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DePhillips Athletic League: Mets win DAC Minor title
06/23/2005

The Prudential Realtor Mets capped off a magical spring season by defeating The DZ Video Yankees 9-3 to capture the DAC Minor Division Championship.

In a well-played game by both teams, timely hitting by Aaron Geffen, Perry Haskowitz, Richard Yang along with Corey Mittenthal's triple in the fourth inning opened the game up as the Mets pulled away. Great team defense in which the Mets executed a perfect three-player cutoff of the runner at home to end the fourth inning was the turning point of the game. Anthony Zullo pitched a complete game five-hitter in which he struck out 11 batters and walked one to earn the victory.

The Yankees were led by the gritty pitching of their ace Max Arm who struck out seven and also hit a triple in the second inning. Darren Minsky came in to finish the game in the fifth and pitched well. Third baseman Nick Cetta had the defensive play of the game with a full extension dive to his right to make an incredible catch, robbing Perry Haskowitz of a sure double. Nick also had a double which gave The Yankees an early 2-0 lead.

The Yankee offense started with lead-off hitter Anthony Bradica who had two singles to go along with a couple of stellar plays at short. James Bassford and Anthony Agnello also had hits that kept the game close early on.

DePhillips Athletic Club: DAC Cards win five games in six days
06/16/2005
Playing five games in six days, the DAC Cardinals used seven different pitchers and came through winning all five games against two College Point and two MQFM teams.

Their deep pitching staff includes Josh Schwartz, striking out 11 with a complete game, Andrew Gross, striking out 18 in eight innings with no earned runs, and Jordan Mittenthal, striking out 11 in 7 innings.

The Cards leading hitters for the games were Sam Geffen, who went 8-for 14 with 10 runs, 11 RBI and three homers, Jordan Mittenthal went 8-for-17, scoring seven runs with six RBI and 2 homers, Josh Schwartz went 8-for-15, with seven runs, six RBI and a home run, and Jesse Bagell, who was 5-for-12, scoring seven runs, nine RBI, and four home runs.
Great defense by Ben Siegel at catcher, who threw out two base runners trying to steal second with Danny Randell, Andrew Gross, Ethan Geffen and Ben Margolin, all making great catches in the outfield to contribute to their winning week.

DePhillips Athletic Club: Pitching leads Mets past Yanks
06/09/2005
The Prudential Realtor Mets swept the Subway Series by topping the Yankees 13-3 in DAC Minor League baseball. The win gave the Mets their ninth victory of the season and they clinched the No. 1 seed going into the playoffs.

The Mets rode the excellent pitching of Corey Mittenthal, Aaron Geffen and Tyler Ruiz. Mittenthal's two RBI, along with Anthony Zullo's three hits and two RBI, led a potent offensive attack that also featured two crushing home runs by Richard Yang and Aaron Geffen.

Nine players contributed runs, including Perry Haskowitz, Josh Samet, Thomas Shkreli and Kalyn Faller. Great catching by Tyler Ruiz, Richard Yang, and Anthony Zullo, along with excellent defense by Ricky Mann and Mike D'Elia kept the Yankees' offense inThe Mets also won a tough road game, beating MQFM 5-4.

After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, pitcher Anthony Zullo settled down to strike out six out of the next seven batters he faced. The Mets tied the game at two on a two-run double by hot-hitting Richard Yang. The Mets would score three more in the fourth inning, led by the combination of Kalyn Faller's RBI-double and Mike D'Elia's two-run monster home run.

MQFM would keep the game close with excellent defense, throwing out both Josh Samet and Anthony Zullo at home. MQFM would scratch out two more runs to cut the lead to one going into the last inning. Timely defense by Ricky Mann, Max Sapirman, and Perry Haskowitz kept the Mets ahead in a close game.

The pitching combination of Corey Mittenthal and Aaron Geffen filled in the gap between Zullo and closer Tyler Ruiz who walked one and struck out three to preserve the victory.

DAC Blue Tigers continue to rack up wins

The DAC Blue Tigers, sponsored by Raindew Family Centers, continue to roll up victories against tough opponents. The hitting attack is led by the big bats of Alessa Castaldi, Bruna Morais and Jenny Pasinkoff.

A strong pitching rotation is anchored by Donna Cafasso. The superb defense is led by first baseman Keren Baruch, second baseman Allison Winowsky, shortstop Amanda Livingston, and catcher Samantha Sepulveda. Lorie Grech and Elena Brandes are triple threats who can hit, field, and run the bases. Rookies Kirioki Pericli, Sara Ekhlas, and Vida Ekhlas are rising stars who make their presence felt.


©Times Ledger 2005

Patrick J. Falci & Daughters rally to beat MQFM, 15-14
06/24/2004

In one of the most exciting games of the year, Patrick J. Falci & Daughters Inc. came from behind in the bottom of the seventh inning with a whopping six-run, one-out rally to beat MQFM Tru-Value, 15-14. Christina Agnello and Jackie Warasila never gave up, both pitching beautifully against a very good Tru-Value sponsored team.

With her team trailing 14-9, Gina Loriggio doubled to lead off. Christina Trezza, Theresa Goff and Jessica Garcia all had hits.

The girls gambled stealing base after base, and it paid off. Credit goes to the defense of Tru-Value, which made a close play at the plate when Christina Trezza stole home.

Christina Agnello tied up the game by bringing home her sister, Nicole. That left the winning run on third, and it was all up to Jessica Bonfondeo, who had a solid hit to win the game.

DAC Blue Tigers 11, DAC Team 1. Pitching and defense excelled on both squads. The Blue Tigers were led by Michelle Romano’s booming triple and three brilliant innings of pitching. Donna Cafasso secured the victory by pitching a masterful final three innings.

The offense was keyed by Allison Winowsky and Alessa Castaldi, who cracked back to back doubles. Samantha Sepulveda and Lauren Block chipped in with two big hits each. Samantha Gosman knocked in an important run with a hard-hit grounder.

The Tigers defense was superb. Amanda Livingston speared a bullet line drive and Nicole Marx cut off two blasts to the outfield preventing several runs from scoring. Lorie Grech played a flawless first base. Allison Randell did a fine job behind to plate. All in all, it was a true team effort for the Blue Tigers against a tough opponent.

McDonald’s Little Neck 15, Patrick J. Falci & Daughters, Inc. 13. Christina Agnello, of Patrick J. Falci & Daughters Inc. pitched six strong innings by striking out eight batters.

The big blow was a double by Gina Loriggio, and singles by Christina Trezza, Nicole Agnello, Jessica Bonfondeo, Jessica Garcia & Theresa Goff. They had a three-run lead going into the seventh inning. But McDonald’s Little Neck rallied as Diane Krauss went 3-for-3 with a home run and had help from Zoi Kourkemelis, Jena Berenson, Chloe Rodriquez, and Philisha Sepulveda.

But the damage was done in the last inning. Catalina Villa’s walk set up the game-winning run.

Major Division

DAC’s team #6 17, MidQueens #2 10. MidQueens put up a good fight, but DAC could not be stopped. The pitching skills of Molly Karow, Sam Duggan, and Natalie Pruden were unstoppable. Sara Ho, Sara Friedman and Dani Yaron kept the hits coming. Lauren Mione’s RBI and Alyssa Navas’ walk made it almost impossible for MidQueens to come back. Olivia Karow and the rest of the DAC team played a great defense to make it a well deserved win.


©Times Ledger 2005

DAC Marino Bros. Yankees claim championship, 9-6
07/31/2003
The DAC Major League girls’ softball team, the Marino Bros. Yankees, defeated the Mid-Queens Fresh Meadows team for the championship. Yankees pitchers Jenna Fogelman and Christina Agnello combined for five strikeouts and helped their cause by going 3-for-3 and 2-for-3, respectively.

Contributing to the win was timely hitting by Gina LoRiggio, Jillian Secada, Alana Laskin and Keren Barach. Helping with some great defensive plays were Katherine Powers, Rachel Ferreira, Kayla Laskin, Joy Hallmark, Dani Yaron and Farhyne Kushner. It was a nail-biting game, with the Mid-Queens Fresh Meadows team putting up a fight until the very end.

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Mechanics of the Baseball Throw
Ross E. Vaughn, Ph.D.
Boise State University
1996

Throwing is a fundamental skill that is often overlooked by coaches at all levels. Many coaches believe that throwing ability is innate: you have it, or you don't. Although some athletes have more natural ability than others, almost anyone can improve his or her throwing by understanding and practicing proper throwing mechanics.

MECHANICS OF A PROPER THROW
An athlete doesn't have to be large or exceptionally strong to throw hard. A high-velocity throw is a result of proper technique rather than brute strength.

An accurate, hard throw involves a synchronized sequence of four motions: a stride, hip rotation, trunk rotation, and arm movement. The goal of these sequences of motions is to achieve maximal hand (and ball) velocity.

The throwing sequence begins with a step (stride) in the direction of the throw. The length of stride should vary according to the athlete's height. Generally, the length of the stride should be somewhat less than the athlete's standing height technically, stride length should be about 80 of the athlete's height. Overstriding is a common fault that reduces proper hip rotation and detracts from the velocity of the throw.

As the stride foot hits the ground, the other (pivot) foot braces against the ground to provide stability and leverage for the remaining movements of the throw. Hip rotation is the next element in the throwing sequence. Hip rotation simply refers to the natural tendency for the hips to open toward the thrower's target. It is important to remember that hip rotation must occur before trunk rotation. Unskilled throwers tend to rotate the hips and trunk at the same time.

Rotation of the hips before the trunk is important because it serves to stretch the muscles across the trunk eventually causing these muscles to contract more forcefully. This preloading of the trunk muscles enables the trunk to rotate rapidly setting the stage for a proper arm action.

As the trunk begins to rotate toward the target, the throwing arm should lag behind. The lagging arm stretches the shoulder muscles, which in turn further helps accelerate the arm.

As the upper arm begins its forward movement, the elbow should be bent to enable the upper arm to move more quickly. Two other arm actions also contribute to a very rapid increase in hand (and ball) velocity. The first of these actions is the turning of the upper arm around its long axis. This action is technically called inward rotation of the humerus, this is the same movement that occurs when an extended arm is turned from a position where the palm of the hand faces the sky to where the palm faces the ground.

The second action accompanying the forward movement of the arm is the straightening (extension) of the elbow joint. To make certain that maximal hand velocity is achieved, it is essential that the forward movement of the upper arm, the inward turning of the upper arm, and the extension of the elbow occur simultaneously.

A common held belief is that a good wrist snap is the secret to throwing hard. However, research indicates that the importance of the wrist snap has been overrated. High-speed photography shows that the ball is actually released from the thrower's hand before most of the wrist flexion occurs. Nonetheless, the wrist snap does contribute somewhat to the velocity of the throw, and should be considered an important final component of the throwing motion.

Another common misconception is that an "overhand" throw is accomplished by allowing the arm to move above the shoulder joint. However, film analysis shows that the "overhand" throw depends primarily on the amount of trunk lean. For example, sidearm throwers use an erect posture, whereas players who throw "overhand" lean toward the side opposite of their throwing arm. An athlete should be taught to throw using a body position and arm angle that are most natural and comfortable for that particular player.

CONCLUSION
A high-velocity throw is made possible by rapidly accelerating the arm and hand. The most rapid acceleration of the arm and hand occurs when the thrower's hips and trunk rotate in the proper order. Coaches should help athletes understand and practice the mechanics by ensuring that they 1) stride in the direction of the throw and keep the stride short enough to allow maximum hip rotation; 2) allow the arm to lag behind the hips and trunk so the athlete feels a slight stretch in the trunk and arm muscles; and 3) extend the elbow at the same time that the upper arm is moving forward and turning inward.