 18-7 (now 52-30)
Brooklyn Knights, 14-11 (now 43-39)
Rochester Union, 13-12 (now 53-29)
Syracuse Maple, 13-12 (now 41-41)
Manhattan Victory, 13-12 (now 44-38)
Bronx Phoenix, 12-13 (now 32-50)
Buffalo Bruisers, 12-13 (now 35-47)
Staten Island Bulls, 12-13 (now 35-47)
Yonkers Sixers, 9-16 (now 37-45)
WORST RECORD: Albany Dragons, 9-16 (now 38-44)

1st June: Two games were won in the 9th innings today, as Staten Island came back from 5-2 down with an excellent 4-run 9th to claim victory over the Brooklyn Knights. Much of the blame has been laid at the feet of closer Juan Sandoval, who pitched 23 balls including 4 hits (later 4 runs) to manage only two outs – he was eventually replaced himself with reliever Nick Clarke, but the damage was already done. Man-of-the-match and Staten Island captain Gary Kindle (who claimed 3 runs to the good today), offered some surprise sympathy to the opposition pitcher: “we’ve all had days where you just want the Earth to swallow you up, but Sandoval’s a great pitcher you know, and he just needs to dust himself off and get back to it.”

The other game in question was a thrilling matchup between eventual winners Rochester Union, and Manhattan Victory. Rochester were 4-0 up by the upper 5th, capped by a solo homerun from Robert Navarrete, but Mike Kelly’s immediate response – a 4-man home run – seemed to give Manhattan the knife-edge. A double from AAA Herbert Wilkins helped them to number 5 and a 2-man homer from CF Roger Colon looked set to ruin Union’s day, but 2 runs in the 8th and a 2-man RBI double from Allen Krausz without response gave Rochester a stunning 8-7 victory. Asked afterwards, MVP Robert Navarrete said “it was nice to win, but we sure were sweating by the end!”

3rd June: On a 0.188 average, Buffalo catcher Zach Coblenz isn’t usually associated with the attacking game, but a 3-man home run, a second run and a third RBI made all the difference in Buffalo’s 9-5 victory away at McLean Avenue, Yonkers today. “I couldn’t believe it,” said the 26-year-old born in Brooklyn. “I think I can count the amount of days like this on one hand, at least since I left school!”

Also today, Bronx Phoenix physios confirmed the injury sustained to RF Luis Ventura in their 3-2 defeat against Staten Island on the 31st May was serious… an ACL tear level of serious. The 33-year-old Dominican, currently running a 0.277 with 9 HRs, 23 RBIs and 19 runs, looks set to be out for 9 months with the tear; “looks like I’m done for the season,” he later said, “but I have a responsibility to behave myself now, to be fit for next year.”

5th June: Robert Navarrete, perhaps after his performance against Manhattan on the 1st, is voted the Player of the Week with a 0.462 batting average. The 35-year-old Rochester favourite hit 2 home runs and 5 RBIs over the week, to complete his current 8 HRs and 33 runs batted-in so far this year.



7th June: Keith Schmeling became the first man in the NYBL to hit 20 home runs this season (or indeed ever), claiming MVP with a 3-man home run, a double, and batting in 5 today in Rochester’s 10-4 home victory against the Yonkers Sixers. “I couldn’t believe it,” said Yonkers’ pitcher Roger Applen, who saw 6 runs go against him in the 2nd. “When you come up against a player like Schmeling it’s always going to be a challenge, but he seemed to be on another level today.” Schmeling sits at a 0.339 with 67 RBIs at this stage.

8th June: The Buffalo Bruisers got well-and-truly taken to the cleaners today, as they succumbed to a savage 18-2 home defeat against the Syracuse Maples today. With 3-run games from LF Manny Huerta, CF Bryan DeMond, 3B Quincy Kennedy and C Adam Lawson, there was still only one man truly in with the shot at MVP – DH Victor Lopez, who despite only managing 1 run (from his 3-man home run in the 4th), hit 4 and smashed the NYBL record for single-game RBIs at 8. “He was on fire today,” said Syracuse manager Ron Zimmermann after the game. “Every time he plays baseball, there’s nothing but maximum effort being put in, and that’s why everyone loves him.” ‘The Beast’, as he is known by fans, is currently looking at a 0.261 with 39 RBIs.

9th June: A ruthless 7-run 2nd innings from the Queens Diamonds basically ended proceedings as soon as they began, as they walked to a 13-2 victory at the Bronx’s home turf today. An excellent contact hitting display from Colt Caudle saw him pick up 3 runs, and home run no. 17 for Justin Stenke went put 3 points up in the 2nd, but it was Mike Jones, who hit 2 over the boundary that claimed MVP.

10th June: He may have given up 7 hits in the game, but Yonkers starter Jonathan Brown was still able to keep a shutout at the end of their game against Manhattan Victory, which saw the Sixers get 6 to the good. Aided by excellent performances from the likes of 3B Bobby Pines (who also managed 3 RBIs, including a 2-man HR, on top of a great defensive day), Brown was full of praise for his team afterwards, saying those fabled words “I couldn’t have done it without them.” Brown has a 6-3 record from 14 starts so far this year, and has a decent starter’s ERA of 2.74.

12th June: The All-Star Game was played today, with the State Division beating the City Division 4-0 (see above).

It may not have been one of the more spectacular weekly decisions, but Player of the Week was given to 33-year-old Queens RF Manny Cortez today, after managing a 0.577 record (15 from 26) with 4 RBIs. Cortez, who was also selected for the All-Star Game today, said to reporters “I’m having the second best week of my life right now – great team, All-Star selection and now this. If I wasn’t already married I’d say this was the best thing to happen to me!”



14th June: Manhattan fan-favourite CF Roger Colon, 27, was confirmed out for 4 weeks today with a sprained ankle injury after a botched slide to base in their 8-3 victory over Staten Island. Colon, 2-for-2 in the game, seemed to hobble back into the paddock and the team were doubtless concerned – while he will miss the next month or so of baseball, manager Richard Perry is said to be “cautiously relieved” at the news, although he made it abundantly clear that backup CF Pat Dym would have to be ready to step into Colon’s place in the meantime.

16th June: In a close game that saw 15 hits a side, Rochester fans will be doubtless gutted (and, by extension, Syracuse fans exalted) by the Union’s 13-14 defeat to the Maples today. After going 8-1 up in the bottom of the 5th (with thanks to doubles from Israel Mejia and two, including a 2-RBI, from Curtis Waldon) things were looking good for the Union. However, an impressive 7-run upper-6th innings for Syracuse levelled the score instantly, Bryan DeMond’s 2-RBI double proving to be the best hit, before Schmeling crushed a 2-man home run out of the park to keep Rochester in the lead. By the end of the 8th, the Union were sat 13-10 and looking good for the win, but doubles from Manny Huerta and Nathan Redfern did more than enough to earn Syracuse a game-stealing 4 runs in the upper 9th. “It was one of those do-or-die moments,” said Redfern, originally from the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Despite the defeat, Rochester’s Robert Navarrete became the first man in NYBL history to hit a 20-game hitting streak, after singling in the 9th. Nevertheless, he said afterwards “the loss is the only thing that matters right now. The fact that I can hit means nothing if we’re not winning.” The Dominican is currently on a 0.286 with 9 home runs, 38 RBIs and 33 runs scored. (His run would end at 21 games, on the 18th in Rochester’s 4-3 victory to Albany. Perhaps fittingly, he said “streaks come and go, but winning meant everything to me today.”)

17th June: It took 13 innings, but Queens fans were able to go home from Brooklyn feeling very happy today, as both Justin Stenke and Jonathan Parker hit homeruns at the last to break a 7-innnings deadlock, and took the Diamonds to an 11-7 win over the Knights. With 3 runs and an RBI, Queens DH Manny Cortez was made MVP – as well as breaking the NYBL record for doubles hit in a game, finding 4. Speaking after the game, Cortez said “It was a crazy game – as soon as we equalised in the 6th it just seemed to freeze. If I’d gotten the record and we’d lost, I’d have been kinda annoyed!”

18th June: “I pitched a really good game today, but I guess it just wasn’t to be.” The words of Yonkers starter Mike Lewis probably reflected the thoughts of many a Sixers fan today, as they lost 2-1 to the Staten Island Bulls – courtesy of a C Kyler Dagenais RBI-double in the bottom 9th. After chalking up 4 hits and one run in 122 pitches, the 100-mph man would surely have done enough today with a better performance from his attack, whose only high point was an RBI triple from young shortstop Shane Allen. The game would mark a run of four one-run matches for Yonkers, including a second 9th-inning defeat to Staten Island which saw a 3-man home run from Barry Tutterow.

A happier pitcher, and one who continues to punch above his expected weight, is 30-year-old Queens starting pitcher Joey Idrizi. Having spent the first month of the season playing AAA baseball, no one would have expected him to have recorded #2 shutout for the Diamonds in game #6, but it was his arm and Jaylen Pierce’s slugging power that earned them a 1-0 victory over the Brooklyn Knights. “It’s like living in a dream at the moment,” said the pitcher, whose NYBL ERA sits at 0.84, “and I don’t want it to end.” Pundits have been at a loss to explain his continued success, but a few have pointed out his commanding control of pitches despite his low speed and poor stuff.

19th June: Drawing positive attention to himself in last week’s All-Star game wasn’t enough for Raymond Acret, who managed to win this week’s Player of the Week award after a 9-for-18 week, finding 1 home run and 6 RBIs along the way. A noted gap hitter, the 24-year-old from Adelaide, Australia said “it’s great – I’m proving to myself that I don’t need to be able to slug it to get points on the board for my team.” Manager Manuel Flores noted afterwards “what’s becoming clear is that Acret is learning his role on the team, and that’s fantastic. We believe we have the best catcher in the league right now in Raymond, and we hope to keep it that way.” Acret is batting 0.303 with 4 home runs and 27 RBIs so far.



21st June: The Buffalo Bruisers had an innings to remember today, as all 7 of their runs in their 7-4 victory away at Brooklyn occurred in the 4th innings. After an awkward start for the Bruisers, where Brooklyn left-fielder Ta-heng Fok slammed a solo home run in the first innings, Buffalo regrouped and retaliated a little while later – with spectacular effect. Willy Morales’ solo HR and Andrew Wheeler’s 2-man slug were impressive, but the most damaging was the 2-RBI double from CF Tahir Daulat Khel; while Brooklyn managed another three, including homers from Harry Jolly and Bill Williams, but were unable to close the deficit. Knights’ third-base and MVP Jolly (thanks to two runs, including a homer) said afterwards “I’m obviously disappointed, everyone here is – but I need to stress to all the fans to not get on Matty’s [Boylston] case. Everyone has a rough day, but it’s harder to come back with everyone on your case.” Boylston, 42, is on a 4.63 ERA with a 4-7 record, including 5 straight defeats.

23rd June: Queens’ 15-6 thrashing of the Buffalo Bruisers today showcased an NYBL first – a player hitting the cycle. LF Jonathan Parker is more known for his defensive capabilities than his batting talent (sitting only on a 0.248 right now), but he now owns this special piece of New York baseball history, after singling in the 2nd, hitting a 2-RBI triple in the 3rd, doubling in the 5th, and finally hitting a 2-man home run in the 8th. “I’m honestly amazed to have done it,” the 31-year-old said to waiting press afterwards, “but if it wasn’t for Jaylen [Pierce, CF], Justin [Stenke, 3B], Manny [Cortez, RF] and Omar [Negron, DH], we wouldn’t have won so resoundingly today. So I’d like more attention to go them.”

In other news, in his next game following his disappointment on the 18th, Mike Lewis pulled a remarkable shutout against the Albany Dragons in their 2-0 victory. The 23-year-old seemed delighted at the end of the game, but afterwards expressed a little regret at relinquishing a single hit. “I was so close,” he said afterwards, “but I’m young. I hopefully have time.”

25th June: The Staten Island Bulls delivered a 9th-inning assault with surgical precision today, as they overcame a 4-6 deficit to win 9-6 against their second game of the day against the Syracuse Maples. The Maples, who won the first game of the day 6-3, started positively with a 4-1 lead by the end of the 3rd innings (capped by a 2-man home run from Quincy Kennedy early in said innings). Staten Island’s two runs in the 5th put them back in contention, but after a sterling 8th which saw the Maples’ Danny Gonzalez and Victor Lopez inflict damage, it looked unlikely that the Bulls would get back into the game. However, CF Chris Meche, LF Gary Kindle and 1B Mike Gettings all had a different idea, all hitting doubles with Meche and Kindle’s in loaded base situations – catapulting Staten Island to their final position.

26th June: Player of the Month last month, MVP in the All-Star game a couple of weeks back – it’s amazing Keith Schmeling has taken this long to win a Player of the Week award, but he’s finally done just that after collecting 13-from-29, reaping 2 home runs and 7 RBIs in the process. "Looks like the sky is the limit for Schmeling" read one newspaper the following morning.



27th June: The Queens Diamonds took the Syracuse Maples fans through hell today… twice. Firstly, with Queens 8-5 down in the bottom of the 9th, Edward Sanchez smashed home run #13 of the season with two men on-base, to take proceedings to extra innings. A 2-man homerun from Quincy Kennedy in the 12th seemed like the winner, only for two homeruns in return from Justin Stenke and Alex Inzunza to level things up once more, at 10-10. Jonathan Claxton scrambled around afterwards to get run number 11, but DH Omar Negron hit a double which was converted into a run by Jonathan Parker’s sole hit of the day… and then a scrappy set of plays led to Justin Stenke eventually coming home to score the winner. Queens manager Matt Neumeyer said afterwards that “the guys showed real grit out there today. We were at the races for a while, but this probably caps an impressive month for us.” Queens have gone 16-6 this month so far, and sit at 50-29 overall, comfortably at the top of the City Division.

28th June: Matt Campbell joined the ranks of 20-streak hitters today, singling in the 3rd during Manhattan’s 3-2 defeat to the Brooklyn Knights. The 33-year-old contact specialist said afterwards “the win would have been nice, but it’s good to keep the streaking going too. I’ve got to look after my arms and legs, but for now I’m pleased to own this one.” The Victory shortstop is currently on 0.332 with 111 hits, 5 home runs, 28 RBIs, 61 runs scored and an OBP of 0.385.

29th June: Staten Island’s Shaun Delgadillo had a fantastic game against the Albany Dragons today, hitting 5 balls and contributing towards the 9-2 win with an astounding 4 runs, coming from 5 singles. Amazingly, it only took him 7 innings to achieve the feat too. “I was feeling pretty relaxed today, and that definitely helped out. Just felt right, and I’m glad we were able to take the victory at the end.” Delgadillo is currently hitting a 0.250 with 81 hits, 5 home runs, and 38 runs.

31st June: Victor Lopez seemed gracious when the news of his winning of the Batter of the Month Award was announced today, but revealed himself to be a little troubled by the performance of his team, the Syracuse Maples, as of late. The shortstop, who hit a 0.384 over June with 8 home runs, 32 RBIs and 19 runs scored, said “it’s always going to be lovely to be recognised for playing well, but this comes in the face of my team having lost not only 6 in the last 7 games, but also 5 on the go. I would trade this award for those losses to be wins any day.”

Manny Escamilla did what can be difficult for a relieving pitcher to do, and that’s get noticed – in doing so, winning June’s Pitcher of the Month Award. The 37-year-old Staten Island Bulls player, known for his vicious fastball and well-placed splitter, collected 7 saves and 19 strikeouts in 11 innings, finding an ERA of 0.82 and holding the opposition to a 0.132 batting average this month. “At my age playing day in, day out’s just not doable, but it’s great to know that I’m doing a good job.”

Collecting Rookie of the Month Award #2 this season is Buffalo’s 3B Andrew Wheeler, who over June hit a 0.320, finding 5 home runs, 12 RBIs and 12 runs along the way. Declining to ask questions about where he will be playing next season, the 23-year-old simply said “it’s good to win again, and it shows I’m on the right track. I’m a Buffalo player right now, and that’s all that’s important.”




Standings at the end of June



Team batting and pitching stats




Player batting, pitching and fielding stats