We continue our countdown of the Top 10 most popular articles from 2017. Yesterday was Part 1 with No. 10-6. You can see that article by clicking here.
No. 5: Previewing the Mega Match Up Between Shoreham-Wading River and Wantagh
Date: June 5
This was dubbed as the match up of the year between the red-hot bats of SWR led by Brian Morrell and the reigning Class A Champion Wantagh Warriors. It was very surprising to see Anthony Fontana–not Jimmy Joyce–take the mound, but it wound up being a tremendous game anyway. Someone (wink, wink) predicted a 4-3 victory by Wantagh and it was not far off, as the Warriors got to Morrell for 4 runs in the first inning before hanging on to a 4-2 victory to advance to the New York State championship.
Full story here.
No. 4: Commack Advances to Suffolk Finals Amidst Pitch Count Controversy
Date: May 27
The big news last off-season was the implementation of the pitch count for the 2017 season. The rule limited pitchers to a maximum of 105 pitches during the regular season and 125 during the postseason (pitchers are allowed to finish the at bat if the pitch count was reached during an at bat). That rule came to the forefront during a playoff match up between Commack and Pat-Med. The game itself was not in question, but the debate became an issue with Johnny Pohlman on the mound. Commack was leading 7-2, and Pat-Med was adamant that the previous pitch was No. 129 for Pohlman. By rule, the game would have resulted in a forfeit by the team that violates the rule. Instead, it resulted in Pohlman being taken out for a reliever, who retired the next batter and they advanced. The result was a fury of animosity towards Section XI for their failure to properly implement their rules.
Full story here.
No. 3: Breaking Down the Wild Finish to the Suffolk-Northern Essex Regional
Date: May 21
I would’ve preferred to leave this off the list, but it was a very big topic at the time and it did garner plenty of buzz. I was in attendance and it was interesting, to say the least. With Northern Essex leading 8-3 in the top of the ninth and needing just 3 outs to qualify for the NJCAA World Series, a pitch that was close to the batter resulted in a bench-clearing brawl that lasted several minutes. After a 15-minute delay by the umpires, the game resulted in both teams being disqualified. Region XV did not send a representative to the World Series.
Full story here.
No. 2: How Marcus Stroman Went From League 1 MVP to World Baseball Classic MVP
Date: March 23
Marcus Stroman pitched Team USA to the championship over Puerto Rico in March. Just eight years earlier, he was dominating batters in League 1 while at Pat-Med HS. His former coach, Anthony Frascogna, spoke in detail about his memories of him–dating back to watching him play football as an 8-year-old.
Full story here.
No. 1: Charles Galiano’s Letter to the Game of Baseball
Date: May 5
Commack 2012 grad Charles Galiano was drafted twice (2012, 2015) and spent parts of three seasons in the minor leagues with the Milwaukee Brewers. He decided to hang up his cleats after a shoulder injury prevented him from playing pain-free. He wrote an emotional letter to the game of baseball on its impact on his life.
Full story here.
Christine Heeren
Great list! There were so many amazing stories & exciting games last season.