Issue 1 Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 1 12 April 2012

Inside the Issue: Page The League 1 It’s All in the Sticks 2 Stick With It 3 Draft Preview 4-9 Player Spotlight 10 The Backspin Chronicles 10 Got Stick? 11 A Stickball Story 11

Last summer we tried and we tried

to play stickball whenever we could. It became more difficult to do so as the summer progressed. Due to busy schedules and a lack of organization, it was nearly impossible to have a stickball game. This is what prompted us to develop the Fountain Hill Stickball League. With the help of many people, that is exactly what we are doing. This May, thanks to the 48 stickball players who have signed up for the league, we will be holding the inaugural Fountain Hill Stickball League Draft and starting league games. In the league, post-season individual awards will be handed out, champions will be crowned and legends will be made. We are all looking forward to both the draft and league play and we hope you are too.

-Ryan Anderson, FHSL Commissioner

League Structure

4 teams

1 Captain for each team

12 players on each team

9 game regular season

Each team plays each

other team 3 times a piece

2 teams with best regular

season record play in 3

game series to determine

league champions

Important League Dates

May 5th - $20 league fee due for each player

May 12th – League Draft

May 29th – First Games Played

League Games Every Tuesday evening at 6

pm starting May 29th

Games played at either the Fountain Hill Park or Holy Child Parking Lot


Page 2 The Stickball Star-Ledger

It’s all in the Sticks

The League Draft will be held on Saturday,

May 12th at the Fountain Hill Park building from 4-

7 pm. The captains for the four teams are Colin

Hutchinson, Joey Martin, Zach Glagola, and Tim

Sawruk. The format of the draft will be a fantasy

draft style, meaning the 1st round will be picks 1-4

and the 2nd round will be picks 4-1 and so on.

Draft order will go 1. Joey Martin 2. Tim Sawruk 3.

Zach Glagola 4. Colin Hutchinson. There will be 11

rounds in the draft.

The Draft has been the most anticipated

aspect of the league so far. Players are anxious to

find out what team they will end up on. Facebook

and Twitter have been on fire lately with draft

debate. There is enough talent in this league to go

around so the teams should be fairly even. A lot

will be determined on May 12th, but the best

team will be decided on the field. In other words,

it’s not all about the draft, “It’s all in the sticks”.

Captain Team Name Jersey Color

Joey Martin Kekambas Dark Green

Tim Sawruk The Sultans of Swat Navy Blue

Zach Glagola Toon Squad Orange

Colin Hutchinson Bethlehem Monarchs Cedar Red

Online Poll: Which team

captain would you like to

play for most?

1. Joey Martin 35.29%

2. Tim Sawruk 26.47%

3. Colin Hutchinson 20.59%

4. Zaxh glafola 17.67%



Stick With It

The four team captains are all extremely honored to have been chosen to lead teams this summer. They were all recently interviewed regarding separate league topics. Here’s what they had to say.

Tim Sawruk Interview

FHSL: Since you are the expected clean-up hitter in your lineup, what is your draft strategy going in, considering you already have the big bat?

Captain Sawruk: Lefties, lefties, and more lefties. I’m not just going for offensive picks either. Defense is an important part of stickball.

Joey Martin Interview

FHSL: Describe yourself as a manager and tell the readers why a player would enjoy playing for you?

Captain Martin: I think I’m a player’s coach. I get along with a lot of people. The average player would enjoy playing on my team. I’m a pretty easy going guy but I will expect a lot out of my players.

Colin Hutchinson Interview:

FHSL: How do you feel about getting the #4 pick in the draft and do you think it could be an advantage for you?

Captain Hutchinson: I think having the # 4 pick is key because I also get the 5th pick, back to back. A surefire star player and then a player who I believe will fit my team model.

Zach Glagola Interview:

FHSL: What are you most looking forward to about the Fountain Hill Stickball League?

Captain Glagola: Easily the draft. I wish it was tomorrow. I’m going to get to work on my draft board and be totally prepared come draft day. GM of the year right here!!

They all seem very confident but we’ll have to wait and see which one of these captains “Sticks with it” and puts together a championship squad.



Complete Draft Preview

Draft Player Prospect Review

Captains: Joey Martin "The Strategist" - Knows the game intimately well and will be a smart manager. Will probably be the most interesting to see in the draft in terms of what direction he goes, especially with the first pick. Past performance has indicated that he's likely to get a handful of extra base hits throughout the season which will surely lead to a chunk of runs for his team. An athlete who fields well at many positions.

Tim Sawruk "The Gambler" - "Big Cat" is one of the preseason favorites for Silver Slugger. Huge potential to

be a 5+ homerun hitter. An RBI fans dream. Risk taker when it comes to base running which has proved to

both help and hurt his teams in the past. Impressive resume with only one real off year. Can't see him not

performing at or above his potential. Laid-back personality who will be a player's manager and will be well

liked by the team he manages.

Zach Glagola "The Diplomat" - The all important lefty threat. Can be streaky. But if he comes into a clutch

situation there's no better security than an automatic hit over the right field fence. He fields above average

and is well liked by players. Will manage his team with a reserved but formidable presence equipped with

legendary reasonability.

Colin Hutchinson "The General" – Fiery persona. Will motivate his team to perform above their skill sets. A

guy who swings a good stick and is consistently on base. A natural leader who won't let you forget your

mistakes. Left side of the infield is where he'll most likely play with success. Has hit with power in the past but

he'll most likely put himself at the top of the order.

We have put together an in-depth draft preview detailing all 48 league

members. Some of the players we have more of a body of work to base their

player reviews off of; the others we have very little. Either way we added all the

player information that we could think of. This will be very important for the

team captains to study before draft day. Hopefully it also provides some hype

for the draft and can incite debate amongst the stickball community. Enjoy!



Draftable: In No Particular Order Nick Johnson - "Manny" is one of the few true deep threats. Has the ability to go yard at every at-bat. Long

frame gives him excellent range and leaping ability. Great whether at first or in left field. RBI machine. A no

brainer in terms of production.

Alex Specht - Without Jeff Labarge, the only true 5-tool player in the league. Great speed. Slap, pull, go deep;

he can do damage at the plate to all fields. Also plays both left infield positions and center field tremendously

well. A leader on the field. High reward with literally no risk.

Joey Felker - An irreplaceable and unmatched defensive presence. He completely erases hits to the left side of the outfield and has the ability to hose you at home. Has been known to hit the homer, but you'll most likely be seeing him on second base. High stickball IQ. Great base runner.

Shane Hutchinson - One of the best situational hitters available. Can chop it when need be, but rips to center

left is where he makes his money. Sure handed fielder as well. Can play either corner infield position and has

the ability to make plays at shortstop too. Has had substance abuse issues in the past, but don't look for it to

affect performance.

Andrew Redding - The quintessential all-around player. Smart. Good bat. Decent wheels. Fine fielder. Plays

well with others and demonstrates great leadership qualities.

Bryan Redding - Extreme pull hitter. If pitch counts were important in stickball, this guy would be a number

one pick. Has recently shown that he's straightened out his swing with a number of good at bats. Can play

adequately at most positions on the field but really shines at pitcher. Laughs abound with this guy on the field.

Well known. Well liked. Well received.

Justin Santanasto – Has plenty of stickball experience. Currently a member of the Bethlehem Catholic Golden

Hawk Baseball team. We see him in the outfield but he should be a versatile asset to whichever team he ends

up on.

Mike Zumas - "The Greek Mitts" is a stalwart at first. Big frame provides above average power. Sneaky quick. Past experience has shown that a shot to deep center can end up as a triple. Won't kill you with mistakes either. Mike Block - Very raw skill set. New to the game. Appears to be progressing. Eager to learn and will be a good team presence.

Joey Felker in the batter's box

Mike Zumas nurtures his sprained ankle at last year's FH Classic



Draft Preview Continued

Taylor Bates - Saying he's athletic is doing an injustice. Scary speed. A bouncer into left center can turn into a

double with ease. Consistent at the plate and can track down anything in the outfield. If his power has

increased he may be entering into 5-tool territory.

Kyle McCauley - Great range and hands at short or 3rd. Sells out on defense which has resulted in an injury

but is completely healthy now. A good slap hitter who always seems to be on base. Run scorer and producer.

Eric Blum - Big man. Big bat. Makes his home crushing balls to deep center. Adequate hands who can play 2nd, right field, or pitcher. Won't blow you away with speed though.

Leo Rooney - Another valuable lefty. Won't do much on the base paths but, as with all lefties, his bat is what

gives him high value. Not particular defensive but can carve out a niche at second, or pitcher, and perform

well. The more at-bats, the better he performs.

Rick Rau - Can perform admirably on the field and at the plate but needs motivation. Becomes off task easily

and doesn't stay interested. Will need a captain that is willing to light a fire and bring out what he's capable of.

Pat Hilaire - "Heggy" is an insanely long creature. 10-foot wingspan makes him a good pick for shortstop. His

arms are also useful at the plate as he has a Vlad Guerrero-like strike zone.

Mike Dally - "Pickle" has shown in the past to be a reliable fielder and batter. Not huge RBI potential but is

keen at advancing runners.

Neal Treskot - Big player who, when he makes contact, can really smoke the ball. Consistency is a worry but, if

he can get focused, there's high potential. Defensively I'd be inclined to put him at pitcher but his height could

be useful at other positions as well.

Andrew Krause - Has impressed in the past with his abilities in left. Relying more on anticipation than speed

but gets the job done all the same. Can handle the bat but won't be winning any awards for power. Also not

the fleetest of foot but can beat out an infield hit if the third basemen is distracted by a bug or has some kind

of arm injury.

Jake Mies - Another guy who can play anywhere on the field with ease. Above average quicks. Swings the bat well. Personable on and off the field. Justis Freeman – Has shown some real power early in spring training. Can play a couple of positions defensively including right field, second base, and catcher.

Tony Logan, Neal Treskot, Eric Blum, & Andrew Krause as members of the FH Fancies

Jake Mies



Draft Preview Continued Tony Logan - Big guy who swings from his heels. Can produce well at the plate. Fields the pitcher spot very well. Not the fastest but will surprise you with his speed. Morale will be high seeing as he's always good for a laugh.

Richie Taglang - Young player with a high motor. Very familiar with the game and will play with a youthful

vitality that will raise the spirits of his team. Known to be a bit of a jokester so keep your eye out. Killer chops

in center. Covers good ground and controls the ball into his hands.

Joey Logan - Comes from good breeding stock, the Logan family. Has a lot of experience in both pick-up games

and from the classic as a member of "The Fancies." Needs to work on his speed but he can play 2nd well and

swings the bat decently too. Has been working out so we'll see if that equates into a power surge.

Josh Knipe - Natural athlete who has a good eye. Rarely hits a weak ball. Plays 3rd base and outfield well and

has a good voice on the field. Should be a nice fit wherever he ends up.

Collin DosSantos (IR-Broken Ankle) - Excels at the pitchers spot. Had 4 Ks in a preseason game. Bigger kid who

lacks speed but can handle the bat. Whichever captain picks him up will have to preach hustle at all times.

DosSantos unfortunately broke his ankle in a baseball game earlier this month so we won’t be seeing much of

him on the stickball field this summer.

Rocco DiPaola - Fields well. Big body gives him good range to make up for small throwing mistakes towards first. Good bat speed so when he connects that ball is getting roped. Happy to be around everyone and is a great team player.

Jason Huber - "Lump" carries with him an impressive baseball resume. Good power potential with quickness in

the field. Will likely be a 4 or 5 hitter. Good hands in the infield as well. Sometimes he becomes too in love

with his muscles so make sure to keep him away from sleeveless Ts and tank tops.

Wayne Crenko - The possible Cy Young of the league. Long, successful career in the pitching circle. Fields the

position well and plays a quick game, wasting no time in between pitches. Major chop hitter who scores tons

of runs for being on base so much.

Michael Broughton - "Grif" has played the game since his formative years. Knows how to play the game so

mental mistakes won't be a worry. Good skill set in the field and a good bat at the plate. A good mid-level pick.

Tony Logan on the mound

Rocco DiPaola at the plate



Draft Preview Continued

David Schwoyer - "Schwa" will most likely play at first or catcher, as a shoulder injury limits his throwing

potential. Bat needs to slow down a little bit, but that's an easy adjustment. Has shown to poke a good ball

into the gaps. Good personality. Will be a good teammate.

Kyle Laughlin - The highest risk but also the highest reward of all the players. Hasn't played consistently in over a year and has had a few injuries, but if he can play at all like he has, that'll be scary. Sawruk is the only one who can come close to how far Laughlin can hit it. Huge arm from anywhere on the field. Gorilla sized hands make him a commodity at third but can play the outfield too. Can be worth 2 HRs a game or a lot of long outs. I'm erring to the former, but only time will tell.

Jaime Hinkley – Has a true passion for the game. Tends to play a lot at third and rarely lets the ball hit the

ground. One of the more selective hitters in the league and will wait for his pitch. When he makes contact he

can turn a single into a double with his hustle alone.

Deron Seaman – More of a basketball player but has shown some skill on the stickball field. A member of the

Young Gunz during the Classic. Plays short stop and has tremendous speed as a base runner.

Jared Albert – Only one game of stickball under his belt so this is a risky pick. Could be of some value in the

later rounds. Compact frame, along with toughness makes him a good candidate to play the catcher position.

Tommy DiPaola – Youngest player in the league has impressed with his play in spring training. Has shown great hands behind the plate and some bounce on the mound. Don’t be surprised if this kid adds some value to a contender.

Jake Conklin – Another prospect with very little to go off of. Only seen play once. Can hit the ball and looks to

be a good option as a utility man or at second baseman.

Peyton Bates – If this kid shares the same genes with his older brother, he can be a future MVP Candidate.

Like Taylor, he makes most of his plays in the outfield and is consistent at the plate.

Raymond Pacheco – Has shown great athleticism in his FH Stickball Classic outings. Known to play any of the

three outfield positions as well as short stop.

John Treskot – The older half of the Treskot brothers has some experience on a baseball field, but very little

stickball games under his belt. Ginormous frame makes him a nice prospect at 1st and should have some

power in the batter’s box

Kyle Laughlin

Tommy DiPaola intimidates the batter



Draft Preview Continued Ben Johnson – “B.J” is one of the more tenured pitchers in stickball history. His notorious spin on the ball can drive batters mad and send them back to the bench. Doesn’t scare you at the plate but is no slouch either.

Paul Marzella – Very little to base his scouting report off of. Has some experience from the classic and on the baseball field.

Luke Ameer-Beg – Has good wheels and can play either right field or second base.

Nicolas Patrick Ampietro – A member of the Salisbury High School baseball team that made their way through

the state tournament in 2011. Likes to play either position on the left side of the infield and is formidable at

the plate.

Ryan Anderson - "Party-al" is equipped with a good bat and legendary personality. The antithesis to a

clubhouse cancer, he can be responsible for a few runs just from his demeanor alone. A great motivator who

will keep both morale and good vibes at high levels. Makes average plays in the field look hard but still gets

the job done. His character profile is off the charts.

Brad Vangeli – A 16 year old baseball player who has played in every classic to date. Filling in for the injured

Colin DosSantos, he is sure to be a solid addition to the league. Prefers to play either 1st base or the outfield.

Award predictions:

MVP: Alex Specht, Nick Johnson, Tim Sawruk

Silver Slugger: Nick Johnson, Tim Sawruk, Kyle Laughlin

Gold Glove: Joey Felker, Alex Specht, Kyle McCauley

Sleepers: Patrick Hilaire, Andrew Krause

Diaper Dandy: Rocco DiPaola, Rich Taglang

Web Gem Candidates: Joey Felker, Nick Johnson, Alex Specht, Kyle McCauley, Taylor Bates

Touch 'Em All Candidates: Tim Sawruk, Nick Johnson, Alex Specht, Eric Blum, Kyle Laughlin

Ben Johnson swings away

Alex Specht, consensus MVP candidate and 1st round prospect

Online Poll: Who would you take with the #1 Pick in

the FHSL Draft? – Results as of 4/11

1. Nick Johnson 40% 2. Alex Specht 25% 3. Taylor Bates 15% 4. Other 15% 5. Kyle McCauley 5%

“That’s garbage and it’s probably

fixed” – Kyle McCauley on his place

on the poll for #1 FHSL Draft picks.



League Member Spotlight

Andrew Krause

Andrew Scott Krause (born August 5, 1986, St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill) is the second child, after Ashley Sara

Krause, squired by Jeffrey Scott Krause and Valerie Anne Krause. Although he has spent the last 20 years residing on the

Westside of Bethlehem, his early years between ages 2 and 5 were spent in the small community of Midlothian, Va.,

where he whiled away his days sitting on ant hills. A die hard sports fan who roots for the Redskins, Cubs, and Penguins,

he is also an avid golfer sporting a 15 handicap who labels Allentown Municipal as his favorite golf course. Starting at age

7, he played alongside Mike Zumas for 6 years as the potent right infield tandem for the Lehigh Little League Cubs. An

alumnus from Nitschmann Middle School and Liberty High School (Class of '04), he also spent 2 and a half semesters at

NCCC studying Sports Communications. Never completing his degree, opting instead for the work force, he has owned his

own independently operated Thomas English Muffins and Arnold Bread vending route since 2007. Conceding 'Tommy Boy'

as his favorite movie, he also lists 'Sleeping Beauty' as his favorite Disney movie and is also quite fond of anything with Will

Smith, who by his admission is "the greatest actor of all-time." Although growing up on the Westside, he has in the past

handful of years made his home away from home in Fountain Hill, due in large part to his friendship with a number of

fellow league members, namely, David Schwoyer. Partial to Jameson and Ginger-ale and Labatt Blue, he is a social

butterfly who is quick with a joke and up for a night out. With his trusty bat, "Stickabod," a play on words of the famous

Washington Irving character, he is a valuable player in the field and performs admirably at the plate. When asked where

he sees himself in 5 years, he responded, "still playing stickball with 15 year old kids. Trying to live out my dreams of

making it to the big leagues." A tenured member of the FH Fancies, love for the game is in large amounts with this player.

Andrew Krause prowls the stickball field as a member of the FH Fancies

We will be holding an on-line vote in

early May to decide which league

member we will highlight in the next

edition of The Stickball-Star Ledger.


Page 11 The Stickball-Star Ledge

Spring Training Wrap Up

Got Stick?

The Fountain Hill Stickabll League website, league.fhclassic.com has been

the site to go to for the stickball community. You can find out virtually

anything concerning the league on the site. Wondering when games are or

where? When pick-up games will be held? How the draft will work and

when it will be? Look no further than our official website. Every Monday

there is a new poll out where you can vote on your favorite captain or your

choice for #1 pick in the FHSL Draft. You can find many other exiting things

on the website. Go on and look for the full list of league members, a three

round mock draft & an FHSL News Feed.

You can also find us on Facebook or Twitter for instant league news and

updates. If you are not already Facebook “friends” with the league or you

don’t follow us on Twitter, please don’t waste any more time and look for

us on the web immediately.

Another way to view our site is by going to www.fhclassic.com and clicking

on the League tab.

Over the past month and a half, a number of things have been made evident by

the handful of games that we've played. Although not the most ample of data

samples, it's safe to say that the stars are performing as you'd expect them to.

Perhaps more interesting is the advances more novice players have been making

as well as the evolution of the younger, future stars of the league. Both Rocco

DiPaola and Richie Taglang have shown that they are indeed a force to be

reckoned with come this summer, showing maturity as well as fundamental

stickball skills, both offensively and defensively. Par for the course Alex Specht,

Nick Johnson, and Tim Sawruk have shown exactly why they are the front

runners for the season's highest personal accolade, using their bats to make

strong cases for their name on the MVP plaque.

Making strong impressions have been Andrew Krause's play at first (impressing

Captain Colin Hutchinson) as well as a number of defensive plays made by Joey

Felker, Jaime Hinkley, Kyle McCauley, and Joey Martin. One play worthy of note

was a routine hit that bounced to the outfield fence. Jaime Hinkley, having a

hubris of speed and possibly not giving full effort, was gunned out at home

coming from first base, a play that was punctuated by a miraculous, pirouette-

like maneuver by Leo Rooney covering the dish to prevent a run from scoring.

“He’s got a very high

ceiling” – Captain Joey

Martin on the play of

Rocco DiPaola at one

spring training game.

http://www.fhclassic.com/


Page 12 The Stickball-Star Ledger

The Backspin Chronicles

League.fhclassic.com Twitter: fh_stickball Facebook: Fountain Hill Stickball League E-mail: [email protected]

We are looking to add an editorial

section to the next issue of The

Stickball-Star Ledger so if you are

interested in writing an article on

anything stickball, please submit it

to [email protected]

Contributing Writers: Jaime Hinkly

Ryan Anderson

Contributing Editors: Andrew Redding Ryan Anderson Jaime Hinkley

Contributing Photographers:

Micky Haney Aimee Johnson

If you would like to become a contributing writer to The Stickball-Star Ledger e-mail us at [email protected]

Well this brings our 1st edition of The Stickball-Star Ledger to a close. We would like to thank everyone on Facebook and Twitter for giving their input on the possible title of this newsletter. We were able to use those great ideas for many articles within this.

The Stickball-Star Ledger is a way for FHSL members, as well as anyone else interested in the league to be kept up to date on stickball happenings. Throughout the season we will be coming out with this newsletter on a bi-weekly basis. Our next issue will be introduced sometime after the May 12th Draft, but before league play which starts May 29th. After this season’s champions are crowned we will be producing this year’s final Stickball-Star Ledger which will be sold at the FH Stickball Classic. If you have any suggestions for the newsletter or thought we missed anything please feel free to let us know.

A special thanks from the entire league to Mrs.Redding for providing us with a venue for our league draft & games.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Issue 1 Newsletter