Monday, June 30, 2003
O-Tigers back in the swing
2003 Oneonta Tigers
ONEONTA — Just when it looked like it might take an act of Congress to get a run across Sunday night, Kody Kirkland ended things with one swing.
Walk-off double paces O-Tigers
2003 Oneonta Tigers
Danilo Sanchez's double with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday drove in the winning run as the Oneonta Tigers defeated the Lowell Spinners, 3-2, at Damaschke Field.
Area golf
Brad Anderson won his sixth Delhi College Golf Course Club Championship, shooting back-to-back rounds of 74 over the weekend to beat Mike Batey by three strokes.
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Afton softball keeps winning
2003 Daily Star Player And Coach Of The Year For Softball
Renee Kemmerer said one of the most important lessons she learned from her father was to be more than a spectator.
Moretti, Broe best in baseball 2003 Jim Hamilton Memorial Award-Winners
Schenevus played baseball with a split personality in 2003. The defending Tri-Valley League champions came into a new season with high expectations that revolved around four seniors, each boasting four or more years of varsity experience.
Connolly loses first of season
Minor League Baseball
Oneonta High graduate Jon Connolly's perfection in a West Michigan Whitecaps uniform ended Thursday with a 7-2 loss at Clinton, Iowa, in the second game of a double-header.
O-Tigers shut out Jersey
Ny-Penn
The Oneonta Tigers put an end to a two-game losing skid by beating the New Jersey Cardinals, 2-0, Friday night.
Cincinnati pitches have curse of their own
Inside The Park Baseball Column
It looks as if Jose Rijo's career might be over — for good, this time. Rijo, a 38-year-old Reds righty, has developed new elbow problems, and doctors say surgery is not an option: he must either pitch in pain, or retire.
Pitchers on lousy teams usually in no-win situations
Talkin' Baseball
In a discussion of perfect games, I've said the men who have pitched such games comprise a 'very exclusive group of pitchers.' Which is certainly true; they are.
NASCAR's first half filled with ups and downs
Auto Racing Column
At the traditional break before the Winston Cup season's summer race at Daytona, here's a quick look at some of the highs, lows and unusual happenings in racing this year.
Tri-Town wins
Legion Baseball
Travis Harvey hit a two-run winning single in the seventh inning to lead Tri-Town to a 9-6 American Legion victory over Delhi on Friday.
Friday, June 27, 2003
Bean, Sidney duo named best in track
Never in this season of notable accomplishments by Oneonta senior Geoff Bean and Walton senior James Armstrong did they race head-to-head.
Bean, Sidney duo named best in track
Their coach couldn't decide. Neither could we. So Sidney teammates Amanda Haney and Katelyn Guerriere are The Daily Star's co-Athletes of the Year for track and field.
O-Tigers lose second straight
Ny-Penn
They've only played two games in Augusta, but so far it's been a losing tradition unlike any other for the Oneonta Tigers this season.
Guide to better bear hunting
Outdoors Column
The shadows of night started to creep through the dense Maine forest. There was no breeze to rustle the leaves and branches. It was silent.
O-State makes Byrne interim head coach
Oneonta State Men's Soccer
Oneonta State officially named Iain Byrne its interim men's soccer coach Thursday, three weeks after the Red Dragons' former assistant told The Daily Star that he would be promoted pending a signed contract.
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Tigers slip at Jersey
Facing a winless team in its ballpark has not been a favorable combination for the Oneonta Tigers this season.
Wednesday, June 25, 2003
O-Tigers sink Tri-City
ONEONTA — Gilberto Mejia played the percentages and won big at Damaschke Field. Mejia, Oneonta's No. 2 batter Tuesday night, led the Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Tri-City ValleyCats, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI.
'Wick lacrosse coach to assist national team
Hartwick College men's lacrosse coach Bill Bjorness is going national. Bjorness will serve as the general manager and assistant coach for the Iroquois National Team at the International Lacrosse Federation Boys Under-19 World Championships. The tournament is at Towson
Legion Baseball
Freshman Kevin Campbell struck out seven over five innings in leading Tri-Town to a 10-2 American Legion victory over visiting Walton on Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Howell shuts down ValleyCats
2003 O-Tigers
TROY — Boosted by another quality pitching start from Mike Howell, the Oneonta Tigers rebounded from their first loss of the 2003 season with an 8-1 thumping of the Tri-City ValleyCats on Monday.
Minor-leaguers Cerbone, Christman still pitching in
Two pitchers from the area are hanging on in professional baseball as Cooperstown native Marc Cerbone and Oneonta's Tim Christman made recent news in the minors.
Oneonta wins big in Legion
American Legion Baseball
Kyle Thomas struck out 15 to lead Oneonta to an 8-0 American Legion baseball victory over visiting Cooperstown on Monday at Damaschke Field.
Monday, June 23, 2003
George's words were sad but true
George Foreman was right. That's the saddest thing about Saturday night's Lewis-Klitschko fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. In one corner stood the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Lennox Lewis, who looked an awful lot like the undisputed heavy champion of the world Saturday night. A red rugby shirt and the "Hey, hey, hey!" catch phrase were the only things missing from his Fat Albert impersonation.
Tigers fall in ninth
2003 Oneonta Tigers
TROY — The Oneonta Tigers and Tri-City ValleyCats played seven one-run games last season, so it was not surprising that Sunday's game was decided in the ninth inning.
Strikers win soccer tournament
The Oneonta Strikers, an under-14 boys team affiliates with the Oneonta Soccer Club, took first place in the Father's Day Challenge Tournament in Newark Valley.
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Veterans right at home in Oneonta
Tiger Beat — Oneonta Tigers Baseball Column
ONEONTA — Oneonta ain't a bad place to be. In addition to serving as the starting point for virtually all of the Oneonta Tigers in 2003, "veterans" of professional baseball are off to quite a start this season.
O-Tigers drive past Tri-City, 5-1
2003 Oneonta Tigers
TROY — The Oneonta Tigers don't seem to be intimidated by the drive up I-88 to play the Tri-City ValleyCats.
Soccer Hall puts Cup first
The National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta is making room for the rest of the world.
Bunning's career ended perfectly
Baseball Column
June 21 marks the 39th anniversary of Jim Bunning's perfect game. On Father's Day, 1964, the father of seven (now nine) threw a perfect game against the Mets, throwing 21 called balls in the game. It was the first regular-season perfecto in the majors in 42 years.
Friday, June 20, 2003
Fishing can be delicious
Outdoors Column
As you should know by now, I've had a tough time finding a place to fish. All of the rivers and streams in Montana and Wyoming were above flood stage, and it was nearly impossible to cast a fly. But once arriving back home, I figured things would be different.
O-Tigers sweep opening series
2003 Oneonta Tigers
ONEONTA — Oneonta starter Luis Diaz didn't overwhelm Vermont on Thursday night, but he did enough to help the Tigers complete a series sweep.
Thursday, June 19, 2003
O-Tigers park Expos
ONEONTA — Kody Kirkland's inside-the-park home run in the eighth inning was the difference Wednesday, but it hardly depicted the way the Oneonta Tigers played for most of the night.
Legion Baseball
Mike Konstanty hit a two-run home run in the fifth-inning for Oneonta Post 259 en route to a 13-1 home victory over Cobleskill on Wednesday.
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
Tigers open comfortably
ONEONTA — Michael Howell found his comfort zone Tuesday when he stepped on the mound at Damaschke Field.
Man on a mission
ONEONTA — During an NFL owners' meeting in 1999, the Patriots' Robert Kraft and the Chiefs' Lamar Hunt pulled Don Garber aside.
American Legion
Erik Weber hit two home runs and drove in five runs to lead Tri-Town to a 13-3 American Legion victory over visiting Stamford on Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Rookie shines for dull Tampa
57th Annual Hall Of Fame Game — Column
COOPERSTOWN — Rocco Baldelli says he's not out to seek attention, but it's hard not to notice him. It's even harder not to be impressed.
Teen lefty earns MVP
57th Annual Hall Of Fame Game
COOPERSTOWN — Philadelphia Phillies fans would be wise to remember Cole Hamels' name.
Devil Rays' Grieve is home run champ
Hall Of Fame Game Notebook
COOPERSTOWN — If it wasn't most exciting Home Run Derby in Hall of Fame Game history, it had to be close.
Oneonta Legion reaches final but falls to Corning
Legion Baseball
Oneonta Post 259 won four games over the weekend, but lost the title game of the Randy Naylor Classic to Corning Gray, 7-5, Sunday at Bath.
Howell to start from scratch
2003 Oneonta Tigers Preview
ONEONTA — Based on what he did the first time through Oneonta, it'll be surprising to see Michael Howell back on the mound tonight at Damaschke Field.
Drafted outfielder says he's walking on air in Oneonta
2003 Oneonta Tigers Preview
Outfielder Mike Brown said he jumped for joy when Detroit picked him in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball Draft earlier this month.
Home not as sweet anymore for Naders
2003 Oneonta Tigers Preview
ONEONTA — All Sam Nader says he wants is to get by with a little more help from his friends. Oneonta Tigers owner Nader made his 38th annual trip to welcome a new crop of professional baseball players to Damaschke Field on Sunday.
Monday, June 16, 2003
O-Tigers get two of a kind
Oneonta Tigers 2003
ONEONTA — They're 22. They were born and raised in New York State. They attended junior colleges. They transferred to Division I Marist College.
J. Connolly 12-0 at break
Minor League Baseball
Oneonta High graduate Jon Connolly finished off a near-perfect first half in style Sunday, throwing seven shutout innings in the West Michigan Whitecaps' 8-2 Midwest League victory at South Bend.
Saturday, June 14, 2003
Hawks name water polo coach
Hartwick College Women's Water Polo
Hartwick College named Alan Huckins its NCAA Division I women's water polo head coach Friday.
Jefferson native is Cobleskill's top male
Junior Colleges
Jefferson native Rich McGregor earned the Stanley Nevin Outstanding Male Athlete Award from SUNY-Cobleskill for the 2002-03 academic year.
Frick was one of first to see Hall's potential
Inside The Park
Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to Cooperstown (population 2,300) to see the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which formally opened on June 12, 1939. Those that take time to read the plaque inscriptions will find one for Ford Christopher Frick, listing him as "Founder of Baseball Hall of Fame."
No more Mr. Nice Guy for ex-champion Gordon
Auto Racing Column
Jeff Gordon, who is recognized by many non-racing enthusiasts as the "Pretty Boy of NASCAR," sure has those folks buffaloed. He long ago lost his nice-guy reputation. I don't feel qualified to judge his appearance, though.
Friday, June 13, 2003
There was no way to get around the Snake
Outdoors Column
The stark white head of the magnificent eagle showed like a beacon against the dark, green leaves of the cottonwood trees. Its mate gracefully soared across the fast moving water in front of us. Along the banks of Wyoming's Snake River, an abundance of wildlife still flourishes.
Thursday, June 12, 2003
J. Connolly's 11-0 record best in pro baseball
Perhaps the only man in professional baseball who knows what it's like to pitch a shutout and see his earned-run average drop a measly 0.09 is Jon Connolly.
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Cycling event is gaining speed
Opportunities For Otsego is looking to take more than 100 cyclists for a ride Saturday. The OFO plays host to the third annual River Ride for Hunger and Homelessness, a bike ride along the Susquehanna River that raised about $10,000 last year.
Warren named STAC tennis All-Star
Oneonta High sophomore David Warren was selected to the Southern Tier Athletic Conference Central/East All-Star tennis team.
American Legion
Shawn Loveless scored three runs, stole three bases and added a single in four at-bats to lead Stamford past Cooperstown, 7-2, Tuesday in American Legion play.
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
OHS graduate Baker completes season of impact at Coker
On Campus
Oneonta High graduate Jeff Baker recently completed his senior season on the Coker College baseball team, which plays in Division II's Carolinas Virginia Athletics Conference.
Two-run homer clinches MAC senior victory
High School Baseball
Unatego's Ryan Schaffer hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday to secure a 7-5 victory for Division I in the Midstate Athletic Conference's Exceptional Senior Game at Bainbridge.
Monday, June 9, 2003
Infielder returns to Afton as teen mom
High School Softball — Column
CLIFTON PARK — Brandy Jennings could have gone 0-for-4 with five errors Saturday and she still would have been the most extraordinary player on the field.
Schenevus falls in final, 3-2
High School Baseball — Class D State Championship
BINGHAMTON — It was the first Schenevus team to reach a state final. Unfortunately for the Dragons, they weren't the first to win one.
Sidney title streak jumps to four years
High School Track — State Championships
ENDICOTT — Junior Amanda Haney saw to it Saturday that Sidney's streak of having at least one state champion increased to four years.
Oneonta Legion wins two
Oneonta Post 259 improved to 4-1 on the season with two victories at its Legion Tournament on Sunday.
Close calls cost Afton in 6-5 state semi loss
High School Softball — Class D State Semifinal
CLIFTON PARK — Aggressiveness on the basepaths has been a key ingredient to Afton's decade of softball dominance. In Saturday's Class D state semifinal, it backfired.
Saturday, June 7, 2003
Schenevus all business heading into semis
Class D State Baseball Semifinals
This is serious business. For the second time in five seasons, the Schenevus baseball team is two victories away from a Class D state title. At 1 p.m. Saturday, the Dragons meet Section 10's Parishville-Hopkinton in the state semifinals at Broome Community College in Binghamton.
Oneonta's Bean one of a kind
High School Track —
ENDICOTT — It had to be the winter of 2001. I was covering a Susquenango Association boys basketball game between Oneonta High and Sidney.
Nesbit's long jump is no joke at states
High School Track And Field — State Championships
ENDICOTT — Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton junior Nikki Nesbit said she would have laughed in the face of anyone who told her she'd qualify for the state meet before the season started.
Hidden-ball trick much craftier than corking
Baseball Column
The Cubs' Sammy Sosa recently got caught in the old "cork in the bat" trick, which is against the rules and earned Sosa an eight-game suspension. There is another baseball trick which is perfectly legal, and its successful execution is one of the rarest plays in the game. It is called the hidden-ball trick.
Patten no-hits Delhi in Legion
Legion Baseball
Jamie Patten struck out 11 in a no-hitter to lead Otego Legion to a 4-0 baseball victory over visiting Delhi on Friday.
Friday, June 6, 2003
The ultimate measuring stick
High School Track And Field
There's good around here and then there's good around the state. Often, there's a large discrepancy between the two.
Montana proves to be fisherman's paradise
Outdoors Column
Mile after mile, we drove across Montana. It was all the same. Our vacation had coincided with the spring runoff. Every stream was the color of clay, roaring at the top of its banks and totally unfishable. Disappointment was overwhelming.
Thursday, June 5, 2003
A first time for everything
High School Track — State Championships
Mary Velan and Meghan Stetson are playing head games in the high school world of outdoor track.
Assistant in charge at O-State
Division I Men's Soccer
ONEONTA — Sounds like the Oneonta State men's soccer team isn't going to change all that much after all.
Thomas, Garner lead Oneonta to 1-0 victory
Legion Baseball
University of Albany pitcher Kyle Thomas outdueled Oneonta State's Erik Weber in leading Oneonta Post 259 to a 1-0 victory over Otego in an American Legion game Wednesday at Damaschke Field.
Wednesday, June 4, 2003
Afton girls streak into state semis
High School Softball — Class D State Quarterfinal
BINGHAMTON — It's got to be Afton pride. What else can one call it when a team advances to the state final four for the ninth consecutive time? It's a streak that might make even John Wooden raise an eyebrow.
College golf
Todd Czepiel led the SUNY-Cobleskill golf team Tuesday with a 72 at the 2003 NJCAA Division III National Golf Tournament at Chautauqua Institution Golf Club.
Tuesday, June 3, 2003
Dragons strong-arm Rome
BINGHAMTON — Schenevus kept it short and sweet Monday in a Class D state quarterfinal baseball game at Conlon Field.
Winners, and still champions
BINGHAMTON — OK, now this is getting ridiculous. That Afton won the Section Four Class D softball title Monday was not surprising. After all, it's early June and this is what the Indians always do.
Oneonta's Thomas throws perfect game
Drue Thomas threw a perfect game to lead Oneonta Legion to a 7-0 victory over visiting Delhi in both teams' openers Monday.
Monday, June 2, 2003
Schenevus takes it to Jefferson, 12-0
ONEONTA — Jared Hubbard led off with a bunt single down the third-base line, took second on the errant throw to first and scored on Dan Spano's liner to center.
Afton must calm storm vs. Deposit
High School Softball
BINGHAMTON — It took about 15 minutes for Afton's quest for a ninth consecutive Section Four Class D softball title to be put in serious jeopardy.
Two Redskins reach states
High School Track And Field
Cooperstown seniors Matt Barown and Billy Hribar advanced to the state meet at Saturday's Section Three State Qualifier at Cicero-North Syracuse.
Seasons end for Cooperstown, OHS
High School Tennis
Cooperstown juniors Finn Dusenbery and Reid Snyder were eliminated from the State Tennis Tournament on Friday, completing their doubles season with one victory and two losses in the season finale at the USTA Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
