99 wrapped up its regular season with an 11-5 loss to J&M Schwarz.

Although the team was disappointed with that game’s result, there is a lot to be proud of from this season.  Due to injuries and a slow start to the season, there were a few instances where the season looked like it could turn downhill.  However, the team always bounced back with highlights including a win over then-undefeated VFW (which followed a tough week of practice after a 15-2 loss to EHC) and hard-fought wins over Daily Gazette and Elks which were needed to keep 99 in the playoff race.

Each of the players made great strides in 2010 and has a bright future:

Tommy Kretzler:  A member of the 99 (and L-Ken’s) team for 3 years, Tommy put up astounding numbers, both at the plate and on the mound, making him one of the very best players in the league.  Tommy has been the workhorse pitcher on the staff, putting together several masterpiece performances. Perhaps his best was in 2009 against a Vellano team that ended up 28-0. Tommy put all zeroes on the scoreboard that day and likely would have given Vellano its only loss of the season if not for a rainstorm that delayed the game by a day (ending his pitching for that game).  At the plate, Tommy had perhaps the greatest weekend in Colonie Little League history, going 8-for-8 including starting a game with 3 consecutive homers (thought to be a Colonie record).  We wish Tommy the very best the rest of this baseball season and with the rest of his very promising baseball career.

Mike Megyeri:  Big Mike had a big season in 2010, being among the league leaders in all hitting and pitching categories.  Mike saved his best for last, becoming the only league pitcher in 2010 to throw a no–hit, no-walk game on Saturday night.  Mike has spent 4 years with this team and became a team leader this season.  You won’t find a more competitive kid than Mike, but that doesn’t prevent him from being a class act when an opponent has success.  At the plate, Mike put up huge numbers this season and often saved his biggest hits for the biggest moments - the most memorable being a 3-run homer with his team down 3 runs with 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th against Vellano.   We look forward to following the rest of Mike’s season and his promising baseball career in Babe Ruth and beyond.

Matt Coons:  Matt gave the team a great spark when he returned from injury earlier this season.  In his first week back, Matt has a dramatic extra-innings hit that drove in the tying and winning runs against Vellano.

Matt also came through in the clutch a few weeks later against EHC, tying the game with 2 outs in the 6th.  On the mound, he put together several impressive performances the past two seasons, including a couple of no-run starts in 2009.  Matt is a kid with a good speed and a strong arm who should make a really good transition to the bigger field at Babe Ruth.

Matt Holmes:  Matt was a big piece of 99’s puzzle in 2010, working extremely hard to become the team’s first baseman and putting together quality at bats.  Matt’s big highlight was against Daily Gazette when he lined a single to right field to score the tying and winning runs (and got mobbed by his teammates in the process!).  It was a joy to watch Matt’s improvement during preseason and during the season.  He is a powerful kid, who with a little more experience can become a batter who can drive balls into the gaps on the bigger fields.  Matt is also a great kid who his coaches and teammates admired.

Kenny Abel:  Kenny has improved a lot over the last 2 seasons, both at the plate and in the field, and has been a key in the improvement of the outfield’s defense.  On Tuesday Kenny made as good a play as you’ll see, ranging far to his left to “snowcone” a ball that looked like a sure extra-base hit.  Kenny also hit several balls hard, producing several RBI’s and some tough-luck outs.  He is a strong kid who could become one of the team’s top power hitters next season.  In his opportunities on the mound, Kenny performed very well and he we should get more opportunities there in 2011 with the departures of Tommy, MIke, and Matt.

Michael Johnson:  Michael made great strides during his first majors season in all aspects of the game.  He has a smooth stroke at the plate that was starting to pay dividends the second half of the season.  He also manned all 3 outfield positions well and ran the bases well.  Michael will be in the pitching mix for 2011 and could be one of those kids who makes a big jump his 12-year old season.

Brendan Mulson:  Brendan continued his development as one of the best all-around players in the league.  Defensively, you won’t find too many 10 year olds anywhere that can play multiple infield positions as well as he can.  Brendan is also a very heady baserunner.  He also had a very successful season pitching, a role that was bigger than expected due to some injuries.  At the plate, the last 2 seasons, Brendan has shown that he has what it takes to hit balls hard against the older kids.  Now that he’ll be one of the “older kids”, the sky’s the limit.

Jason Andersen:  Jason’s primary duty was to take over for star catcher Kevin Ryan behind the plate, and he did a great job.  Highlights included catching Mike Megyeri’s no-hit, no-walk game on Saturday and throwing out 2 kids attempting to steal on Tuesday.  At the plate, Jason made a nice progression from last year and had several big hits, including a 3-hit, 3 RBI game against then-first place Elks.  Jason’s pitching season was curtailed by an injury, but hopefully he’ll be healthy enough to get back on the mound next season.

Spencer Wall:  Spencer blew away all expectations in 2010, becoming one of the team leaders in getting on base and producing some big hits.  He was equally successful on defense and on the mound.  Spencer played multiple positions, particularly second base and right field and made several tough plays at these positions.  Spencer also turned in several very solid pitching outings, throwing strikes and keeping the ball down.  We can’t wait to see his further development the next two seasons.

Nate Franchi:  Nate was everything we hoped he would be - and then some, showing he’s the team’s “utility man” and one of its headiest players.  In his first season in majors, following some successful games at 2nd base and 3rd base, Nate was pressed into duty to catch 99’s 12-year old “flame throwers” in the middle of the season, and Nate proved he was up to the task.  Nate set up location perfectly and showed his quickness and effort to prevent baserunners from taking extra bases.  Nate is also a strong baserunner - one of the best on the team on getting a “jump” to take the extra base on passed balls.  He is also very coachable.  With another year of experience to refine his swing, Nate will be a very solid all-around player the next two seasons.

Matt Clough:  Matt showed great improvement, likely from an increase in confidence, over the course of the season.  At the plate, a little after halfway through the season, Matt started producing a string of quality at bats, swinging the bat aggressively, picking up hits, and hitting the ball hard.  In the field, Matt showed equal improvement manning the 3rd base position.  In a close game, Matt made back-to-back nice plays to throw runners out.  Matt also showed some promise in scrimmages as a pitcher and will be worked out there in the future.

Peter Lafrumento:  The first majors season at that age is always a struggle, especially for a 9-year old.  Peter, however, kept his head up all season and will have this season’s experiences as a building block for next season.  Peter is a strong kid who can drive the ball and throw hard, making him a promising prospect at the plate and on the mound.  He also has good hands which he showed while making some nice plays at 3rd base.  Peter works very hard to improve, which will help him develop into a solid player.

On Saturday evening against JT Garry, with a chance at a playoff berth on the line, 99 needed someone to step up and perform at their very best.  Mike Megyeri did just that. Mike became the first pitcher in the majors division this season to pitch a no-hit, no-walk game. His team needed every quality pitch of his performance, as the opposing pitcher held

99 to only 2 hits in a game that ended up as a 2-1 victory for 99.  The limited offense in the game was produced mainly by Spencer Wall and Tommy Kretzler.  In the bottom of the 1st inning, Spencer, hitting from the leadoff spot for the first time all season, battled through a 9-pitch at bat to earn a walk.  Spencer got to third base with good baserunning and then scored on Tommy’s hard-hit groundout.  The other 99 run scored when Tommy doubled in pinch runner Nate Franchi.  Jason Andersen had 99’s other hit and did a good job working “location” as Mike’s catcher.  Michael Johnson listened to the game plan took one of the opposing pitcher’s outside pitches to right field but was robbed by the first baseman.  On defense, Brendan Mulson had several plays at first base and made them all flawlessly, including snagging a throw off of the dirt on the final play of the game.

There was a very scary moment in the 3rd inning when Spencer was hit in the side of the face with a pitched ball.  Through quick help by the coaches, concession staff, and his mom, Spencer was able to ice the area and control the pain.  We were very happy to see him doing much better after the game (but he assured us that in spite of his smile, he was still in pain!)  We hope to see him back and hopefully feeling a lot better for our final regular season game on Tuesday.

In a battle for 3rd place, Eastern Heating & Cooling beat 99 by a score of 12-4.  Tommy Kretzler tied the league lead with his 5th home run of the season.  99 had some good at bats (Kenny Abel, Mike Megyeri, and Brendan Mulson produced the other hits), but EHC’s defense turned several hard-hit balls (including two by Matt Clough) into outs.  99 also played some good defense with Matt Holmes handling a few tough plays at first base.

The Challenger Game on Sautrday morning was one of the most enjoyable games of the season if you ask any of the parents sitting there watching that day.  Great job boys and girls and our hats are off to those folks who are in charge of the Challenger Division.  Kudos!

Saturday, May 29, 2010.

With Daily Gazette continuing to make a push for the coveted 4th place spot (and last playoff berth), 99 had to come up big for the third time this week - this time against first-place Colonie Elks.  99 responded with its best all-around game of the season, having hard hits against all four of Elks’ ace pitchers and pitching and playing defense to hold their big bats down.  The final score was 10-5.  Highlights include Mike Megyeri pitching 5 awesome innings, being as efficient as he’s been all season to keep his pitch count down, walking only 1 while striking out 9.  Matt Coons came in to shut the door in the 6th.  At the plate the contributions were from many.  Jason Andersen was 3-3 with 3 RBI.  Matt Clough made the 99 crowd and players erupt with a line drive RBI single to left.  Peter Lafrumento layed down a picture-perfect bunt that would have been an RBI single if not for a very nice play by Elks’ athletic pitcher.  A key aspect to Saturday’s game was the baserunning.  Nate Franchi and Tommy Kretzler helped create runs by getting a good jump and aggressively taking the extra base on grounders or pitches in the dirt.  Defensively Matt Holmes and Spencer Wall combined to close off the right side of the infield.  Wall also had a key RBI single in the 3-run first inning.  Mike Johnson had a very good at bat that led to a big inning that allowed 99 to extend its lead to 10-2 at one point.  After a few days off, 99 plays 3rd place Eastern Heating and Cooling on Thursday in another key game.

Thursday, May 27, 2010.

99 beat Vellano 13-3 to remain in 4th place in the standings.

Both Tommy Kretzler and Mike Megyeri went 4-for-4 at the plate to lead to the offense and provide support for pitchers Brendan Mulson and Spencer Wall who pitched very well.  Matt Clough made a key defensive contribution with back-to-back nice plays at 3rd base.  Kenny Abel crushed a single up the middle that hit the leg of the opposing pitcher, Andrew Dinovo, who showed that he is one of the toughest kids in the league by somehow remaining in the game to pitch.

Game 13:

Needing a win to realistically stay in the playoff race, 99 came up with perhaps their best performance of the season.  Playing against the talented Daily Gazette team, Tommy Kretzler started the game with a double that led to 2 runs being scored following good at bats by Mike Megyeri, Jason Andersen, and Spencer Wall.  Later in the game Peter Lafrumento and Matt Clough reached base to help 99 tack on runs that they would end up needing.

Tommy Kretzler allowed just 1 run in the first 5 innings.  After Kretzler reached his pitch count following a couple of baserunners reaching in the 6th, Brendan Mulson came in and secured the 4-3 win by pounding the strike zone.  In the field Mike Megyeri gunned down a runner at home plate with Jason Andersen (doing a good job at catcher after being injured the previous few weeks) blocking the plate and applying the tag.  Megyeri and Matt Holmes also teamed up for a key force out at 3rd base.

Game 12:

VFW beat 99 5-1.  Mike Megyeri and Tommy Kretzler combined to allow just 2 hits, but 99 was able to muster just 1 hit against opposing pitcher Jake Johnson.  Peter Lafrumento made a good play at 3rd base to prevent a run.

Game 11

99 beat JMS 11-5.  Highlights include Mike Megyeri’s home run, Brendan Mulson and Matt Coons pitching well, and Nate Franchi making several nice plays at 3rd base.

Saturday:

Tommy Kretzler started what would turn out to be an incredible weekend by pitching 1-hit ball over 5 innings and hitting a single, double, and triple while driving in 3 runs.  JT Garry, however, came back with 4 runs in the bottom of the 6th to beat 99 by a score of 5-4.

Sunday:

Great athletes talk about entering “The Zone”, when everything seems to be in slow motion for them and they can do no wrong.  If Saturday’s performance wasn’t evidence enough of Tommy Kretzler being in The Zone, then his historic performance on Sunday made everyone in attendance a believer.  Tommy, in his first 3 at bats against second-place Eastern Heating & Cooling, became the first Colonie Little League majors player in many years (perhaps ever) to hit 3 home runs in a single game.  Each blast was more impressive than the previous - each soaring over the left-center field fence in “no doubt about it” style.  Tommy followed up the 3 homers with 2 clutch singles to lead 99 back from a 9-3 deficit to tie the game with 2 outs in the 6th.

Unfortunately, the opponent scored 3 runs in the top of the 7th to win the game 12-9.

Tommy’s performance will be one talked about for years, but every kid on the team made contributions to bring the team back from the 6-run deficit.

Brendan Mulson and Matt Coons delivered clutch, two-out, run-scoring singles in the game-tying rally and also pitched well in relief.  Michael Johnson made 2 nice catches in right field.  Mike Megyeri pitched well, played short well, and hit the ball hard, producing a single and getting robbed on another one.  Spencer Wall continues to produce quality at bats and played very well in the field in his first game action at 1st base.

Jason Andersen and Nate Franchi have hit into hard-luck outs but continue to find ways to get on base and also have been very valuable by playing multiple positions all over the field.  Kenny Abel had a hard-hit single and was robbed of another one (a recuring theme this weekend) on a diving stop by the shortstop.  Matt Clough and Peter Lafrumento are gaining confidence each day - the key during kids’ first year in the majors division playing against much older kids.

In spite of the two losses over the weekend, the team is very optimistic following it’s great comeback on Sunday and more and more kids hitting the ball hard on a consistent basis.  It should also be noted that the team’s pitching has been outstanding all season.  Due to injuries, seven kids have gotten multiple innings of work, and each has thrown strikes and kept his team within striking distance of victory in virtually every game.  This depth will pay dividends during the 2nd half of the season.  Next game is Wednesday against JM Schwarz who played in the own “Instant Classic” on Sunday, beating first-place Elks 4-3.

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