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Sunday, August 5
Cooperstown 2007 Day 1 & 2-
The 12U ROX have been having a great time in Cooperstown. Cheyne Sanfilippo started off during the opening ceremonies and skills competitions on Saturday by coming in third in the Road Runner contest. He was only two tenths of a second behind the winner. That's flying around the bases!
Sunday was the start of the seeding games, and after two games the boys are 2-0! They really played together, with lots of teamwork, some great hitting, strong pitching and sharp defense. In game 1 the boys defeated the Southern Maine Dawg Pound 14-3. They scored the 14 runs on 18 hits... a team high with runs being scored in every inning but the third, and in that inning the boys did leave the bases loaded! It was one of those great games where everyone hits, and the hitting is contagious! Cole Murray pitched a strong four innings, holding the Dawg Pound to two runs on two hits with four strikeouts and walking only one. Chase Rhodes pitched a scoreless fifth inning; and Adrian Blanco closed out the sixth, giving up just one more run.
In game 2 they defeated the Connecticut Storm in an exciting game by a score of 10-6. After the top of the third the boys were down 5-2, but they came back in the bottom of the third to score two runs to narrow the gap. After holding the Storm scoreless in the top of the fourth, the first batter up for the ROX in the bottom of the 4th, Sean Toma, hit the first pitch over the left field fence to tie it up. That started a hitting frenzy that scored five more to put the game away. Strong pitching by Kevin Norman and Ryan Saltz, and good defense held the Connecticut team to six runs on 11 hits, with 4 strike-outs and only 1 walk.
The hitting stars for the day were "Birthday-Boy" Sean Toma (6 for 7 with two home runs); Frey Chu (4 for 5 with a home run, 2 doubles and a triple); Cheyne Sanfilippo (4 for 6); Jake Garmon (3 for 4); Chase Rhodes (3 for 6 with a double); and James Clothier (2 for 3 with a double). Also contributing hits to the cause were Ryan Saltz, Jayden Kim, Abner Rodriguez, Matt Locklear and Adrian Blanco.
The defensive play of the day was a double-play started by Abner Rodriguez at second, who flipped to Kevin Norman at second, who fired to first to get the first two outs in the top of the sixth. Best defensive play in the first game was a line-drive into the hot corner, and James Clothier got his glove on it for the last out of the inning.
More excitement to come tomorrow...
 | | ROX Mom's having fun! |  |
Monday, August 6
First Day Photo's!
|  | | Cheyne Sanfilippo takes 3rd in Road Runner Competition! |
Monday, August 6
Cooperstown 2007 Day 3-
If you thought yesterday sounded exciting, just wait until you hear about today!
The 12U ROX continued their hot hitting and pitching, and their solid defense in their first game against The Nevada Outlaws. The boys scored in every inning, and defeated the team from Reno 16-7. Cheyne Sanfilippo was the first batter in the first inning, and his blast over the fence set the tone for the game. In his second at-bat... another blast over the fence. James Clothier and Sean Toma were both 3 for 4 in that game; Adrian Blanco and Joe Dunleavy each had two hits, and Jayden Kim, Matt Locklear, Abner Rodriguez, James Carrig and Ryan Saltz all contributed a hit to the effort for a total of 17 hits.
In game 2 they defeated the Mountain Brook Spartans in the closest game so far in the tournament. The stellar defense took a couple of innings off in the afternoon game, and the boys had to do it the hard way. The ROX went up 3-0 in the second inning on hits from Joe Dunleavy, Cole Murray, James Carrig and Matt Locklear. The Spartans from Alabama scored four in the top of the third on several ground balls that seemed to find their way through the infield untouched. The ROX came back in the bottom of the third to score two more on hits from Cheyne Sanfilippo, Sean Toma and Jake Garmon to take the lead. Two more runs in the fourth on a hit from Cole Murray, a walk to Jayden Kim and a couple of scoring fly balls gave the ROX the three-run cushion they thought would give them the win.
Those pesky Spartans hit more of those bloopers in the top of the fifth to tie the game. A scoreless sixth sent the game into extra innings. The bottom of the seventh started with a single from Cole Murray, but the 2-run walk-off home run by Jayden Kim gave the ROX the win and sent the stands full of ROX fans into a screaming, jumping, dancing frenzy!
Abner Rodriguez, Jayden Kim and James Clothier pitched in the first game, holding the Nevada team to only seven runs on six hits. In the second game, Sean Toma pitched five strong innings, and Frey Chu came in to shut down the Spartans for the last two innings to give the offense a chance to save the day.
Tomorrow will have two more games on tap, as well as our trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame... sure to be a highlight for any baseball fan!
Tuesday, August 7
Cooperstown 2007 Day 4-
Only one game today. The second game was cancelled moments before it was to start since the thunder and lightning were on the way, and I don't mean the thunder from the ROX bats and the lightning fast ROX defense. This was mother-nature sending everyone scurrying for cover.
Today's one game was against Endless Mountain Bullets from PA, and the 12U ROX defeated them 17-4 for their first "mercy" win. They had 19 hits and 17 runs in their fifth straight victory of the tournament, giving them a record of 5-0 and a current ranking as the 8th seed. The final seedings won't come until tonight's games are made up tomorrow morning.
The hitting star of the game was Cheyne Sanfilippo, who went 4 for 4 and is hitting .857 for the tournament. The other big bat for the ROX was Joe Dunleavy who hit a pinch-hit, three-run, walk-off home run to end the game. Jayden Kim, James Clothier, Chase Rhodes and Abner Rodriguez each had 2 hits, and Adrian Blanco, Matt Locklear, Cole Murray, Ryan Saltz and Sean Toma contributed hits to the barrage.
James Clothier pitched four strong innings, and Matt Locklear came in to close it out.
The highlight of the day was the trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame, where the boys spent all afternoon walking around and finding photos and momentos of their favorite players... old and new, and soaking in the history of their favorite sport.
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Wednesday, August 8
Cooperstown 2007 Day 5-
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The morning game against The South Shore Rebels was the last seeding game and the ROX defeated the boys from New York 7-2. We had 10 hits total, and the hitting stars of the game were Jake Garmon (3 for 3); Kevin Norman (2 for 3); and Ryan Saltz (2 for 3). Jake also pitched four scoreless innings. That victory gave the ROX an undefeated 6 and 0 record after the seeding games, and gave the boys a huge, three-game bye to start the elimination part of the tournament.
The first elimination game was against the Foster City Buccaneers. The boys struggled a little at the plate, and found themselves down 5-3 going into the bottom of the sixth. Chase Rhodes got a hit, Sean Toma walked, and Jayden Kim hit into a fielders choice that took Chase out. Ryan Saltz got a hit to load the bases, and Joe Dunleavy hit one up the middle to score Sean and tie the game. Next up was Cole Murray, and he blasted a hit up the third baseline to score Jayden and give the ROX the win. Frey Chu, Ryan Saltz and Kevin Norman combined for a great pitching performance.
The ecstatic cheering section will be back at 8:30 AM for the next elimination game against the Desert Firebirds from Arizona... that's 5:30 PST!
 | | ROX 12U 7-0 |
Thursday, August 9
Cooperstown 2007 Day 6-
The glorious, unprecedented 7-0 winning streak came to an end when they encountered the #9 seeded, high-energy, Desert Firebirds from Arizona. The ROX ran out of energy and their bats ran out of hits. They were out of the tournament at the sweet-sixteen, equalling last year's great performance.
A traditional lunch at Brooks Barbecue, the closing ceremonies and a night at home with their families capped off a great tournament experience... one the boys will never forget.
Thursday, August 2
ROX 13U go 3-0 in Triple Crown World Series!
Our ROX 13U team are off to a great start in Colorado! They defeated the Utah Screwballs, Texas Power Station White and the PPCBA Storm from Colorado to finish pool play 3-0. Out of 56 teams they are the #4 seed! They will play two games tomorrow.Way to go ROX!
Friday, August 3
ROX 13U move into Final 8!
With an 11-1 victory over the New Mexico Dogmen in the morning and a win over the Oklahoma Rockies this afternoon, the ROX move into the Final 8 in the Triple Crown World Series!
Saturday, August 4
ROX 13U remain undefeated!
The ROX continue to roll in a dramatic win over the Long Beach Dodgers 9-8. Down 8-6 in the bottom of the last inning and with 2 runners on, Jon Model hits a walk off homerun to win the game !
In their second game, behind the pitching of Cole Moeller, the ROX win by a mercy 11-0.
Go ROX!
Sunday, August 5
ROX roll on into the Championship!
The ROX 13U continue to tear it up in Colorado! They faced the Lonestar Baseball Club from Texas this morning in the semi-finals and dominated in a 11-1 victory and await to see who they play in the Championship game at 2:45pm.
Way to go ROX!
Sunday, August 5
ROX WIN WORLD SERIES!
The ROX go undefeated and win it all at the Triple Crown World Series in Steamboat Springs, Colorado! Facing the Lonestar Baseball Club from Texas (again) in the Championship, the team fell behind 3-1 in the first. Rallying back the boys started chipping away at the Lonestars lead with the score 3-2 in the 2nd, then down 5-3 at the end of the 3rd. The ROX bounced back and tied the game at 5-5 in the 4th. In the 5th inning, with rain starting to fall, the boys opened the flood gates and took a commanding lead 14-6 that resulted in a mercy World Series Win!
We are so proud of our team!
GO ROX!
 | | ROX fans out in force | |
Tuesday, August 8
Cooperstown 2006 - Opening Day - Saturday August 5th
|  | | ROX moms show their spirit | |
REPORT FROM COOPERSTOWN
Note from the webmasters: After experiencing technical difficulties,we called in an expert (thanks, Doug!) who deftly unplugged and replugged in the modem (duh!), so now we're back in business...sorry for the delay, ROX fans!
Opening Day Ceremonies kicked off at 5 pm with the annual update from Lou, owner of the Cooperstown Dreams Park - the same stories and anecdotes for several years, according to ROX president, Michelle - but enjoyed by all. The Grandparents in attendance were welcomed with yellow Grandpa and Grandma shirts and the parade of 96 teams began. Skydivers added to the celebration and the skills competitions began... ROX fielded a strong slate of competitors in the King of Swat homerun derby (Kohl Webber), Golden Arm throwing competition (Alex King), Roadrunner speed event (Jordan Gisch) and Around the Horn team challenge. All competitors did a great job, but our own ROX King of Swat, Kohl Webber, advanced to the Homerun derby finals with the top 6 competitors. In front of a rowdy ROX crowd, Kohl launched the first pitch over the wall and started off well. He finished with a total of 4 home runs in the overall competition with the final homerun landing in the midst of the ROX faithful in the bleachers. Coach Scott is still icing his hand from attempting to slow down the rocket blast! Kohl ended the competition in 4th place out of 96 big hitters! Way to go, Kohl!!
 | | Skydivers at Opening Ceremonies |
 | | ROX fan Brett pulls out the Rally monkey mojo to help cheer on the team | |
Tuesday, August 8
Cooperstown 2006 - Day One - August 6th
|  | | Size matters! Jordan (#5) and a Michigan "12 year old" | |
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
ROX players were excited to begin our pool play and the fans were thrilled with the cool weather (Cooperstown had been experiencing the extreme heat we "enjoyed" in CA a few weeks ago). The boys actually reported being cold in the barracks at night - not the usual sweating, fly-swatting, locker room humidity, as in the past...
Our first opponents were the tough Michigan Sports Academy. One of their players won the King of Swat Homerun derby, so we knew we would be facing a challenge. Brennan Leitao took the mound and held the big hitters to 5 runs, largely delivered by two homeruns out of the park...size was definitely a factor in this match-up (see photo)...ROX played them tough but came up short, 5-2.
Later that evening, ROX faced the Ramsey Renegades from New Jersey. Kohl Webber pitched and Jonathan Model hit the first ROX homerun of the tournament to the joy of the ROX fans, but not getting the timely hits resulted in an 8-6 loss in our second outing.
We all headed home to count our bug bites and prepare for a new day - not the start we had hoped for, but the boys are upbeat and ready to play.
 | | Torre, Kelly, Betsy and Christine still smiling! Tomorrow is another day! |
 | | Jonathan Model pitching vs. Houston Sox Silver (note the hanging socks) | |
Tuesday, August 8
Cooperstown 2006 - Day Two - August 7th
READY FOR ACTION!
ROX began the day with an 11 am meeting with the Houston Sox Silver. They actually draped their section with athletic socks...whatever...Torre tried to find some fellow Texan friends in our opponents but they were only focused on the game.
Jonathan Model took the mound for a tough ROX vs. SOX battle. ROX led the contest 2-1 but again a lack of timely hitting on our part, offset by timely hits from our opponents, resulted in a 4-2 loss. The coaches took the boys back to the barracks for a "regrouping" before the late afternoon meeting with the Upper Perkiomen Chiefs from Pennsylvania.
The "regrouping" must have worked! Facing the Upper Perk Chiefs, the game was all ROX! Cole Moeller pitched and hit two homeruns to lead the ROX offense. Jonathan Model added a second homerun in the tournament to his stats and the ROX jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Kevin Locklear closed out the game, with a final score of 6-1! The ROX are beginning to roll!
 | | ROX celebrate their first win vs. Upper Perk Chiefs |
 | | Rock on ROX! | |
Tuesday, August 8
Cooperstown 2006 - Day Three
|  | | Alex King picks off at first | |
ROX ON A ROLL!!
This morning we started off early, loaded with coffee and breakfast sandwiches, ready to continue our winning ways against the Lehi Tigers from Utah.
Mike Mohammadi started off on the mound for the ROX and the strong hitting Tigers jacked two homeruns over the fence to go ahead 5-1 by the top of the third inning. The ROX were not willing to accept defeat and a bottom of the third inning, 2 out rally, with 6 consecutive hits by Webber, Leitao, Hoffy, Model, Mohammadi and Gisch and a walk by Whisler, resulted in jumping ahead to a 7-5 lead! Steven Whisler came in to pitch and shut down the Tigers offense for 2 innings and Luke Langdon closed out for the win.
Two in a row - LET'S GO ROX!!!
UPDATE - 4:30 pm game vs. Wisconsin All-Stars
The ROX were fired up, calm, cool and collected as they walked on the field to take on the undefeated (5-0) Wisconsin All-Stars. We hear that this is the top team in Wisconsin and there are all kinds of rumors of the $$ it takes to even get a tryout! They were considered one of the early favorites to win the tournament, but we were not intimidated!!
ROX were up first as the away team, and Cole Moeller drew a walk with two outs and Kohl Webber blasted his first homerun to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. 2 runs was the most runs allowed to any of the 5 previous Wisconsin opponents in the tournament prior to meeting the ROX.
Alex King took the mound for the ROX and with tough pitching and defense, we jumped to a 4-0 lead in the top of the 3rd inning. Wisconsin then took a 5-4 lead with back-to-back "jacks" (homeruns) in the bottom of the third.
Hoffy came in to close out the 3rd inning and pitched the 4th. ROX defense came through with a key out in the 4th with a "suicide squeeze" out at the plate.
Kevin Locklear came in to pitch the 5th inning and made another key out at home (see photo) to keep Wisconsin worried...
ROX continued to battle and we entered the 6th and final inning in a 6-6 tie. Both Wisconsin and ROX fans had loud and rowdy cheering sections with noisemakers, cow bells and chanting fans trying to out cheer each other. Neighboring teams and staff joined in to watch the final innings of this intense battle.
ROX were unable to score in the top of the 6th and Wisconsin came through with three consecutive hits in the bottom of the inning to win the game, 7-6.
It was a tremendously played game by both teams and Wisconsin was taken to their limit. The ROX coaches were extremely proud of the boys and their great effort. We will be the best 2-4 team going into tomorrow morning's final pool play game against the Manchester Cougars. DON'T FORGET TO WATCH THE GAME ON WEBCAM!
 | | Kevin Locklear makes a tag at home - he's out! |
Wednesday, August 9
ROX Homerun Kings!
|  | | Kohl, Cole, Jonathan (missing Brennan) | |
ROX homerun hitters:
Cole Moeller - 5
Brennan Leitao - 3
Kohl Webber - 2, including a Grand Slam HR in our final game!
Jonathan Model - 2
Congratulations on 12 team homeruns for the week!
Wednesday, August 9
ROX finishes pool play with a win and starts Tournament at 4 pm EST live on WEBCAM
In their final game of pool play, the ROX beat the Manchester Cougars from Missouri, 5-0, in a strong outing by the team. Kevin Norman pitched a complete game in only 47 pitches and Cole Moeller hit a 2-run homer to lead the offense. Taylor Waterson added a double and a fine running catch in center field to help preserve the shut-out.
ROX finished pool play with a 3-4 record, ranked 51st out of 96 teams. We received a first round bye and begin play in the single elimination tournament at 4 pm EST on Field #3 against the winners of #55 ranked Clifton Park Pirates (NY) and #56 ranked Encino Vipers (CA). Our game will be webcast live on the WEBCAM - go to www.cooperstowndreamspark.com. Click "enter the park" then click on "WEBCAM" in upper right, then click on "LIVE WEBCAM" then click on "Field #3" on the right.
Just an FYI - the 4 losses in pool play were to teams ranked #3, #5, #7 and #81 (whoops!) - definitely a tough draw, but hopefully one that makes us tougher than our upcoming opponents.
If we win at 4 pm, we will play #10 ranked Las Vegas Rattlers at 6 pm EST (also on WEBCAM on Field #3) and could play again at 8 pm if we win there (game on Field #4 - no webcam).
Keep cheering on the ROX!!!
Wednesday, August 9
ROX win 3 straight in Tournament Play to advance to Sweet 16 Thursday at 8:30 am EST
ROX ADVANCE TO SWEET 16!
With wins against #56 Encino Vipers at 4 pm, 5-0, #10 Las Vegas Rattlers at 6 pm, 6-1, and #23 Wayne PAL Wolfpack (NJ) at 8 pm, 18-5, (ended at midnight!), the ROX will face #26 St. Louis Jaguars (MO) at 8:30 am EST on Thursday morning...
It's been an eventful day and a real team effort - many great hits, awesome pitching (a no hitter by Brennan Leitao with 8 strikeouts), amazing defensive plays and monster homeruns (Brennan (2), Cole Moeller (a 3 run blast)! Cole Murray contributed 2 doubles against the Wolfpack, continuing our momentum. More details later but now we have to sleep to prepare for tomorrow am.
We are so proud of our boys and hopefully our next update will have us advancing to the Elite 8 and beyond...we'll keep you posted!!
GO ROX!!!!
Friday, August 11
ROX end the Tournament in the Sweet 16! Safe travels to everyone and see you in Irvine!
ROX fall 11-8 to #26 St. Louis Jaguars from Missouri
The boys were up early and ready to go for Thursday morning's Sweet 16 game against the Jaguars. A 2 run homer by Cole Moeller in the first inning started the ROX off with a 2-0 lead which was quickly matched by a Jaguar 2-run homer.
It was a hard-fought game, with ROX down 11-2 and fighting back with 2 outs in the top of the 6th inning - ending in a final score of 11-8. The six run rally was driven by back-to-back homeruns from Kohl Webber - a GRAND SLAM home run! - and Brennan Leitao, among other offensive highlights!
The kids were in it until the end and the ROX were the talk of the barracks for their great play in the tournament.
Closing ceremonies saw some light rain (the first of the week!!) but the boys were inducted into the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame and got their Hall of Fame rings. The final game of the tournament saw the #6 Texas Tarheels upset the #1 Virginia Crush Orange, 7-2, for an exciting finish to the week.
Everyone's packing up and heading home now...see you back in Irvine! Travel safely and plan ahead for those long security lines...
SEE YOU NEXT YEAR IN COOPERSTOWN!!
 | | ROX marching in Opening Day ceremonies | |
ROX opening day - Cooperstown 2005 - Highlights and Photos
Saturday August 13th, Cooperstown, NY: The ROX team enjoyed their first day at the Cooperstown Dream Park. The day started with breakfast and pin-trading and more pin-trading! The ROX baseball player pin with dangle was a hot pin in the pin-trading market! We're pushing the ROX wristbands, but there was more limited demand there.
The parents made the first of many shops to the "melt your credit card" souvenir shop - unbelievable amounts of merchandise that no one can go home without. The personalized bats seemed to be a big hit (pun intended). More shopping for sure tomorrow - I know someone will find a reason to buy the blue Cooperstown Dreams Park Xmas ornaments or the heavy jacket to keep us toasty warm in case the temperature drops below 85 degrees.
The big event of the day was the Opening Ceremonies for the tournament at Field #3. The parents arrived early to roast in the sweltering sun for several hours to ensure we could have good seats to roast in the sun for several more hours, but it was worth it! There were skydivers and national anthems from both US and Canada and a parade of 80 teams from over 25 states and Canada. After some heartwarming stories and speeches from the founders of the Cooperstown Dreams Park, it was time for the skills competition.
ROX superstars competed in the Golden Arm (Cody Rhodes), Road Runner (Spencer Ludin), King of Swat (Cole Moeller) and most of the rest of the boys in the Around the Horn Plus competition. We did a great job at all events, but no hardware coming home this year!!!
The families and the kids all got together to watch the finals of the skills competitions and were nearly killed several times during the King of Swat home run derby finals since we were seated in center field bleachers. Barbie J made several life saving maneuvers to keep the women and children safe from home run balls hit our way.
A great day was had by all and we look forward to starting competition tomorrow. More later...the ROX correspondents at the Liner house.
 | | Rally Monkeys cheer on the ROX | |
Cooperstown Update - First Day of Competition, Sunday August 14th
|  | | Dads waiting out the rain delay during Game #1 | |
Our first game was against East Haven, Connecticut at 1:45 pm, a prime time for heat and humidity. The 9 foot fences around the ball field served to ensure that any breeze was quickly shut down and the heat index was maximized!
The ROX Rally Monkeys and families were out in force and the kids started out strong playing to a 2-2 tie through 3 innings. The ROX were rallying and then the heavens opened up! We had a 45 minute rain delay with inches and inches of rain, thunder and lightning and fun for all huddled under the overhang. In Irvine, this would have resulted in a field closure for at least a week to dry out the fields. Despite 6 inch deep puddles and mud galore, the grounds crew had the field ready to play within an hour and we were back in action...
Despite great teamwork, a valiant effort,and a strong start from pitcher Jonathan Model the ROX lost to the Connecticut team - final score 7-5.
After a few hours off to cool off, eat and relax, the team was ready to face the Alaska Eagles, all the way from Anchorage! The game began at 7 pm and it was actually quite cool and pleasant for a change under the lights.
The ROX got off to a quick start and led 6-1 after the 4th inning, but a nail-biting 5th inning from the Eskimos, nearly resulted in extra innings. A throw out at 3rd from catcher Kevin Locklear to 3rd baseman Matt Russell ended the game in dramatic fashion! The ROX get their first win by a 6-5 margin and are excited to face the Kimberton Aces from Pennsylvania on Monday at 11 am. The second game, which will be telecast on the Cooperstown Dreams Park webcam on field 8 at 4:30 pm EST/1:30 pm PST, will be against the Savage Spirit from Savage, Maryland.
Parents are taking bets to see if the nightly laundry service can remove the red clay from the white uniform pants tonight after today's mud game...
The Liner house crew signing off for Sunday...more tomorrow night! GO ROX!
 | | Happy ROX team celebrates their first victory over Alaska Eagles! |
 | | Cole Moeller (1) and Cody Rhodes (1) | |
Cooperstown Update - Day 3 - Monday August 15th
|  | | End of Day 3 and the ROX are still having fun! | |
Cooler weather was a blessing today as the ROX faced two tough teams from Pennsylvania (Kimberton Aces) and Maryland (Savage Spirit). The first game started off strong, after taking a one run lead, with a 2 run homer hit out of the park by Cole Moeller, celebrated in style by the whole team at home plate. The Aces roared back and marched to a 10-4 victory, with a few questionable calls by the unbiased umpiring team. In the second game, Mike Mohammadi pitched 3 solid innings and Cody Rhodes also contributed with a 2 run HR bomb to center field, but it was not enough as the ROX fell live on webcam to the Spirit 11-5. The ROX launched a late 6th inning comeback but was not able to make up the deficit. Despite the two losses today, the team is in high spirits and are enjoying the whole Cooperstown experience.
Everyone is off to bed early tonight as tomorrow morning at 8:30 am we face the #1 rated team, the Delaware Express, who has won 4 games and only averaged .75 runs per game allowed. Should be a tough battle for the ROX, but we are determined to make that average higher!
Our second game tomorrow is against the Hingham Heat from MA and then the entire team and families will go visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum.
More tomorrow - goodnight for now...the Liner House correspondents
 | | ROX team enjoy ice cream after a hard played game vs. the #1 Delaware Express | |
Cooperstown Update - Day 4 - Tuesday August 16th
|  | | Future Hall of Famers pose outside the Baseball Shrine | |
The day began early for the ROX fourteen and their fans as we headed off to field #18 to meet the previously unbeated Delaware Express, ranked #1 after Day 3 out of 80 teams. A true Samson and Goliath match-up, but the ROX were ready for the challenge. We jumped ahead in the top of the first inning and scored a run, which was something that Delaware was not used to (their runs scored against them average for their first 4 games was .75 per game). They quickly tied the score in the bottom of the inning with a quick HR from one of their "12" year old players (roughly 5'10" and shaving between innings). The shell-shocked Express had no idea what they were up against as the ROX continued to hit and score against them. The ROX scored another run in the 2nd inning to take a 2-1 lead, which was quickly countered by Delaware in the bottom of the 2nd with a 2-run HR and 2 additional runs to go up 5-2. In the top of the 3rd, we rallied back with a succession of hits to score a run and load the bases in anticipation of Matt McNab's mighty bat. He came up with 2 outs and delivered a GRAND SLAM BOMB over the center field wall and the crowd went wild!! The ROX were up 7-5. By this point the game had gone on nearly 2 hours and the team playing the next game on the field, the Guilford Gold from CT, joined our fans in cheering on the underdog ROX. In a back and forth battle, the ROX went up 11-9 in the top of the 5th, but some timely hitting by the Express garnered them 3 runs and a 12-11 lead going into the 6th and final inning. With the crowd cheering wildly, the ROX rallied back after two outs in the top of the 6th to have 2 men on base, but ended the game with a line drive snared by the pitcher. Despite the loss, the team was jubilant and felt victorious having challenged the #1 team every minute of the game. Strong pitching performances from Spencer Ludin, Jordan Gisch and Michael Costello were key to the ROX success against a very talented opponent.
Having given it their all in the morning session, the afternoon game against the Hingham Heat from MA was tougher for the tired ROX squad and we ended up losing a quick 7-1 game. Timmy Plemon made a key catch in right field and airmailed the ball back to home plate to nab the Heat runner tagging up from 3rd for a double play. Pitchers for the game included Cody Rhodes, Mike Mohammadi, Cole Moeller, with Brennan Leitao closing. Cody Rhodes picked up an RBI to bring in Matt Russell for our only run of the game. Jake Neiber made a few key catches in left field.
Once the games were over for the day, the team and coaches took a shuttle to the National Baseball Hall of Fame where they were met by ROX parents and families. We toured the museum and exhibits and were thrilled to see all the memorabilia and loved the Abbott and Costello "Who's on First?" routine playing in one of the rooms. Most of the boys had not heard of this before and thought it was hysterical. For the record, it's WHO on first, WHAT on second, I DON'T KNOW on third, TOMORROW pitching, TODAY catching, WHY in left, BECAUSE in center and I DON'T CARE at shortstop - right field unknown. Everyone gave Babe Ruth's plaque a special rub for luck and we headed off for dinner in Cooperstown. After dinner it was back to the barracks and early to bed for the boys in preparation for Wednesday's 8 am game against the Chicago North Shore Sharks from Illinois. Depending on our final seeding from our pool play results, we will play our first game of the single elimination tournament sometime Wednesday afternoon.
We are hoping to go to a local BBQ place tomorrow night and do some more shopping in between, in addition to celebrating Kevin Locklear's 12th birthday!
Another great day on this memorable trip - we are all having a wonderful time...goodnight baseball fans everywhere...Liner house out.
 | | Homerun Hitters - Cole, Cody, Matt M. & Matt R. |
Cooperstown Update - Day 5 - Wednesday August 17th
|  | | Kevin and Jake celebrate their birthdays in Cooperstown! | |
Today was the final day of pool play and the beginning of the single elimination tournament - it also turned out to be the longest day of baseball for the ROX!
We began at 8 am with our final pool game against the Chicago North Shore Sharks. We had high hopes to garner our second win, against a team with a similar record. The Sharks played tough and despite a bench-emptying GRAND SLAM HOMERUN from Matt Russell and a bases-loaded off-the-wall shot by Spencer Ludin for 2 RBIs, we fell 10-7. Pitchers for the game included Spencer Ludin, Mike Costello, Cody Rhodes and Jordan Gisch. Kevin Locklear came in to pitch in the 5th inning with bases loaded and closed out the game.
After a break with pizza and a birthday celebration for Kevin (12) and Jake Murray (13), we headed off to field #14 to begin play in the single elimination tournament. All 80 teams begin the tournament based on seeding from their pool play record - due to our 1-6 record in pool play, we were seeded #71 and had a game in the first round at 2 pm against the Roxborough Bandits of PA. In an exciting game, highlighted by a complete game pitched by Matt Russell, who also had 4 RBIs, we cruised to a 6-3 victory and a second round game on the same field, minutes after ending this game.
Our 4 pm game, matched us up against the Bux Mont All Stars from PA, seeded #44 in the tournament. It was their first tournament game. Cole Moeller and Cody Rhodes combined in a strong pitching performance that went extra innings to resolve a 3-3 tie. Brennan Leitao contributed 2 RBIs and the ROX pulled out a 4-3 victory in 7 innnings.
Having won 2 straight games, we continued on with a 6 pm game on the same field against the #28 seeded Hingham Heat, who we had faced on Tuesday afternoon in pool play. Our boys were hot, tired and running on adrenaline, but were ready to play again to continue to move through the tournament. The Heat apparently still had our number after their win on Tuesday and cruised to a 9-1 victory against the proud but exhausted ROX squad. Jake Murray and Michael Costello pitched and Jordan Gisch drove in an RBI for the only ROX run. The boys left everything they had on the field and played until the end. We were cheered on again by the Guilford Gold team and really appreciated their support and enthusiasm to rally the ROX team on. After 25 innings of baseball that day, we finished up the tournament in the round of 48.
We are very proud of our team and their great sportsmanship and positive attitudes - it has been a great week and we look forward to closing ceremonies and the induction ceremony for the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame tonight!
 | | The ROX pose for a group photo (like pulling teeth)! |
 | | Coach Scott and Coach Dave catching up with their wives over BBQ at Brooks | |
Cooperstown Update - Final Day - Thursday August 18th
|  | | ROX players show off their Hall of Fame rings | |
With a free day off waiting for Closing Ceremonies in the evening, the kids and coaches watched some of the tournament playoff games deciding who would be playing in the Championship game at 9 pm. Players and families also took advantage of the free time to visit the nearby US Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneanta, NY, golfing at local courses, croquet and drinks on the verandah at the Otesaga Resort, fishing on Lake Otsego and, of course, more shopping. Please be prepared, friends and families back home, to see all families clothed head to toe in some sort of Cooperstown merchandise - it has been addicting and its hard to stop buying!! Needless to say, we did some math last night and believe the family running the Cooperstown Dreams Park is spending the other 41 weeks of the year cruising the Caribbean on a yacht!
Many of the team and their families made a pilgrimage to Brooks BBQ in Oneanta, NY, about 15 miles away for some wonderful BBQ lunch (some of us are bringing home the sauce too!). Definitely a local favorite and great food...apparently they were featured on the Food Network too.
The Closing Ceremonies began at 6 pm with the procession of 80 teams being inducted into the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame. Each coach took the podium and read each player's name aloud - they entered the field individually on the 3rd base line through an archway with the words "Youth - Pride of the Present, Hope for the Future", ran over to 2nd base where the owner of the Cooperstown Dreams Park shook their hand and handed them their Hall of Fame ring (looks like a high school class ring with a red stone and American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame written on it). The boys were thrilled and excited to have their rings.
The Induction ceremony was followed by Fireworks and then the main event, the Championship game of the tournament featuring the Anaheim Rebels (#16 seed) vs. the North Coast Dream Eagles from NY (#14 seed). It was a close and exciting game, with the ROX cheering on our OC comrades from up the freeway. Things broke open in the 5th inning when the Dream Eagles intentionally walked two consecutive Rebel batters (huge guys that had been hitting home runs all week) to load the bases with only one out. A gutsy manuever that didn't pay off as the Rebels capitalized and ended the inning with a 9-4 advantage. The 6th inning was all Rebels as they cruised to a 20-4 victory and all the glory for the West Coast teams!
Everyone is packing up and heading home now - some from NYC, some from nearby families in Rhode Island and PA, some straight home today - but the memories will last a lifetime (and we can be sure because we bought every photo taken, commemorative bats, balls, shadow boxes, pins, etc....).
THE ROX FAMILIES GIVE A HUGE THANKS TO OUR COACHES - Dave, Scott and Randy, and parent support team of Dean and Terry, for taking care of the boys and living in the barracks with them and all their fun for the week! We really appreciate you!
Bye for now, Cooperstown, hope to be back again soon!!!
 | | Closing Ceremony Fireworks |
Cooperstown 2004 Sunday - ROX go 1-1
|  | | ROX 12U Opening ceremonies | |
The ROX 12U team won their opening game in Cooperstown against the Phantoms (PA) 5-3. Zack recorded 12 strikeouts and Justin, Jordan and Bryce each had hits.
In their second game they faced Central Jersey Predators (NJ). Andrew H. hit the first ROX homerun, but the Predators held on to win 10-4.
Cooperstown 2004 Monday - ROX 3-1
The boys played Mount Olive All Stars(NJ) this afternoon. Zack hit 2 homeruns and Justin, Drew, Tim, Andrew and Jake each had 2 hits.
In their second game they played the NY Bulldogs. Mitch E. hit a grand Slam, Drew went 3-3 and John went 2-2 in a 17-7 win.
Way to go ROX!!
Cooperstown 2004 Tuesday - ROX team 4-2
This morning the team faced the Dugout Dawgs(MA) and fell 12-2.
In their second game the ROX unleashed their offense in a 21-8 victory over the Waterloo Vikings(OH). Bryce and Andrew each had homeruns.
Keep it going ROX!
Cooperstown 2004 Wednesday - ROX 7-2
The boys met up with the Ludlow Lions(MA) this morning. Jake pitched 3 shutout innings and Drew collected 3 hits in the 8-1 win! This is the end of pool play and the boys will start their single elimination bracket at 6pm EST.
The boys came out swinging, as they defeated the Perrysburg Yellow Jackets(OH) 16-3.
The boys stayed HOT, as they beat the Utah Stixx 18-4. Andrew, Jordan and Bryce had homeruns and Zack pitched 4 strong innings.
Keep going ROX!
Cooperstown 2004 Thursday - ROX in the Elite 8
The ROX continue to roll as they beat the Williamsburg Maxx 14-2. Kyle, Zack and Andrew had homeruns. Andrew pitched 4 innings and collected 5 K's.
In the Elite 8 bracket, the team met up with the Deep Run Thunderhawks(PA). In a hard fought game, Bryce went 4-4 and Andrew collected another homerun, but came up just short as the Thunderhawks won 13-7. What a phenomenal run these boys have had! Congratulations on your Elite 8 finish!
We are VERY proud of you all! Way to go ROX!
Cooperstown 2004 Homeruns -
Andrew H. vs Central Jersey Predators(NJ)
Zack W. (2) vs Mount Olive All Stars(NJ)
Mitch E. (Grandslam) vs NY Bulldogs
Bryce H. vs Waterloo Vikings(OH)
Andrew H. vs Waterloo Vikings(OH)
Andrew H. vs Utah Stixx(UT)
Jordan B. vs Utah Stixx(UT)
Bryce H. vs Utah Stixx(UT)
Kyle P. vs Williamsburg Maxx(VA)
Zack W. vs Williamsburg Maxx(VA)
Andrew H. vs Williamsburg Maxx(VA)
Andrew H. vs Deep Run Thunderhawks(PA)
Delaware 2004 ROX 14U Rained Out!
The ROX 14U team arrived in Delaware to Hurricane Charley. Opening ceremonies were cancelled due to rain. The team will play Monday morning at 10am and again at 12:30pm. Opening ceremonies and skill competition will be Tuesday night. Although Charley stopped the ceremonies, it has not stopped the boys from having a great time. They are currently enjoying the indoor pool, sauna and pool table.
Delaware 2004 Monday
Due to soggy fields, all games today have been cancelled. We will be playing at 2pm and 4:30pm on Tuesday. The sun is coming out and we're heading to the beach. Danny Perez was the first ROX Delaware Pool Tournament Champion!
 | | The parents accomodations proved to be different than the players! |
Delaware 2004 Tuesday...ROX Team Goes 2-0
In our first game we faced the Pennsylvania Twisters. With a 1hr rain delay in the 5th inning, we pulled out an 11-6 win. Danny was 3-3 (3RBI), DJ 3-4 (2RBI)& 3 shutout innings, Nate 3-4 & Rob 2-4. In our second game we faced the Maryland Braves. At the end of 2 innings we were down 9-1. With our pitching rotation of Cheyne, Zack, Spencer, Nate, Bobby, Spencer, Danny and Nate, we battled back with our bats to win an exhuasting game 15-9. The comeback was highlighted by 2 HUGE double-plays with bases loaded and an entire offensive team contribution. Some of the highlights were Danny 3-3, Zack 2-4, Rob 2-4 and Bobby 2-4. The final stats for the day included 33 hits and 26 runs scored. Way to go ROX!
Danny Perez wins Homerun Derby!
Jon Angel and Danny Perez advanced to the final four with scores of 7 & 15 points in the Homerun Derby. In the final round, Jon Angel finished in 3rd place with 6 points. Danny Perez was the last player in the final round, needing 12 points to win or 1 homerun(15 points) to take it all. Taking his time for just the right pitch from Coach Bill, Danny launched the only homerun of the night, over the 345ft fence to win the Homerun Derby.
Way to go Danny!
Delaware 2004 Wednesday- ROX remain undefeated!
In our first game we faced Central Jersey Express. Down 2 runs in the 6th inning, the boys battled back to tie the game 5-5 and held them to go into extra innings. In the top of the 8th, Cheyne led off with a single and DJ blasted a 310ft homerun over the left-center fence to take the lead and the 7-5 win. In our second game we played the Jackson Cyclones. In a back and forth battle that lasted over 3hrs, the boys exploded in the 6th & 7th innings to win 20-10. Our final game was against the Delaware Angels. The boys carried their momentum from the two previous games to win with a 4th inning mercy victory 13-3 and a much needed end to a LONG DAY.
Delaware 2004 Thursday- ROX go 7-0 and earn #1 seed!
In our first game we faced a tough NY Pals Guardian team. Down 1-0 for two innings, the boys bats woke up and took the lead 3-1. Great defense, a 5 run 6th inning and outstanding pitching from Rob, sealed the 8-5 win.
Our second game was against the NJ Middletown Lightning. Alex made his first ever ROX pitching debut and pitched a complete 5 inning game. He pitched 88 pitches of which 58 were strikes and recorded 6 strikeouts in a 16-4 victory. Danny and Nate had 4 hits for the day. Going 7-0 has earned the team the #1 seed for tomorrow's playoffs.
Way to go ROX!
Delaware 2004 Friday- The end of a great week!
This morning we faced the Delaware Angels in the semi-final. Falling behind 5-0, the boys battled back to tie the game 5-5. The Angels took an 8-5 lead in the top of the 5th. We scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 5th, but the Angels held on to win 9-7. Though dissapointed, the boys stood out on the field and applauded the Delaware Angels for a fantastic game and wished them luck in the finals. The Angels coaches told our boys that they had played over 100 teams and they have never met a team with more class and sportsmanship. What a compliment and what a week these boys have had.
As the coaches held their after game talk, the boys realized that this was the last game they would play together, as everyone is heading off to High School. Needless to say, this was a very emotional moment for everyone. From all the parents, family and friends THANK YOU for all the memories!
ROX Homeruns
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