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Volume III, Issue 5November 15, 2012
In This Issue
2012 Award Winners
The Big Picture
Coaches Clinic
Winter Workouts
The Beauty of a Diamond
2012 Award Winners
 

 

SPRING 2012

 

Red Sox 10-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Daniel Clouser

Defensive Player of the Year:

Ethan Nelson

Outstanding Pitcher:

Alex Krick

M.V.P.:

K.J. Blanding

 

Red Sox 12-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Stephen Wenner

Defensive Player of the Year:

Wyatt Wolf

Outstanding Pitcher:

Matt Angstadt

M.V.P.:

Owen Fenerty

 

Red Sox 14-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Brady Niehoff

Defensive Player of the Year:

Dante Salerno

Outstanding Pitcher:

Robert Oliver

M.V.P.:

Wyatt Clements

 

SUMMER 2012

 

Red Sox 10-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Drue LaFaver

Defensive Player of the Year:

Eli Reinert

Outstanding Pitcher:

Ryan Spatz

M.V.P.:

Ethan Nelson

 

Red Sox 12-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Colten Murphy

Defensive Player of the Year:

Kale Baker

Outstanding Pitcher:

Matt Angstadt

M.V.P.:

Praswell Lorenzana

 

Red Sox 13/14-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Dilan Smith

Defensive Player of the Year:

Andy Urban

Outstanding Pitcher:

Jon Davis

M.V.P.:

Nick Chroscinski

 

Red Sox 15/16-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Frankie Talarico

Defensive Player of the Year:

Bo Rottet

Outstanding Pitcher:

Jonathan Gottschall

M.V.P.:

Jonathan Gottschall

 

Red Sox 19-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Zach Krause

Defensive Player of the Year:

Miguel Torres

Outstanding Pitcher:

Collin Fesi

M.V.P.:

Casey Miller

 

FALL 2012

 

Drive 10-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Jacob Haller

Defensive Player of the Year:

Noah Snisky

Outstanding Pitcher:

Ryan King

M.V.P.:

Ryan Jarboe

 

Red Sox 10-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Peyton Kochel

Defensive Player of the Year:

Keegan Brennan

Outstanding Pitcher:

Mason Gabel

M.V.P.:

Ethan Nelson

 

Red Sox 12-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Jacob Caskie

Defensive Player of the Year:

Kale Baker

Outstanding Pitcher:

Kaleb Sophy

M.V.P.:

Chase Miller

 

Sea Dogs 12-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Wyatt Wolf

Defensive Player of the Year:

Carter Williams

Outstanding Pitcher:

Vincent Talarico

M.V.P.:

Josh Rehr

 

Spinners 13-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Stephen Wenner

Defensive Player of the Year:

Praswell Lorenzana

Outstanding Pitcher:

Mike Xanthopoulos

M.V.P.:

Ryan Scepansky

 

Red Sox 14-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Dilan Smith

Defensive Player of the Year:

Noah Saul

Outstanding Pitcher:

Nathaniel Griesbaum

M.V.P.:

Nick Chroscinski

 

Sea Dogs 14-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Zach Corley

Defensive Player of the Year:

Chris Smith

Outstanding Pitcher:

Shaun O'Reilly

M.V.P.:

Owen Bates

 

Sea Dogs 16-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

David Kyslinger

Defensive Player of the Year:

Michael Ulsh

Outstanding Pitcher:

Jack Troutman

M.V.P.:

Damian Mace

 

Spinners 16-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Coley Parker

Defensive Player of the Year:

Jared Adam

Outstanding Pitcher:

Matthew Byrd

MVP:

Adam Bates

 

Red Sox 17-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Chris Snyder

Defensive Player of the Year:

Bo Rottet

Outstanding Pitcher:

Jonathan Gottschall

M.V.P.:

Niko Hulsizer

 

Red Sox 18-Under:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Nate Fretz

Defensive Player of the Year:

Tyler Sassaman

Outstanding Pitcher:

Michael Hunter

M.V.P.:

Nick Distasio

 

 

Adult Teams

 

Blue Sox Optimist League Team:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Steve Keonig

Defensive Player of the Year:

Adam Carman

Outstanding Pitcher:

Shawn Heck

M.V.P.:

Aaron Carman

 

Red Sox Optimist League Team:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Brad Graczyk

Defensive Player of the Year:

Kyle Wenrich

Outstanding Pitcher:

Joe Palange

M.V.P.:

Nate Reed

 

Red Sox 28 & Over:

Hustle/Sportsmanship Award:

Zac Schneider

Defensive Player of the Year:

Dan Myers

Outstanding Pitcher:

Shawn Seidel

M.V.P.:

Tom Krick

 

Scholarship Award Recipients:

Nathan Fretz

Garret Pelko

Zach Reis

Jake Riegel

 

Loretta Magary Memorial Community Service Award:

Coley Parker

 

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Just in Case we Missed it, A Quick Little Peak at the Big Picture...

 

By Dan Clouser

(with a little help & perspective from Garrett Pelko and Brady Akins)

 

This past Sunday, we honored one of our own in the Berkshire Baseball Family, the first player in our rich 23 year history to play in the Major Leagues, Zach Lutz became the fifth person inducted into the Berkshire Baseball Hall of Fame.

 

Zach Lutz made his Major league debut on April 24, 2012 at Citi Field in New York, he last wore the Berkshire uniform in 2003 during a rain soaked weekend in Galveston, TX. It's been almost 10 years and thousands of swings later, yet he still remembers Berkshire Baseball and the memories that he had while playing here.

 

"I want to thank the Berkshire organization for electing me into the (Berkshire Baseball) Hall of Fame." Lutz said. "It is a tremendous honor and much appreciated. The organization helped me become a better all around baseball player. The coaches were always there to help me with whatever I needed. The two years I played with Berkshire I had a lot of fun and playing against some of the best players on the East Coast helped me out immensely. The organization helped many of the players to go on and have successful careers and I am thankful to be one of them."

 

Zach has been grateful enough to come back and help us out the past few years with some of our hitting clinics, our coaches clinic and some other things. When he's helping he and I talk quite a bit about the "old Berkshire days". One of the things that I've noticed about our conversations is that he never mentions that the teams that he played for while in a Berkshire uniform went a combined 67-8-6, nor does he mention that he was the team M.V.P. in 2003, nor does he mention his batting average or ERA while playing here. What we do talk and laugh about are trips to East Cobb, running sprints on the beach in Galveston, TX, flying to Disney and getting delayed in Atlanta, forcing us to get to Disney at 4:00 AM when the team had a showcase at 8:00 AM. Playing 1-1/2 games and dodging rain drops for a weekend in Galveston, TX. Getting delayed again on the return flight from Galveston to Atlanta and again from Atlanta to Philadelphia. Bus rides with the guys. Evan Spayd buying a Samurai Sword in Disney. Reifsnyder, Ziegler and the guys that cracked him up. That's generally what the conversation comes back to, the true memories that make the Berkshire Baseball experience so unique.

 

I still find it kind of ironic that it's generally baseball that brings players and their parents here, but what they leave with goes so far beyond baseball, far beyond the diamond, far beyond MVP Awards and tournament championships. What they leave with is a lifetime full of memories and friendships. The players sometimes actually grasp that even sooner than we do as parents and coaches. Sometimes the adults get caught up in the numbers and trophies and in reality the greatest trophies that these kids take with them will never sit on a mantle, but they will last forever in their hearts.

 

My conversations with Zach have made me realize that fact even more over the past few years, here's a kid who has tasted his dream, has touched it and his fondest memories of our organization are still mostly off of the baseball field.

 

So whether our players go on to be a professional baseball player, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a maintenance worker, a carpenter, you name it, what they leave here with is a lifetime full of memories and friends.

 

If you don't take my word for it, I'll let you read it directly below from two of our players themselves.

 

The first was a text that was sent to me from Garrett Pelko, a pitcher on our 18-U Red Sox Showcase team who just finished his 4th year with us and the second was a FaceBook post from a first year player on our 14-U Red Sox team, Brady Akins...

 

Dear Coach Dan,

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to play for your organization. Over the past four years I have grown friendships with people from all different backgrounds, skill levels, and personalities. Without Berkshire I would not be the young man I am today. After a few years I was frustrated that we were not a win at all cost club and I didn't now why. Now sitting here by myself reminiscing I know why. I cannot not remember a single record my teams have put up, but I can remember the long days of 14-U Blue Sox at Gibraltar.  No one had to stay but everyone chose to because we were a team and the whiffle ball games and Turkey Hill slushies were something we had as a team. The 16-U days and the "no talent clown" and the sprints we ran in Rehoboth. And this year the most important year of my high school career, and the final team dinner we just had.  Every year my pitching has gotten better because of Berkshire and you. Without you I don't know if I would have kept up with baseball after high school. It may sound silly but I remember when I held my arms out in the pool in Florida and you told me I better be a D2 pitcher. I think about that everyday I work out. I think that I can't let you down and I want to thank you for that. I know I can be a pain in the butt, but honestly you are the biggest role model for me, you not only played and coached the game, you did it the right way and for the right reasons. I wanted to thank you for that. Sadly these facts did not hit me until my final out of my final Berkshire fall season was made. Overall, what I'm trying to say is with Berkshire no matter where you play there will always be a fellow Berkshire friend somewhere near by and that's because it's not whether you win the game but if you gain the friends and life lessons the team offers you. I thank you for that.

~Garrett Pelko.

 

In early fall I signed up to play Berkshire Baseball looking for a new, stable home. Today our team's season came to an end. What didn't end is the friendships I've made, the lessons I've learned, the baseball knowledge I've gained and my love for the game. I gained new brothers and I can't wait to compete with them again soon. The bonds we formed were stronger than I could have imagined. It has been the most fun I've ever had playing the game of baseball. I have finally found my home. Thanks for a great season Sox!!

~Brady Akins.

Second Annual Baseball Extravaganza is a huge success
~By Willie Freimann

 

Two years ago Berkshire Baseball went out on a limb to bring to our area a first rate Coaches Clinic & Baseball Extravaganza and the gamble continues to pay off with huge dividends.

 

"We wanted to make sure that we had quality presenters and we have certainly nailed that with the line-up that we've had for both years so far.", Said Dan Clouser, President & General Manager of Berkshire Baseball. "We've got some big plans for next year, so 2013 will be even more impressive than the past two years have been."

 

This years line-up included Eric Valent, former MLB player who is currently the Northeast Area Supervisor of scouting for the Philadelphia Phillies; Rich DeLucia, former MLB player who is currently a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jeff Smith, who is currently the Manager of the New Britain Rock Cats, AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins; minor leaguers Mike Spidale of the Philadelphia Phiilies Farm System and Zach Lutz, who is a Governor Mifflin, Alvernia University and Berkshire Baseball Alumni, currently on the New York Mets 40-man roster.

 

Rounding out the list of dynamic speakers were Del Mintz, scout of the Philadelphia Phillies, Dan Douglas, head groundskeeper for the Reading Phillies, Brad Fidler of the Major League Scouting Bureau; Randy Yocum, DPT, CSCS, Director of Rehabilitation Services and Human Performance at Commonwealth Orthopaedics; Jeff Feiler, Head Baseball Coach at Albright College; Chris Blum, Head Baseball Coach at Kutztown University, John Duffy, who is currently the pitching coach at LaSalle University, Joe Barth of the Hit Doctor Academy and Frank Vecchio, Strength and Conditioning Coach for Exeter High School and Berkshire Baseball.

 

The event featured topics that were extremely informative and allowed everyone in attendance to walk away with some piece of new knowledge about the game. Coaches were able to learn from former professionals regarding topics on all aspects of the game, pitching, hitting, catching, defense, base running and more. League administrators were able to listen in on several topics that they could incorporate into their programs.

 

There were also several topics for players and parents and players to listen in on and be informed about the college recruiting process, expectations of professional scouts and realistic expectations for parents regarding their son's chances of playing at the next level.

 

Also on hand at the event were several vendors displaying their products and services, from retailers to manufacturers to turf management products.

 

The attendance was better than in 2011 and we're hoping that 2013 will really be the break through year for this event.

 

The quality of the presentation and organization was again first class. Every attendee had the opportunity to interact with the presenters.

 

"I thought it was excellent. Each session I walked away with at least one new item, tidbit, or drill that will make me a better coach. I spoke with all the coaches from Franklin Township who attended and they loved it, no complaints. As a matter of fact a couple said they planned on taking off work to attend more sessions next year."  Said, Pete Salerno of Franklin Township Little League in the Lehighton area.

 

"I've been telling everyone that I've talked to (that wasn't here) that they missed a great event!" Added Ed Chroscinski.

 

Planning for the 2013 event has already begun and the dates will be November 15 & 16, 2013 at the Crowne Plaza again.

 

We're offering an Early-Bird discount of 25% off the registration fee for anyone who registers prior to February 1, 2012.  Please be sure to take advantage of this great offer by clicking here. 

 

There will again be no charge for this event for the members of Berkshire Baseball the 2013 season (players and parents).

Registrations are now be accepted for all Berkshire Baseball Winter Clinics
Register Early, Most Sessions Sold Out in 2012!
Berkshire Baseball is excited to announce that they will again be holding several winter clinics from December of 2012 through March of 2013.
Our first specialty hitting only clinic will start on Decmber 5th and will run for four weeks through December 26 at Body Zone. This session will feature Zach Lutz of the New York Mets as a guest intructor.
The organization will again hold their 9-week comprehensive winter workout program from January 6 though March 6, 2013.  Participants can sign up for just Sunday morning sessions, just Wednesday evening sessions or both Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.  Most Sunday mornings are held at Kutztown University and all Wednesday evenings are held at Body Zone Sports and Wellness Center.
Additionally the organization will hold several specialty pitching, catching and hitting clinics at Body Zone from the middle of January through the end of March.
Sessions are designed for players from ages 6-18 and participants will be broken down in smaller groups of like skill set and age during the workouts.  We will stress fundementals at every level and Sunday morning sessions will have a speed and agility componant included as well.
Please click here for a full list of all winter clinics and to register online.  Please be sure to register early as most sessions did sell out this past winter.
 
  
The Beauty of a Diamond makes for a great Christmas Gift
$8.00 of each sale benefits Berkshire Baseball
 

Looking for a great Christmas Gift for your favorite baseball player, coach or someone in a leadership role? Look no further, The Beauty of Diamond is a great gift for anyone in a leadership role.  If you purchase your copy through the Berkshire Baseball web store, $8.00 of your purchase benefits the Berkshire Baseball organization. 

 

The Beauty of a Diamond, Through the Eyes of a Coach should be required reading for parents of young athletes as well as coaches, especially those just entering the profession. As the book notes, the ideals of positivity, ethical choices, and mutual respect are often cast aside in the desire to win at all costs. It articulately reminds readers of the many life lessons inherent in the game of baseball.


Through anecdotes about his parents and others in his life, Dan Clouser personalizes the narrative, sharing firsthand family and vocational experiences that will no doubt resonate with readers, especially those with a link to sports. In addition, he emphasizes the importance of volunteerism, and the personal satisfaction that he has derived from helping others with no expectation of a return for his efforts.

 

The Beauty of a Diamond not only outlines Clouser's personal coaching career (warts and all), he provides inspiration and motivation for readers regardless of their professions or personal lives. The theme of legacy-the ways in which we influence and touch others' lives-suggests that we can all experience some degree of immortality through mentorship; the knowledge we share will be shared by those we mentor.
 
Copies are also available at Schuylkill Valley Sporting Goods in the Fairgrounds Square Mall, the Rawlings Outlet in the VF Outlet Complex and Firefly Bookstore on Main Street in Kutztown.