Picking the next Tri-County champ this year will be as difficult as last

By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

 

Handicapping the Tri-County Baseball League has become about as easy as figuring out what will happen next in the Mark Gastineau- Brigitte Neilsen relationship.

Just when you think you've got an idea of who the league's favorites are, somebody else steps up and turns things upside down.

Last year, the league's South Division clearly appeared to be the home of the Tri-County's powerhouses. However, Coplay and the Allentown Angels of the North Division posted the league's best records with a combined mark of 41-10 and a third North team, Limeport, wound up winning the playoff championship.

So what is expected in the 1989 season that will get underway as soon as it stops raining? Take a guess.

"It certainly has been a topsy-turvy league the past few years and I expect it will continue that way," said Limeport manager Ishky Fatzinger. "This is my 15th season in the league and I can't remember a time when it has been more balanced. I see both divisions as being very competitive with at least three teams in each having an excellent shot of winning it all."

Four different teams have taken one title or another over the past two summers in the 12-team circuit. In 1987, Upper Perkiomen won the regular season title, only to be upended by Quakertown in the playoff finals. Last year, Coplay won the regular season crown, but was upset by Limeport in the first round of the post-season tournament. Limeport went on to take playoff honors.

"We got hot at just the right time last year," said Fatzinger, whose team just squeezed into the playoffs with a 15-12 mark.

Among the hottest hitters was Fatzinger's son, Billy, who had a three- homer, seven-RBI game in the playoffs. Billy will be back as will catcher Jack Goddess, and other offensive talents like Chris Rios, Billy Coyle and John Szalachowski. Fatzinger's pitching rotation will again feature Bill Sandt, Joe Turri and Jim Simonds.

"We've basically got the same group back," said the 52-year-old Fatzinger, who intends to play in his 36th season of amateur baseball this summer. "Last year was more of a transition year for us and we spent most of the season just battling to stay above .500. Then everything came together in the playoffs. I think it will be much harder to repeat because when you win, everybody guns for you."

Among the top guns in Limeport's North Division will be defending regular season champ Coplay and the Allentown Angels, who shocked Tri- Co followers with a 21-6 record last season after being bogged down in the lower echelon of the league for many years.

The tremendous turnaround earned Angels' skipper Ray Ganser the league's Manager of the Year Award. Ganser was also the team's best pitcher with a 6-2 mark, but the Angels became more known for their explosive offense.

Allentown's Dave Chapman was third in the league in batting with .462 mark, while Dale Weiss was third in home runs with nine, second in RBI with 36 and second in doubles with 10. The Angels' Joe Aleszczyk led the league in runs scored with 37.

Offensive explosions were also occurring in Coplay where the Serpents stung opposing pitchers in bunches.

"We knew that, at anytime last year, we could erupt for a lot of runs," said team representative Gary Henry. "We had 14 guys on our roster hitting .300 or above. Everybody could step up and make a contribution. We were never out of a game."

That became evident when Coplay rallied from a 9-0 deficit to post a stunning 12-11 win over Upper Perk in the opening game of the league title series last August.

Pitching and executing the fundamentals have also been Coplay trademarks and figure to be strongsuits again this year.

"We have Randy Baer back and he went 7-1 last year," said Henry. "We also picked up a quality pitcher in Bob Bleiler. Plus, we had six all-stars on our team last year and most of those guys are back."

Most notable among the returnees are player-manager Lou Falco, the league's leading hitter last year with a .492 mark. Falco stepped in as manager last year when nobody else would take the job and gave the team a Kirk Gibson-like motivational lift, creating lots of noise in the dugout as well as booming out hits all over the field.

Csencsits, who will move from second base to short, third baseman Russ Reinhard and outfielders Scott Morgan and Jeff Sodl will all play key roles.

"We're looking for another good season, although the competition is going to be tough," said Henry. "Everybody knows about the Angels and Limeport, but East Texas just missed the playoffs last year and they are much improved."

East Texas, formerly known as North Parkland, is managed by George Horn. Dan Yannes, who was saluted as one of the league's Most Outstanding Players last year, paced the club to a 12-15 mark a year ago.

The league's other Most Outstanding Player was Quakertown's Scott Davis, who hit nine home runs, led the league in RBI with 43 and was also 5-1 as a pitcher.

Other stars in the league's South Division to watch are Gilbertsville's Brian Gilbert, who led the league in doubles last year with 12; Silver Creek's Mike Kotkoski, who led the league in home runs with a league-record 11; and Quakertown's Bob Drumbore, who was among the league leaders in batting average as a hitter and in strikeouts as a pitcher.

Each team in the league will play 32 games this season. The top three clubs in each division qualify for the playoffs.



keith.groller@mcall.com

From The Morning Call -- May 11, 1989

Copyright © 1989, The Morning Call