2007 Tournament

2008 Baseball International Wooden Bat Spring Training Tournament

Cincinnati Reds Spring Training Complex

Sarasota, Florida

We returned to beautiful Sarasota and the Cincinnati Reds Spring Training Site in 2008. Each of our ten teams played seven 9 inning games over the four day weekend.

Catch it, throw it, hit it. What better way to spend four days in January than playing baseball in sunny Florida.

The New England Red Sox carried on the BoSox winning tradition by winning the 2008 tournament. Manager Phil Manooshian's boys rocked the competition with the dazzling play of Harvey Krupnik, Ethan Bloomberg, Peter Kolopenuk, Mark Smith, Brian Paul, Paul Demainiw, Gregg Picucci, James Russell, Kenneth Brown, Mike Betti, and Angel Soto.

Ed Garelick's Gringoes invaded the standings with the dominating play of Bill Peck, Charley Hildebrandt, Richard Grayson, Scott Weiner, Dave Harvill, Bill Burke, Hugh Hayden, Carl Anderson, Elmer Cruz, and Ray Lammie.

The Orioles failed to leave the nest the first two games, then started giving every team the bird. Tournament veteran Herb Otto recruited an all star team with Lewis Miller, Michael Nehlia, Rick Angelini, Frank Petrucci, Ira Dorfman, Roger Ralph, Kyle Kridenoff, Robert Weinholt, Bob Moore, William Hatfield, Jack Kelly, and John Purcell.

Bill Smith's Slappers suffered from early injuries and illness, but played their way into next year's first round draft choice. William Keller, Dan Borgmeyer, Norm Nefsky, Marty Koehler, Darryl Johnson, Charles Evans, Travis Kelley, David Kelley, and Bill Morris all contributed to positioning the team for 2009.

The Redlegs recruited 57 year old Dominican player Tejada Glasser (front row middle) to provide youth, then went down to the wire in their chase for the championship game. Manager Gene Rueckert stalwarts were Al Spector, Dean Glasser, Dan Spector, Jeff Buthcer, Wayne Erne, Robert Lambert, Paul Spaulding, Denny Enrhardt, John Reed, and Dick kruger.

The Sharks were a young and hungry expansion club (well, they were new and ate a lot) lead by David Montgomery and featuring Rick Swaine, Joe Schuetz, Bill Lamont, Sandy Codaro, Doug Henderson, Glenn Benarick, Larry Abramson, Alex Vielander, Bill Lear, and John Sfakis.

Il Duce Rick Sorci's Italian Stallions galloped home a winner with mighty steeds Greg Goodman, Dick Loescher, Mike Radey, Jack DeHeer, Russ Pollina, Mark Carrington, Rodger Foreman, John Erne, Darrel Roehl, John Quigley, Charles Konkus, and Scott Sorrel.

Steve Faigin's Fanatics looked more like the Philly Fanatic. Powered by Wayne Brenden, Bob Finn, Paul Mermel, Mark Lowenstein, Robert Cooper, Dan Gilliam, Brian Matthews, Gary Donovan, Alan Bernstein, Irv Barlia and Ralph Beachley, the Fanatics lived up to their moniker.

Many request, but few were chosen to play on Tedd Schafer's Reds. The lucky winners were Bob Elias, Vinny Piroso, Paul Laubenstein, Patrick Demico, John Demico, Charles Seppy, Greg Balin, Charlie Tiesco, Chuck Lease, and Steve Farmwald.

Ron Russo's Raiders avoided the pressure of playing in the championship game so they could party all week. Shown here with the optimism of the tournament before them, Raider's Bob Morris, Bill Brockway, James Trapane, John Ambler, Robert Ciunci, Steven Ichniowski, Rick Kramer, Dick Irvin, Terry Graves, Mike DeMarco, and John Wright never did win the Lost Ark.

Playing fundamental Japanese style baseball, Ichiro Anderson drops a bunt in his first at bat.

Runner leading off 3rd, the batter digs in, and rips one to left. Well, the catcher and batter think so, but how come the runner's still standing there and the 3rd base coach hasn't moved? Shock and awe amplified?

Baseball, palm trees, and warm weather. How could you not come back and play in 2009? (Hey, I have to advertise somewhere!)

The crack of the bat, the fielding of the ball. It seemed this tournament, the Red Sox had it all!

Rick Sorci displaying the pitching form that has made him one of our greatest managers of all time.

Neatness counts even in baseball as the Redlegs Gino Rueckert carries his batting helmet to 1st in a bang-bang play.

True to our international roots, Rasputin Abramson throws his mind control ball while giving the evil eye to an unsuspecting batter.

Fine dining between games of our daily doubleheaders. By day two, one player came to the sugar induced conclusion that six brownies were the equivalent of eating a real lunch.

Runner on 1st, the 3rd baseman starts to creep in to get the double play.

Big Al Hurley was the pitching star of the Raiders whose record reflected all of the managing skills and baseball insights of Manager Ron Russo. Luckily, Al stayed for the metal bat tournament so he could actually win a game.

Game action from the main stadium with the sell out crowd evidently all late coming back from the restroom.

As the dugout watches in amazement, Dick Kruger lights up the radar gun with his fastball. "I never knew radar guns could register single digits" exclaimed Kruger's personal pitching coach, Vinny Piroso. Saving all his energy for the 2nd game, John DeMico (far right) catches some Zzzz's.