Sunsets
Sweep Stars, Head To Expansion Series
February
8, 2012 (Federal League Wire Service)
The Sunrise Sunsets qualified for a
berth in the Expansion Series with an 11-9, extra inning, win
over the Hollywood Stars in Game 2 of their semi-final series.
The win enabled the Twiligthers to complete the series sweep.
After giving the Sunsets a 6-5 in the top of the eighth with a
sacrifice fly, Randy Talley flared an RBI single to left in the
top of the 10th, scoring Mike Govern with the go ahead run.
Later in the extra frame, Joe LaRocca provided the Sunsets with
the requisite insurance by blasting a grand slam.
Despite trailing by five, the Stars staged a rally of their own
in the bottom of the 10th, scoring three runs before loading the
bases. The rally fell short when Mike Galluci's hard smash to
third resulted in a game ending, and for the Stars, season
ending, force out.
Matt Sperry went the distance for the Twilighters and earned the
win. Sperry permitted nine runs on 17 hits. Jose Estevez pitched
nine and two thirds innings of relief, allowing eight earned
runs on 12 hits, to take the loss. Estevez, who started Game 1
of the series, entered in relief after Stars' starter Juan
Gonzalez injured his shoulder while walking the first batter he
faced on four pitches.
Estevez worked effectively through the seventh inning, before
being moved to second base. Angel Canales, Jr. replaced Estevez
on the mound, but when Canales struggled, Estevez was brought
back to the hill with one out in the eighth.
After a bizarre top of the first, which featured, an injured
pitcher, a pickoff that resulted in an obstruction call, and an
inning ending double play derived from an appeal play, the Stars
opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Justin Rivera and
Raul Nieto had RBI doubles, and Albert Quezada singled in a run
as the Stars took a 3-0 advantage.
In the second, the Sunsets scored twice on a wild pitch and an
Eric Bigham RBI single. An inning later, they tied the score at
3-3 when Sperry singled, stole second, and scored on an error.
The Stars moved back in front in the home half of the inning on
another RBI single by Quezada.
The score remained 4-3 until the top of the sixth when an RBI
single by Govern tied the score. The Stars took a 5-4 lead in
the bottom of the frame on an RBI double by Rafael Ramos.
In the eighth, with Canales on in relief of Estevez, Jimmy
Schariest drew a lead off walk and swiped second. Canales
retired Brandon Hull on a pop up, but Govern drilled a long RBI
single off the left field fence to tie the score. Later in the
inning, Govern scored on Talley's sac fly.
Trailing 6-5, the Stars tied the score in the bottom of
the eighth on Nieto's two out RBI single.
The Stars squandered an excellent opportunity to win the game in
the bottom of the ninth. Quezada and Justin Lopez drew walks.
With one out, pinch hitter Galluci rapped into an inning ending
double play.
The Sunsets poured across five runs in the top of the 10th
against a weary Estevez, but Gonzalez led off the bottom of the
inning by drawing a walk. Sperry hit Rivera with a pitch before
getting Ramos to fly out to center. Nieto kept the Stars alive
with an RBI single before Victor Pena doubled in Rivera.
With the tying run at the plate, Sperry bore down to retire
Quezada on a pop up to short, but Alex Rodriguez drew a walk to
load the bases. Lopez singled to score Nieto and put the winning
run on base, but Sperry induced Galluci to hit a grounder to
Hull at third. Hull easily beat Rodriguez to the bag for the
final out.
LaRocca paced the Sunsets with three hits and four important
RBI. Gonzalez and Nieto had four hits each in a losing effort.
The Twilighters, who have made four previous trips to the
Expansion Series, winning once, will await the winner of the
Junior Circuit's other semi-final series between the Davie
Goliaths and the Lighthouse Point Beacons.
December 27,
2011-Laufman Set To Return To Sentries As Player:
Two weeks after leaving the Margate
Sentries for personal reasons, former manager Phil Laufman has
announced that he is set to return to the team as a player.
Laufman's return will take effect as the team emerges from the
winter holiday break.
Despite Laufman's expected return to active duty, new Sentries'
manager "Silent" Dave Munguia will remain in charge.
Laufman complied a 156-140 record as the Gatekeepers' skipper in
eight and a half seasons at the helm.
A two time all-star catcher, Laufman's abilities behind the dish
will be welcomed by the Sentries as they head into the stretch
run of the season. Laufman was hitting .267 with 12 RBI when he
left the team.
When asked if Laufman's return to the team might represent a
distraction to the other Sentries' players, new manager Munguia
had no comment.
November
21, 2011-Against All Odds, Goliaths And Sunsets Manage To
Complete Another Trade:
For the sixth time in the past seven
months, the Davie Goliaths and the Sunrise Sunsets have traded
players. This time, the Goliaths have sent outfielder/first
baseman Patrick Keane to the Sunsets in exchange for pitching
prospect Juan Carlos Briones and reserve catcher Dennis Marangi.
Keane, who had requested a trade from the Philistines after a
dugout confrontation with some of his teammates on November 7,
started the season on the Sunsets' roster. The Sunsets traded
Keane on October 14 for infielder Carlos Liendo. Keane had
joined the Twilighters, coming from the Goliaths as a free agent
during the off season.
Briones and Marangi were both acquired by the Sunsets during
this season's draft. Briones was a first round pick and Marangi
was heralded by Sunset manager Eric Raskin as, "one of the
best hitters in the draft."
In limited action this season, Marangi was hitting .250 with one
RBI. Briones had made only one appearance on the mound for the
Twilighters and failed to record an out. However, Briones did
not give up any runs, either.
The Sunsets are hoping that Keane will provide a dependable bat
off the bench, a role for which Raskin felt that Marangi was not
best suited.
With the Goliaths, Marangi should be given more of an
opportunity to exhibit his skills, while in Briones, the G-Men
acquire their third former Sunset pitcher. Joe Feller and Rick
Schaut, both former Sunset hurlers, are already on the Goliath
staff.
Unlike some of the previous trades between these two teams, it
appears, on paper anyway, that this may be a good deal for both
clubs. The Sunsets seem to have coveted Keane's bat ever since
trading him away last month. The Goliaths continue to stockpile
pitchers and, in Marangi, create some depth at catcher.
Goliaths' manager Jeff Hall should be commended for receiving so
much in return for Keane, due to the circumstances surrounding
the trade request. After Keane made his request, Hall checked in
with each of the other teams, but only received interest from
the Sunsets and Margate Sentries.
Talks between the Goliaths and Sentries were never fully
developed and no terms were ever discussed in any great detail.
After learning that the Goliaths had sent Keane to the Sunsets,
Sentries manager Phil Laufman issued the following statement:
"I give my blessings for this trade to be completed and my
sincere concern goes out to all participating parties."
It is worth noting that two teams completing so many deals with
one another in such a compressed period of time is so unusual in
light of the fact that most teams have not made nearly as many
trades with one other team in their entire history.
October 21,
2011-Sun Devils' Snevel Has Torn Labrum:
The ace of the South Florida Sun
Devils' pitching staff, Chris Snevel, has revealed that he has a
tear of the posterior labrum in his pitching shoulder.
Snevel, who had an MRI earlier this week, has won the last two
Original Division Best Pitcher Awards and was expected to be a
front runner for the honor this season, prior to the disclosure
of his injury.
During the off season, the power pitching righty had complained
of shoulder pain and weakness. In his throwing sessions, Snevel
had reported to his club that he was experiencing a drop in his
velocity. The MRI confirmed Snevel's, and the Sun Devils', worst
fears.
The team is not reporting on whether a decision has been made by
Snevel to opt for surgery or to try and rehabilitate the injury
through non-surgical methods.
The labrum is a thick tissue or type of cartilage that is
attached to the rim of the shoulder socket and essentially forms
a bumper which deepens the socket and helps keep the ball of the
shoulder in place. If Snevel elects surgery, the recovery period
before resuming throwing is estimated at three to six months.
In his only appearance this season, Snevel pitched a perfect
inning of relief on October 4, in which he struck out all three
batters he faced.
Including Snevel, Sun Devils' pitchers have won the Senior
Circuit's Best Pitcher Award in each of the past four
consecutive seasons.
October 14,
2011-Goliaths And Sunsets Complete Another Trade:
Five times in the past six months,
the Davie Goliaths and the Sunrise Sunsets have made a trade.
The latest deal sends infielder Carlos Liendo to the Sunsets in
exchange for outfielder/first baseman Patrick Keane and a third
round pick.
Keane was acquired by the Sunsets as a free agent during
the off season. Previously, Keane had spent the past three
seasons with the Goliaths after being picked up from the
Tri-Cities Tritons in a 2010 Spring/Summer season trade.
Keane hit .240 in his three seasons with the Goliaths, including
last season when he hit that exact average.
Liendo is hitting 1.000 this season, as he went two for
two in his only appearance. Last season, as a rookie. Liendo hit
.167, but had a .429 on base percentage.
The Goliaths received some encouraging news when former Sunset
hurler Rick Schaut, acquired in a separate off season deal,
announced that he plans to join the Philistines next week.
Initially, Schaut, who was traded with unsigned catcher
Francisco Medina in exchange for Matt Sperry, had told the
Goliaths' management that he was taking a season off. After
further, reflection, however, Schaut reconsidered.
Schaut refuted a rumor that had been circulating regarding his
unhappiness with the Goliaths' catchers as being the reason for
his decision not to report.
"Completely untrue," Schaut said of the rumor.
"Nothing could be further from the truth. The issue of who
my catcher might or might not be had absolutely no impact on my
decision."
Schaut had gone 6-8 in three seasons with the Twilighters, but
had apparently fallen out favor with the team last season as he
made only three starts. Schaut had been the one time ace of the
Lighthouse Point Beacons before being traded to the Sunsets
after the 2009-2010 Fall/Winter Expansion Series.
The addition of Schaut gives the Goliaths one of the
deepest, and most experienced, starting staffs in the league.
September 30,
2011-Big Names Change Teams At Pre-Season Meetings:
The short off season between the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter
campaigns always leads to some hectic activity. The current off
season break is no exception to the rule. During this week's
meetings, several big name players were involved in trades.
The Margate Sentries acquired all-star outfielder Jason
Jones from the Hollywood Stars for the rights to highly
regarding prospect Justin Rivera. Jones, who spent three seasons
with the Stars and won a batting title as a rookie,
had requested a trade. The Stars accommodated Jones' request and
wound up with Rivera, a hard throwing righty, who can also play
second base and center field. One league scout compared Rivera
to Jimmy Efre of the Lighthouse Point Beacons.
Former Sunrise Sunset Brian Hauss was signed by the Tri-Cities
Tritons as a free agent. Tritons' manager, Mike Whittaker, has
stated that, in addition to Hauss' batting and fielding prowess,
he hopes that Hauss will live up to his full potential as a
pitcher.
Not to be outdone, the Sunsets made a major trade with,
who else?, the Davie Goliaths. This time, the Goliaths shipped
former playoff hero Matt Sperry to the Twilighters for two
unsigned players. In this case, the unsigned players are
standout hurler Rick Schaut and Francisco Medina, the power
hitting catcher. Schaut has stated clearly that he intends to
sit out the upcoming season, but expects to report to the
Goliaths for the 2012 Spring/Summer
campaign. Medina has not stated his intentions and remains
unsigned for the coming season.
In other moves, the Beacons sent first baseman Lee
Gonzalez to the Tritons for an unspecified future draft
pick. The Sunsets acquired the
rights to veteran utilityman Scott Arenberg from the Tritons
for unsigned pitching prospect Angel Canales, Jr.. The Tritons
later packaged the younger Canales in a deal that sent him to
the Stars, his father's current team, for former league MVP Ray
Ubiera. The Tritons are hopeful of signing Ubiera this week.
