WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Fastpitch Johnny. June 23, 2006: The Chicago Bandits who fell a run short of the NPF Championship last August took command of the NPF the last two nights, dropping the Connecticut Brakettes out of first place with two impressive victories, showing a mix of smart-hitting, pitching depth, short-game execution and speed that pressured the Connecticut Brakettes. With two games left Saturday at 7:05 and Sunday at 5:05 P.M., the Brakettes hope to find their hitting and fielding stride against the relentless Bandits.

 

Fielder’s Choice: Chicago’s Vicki Galindo after backhanding Jessica Merchant’s grounder (Merchant is rounding first)  in the hole and tagging Stephanie Best running by, watches the third base umpire call Stephanie out. The play prevented big damage in the third in the first game of the Bandit series Thursday night in Bridgeport. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

The Brakettes are loaded with strong power hitters,  but despite numerous opportunities to brake the game open against the Bandits Thursday, they could not get the big bop or bingle when they needed it. Bandit speed broke open the game. Patience and intelligence at the plate turned the tide against the Brakettes’ Kaci Clark who pitched into and out of jams, but tired in the fifth and sixth innings as the Bandits overcome a 2-0 deficit with crooked numbers in the 5^th and 4 in the 6th . 

 

The Connecticut Brakettes lost their third straight game Friday night. Sarah Pauly pitched a complete game surrendering two runs on three hits, fanning seven, and one unearned run.

 

Nicole Trimboli, reached on Stephanie Hill error at first. Mackenzie Vandergeest sacriced the runner and catcher Selina Collins singled to right field to give Chicago a 1-0 lead and get the Bandit’s first hit. 

In the sixth, Vicky Galindo got to second on what should have been a single, reaching second when leftfielder Aimee Minor who did not see Galindo sneaking into second base. Pauly missed the fielders choice on the next hitter. Walked Jaime Clark intentionally, but Nicole Trimboli grounded to the right side to drive in the second run.

The unsung heroine of the New York Juggernaut championship season of 2004, Gina Oaks 1-hit the Brakettes after a shaky start, shutting them out 2-0, with Sarah Pauly (4-2) taking the loss.

 

Little Leaguer throws out the first ball Thursday night before opener of the Bandit-Brakette Series. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

Bandit Bounceback

 

You have to like this Bandit club, arriving an hour late due to airplane delays they took the field at 8, and kept Kaci Clark in trouble every inning, taking the diminutive fireballer into long counts, going to school and tiring her out. Of course, the same was happening to Jessica Salinger, because that connoisseur of the strike zone, Clem De Rosa was calling balls and strikes.

 

Fiery Competitor Jessica Salinger throwing heat for the Bandits Thursday night. Photo, WPCNR Sports

 

 

 

Mr. DeRosa savors each pitch like a food critic and if it is not to his taste and just right he calls it a ball, or if it has merit, he calls it a strike. He produces a lot of agitation from both benches with his long counts produced by his picky, inconsistent strike zone. We saw this last week when he was behind the plate for the Racers game. Hitters and pitchers suffer brutally with Mr. DeRosa behind the plate. Thursday evening was not exception.

 

 

The Brakettes  threatened in the second and broke through on a single by Stephanie Best a walk (on 3-2) to Kellie Wilkerson. A fielder’s choice nifty grab by Vickie Galindo, the Bandit third sacker got the second out on sharply hit ball to her backhand side by Jessica Merchant, and she tagged Best out going to third. Then Mr. DeRosa the umpire took over the game.

 

Salinger worked Kelly Kretschman to 3-2 and several fouls that brought groans from both benches, and lost her on a very close pitch to load the bases. Stephanie Hill hit a grounder to short that the Bandit shortstop Jaime Clark lost her grip on and threw it wildly to first, allowing Kellie Wilkerson to score the first run. Christina Enea, the first baser tried to tag Steph coming down, but missed her. Enea throw wildly to Serena Collins at the plate allowing Merchant to score. Kaci Clark had a 2-0 lead.

 

 

Kaci Clark In Motion. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

UCLA’s Andrea Duran debuted for the Brakettes Thursday night. The UCLA star will be with the Brakettes for the season. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

Kaci struck out the side in the fourth and the 150 fans on hand were confident.

 

In the fifth the tiring Clark fell victim to the Bandit speed. Anne Stefan bunted down third way and beat it out for a hit. Vicki Galindo, lefty hitter slap hit sharply deep in the shortstop  hole the Brakettes’ Jess Merchant did not have a play. Two on. Nobody out. Kaci muscled up and struck out Trina Peel. 

 

Jaime Clark the cleanup-woman, attoned for her error in the third and her strikeout in the third with two in scoring position.  She took Kaci’s fastest two pitches of the night for 2 strikes. Then Kaci threw a bad 0-2 pitch –  righty hitting Clark struck the ball on a line to right to the opposite field sharply sinking.  Adrienne Alo making her first start in right for the Brakettes was indecisive as to whether to dive for the ball. She stopped and it skipped off her glove past her 10 feet. She threw to third allowing Steffan to score, to make it 2-1, with Galindo to third and Clark taking second.

 

Clark said of her game-tying hit, “Just trying to not try to outthink her. She was pitching to me. I thought maybe they wouldn’t, so I was being a little bit passive at the plate. If I was going down I was going down swinging so I took the pressure off myself. I think it was a curve ball. It was a good pitch to hit, we had the runner going, so I took advantage of it..yeah…yeah.”

 

With Nicole Tromboli up, Kaci threw a wild pitch 5 feet over catcher Fairchild allowing Galindo to scamper in and tie the score, 2-2. To add insult, Clark induced Tromboli to ground to first holding the runner.

 

Mackenzie Vandergeest had been made to look bad by Kaci her first two times up, striking out twice. Not this time. On a 3-2 pitch, Mackenzie ripped a single up the middle to score Clark with the winning run.

 

After the game Mack told how she adjusted after Clark had struck her out twice:  “She was going outside with a lot of them and I was staying off the rise ball a little bit better. Just made adjustments, shorter swing instead of such a big hack I shortened up a little bit and put it in play.”

 

In the fifth, the Bandits Salinger tried to protect the 1-run lead. The Brakettes attempted to strike back. Kellie Wilkerson worked Salinger for another 3-2 Clem De Rosa walk. Gene Lenti, Bandit Co-Head Coach had had enough. He went out gave Jess the hook and brought in Amy Harre, the fireballing blonde Valkeree.

 

On a 2-0 pitch Harre served one up a little too good to Jessica Merchant and she blasted it into the right centerfield alley to the fence. Wilkerson was at third when the ball was picked up but Patti Fernandez the Brakette third base coach did not send her in to attempt to tie the score.  Harre was still in mucho trouboles.

 

Not to worry. She induced Kelly Kretschmer who is off to a bad start against big league pitching to induce a check swing roller to the circle for an easy out. Wilkerson languished at third.  Next Harre got Stephanie Hill on another late swing grounder to first. End of threat.

 

The Bandits continued their havoc against Kaci Clark in the sixth, scoring four more runs after Kaci was almost out of an inning that started badly.

 

  Stacy May singled sharply through the shortstop hole. Clark hit Annie Steffan in the hand with a pitch. Two on. Nobody out.  Galindo sacrificed the runners up perfectly. Peel hit into a force play. Two down.

 

 Up came Jaime Clark, the clean-up woman and she burned Kace again on the very first pitch to ice the game. On Clark’s first pitch she drove the ball high far and one-hop to the fence in deep right center in the humid night, for a bases clearing triple to score May and Steffan. It was 5-2, Bandits. However the Brakette outfield took a long time getting the ball in. Nicole Trimboli singled to right on a 1-2 pitch to score Clark and it was 6-2.

 

Then the Brakettes lost their concentration on a steal attempt when the catcher’s throw went off the glove of the shortstop into center but no one was backing up. Trimboli scampered to third and centerfielder Kretschman’s throw to third went wild allowing Trimboli to score to make it 7-2.

 

Harre finished off the Brakettes in the sixth and seventh and the Bandits had a surprise win to end a bad travel day.

 

 

 

Friday night the master of subtle movement, Gina Oaks blanked the Brakettes.  Connecticut now trails Chicago by 2-1/2 games for first place with a 7-4 record to the Bandits’ 10-3.  Gametime Saturday is 7:05 P.M.

 

Inside Fastpitch

 

 Bandits Co-Head Coach, Gene Lenti was really pleased about the come-from-behinder win Thursday after the long journey in from Chicago:  “We told them it was a great effort tonight. We had a lot of difficulties travel-wise. They just overcome it. They don’t even think about it. It’s never really a bid deal to them. We don’t allow it to be and they don’t allow it to be. We started off a little shaky, one inning we had a lot of errors and a lot of mistakes but then we came back we just never really gave up. And that’s been the way the Bandits have played ever since we’ve been in existence. No matter what the score, or the situation, we don’t give up. I think that’s indicative of the inning we scored the four runs. It was all with two out.”

 

“We struggled a little bit against China Taipai. They’re a very good team. We took the last two, and we’re in good shape going this way now. We’re working hard out there and putting runs on the board.”

 

Asked how the Bandits were drawing in Chicago, the manager said, “We had our biggest crowd out Monday night against China Taipai, drawing 1,300. Tuesday night, over a thousand. It’s starting to pick a bit. School’s over. Graduations over. We’re starting to get the travel teams coming in.”

 

WPCNR asked what adjustments they made with their hitters against Kaci Clark tonight: “We thought she was really owning the outside part of the plate. She was getting us out on the outsidehalf. In the inning we scored three runs and the 4 runs, we tried to take those outside away from her. You can see we had a lot of balls to rightcenter, rightfield. That’s the thing you got to do. You can’t fight Kaci’s pitches you have to go with them. We didn’t want her to dominate both the outside and the upper part of the plate. So we said let’s get this one on the top of the plate and take away the outside and make it a little bit more the middle.”

 

I asked how he figures out what to do, if the hitters tell him what’s happening:

 

“They’re getting themselves out. It’s different if the pitcher’s getting you out. But you’re getting yourself out when you’re swinging and missing on good pitches over the plate and we’re not making adjustments.  There are some things we want to encourage the pitcher to do and some things we want to discourage the pitcher to do. “

 

The National Pro Fastpitch Standings June 24, 2006:

                                           W      L       GB

Chicago                          10     3        ____

 

Connecticut                     7    4         2-1/2

 

Texas                                 9      6       2-1/2

 

Akron                                 7      5        2-1/2

 

New England                   4      4          5

 

Arizona                              7      8           4

 

Philadelphia                      3       7          5-1/2

 

 

 

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WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. By Town of Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. June 23, 2006: The Deer Park police department in Orange County has created a “Zero Tolerance Means Zero Chances” policy, which prohibits drivers 16-21 years old from taking a plea bargain if ticketed for a traffic violation. They must either plead guilty or go to trial.

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WPCNR City Confidential. By John F. Bailey. © 2006, The CitizeNetReporter. All rights reserved. June 21, 2006: Wendy Rosenbach, spokesperson for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation told WPCNR today that the reason the DEC is asking the city for a testing plan to determine the present state of TCE contamination in the ground water emanating from the city dump is, “the TCE levels didn’t go down that much” after 26 barrels containing “traces” of the contaminent, TriChloroEthylene, a degreaser and cleaning solvent were removed from the dump in 1998-99.

 

Rosenbach said the DEC’s made its decision calling for a new testing plan based on the results of the city ground well monitoring. She said the DEC will be reviewing the testing plan to be submitted by Department of Public Works Commissioner Joseph Nicoletti, and held out the possibility of doing “split-tests” with the city to confirm the city findings.

 

She said today there is no date set for a meeting with the city on the compost operation that Nicoletti presented solutions for May 31.

 

Rosenbach said there was no TCE threat to the city drinking water, but that TCE was in the ground water running off from the site of the compost and city landfill.  She did not have the levels of TCE available.

 

DEC did not require remediation in mid-80s.

 

WPCNR learned from Michael Graessle, Executive Officer of the Del Vecchio Administration, who recalled that the chemical was identified as “carbon tetrachloride” and was discovered in the dump. Graessle said that the DEC said the city did not have to remove that chemical at the time. He recalls:

 

“The best of my recollection the city had been notified by the DEC that there was a contamination of the water flowing down from the West branch of the Mamaroneck River that flows down to Long Island Sound. They discovered the material was a cleaning fluid, my recollection was it was carbon tetrachloride, and it was emanating from their belief at the city’s landfill. Expoloration was done and indeed it was found through some testing to be some 50 gallon drums that had apparently been buried many years earlier. They had rusted through and the content was now leaking out and contaminating the water.

 

There appeared to be some stone underneath that was bowled in shape, so the carbon tet would leak into that and gather there and in rainstorms, it was then flushing up and over the edge of the rock,  then traveling into the water stream and reaching down into the West Branch of the Mamaroneck River. The state then asked that the city not excavate, but rather to test it and monitor the well water. I was a little surprised because I thought it would be more appropriate to dig it up and then relocate the soil and treat it as contaminated soil and remove anymore remaining liquids.  The city had agreed to a 5 year monitoring period and testing wells to go on as long as needed.

 

 

Graessle said he did not recall the removal of the drums reported by Rosenbach to WPCNR.

 

Graessle also recalled as Commissioner of Planning during the Delfino Administration a gas station on Gedney Way experienced a problem with their fuel tanks, also requiring city monitoring. That leakage, he said went into the landfill area. “The state DEC did require the city do to reclamation there. Many people will recall they had a pile of dirt excavated out sitting on the land for more than a year. The city had test wells put on the landfill to test for that.”

 

 

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WPCNR CITY HALL CIRCUIT. June 21, 2006: The Common Council and Mayor Joseph Delfino have scheduled a work session Wednesday at 6 PM in the Mayor’s cozy little comference room to discuss Developer Martin Ginsburg’s request for 5 more stories on his Pinnacle at 240 Main Street; talk over the Performing Arts Center Budget and agreement with the city; chat about the Louis Cappelli request for 408 feet and “mechanical camouflage,”  plus review the beginnings of the Lexington Avenue “Renaissance”. Following the Work Session the Common Council will hold a hearing to have the Comprehensive Plan Review session presented to the Council. Rumors that no public comment will be allowed have been received at this listening post. The Work Session agenda:

1.                  Amended site plan submitted on behalf of Pinnacle-Westchester LLC, to construct 171 unit, 27 story 280 foot residential condominium apartment building, including 293 off street parking spaces in a structured parking garage, and an adjacent 260 Main Street building containing 50 affordable residential rental units.

 

 

2.                  A proposed amendment to Sections 4.4.15 and 4.4.22 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of White Plains submitted by LC Main LLC, with respect to exceptions to building height limitations and the screening of mechanical equipment, and informal site plan application.

 

 

3.                  Capital Projects in relation to Miscellaneous Storm Drain Rehabilitation, and Rolling Stock Acquisition.

 

 

4.                  East Post Road Phase II Urban Renewal Plan.

 

 

5.                  Operating Agreement between the City and the Performing Arts Center.

 

 

6.                  Proposed legislation in relation to the possession and use of air pistols.

 

 

7.                  White Plains Cable Franchise Agreement and Budget Transfer.

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WPCNR PRESS BOX, By Fastpitch Johnny. June 19, 2006: The slugging Akron Racers, the National Pro Fastpitch Champions spent a weekend in Bridgeport, Connecticut and escaped their first trip to the East Coast with a split of the four game series with the Connecticut Brakettes. For Manager John Stratton’s Brakettes it showed America’s legendary amateur team the last 59 years was on a par with the professional champions and was ready for Jennie Finch and the Chicago Bandits coming into town this week. 

 

 

 

 

On the dusty Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame diamond, the greatest players of the fastpitch game cavorted, dove, rallied, battled and blasted homers to the far reaches of the Little Ball Park on Long Island Sound for four straight days. Here Radara McHugh of the Racers prepares to throw the first pitch to Olympic Champion, Brakettes centerfielder,  Kelly Kretschman. That’s the Big Cat, the Olympic champion, Crystl Bustos creeping in at third for the Akron Racers. Bustos threw out Kelly on a slick backhand stop.  Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Two hundred fans saw Akron come back for an 11-10 win yesterday afternoon in a 2 hour and 45 minute slugfest. Whoever said fastpitch had no offense? Not when you have the Brakettes Kelly Kretschman, Jessica Merchant, Kellie Wilkerson and Germaine Fairchild battling the Racers’ Crystl Bustos, Oli Keohohou, Brandi McArthur, Iyhia McMichael, and  Jen Topping. .

Fastpitch Sunset on Saturday night. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

The homestand for the Brakettes finally got the league underway this weekend after a week of rain in the Midwest and Northeast. The Brakettes lost their first homestand to rain, but with serious promoting, webcast radio play-by-play, billboards, and radio spots the Brakettes should generate more fan interest. The Bridgeport media are covering them, and that is a real coup, considering how the New York Juggernaut were shut out cold from all coverage by all New York media their first two years in the league. And, gee, if I had a partner like major league baseball, I wouldn’t have a partner!

 

Split with the Best.

 

Right now, the Brakettes have to be happy about their weekend split with the Racers. They won the first game of the 4-game series last Thursday evening, 3-2 behind Nikki Myers, the punktough-pony tailed sparkplug of a pitcher, who gained her third victory of the season. Denise Denis homered off Brandi McArthur for the winning margin after the Brakettes Stephanie Hill (of LSU) had singled home 2 runs in the third and Myers made the runs stand up, fanning the Racers’ Amber Hall on a change to end the game with 2 Racers on.

 

 

Friday evening, K.C. Clark started for the Brakettes and fell victim to the one bad inning syndrome.  The Racers jumped Clark for 7 runs in the second inning, sending 11 girls to the plate, but the inning may have turned on a critical 3-2 pitch when after a single, hitsbatsperson and a single loaded the bases for Akron.  K.C. fanned Emily Price with the sacks full of Racers, but was squeezed twice on 2-2 an two very close pitches on the corner resulting in a bases-loaded walk to Tracy McCoy forcing in the first run to make it 1-0. Designated Player Brandi McArthur was up next and K.C. made a 4-run mistake. McArthur hit her first pitch high, far and deep into the Brakette bullpen for a grand-slammer to make it 5-0. Three more singles and a ground out made it 7-0 and the Racers Amy Kuyler, the former Sacremento Sunbird and New England Riptide hurler set down the Brakettes the rest of the way for a 7-1 win. Not that the Brakettes did not have their chances, leaving 3 runners on in the third and 2 in the 4^th and 2 in the 5^th.

 

Saturday evening it was the Brakettes turn to longball with Sarah Pauly, the long tall right hander in the circle. The Racers broke on top 2-0 in the second inning on a walk to Jen Topping and a double by  Karen Benyi. With two out Amber Hall cracked a double on the first pitch to the rightcenterfield fence to score the two Racers ahead of her but Kellie Wilkerson in right gunned down Hall trying to stretch the single into a double.

 

Saturday Night Blasting.

 

The Brakettes came right back in the last of the second, when Racers’ Radara McHugh gave up a single to secondbaser Stephanie Hill, hit Germaine Fairchild with a very close pitch that Racer Manager Judy Martino questioned. Aimee Minor singled to center to load the bases after taking a very close pitch for ball 3 on a 2-2 pitch. The Racers Martino questioned that call too and the plate umpire walked over and told off the Racers coach, saying “They’ll be no discussion of balls and strikes.” When Martino questioned “Why?” with a shrug of her shoulders, the umpire said “Because I have a chip on my shoulder, that’s why.”

 

On the next sequence featuring a close 0-2 pitch,  Brakette catcher Callie Piper singled to right on a 1-2 pitch to make it 2-1. Emily Sobel grounded into a force at the plate and Kelly Kretschman in the leadoff spot lofted a shallow fly halfway down the rightfield line. McHugh was almost out of the jam. Manager John Stratton elected not to send Minor in from third for the tie and there were 2 out.

 

There She Goes! Stephanie Best, ponytail flying, bottom of picture watches her Grand Slam Homer in the second inning Saturday night that was the big blow in the Brakettes 9-3 win. Radara McHugh in the circle watches the majestic shot. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

Stephanie Best, Brakette second baser came to the plate. McHugh threw a first pitch “strike” in Stephanie’s wheelhouse and with a crack of metal on cowhide that sounded like an ax hitting a tree, Best sent it with great majesty to deep left field. A towering drive. No doubt about it. Best circled the bases with a grand slam to make it 5-2 Brakettes.

 

Jessica Merchant Caps the 7-Run Rally with a long one over the centerfield fence. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

After Kellie Wilkerson walked,  Jessica Merchant All American from the University of Michigan added another 2-run shot over the centerfield fence to make it 7-2. Has the NPF juiced the “softball” or what?  Merchant hit a second two-run dinger in the 5^th to make it 9-2. Crystl Bustos hit a solo shot off Sarah Pauly to make the final score 9-3.

 

The Blaster: Crystl Bustos, the USA Softball Olympic Champion rounding third after her roundtripper Saturday night. Crystl’s blast carried to the scoreboard in deepest right center and sounded like a crack a thunder. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

 

Donnybrook on a Sunday.

 

Sunday afternoon in 90 degree heat and humidity, a remarkable fastpitch game was played. Nikki Myers returned to the circle but the Racers loaded the bases and Oli Keohohou blasted a grand slam homer to put the Racers on top 5-0. The Brakettes came back on a 5 run fourth inning to take the lead 10-8. Amy Kyler winner of Friday’s game came in for Brandi McArthur and held the Brakettes off, then held on to win the game as Akron rallied for three runs off Sarah Pauly  to win a split, 11-10.  Kyler fanned Emily Sobel on a called third strike with two on in the last of the sixth to preserve the lead, and in the bottom of the seventh, after Kretschman singled, she fanned Stephanie Best and Kellie Wilkerson on called thirds to send the Akrons back to Ohio with a split.

 

The Brakettes and the Racers each have good pitching but not that overpowering stopper like Amanda Scott or the elite Finch. The Brakettes may get that overpowererette this nd if Cat Osterman, the University of Texas graduate decides to join the team. Manager John Stratton says Osterman is sorting out a number of possibilities, and as of now has not made up her mind.

 

Seven Best Teams in America

 

The Brakettes and the Racers are formidable hard-hitting clubs. The Brakettes are strong up the middle with Stephanie Best at second and Jessica Merchant at short with Stephanie Hill alternating with Kellie Wilkerson at first. The elegant competitor Germaine Fairchild, returned from the Juggernauts (after their move to Allentown), holds down the catcher spot. The outfield features  Aimee Minor in left, Kretschman the Olympic Champion in center and Wilkerson in right. Manager Stratton can call on Denise Denis and Julie Brooks  and Jen Owens to alternate as the NPF schedule goes on.

 

After a week of play, the Brakettes have the best record in the NPF at 7-2, a half-game ahead of the Chicago Bandits who come on in for a big four game series this weekend starting Thursday evening at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field…an easy shot out I-95 to Exit 30, Lordship Boulevard. Allow time for the Friday night traffic though.

 

Baird and Stratton: Architects of Excellence.

 

We asked Brakette General Manager Bob Baird how the transition into the new league is going, and how the Brakettes are drawing: “Disappointing in the beginning of the year when we lost those three games at home (to rain) and three in Philadelphia, we’ll end up playing them all sooner or later. They will be made up. We’ve sold over 230 season tickets. We’re happy with what it is. Ask me that next week when Chicago’s here and you can’t get a seat.”

 

Bob Baird. General Manager, Connecticut Brakettes.

Photo Capture from Brakettes Website.

 

Asked how Manager Stratton and he put the team together Baird said, “John does most of the personnel things. We talk a lot about who we want to pick and everything. We work together on the draft. It wasn’t too hard this year because we had a lot of former Brakettes came back to us. And we took nine from last year’s team. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist.”

 

We asked if America’s favorite “Cat” (Osterman) would be in a Brakette jersey soon, and found out the Brakettes will be strengthened with two new stars from the college ranks.

“We hope so. That would be nice wouldn’t it. We’ll find out this week. We’re getting Andrea Duran from UCLA, and Adrienne Alo from Oregon State. They’re coming in Tuesday morning. They’re still in school. They’re in a trimester system on the West Coast.”

 

We asked how the Bandit series shapes up. “The presale for the Bandits has been unbelievable.”

 

Casey Stengel of Softball

 

WPCNR caught up with Manager John Stratton, the “Casey Stengel” of softball, who manages games with aplomb and never seems to get rattled, who not only looks like Stengel, but talks like him too, and is such an ambassador for the game. I asked him how the competition has gone so far:

 

John Stratton, Manager. Connecticut Brakettes.

 Photo Capture from Brakettes website.

 

“Well the competition is super. We had three Olympians on that field tonight against us and three on our own team. The big guns on our team came out tonight and hit some good shots. The competition is fierce. The competition is very good. Every team is very good. This team (the Racers) won it last year with the players they had here today. And they beat us last night 7-1. Our pitcher had one bad inning, and after that she shut them down. You get good pitching, decent pitching and score a few runs and you’re o.k. So you have to have a combination of both. All the teams do.”

 

I asked him about his new players:

 

“We’re getting two, unless Cat Osterman comes in. Maybe Saturday’s game she’ll pitch against Chicago. They’re trying to arrange a Finch-Cat game. It’s a little trouble getting her in because she just got out of school. She just got out of trials for the Olympic team. Right now her menu is pretty full, endorsements, everybody’s jumping on her back they want her to come in and endorse their product. Right now she’s kind of tired. She told me that, she’d love to come in and play, but she’s awfully tired. All my pitchers will be ready to go Thursday night.”

 

I asked about the rest of the league:

 

 “Texas is a good team. We split with them last year. Chicago knocked us off  four last year but every game was good. We never played Arizona, so we don’t know anything about them. It doesn’t make any difference they’ve taken the best players in the country and put them on 7 different teams. It makes it (the NPF) interesting and it makes it good. You hit a ground ball somebody’s going to catch it. These guys will make errors but most of the time they catch it You practice more. The amateur teams you play on the weekend, you wouldn’t practice during the week. These guys have to practice a couple of times a week then they play their games. The competition is super.”

 

 

 

Young players learn by watching

 

The Brakettes Manager was disappointed about one thing:

 

“the only thing that bothers me is young girls, young people in this game do not support the game. This place should have been filled with young softball players. How do they expect to learn if they don’t come out and watch the best play. I don’t understand why they don’t come for $5. I spent my life going to ball games. That’s how I learned to play. I went to Yankee Stadium. When I started softball I went to every softball game. I’ll stop in the middle of the road we’ll be on the way home from Florida, and I’ll see a softball game and I’ll go over and watch it if it’s a good game. It’s fun to watch it. I don’t understand why these young girls don’t get out and do it. So any league team can come in here free. It’s clean, no smoking, no beer. It’s clean and nice. It’s costing people a lot of money to do this and they have to get something back once in awhile  otherwise it dies. We can’t let that happen.”

 

The first pitch

 

We talked first pitch hitting: Stephanie Best hit a grand slam on the first pitch Saturday night,  instead of looking. We asked the softball master his philosophy on swinging on the first pitch:

 

“My philosophy is simple. If you go for the first pitch, never be late. In other words, when you go for it, you better go for it with everything you got and you get it out front. Don’t go for it behind. Don’t be late. If you decide you want to go on that first pitch, you give it everything you got. Don’t hold anything back (in your swing). You got two more comin’ to ya.”

 

But, if you’re late on it and you pop it up that’s bad. You don’t want to do it.Even if it’s a bad pitch. Yogi Berra for years lived on bad pitches as a baseball player because he went after them with everything he had. As far as the first pitch, go for it. Don’t be late.”

 

Brakette Breaks: The Brakettes announced their softball clinics for up and coming younger players beginning this week June 22 at Frank DeLuca Hall of Fame Field in Stratford and Short Beach Recreation Complex on Long Island Sound…

 

 June 22-23  and June 26-27 will be for Beginning Pitchers.  June 29-30, for Advanced Pitchers. July 1 the Brakettes will hold a catching clinic taught by the incomparable Germaine Fairchild, Brakettes catcher. On July 10-11, the Clinics will be for Offense/Hitting and July 13/14 Defense/Fielding.  Clinics are held in the mornings from 9:30 A.M. to 12 Noon.  My daughter, Juliana Bailey learned to pitch with the Brakettes clinics, and honed her defensive skills in these clinics, and was thrilled to be taught by the Brakettes players and I recommend the clinics for all young players who want to improve their game.  For information on the clinics, costing approximately $70 each (and a bargain!)  contact (203) 378-7262.

 

 

For information on the Chicago Bandits series beginning Thursday night, go to the Brakettes website at www.ctbrakettes.com.  

 

Why They Play: Members of the Easthaven Little League All-Stars watch the Brakettes warming up in the pregames up-close and personal. Photo, WPCNR Sports