tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post3611668560651542602..comments2023-10-10T12:46:47.186-04:00Comments on The Green Weenie: Notes on a day off...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-56028794540992945052008-06-18T18:57:00.000-04:002008-06-18T18:57:00.000-04:00FWIW, last time I looked, there was a thriving NAB...FWIW, last time I looked, there was a thriving NABF league in State College. One of my buddies from work, a former Penn State player before he blew out his shoulder, used to play in it.WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-51591028286993715182008-06-18T18:21:00.000-04:002008-06-18T18:21:00.000-04:00True, Will. We remember the old industrial league...True, Will. We remember the old industrial leagues very well here - the Pittsburgh Typos were always a powerhouse. Kids that fall through the cracks are pretty much dead meat in this day and age. There's nowhere left to hone their game.Ron Ieracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08784507810080514099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-29106342522048390522008-06-18T13:52:00.000-04:002008-06-18T13:52:00.000-04:00Yes, that squares with my take on the current stat...Yes, that squares with my take on the current state of the NABF. It seems that the rise of independent, non-affiliated professional baseball has pretty much taken the place of NABF leagues in most cities. I guess most guys who still have the itch to play figure, maybe I only make $1000 a month (if that) playing independent A-ball, but that's $1000 more than I make in an amateur league. <BR/><BR/>That said, there are still some good ballplayers in NABF leagues, as you mentioned. Once in a blue moon one or two of them will get signed by a scout somewhere. I heard that 3 guys actually signed pro deals after the NABF World Series here a few years ago. Don't ask me who they were, I don't remember, but as you say, it DOES happen occasionally. <BR/><BR/>It's a shame to see the old high end amateur / sandlot / industrial leagues go away, or largely go away. The NABF has a rich, rich history and wonderful tradition. I had the privilege of speaking with their executive director a few years ago, and he told me all about the history of their spat with the AAABA, which was sponsored by Glenn Martin of the Martin Aircraft Co---they're the ones who built the B-26 and the Mars flying boat in WWII.WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-3647015664284595912008-06-17T23:26:00.000-04:002008-06-17T23:26:00.000-04:00Still can't find his stats, but Marino pitched wit...Still can't find his stats, but Marino pitched with a kid named Larry LaMonde, who reached AAA, I think in the Pirate system. He also played with a guy the Bucs interviewed for President, Tony LaCava from Oakmont, while in HS. Marino was undefeated after his soph year as a pitcher, but because Central belonged to the old Catholic League back then, they didn't make WPIAL or state playoffs.<BR/>Two interesting drafts notes regarding Marino - he turned down a $35K bonus offered by KC, and the same year KC picked him, they drafted another QB - John Elway - 18th. The Chiefs should draft so well!<BR/>The Fed League here doesn't really draw flies anymore, but the scouts still take a peek or two. The average age now is about 25, and there's a bunch of college kids playing in the league and minor league washouts. The Washington Wild Things in the independent Frontier League compete against them somewhat in the area for fans and players.Ron Ieracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08784507810080514099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-45823360866513589952008-06-17T22:51:00.000-04:002008-06-17T22:51:00.000-04:00Will, I can't find his dang stats, but at Central ...Will, I can't find his dang stats, but at Central Catholic in Oakland, he was quite a P/SS, and was drafted in the 4th round of the 1979 baseball draft by KC. He would have lost his college eligibility if he signed, so he took the football scholarship. Marino didn't play baseball at Pitt - he hurt his knee the summer of his freshman year playing in the Fed League, and that was the end of his baseball career. They did name his local ball field, Frazier Field which overlooked the old J&L Steel coke ovens in Hazelwood, after him a few years back. Now it's Marino Field.Ron Ieracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08784507810080514099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-12554962135254371532008-06-17T21:26:00.000-04:002008-06-17T21:26:00.000-04:00PS Regarding Dan Marino's baseball career, I seem ...PS Regarding Dan Marino's baseball career, I seem to recall that one of the sort-of knocks on him when he was at Pitt was that his throwing motion was too baseball-ish. I never did read a lot about his baseball career and didn't know he had played in an NABF league. Very interesting! Loved the Art Rooney Sr mention, as well. Do you know if there is any statistical information about how well they played? And, did Marino also play college baseball, briefly, at Pitt, or was he football only?WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-67183690164127137322008-06-17T21:18:00.000-04:002008-06-17T21:18:00.000-04:00Wow, very cool info, Ron! The local NABF league h...Wow, very cool info, Ron! The local NABF league here in Louisville is a great, great asset to the community, and very much under-reported and under-appreciated. There used to be a small local AM sports-only radio station here that promoted the league, but the station was teeny-tiny and ultimately sold out to a Spanish language outfit. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, I approached them a couple of times about doing a straight-to-video production of the NABF World Series, where I would do the play by play and a local guy who was formerly in the Dodgers system would do the color. They gave me the go-ahead but I could never get the money together (didn't have time to sell ads to offset the cost, etc).WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-65532206840693164152008-06-17T18:41:00.000-04:002008-06-17T18:41:00.000-04:00St. Johns advanced to the National Amateur Basebal...St. Johns advanced to the National Amateur Baseball Federation's World Series last year, so I guess they do belong, Will. They say the better teams compare to a Class A club.<BR/><BR/>Some of the Fed League players were: Pirates first baseman Sean Casey of Upper St. Clair and former Pirates infielder John Wehner of Carrick. Curtis Leskanic of Steel Valley High School, Danny Kite of Shaler and Dana Williams, who each spent time with the Boston Red Sox organization, were in the Fed League.<BR/><BR/>More recently, Josh Wilson of Mt. Lebanon, Zach Jackson of Seneca Valley, Dan Schwartzbauer of Shaler and Ryan Campbell of Montour passed through the league before getting an opportunity in the pros. Art Howe of Shaler went on to manage the Houston Astros, New York Mets and Oakland A's, and current A's manager Ken Macha of Gateway High School shined in the league. Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, both of whom are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played.Ron Ieracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08784507810080514099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6207200414495313452.post-31633815438295616192008-06-16T21:13:00.000-04:002008-06-16T21:13:00.000-04:00Is the Pittsburgh Federation League affiliated wit...Is the Pittsburgh Federation League affiliated with the NABF? (National Amateur Baseball Federation.) The NABF, according to its website, is the oldest national amateur baseball organization in the country. You probably know, Ron, about the old "industrial leagues" that flourished for many decades in the old days. In many if not most cases, those leagues were officially sanctioned by the NABF. <BR/><BR/>The NABF still has a national tournament and holds its own World Series every year here in Louisville, KY, where I live. It's the national championship of all organized baseball that is 1) non professional, 2) played by adults and 3) not affiliated with any particular college or postsecondary school---though the local NABF league kinda skirts those distinctions by having summer league teams stocked with local small college players.WilliamJPellashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12774466220683142262noreply@blogger.com