By Chuck Healey & Staff Writer
Normally you would not find Sports info in this publication, but since The Property Source is a sponsor of the team, we felt it would be fitting to say congratulations to the Rockies on an exceptional year! The Rockies are a member of the NABA 28+ baseball league. The uniqueness of this league is that it is hardball played with only wood bats. The Championship was last weekend and below is a recap of the game.
Craig Bodensteiner (McQuaid) came out of retirement 3 seasons ago because he knew the Rockies would have a chance to win a championship… His clutch 2-out, 2 strike line drive base hit in the bottom of the ninth scored Craig Brown from third and sent the Rockies into “Pandemonium”, giving the Rockies a 2-1 win over a tough Red Stox ballclub and their second title in four years.
The Rockies (15-4 record) were making their third title game appearance in the past four years, returning to the dance after dropping a close game to the Padres in last years final. Evan Bickel (Geneseo) (9 IP, 3 hits, 6 K’s, 1 unearned run) was brillant in the win facing only 31 batters (4 over the minimum) in notching the victory. Bickel who missed all of 2007 with a career threatening back injury also bounced back in a big way this season with a 9-1 Record and a 1.16 ERA. The Rockies dusted off their black championship jerseys from 2005 for the playoffs and several veterans including John Sexton (Webster), Owen Bickel (Geneseo) and Brian Johnson (Webster) all retirees off the 2005 team returned in 2008 and made huge contributions during the season and in the playoff run.
The Red Stox got on the scoreboard first in the top of the third. Bob Bowman’s wet ground ball was thrown away leading off the inning. With one out he moved to third on a ball fielded by Bickel, and scored on Al Lanni’s Texas leaguer with two out to short left field.
The Rockies tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Larry Frisa (Spencerport) (1-3) reached with a base hit with two outs. Frisa moved to second before Craig Brown (Buffalo) (2-3) followed with a base hit. Dan “Pee Wee” Herman of the Red Stox (9 IP, 2 runs, 12 hits, 8 K’s) was called for a balk scoring Frisa and the score was knotted at 1-1 after five innings.
Bickel would take charge for the Rockies over the next four innings facing only 13 hitters during that span and actually 16 over the last five after throwing a 1-2-3 fourth as well.
With both pitchers sparing like a pair of great fighters in a championship fight, the game went to the bottom of the ninth tied 1-1 and the Rockies answered the “bell for the round”. Owen Bickel (1-3) singled to lead it off, Chuck Healey Jr. (Aquinas) (2-3) followed with a hit, (Craig Brown ran for him) and Bill Schnupp (Fairport) (1-3) laid down a nice bunt that Herman slipped fielding and all hands were safe and the bases were loaded with no outs. Mickey Harris (North Carolina) hit a flyball to left center but a perfect throw home from the Red Stox centerfield Mickey Parker nailed Bickel at the plate. That set up the games final moment. Bodensteiner came up with two outs, runners on second and third, and first base open. The Red Stox huddled, then elected to pitch to him and two strikes later Bodie responded with a line drive walk off base hit. Cementing the win for the Rockies in what was a superiorly pitched and played championship game and helping his teammates hoist another championship trophy!
For more information on the NABA, visit their website at
Winning Pitcher Evan Bickel 9.0 IP. 4 hits, 1 run (unearned), 6 K’s, 1 walk
Losing Pitcher Dan Herman 9.0 IP, 12 hits, 2 runs, 8 K’s, 1 walk
RBI’s Rockies Brown 1, Bodensteiner 1, Red Stox Lanni 1
Extra base hits Rockies Cooney 2 doubles,
