BML still going strong after 74 seasons
It was one of the last Saturdays of the summer and a hazy, hot day more suited for the beach, a lake or a swimming pool.
But a few hundred baseball fans were at Lisetski Field at Northampton High School for the fifth and final game of the Blue Mountain League Championship Series on Saturday and wouldn’t have wanted it to be anywhere else.
More than just wives, girlfriends and parents were in the stands as Limeport got a threerun home run from Jorge Montes to take a 5-0 lead and held off the Northampton Giants 5-3 for its fourth title in five years.
While the Bulls took their place along with Allentown (five straight titles from 198084), the Catasauqua Black Sox (four straight crowns from 19972000) and the Hellertown Royals (four straight championships from 2009-2012) as one of the BML’s dynasties, there is plenty of evidence this is a golden era for the amateur league.
Are the crowds as large as they were in the 1950s and 1960s?
No, but remember there are many more entertainment options available in the Lehigh Valley to siphon away large numbers of people … Musikfest, the IronPigs, the Wind Creek Casino and ArtsQuest to mention a few.
Plus, those who like baseball can get about a dozen games per day through an MLB television package and other outlets.
Yet, despite living in a world where sitting in a lawn chair and watching a bunch of former high school and college players play a game may not have much sizzle, the BML has maintained its audience and appeal.
Saturday’s game completed the BML’s 74th season and there’s little doubt there will be a 75th season starting in May.
“We had another great season,” league president Bob Varju said. “We had 11 teams in the league this year and we anticipate all 11 back. We just had a fantastic championship series between the No. 1 seed and the No. 2 seed and it attracted great crowds and quality baseball. There are a lot of positives.”
Varju said the league is open to expansion, but he hasn’t heard of a potential new team expressing interest so far.
“If you want to play quality baseball, the Blue Mountain League is still the place to play,” Varju said. “The one concern is that the commitment level of the players isn’t what it was 30 years ago. A lot of teams have 11 players, but what we’re looking for is that 12th guy through the 16th guy.
“Guys have to be willing to sit and learn the game before they can excel. There are a lot of veterans in this league who play the game at a very high level. They play very competitively and you just can’t expect to come in this league and play right away. It’s like starting out as a freshman in college and earning your chance.”
Ed Wandler, the Giants manager, has been in the league since 1976 and still enjoys it.
“It’s still a great league,” he said. “The six-team playoff format works well. It keeps almost every team alive all season. The biggest thing is the commitment level. The younger guys need to understand that. There were times we had to play with 10 or 12 guys this season. The college guys will want to take a vacation during the regular season and I understand that as long as they’re (here in) the playoffs.”
Though the season didn’t end the way he wanted it to, Wandler said the league is still one of the best things in Lehigh Valley sports.
“More people should know about it,” he said. Did you know? Ian Scheidemann, a righthanded pitcher from Rutgers University-Camden who pitched for Chuck Ciganick’s Freemansburg Blue Barons in the Lehigh Valley Baseball League, has signed a contract with the Eastside Diamond Hoppers in the United Shore Professional Baseball League in Michigan. The Cherry Hill, New Jersey, product went 4-2 with an ERA of 0.87 and 68 strikeouts and six walks in 52 innings.
Ciganick was impressed with Schneidemann’s desire to pitch, saying he had to travel 90 minutes to get to home games and even longer to pitch in road games.
Keith Groller can be reached at 610-820-6740 or at kgroller@mcall.com