Gilbertsville hoping for better performance in the second half

By Jack Lapos
Of The Morning Call


Gilbertsville had a rare experience last year in the Tri-County Baseball League. The Rangers did not win either the seasonal or playoff title. In the three years before that, they had captured the seasonal championship three times and the playoff crown twice.

So obviously the Rangers are trying to get back on track this summer and right now it is hard to predict just how well they will do. At least, that's the feeling of Manager Brian Gilbert.

"This season we were 10-2 and sailing along on an eight-game winning streak but suddenly lost two games in a row and that gave us a 10-4 record at the halfway mark in the schedule," he pointed out. At the time, Gilbertsville was just a shade behind pacesetter Upper Perk in the South Division.

"I hope we can do even better in the second half, which should be a dogfight because that's the way it usually is," Gilbert continued. "In this league there always are a couple of teams battling for the championship in the final week."

The regular schedule closes the last week in July and playoffs then get under way for two weeks. So the action will continue until at least the middle of August.

Gilbert, manager the past two seasons and a player the past nine years, is the shortstop. Other usual starters in the infield are Joe Melcher at first base, Kevin Gilbert (Brian's cousin) at second base and Rob Trace or Dave Baradgie at third. When Melcher pitches, Pete Kurtz starts at shortstop. Kurtz also is a pitcher.

Other pitchers are Lew Chillot and Greg Smith. Melcher did the best in the early part of the campaign, winning four games during that span. Melcher and Chillot are left-handers.

The catcher is Bill Krall, who was hitting .350 in those early stages.

Outfielders are Jeff Evans in left, Brian Musselman in center and Tom Troutman in right. Evans has been hitting the best of this group with .350 and was heading the team in runs batted in after those first 14 games.

Almost all of the players are products of Boyertown and Pottstown American Legion teams.

"We have had good pitching and solid defense," Gilbert said. "Also, we have good speed and have stolen a lot of bases."

He said the Rangers' major problem has been lack of control on the part of the pitchers. That also was Gilbertsville's chief problem a year ago when the Rangers finished with a 21-6 record.

"This year the league is the strongest it has been in many years," the Gilbertsville manager pointed out. "Any team can knock its opponent off on any given night because the comparative quality of play appears even."

It 's significant to note that Gilbertsville has the highest overall winning percentage of any team in the history of the league.

The league was organized in 1958 when Hellertown finished first. Hellertown now has an entry in the Blue Mountain League. Then the Tri- County League was disbanded for the season in 1969. It was reorganized in 1970.



  

From The Morning Call -- June 30, 1988

Copyright © 1988, The Morning Call