Truly A Field of Dreams
Fifty-eight ball players, just out of high school and college got their chance of a lifetime to play on a “field of dreams” in the 2018 New York Penn League All Star Game at Medlar Field at Labrano Park, State College PA August 14th. Two days of fun festivities, autograph sessions, media interviews, old time picnics, and baseball in an idyllic 5,570 capacity ballpark nestled at the foot of a majestic mountain in a central Pennsylvania valley could not help but jumpstart the participants’ imaginary thoughts about the importance of this life defining event
The lower the level of baseball, the purer the game becomes and the lesser a mighty dollar drives the game. The NY/PA League is usually the first or second stop for college or high school youngsters drafted by major league teams the preceding June. The North squad in this game was composed of players playing their first professional season baseball in picturesque hamlets in Auburn NY, Batavia NY, Norwich CT, Hudson Valley NY, Troy NY, Burlington VT, and Lowell MA, the South in Aberdeen MD, Brooklyn NY (maybe not idyllic), Mahoning Valley Ohio, Morgantown WV, Williamsport, PA, and State College PA,Thirteen (13) major league teams drafted these young players with hopes they would realize the athletic potential that scouts had told them could carry them to the major-leagues. The Washington Nationals, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Rays, Houston Astros, Oakland A’s, and Boston Red Sox, placed players on the North squad, and the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals on the South squad.
Prospect Watch rated only six (6) of these young players, Tyler Freeman (Indians), Delvin Perez (Cardinals), Travis Swaggerty (Pirates), Tyler Frank (Rays), Jeremy Pena (Astros), and Alex McKenna (Astros) in their major league teams’ top 30 prospects, and only one Travis Swaggerty (Pirates) made the list of the top 100 prospects (84th) in minor league baseball. The other 47 ballplayers still had to earn their fame and fortune.Much of a parent major league team’s interest and developmental resources is expended on their 1st through 5th Round draft picks. Three First Round and Compensatory First Round Picks (Travis Swaggerty – Pirates, Tyler Freeman – Indians, and Delvin Perez – Cardinals), two Second Rounder (Tyler Frank – Rays, Chris Betts -Rays), one Third Rounder, (Carlos Cortes – Mets), two Fourth Rounders, (Sean Reynolds – Marlins, and and Alex McKenna – Astros), and one Fifth Rounders (Nick Dunn – Cardinals) played in this game.The remaining 48 players on the North and South rosters were either drafted in the 7th through 32nd rounds (31 players) or signed out of Venezuela (8 players) or the Dominican Republic (7 players) and would have to stimulate greater interest from their parent clubs with a good all star performance.
Ross Adolph Hits a 2- run Triple in bottom of 1st
The mighty feats of the all star game started in the bottom of the first inning when the Mets 12th Round draft pick out the University of Toledo, and South #3 hitter, Ross Adolph blasted a 2-run triple over the out stretched glove of centerfielder Eric De La Rosa. “I was just trying to make sure I was’t going to miss my pitch,” said Adolph. “He had walked the batter before, so I was assuming no one wants to walk two guys in a row in an all star game so I figured he would throw me a fast ball in a 3-2 count. I just relaxed, made sure I didn’t miss and just got the job done.”
The next South batter and cleanup hitter, Edwin Rodriquez brought Adolph in with a sacrifice fly to deep right center-field to give the South a 3-0 lead. In the top of the 2nd, North 2B and Washington Nationals prospect, Kyle Marinconz doubled in Boston baserunner Korby Batesole to make the score 3-1. Not all of the excitement, however, came from the batters, as Mahoning Valley RHP Luis Santos threw a 100 mph fast ball to Sean Reynolds in the top of the 3rd. After the pitch, Santos pointed to the right field wall where the speed was registered before striking Reynolds out with a much slower slider to end the inning.
Indians RHP Prospect Luis Santos Throws a 100 mph Fastball
Adolph did his deed again in the bottom of the 3rd inning with a solo homer over the right field fence to make the score 4-1. “I was feeling pretty good after the first at bat and told myself I was going to take a good hack at the first pitch I saw over the plate.” Pirates 2018 #1 draft pick (10th overall) out of South Alabama and CF, Travis Swaggerty added to the South’s lead in the bottom of the 4th with a 2-run single to make the score 6-1.
Travis Swaggerty Singles in 4th to drive in 2-runs
North pitchers, Tigers Yaya Chentouf, Nationals David Smith, A’s Slater Lee, Astros Austin Hansen and Marlins Manuel Rodriquez shut the South hitters down the 5th – 8th innings.Four players, Eric De La Rosa ( Connecticut Tigers), Travis Swaggerty, Willy Yahn (Aberdeen Iron Birds), and Ross Adolph got two hits, 14 of 17 pitchers threw a shutout inning, 4 pitchers struck out two batters in their IP, and 8 one hitter.Only three players made errors and one combo, West Virginia Pirates Mike Gretzler and Aberdeen Iron Birds 1B JC Escarra executed a a double play.Three players got extra base hits, Orioles Willy Yahn a triple and double, Red Sox Korby Batesole a double, and Ross Adolph a triple and homers.
While the South won the game on the field, a 12th round draft pick, Ross Adolph drove in 3 runs with a 3B and HR, and won the game’s Bush MVP Award. A 23 year old Dominican pitcher threw a 100 mph fast ball. The other 56 players on the field had the thrill of playing in their first professional all star game before 3, 570 fans who acted like they walked on water. Apart from the game, they had the thrill of signing an autograph for an excited 10-year old boy who waited in 20-deep lines just to talk to them. Young smiling ladies they'd never see again asked them to have a selfie taken with them. Down - to earth folks with old time values showed them the way to fame and fortune.