Former YBL pitcher, Rich Hill, has been signed by the Red Sox once again to a minor-league deal. The 6’5″ lefty from Milton, who was recently inducted to the YBL Hall of Fame, was a member of the Al Thomas Athletics prior to being drafted by the Cubs in the 4th round of the 2002 amateur draft. He spent three previous seasons with the Red Sox (2010-12) and spent last season playing for Terry Francona in Cleveland, where he made a career-high 63 appearances.
Filed under YBL News
Filed under Player Profiles
In eight YBL seasons, Bill Reichmann has amassed 225 hits, scored 147 runs, and stolen 56 bases. He is a lifetime .311 hitter and two-time recipient of a YBL Silver Slugger Award. In 2009, he tied for the league lead in hits with 44, and was fourth in batting average at .419. In a three-game sweep of the Savin Hill Hornets in 2011, he went 5-7 (.714) with 4 BB. He has also been known to make legendary comments on the YBL Facebook group. #CurseOfSledge
Position(s): LF but growing into a DH. Every once in a while I’ll fake it as a pitcher.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Club(s) Played for in YBL?: Brighton Black Sox (2006-Present)
Where did you grow up?
Callicoon, NY on a dairy farm. If you need your cow milked I’m your go to guy.
Where do you live now?
Danvers, MA
Where do/did you go to college?
King’s College (PA, which must be specified as some people think of London first for some reason). Class of 2005.
When is your birthday?
May 23
What baseball awards / honors have you won in your life?
YBL Silver Slugger (2008, 2009)
Been part of any championship teams prior to / outside of the YBL?
3-Time Section IX Champions… in football.
What years have you been an All-Star in the YBL?
I think I’ve played in three [All-Star Games]: one in Lynn, which was an intra-league game; one in Nashua vs. the Military All-Stars; and one at Fallon Field, which was an intra-league game. I think they were 2008, 2009, and 2011.
Favorite MLB player of all time?
When you have the honor and privilege of rooting for the Yankees your entire life, it is difficult to choose just one, so I’ll give you one dead and one alive: Lou Gehrig and Mariano Rivera. Both were not only great players, but great men and role models. (p.s. – What are the chances that the first sentence gets me a fastball to the ribs this summer?)
Who is the most underrated player on the Brighton Black Sox?
I think that Matty Nicholson flies under the radar every year and has a great year. He never gets mentioned in the Facebook discussions (arguments), but he consistently puts up an ERA in the low 2s. He’s one of the most competitive players on the team and we are lucky to have him.
Who else on the Black Sox would make for an interesting interview?
Mazz for sure. Don’t talk to the Owens brothers though. No one likes talking to those two.
Who have you most looked up to in the YBL?
Definitely Griff. He does so much to keep the Brighton Black Sox up and running and without a complaint. The guy wasn’t back-to-back Gentleman of the Year for nothing!
Who is the toughest pitcher to face in the YBL?
There are a lot of very good pitchers in the league. The toughest for me last year was definitely Jon Morse of Somerville. I remember we faced him twice and I could not really get a beat on what he was doing.
What was the most exciting moment you’ve had in the YBL?
Winning a playoff series against Savin Hill in 2011 definitely ranks up there. Also being able to contribute as much as I did during those three games makes it that more special. It was probably the best three-game stretch I have ever played.
Who is the most influential person(s) in your life?
Definitely my dad, who I unfortunately lost back in 2008. He was such a big part of my life growing up. He was always willing to throw the football, shoot some hoops, or hit fly balls and ground balls after a long day of work on the farm. He is the one who set an example of hard work, competitiveness but also in treating others with respect.
Tell me something about you that people wouldn’t know.
I grew up in a very small town in upstate NY and before my senior year my school merged with two other schools. It was a transition period so I ended up wearing three different school colors that year. For football, we played as all three schools to increase the numbers (we still only had about 40 guys in grades 9-12 playing). For basketball, all three schools had more than enough guys for their own team so we played as three separate schools. The tough one was for baseball. My school did not have enough players to field a team, but the other two schools did. They ended up shipping us to one of those schools so that there were only two teams, but I had to wear a rival’s uniform during my senior year.
What drives you to keep playing ball every summer?
I have always loved playing baseball. When I first joined the YBL, I felt like I had a lot to prove to myself because I did not get a lot of playing time in college. I wanted to prove that I could play at a higher level than just small town high school baseball. It is still what drives me to this day.
What was the greatest accomplishment in your life?
Definitely marrying the awesome lady in the picture below. This is one of my two pictures of shame from my wedding. To all those getting married out there, be sure to check the bottom of your shoes before going out there!
Filed under Player Profiles
YBL Hall of Famer Steve Szathmary’s house was tragically destroyed in a recent fire. A donation fund has been created online to help the families affected. Please visit http://www.gofundme.com/6ipcrw and offer your support. Szathmary was inducted to the YBL Hall of Fame in 2012. He spent his playing days with the West Roxbury Devils and Somerville Alibrandis, and retired in 2010.
Filed under YBL News
The Yawkey Baseball League Board of Directors revealed this morning the names of the league’s two new divisions for 2014. In honor of two Boston baseball icons who were very close with Mr. and Mrs. Yawkey both during and after their careers, the YBL will feature the Ted Williams Division and the Carl Yastrzemski Division. The breakdown of teams still remains to be finalized.
Filed under YBL News
Through his three seasons in the YBL, Mike Robinson has been one of the league’s undisputed superstars. He has an incredible .418 career batting average, with a 1.052 OPS. He has also stolen 53 bases while only being caught 3 times. Another fun stat: he has only struck out 30 times in 299 ABs. This cornerstone of the Sabers franchise is also well-rounded and articulate off the field.
Nickname: Robby
Position: Center field
Bats/Throws: S/R
Club(s) Played for in YBL?
Stoneham Sabers (2011-present)
Where did you grow up?
Stoneham, MA
Where do you live now?
Stoneham, MA
Where do/did you go to college?
Boston University ’12, Boston University School of Law ‘15
When is your birthday?
April 12, 1990
What baseball awards / honors have you won in your life?
NECBA All-Star 2011/2012, NECBA Batting Champion 2011, 2012, NECBA Southeast Division MVP 2011/2012, YBL All Star 2012, 2013, YBL Silver Slugger Team 2013, YBL Gold Glove Team 2013, member of YBL All-Star Eastern Mass Championship team 2013
Been part of any championship teams prior to / outside of the YBL?
I’ve been on three championship baseball teams. In my senior year, the 2012 Terriers had an undefeated perfect season. My little league team went 21-0 when I was 12, and we also won again when I was 14.
What years have you been an All-Star in the YBL?
2011, 2012, 2013
Favorite MLB player of all time?
Mickey Mantle
What are the best 3 movies you’ve seen in the last year?
“Casino Royale,” “Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “Mr. Deeds”
What’s the best concert you’ve been to?
Taylor Swift’s “Speak Now” tour
What’s the best book you’ve read lately?
It’s between Anna Karenina and Pride and Prejudice.
Who is the most underrated player on the Sabers?
Ryan Flanagan. Definitely well respected around the league but I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves. He is the captain of our team because he is not only a great player, but also a great leader. He is a guy that we all look up to. He always puts the team first and keeps everybody in line. He also has an absolute cannon for an arm. I vividly remember standing next to him at the soccer net in left field at Rec Park and watching him hose a guy at the plate when he tried to tag up. Also, Travis Adams doesn’t get enough recognition behind the plate. I’ve never seen one of our pitchers shake him off.
Who else on the Sabers would make for an interesting interview?
While Stefan Botarelli is the most articulate, cultured, and well-traveled Saber, I’m going to have to go with Chris Dion here. Dion is the most competitive and eccentric guy I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing with.
Who have you most looked up to in the YBL?
I look up to Flanagan and Jake Zelnick. Flanagan has really helped me learn the nuances and strategies of baseball. Zelnick is the guy I talk to about weights and dates. Outside of the Sabers, I’d have to say Somerville’s Mike Maguire. We both went to Malden Catholic, play the same position, and generally leave the ballpark with dirty uniforms.
Who is the toughest pitcher to face in the YBL?
Mike Smith from the Brighton Braves has great stuff and an amazing command of the strike zone. I could also list the entire Somerville staff here, but in particular I hate facing Anthony Del Prete. Not sure why, but the slower it comes in, the harder it is for me to hit.
What was the most exciting moment you’ve had in the YBL?
It’s tough to beat playing an All-Star game at Fenway Park, but being a member of the YBL squad that beat the Intercity League in the Eastern Mass Tournament was also very exciting.
What was the greatest accomplishment in your life?
It’s between running a 5-minute mile and hitting an inside-the-park homer off former major league pitcher Mike Smith.
Who is the most influential person(s) in your life?
My dad, since he has made me the man I am today. Besides him, I’d have to go with Plato and Epictetus.
Tell me something about you that people wouldn’t know.
Despite my legal acumen, I am really bad at taking signs. In fact, my teammates will tell you I am probably the worst. All I know is that I have a green light at first and Papa (Coach Colucci) tells me to pretend to understand the signs when I’m at the plate. In case people already know I’m terrible with signs — I love reading classical literature, I played tennis in high school instead of baseball, and I’m blacklisted at Boston University’s chapter of the Kappa Delta sorority.
What drives you to keep playing ball every summer?
Baseball gives me something to look forward to all year. I love spending time with my teammates, having weird superstitions, making pre-game sacrifices to the baseball gods at Rec Park, having a hit streak beard, and most of all — winning ball games. Baseball has also taught me a lot about life. I always dig in with a game plan and it is always the same one – find a way to reach first base. Sometimes the right move is to be aggressive and swing at the first pitch; other times you have to be patient up there. Playing baseball continuously reminds me of the importance of teamwork, having a positive attitude, and to always go after what you want with confidence and dedication. In reality, playing for the Sabers is the last hold I have on youth and I’m not ready to hang em up just yet.
Filed under Player Profiles
