Here is where we post news, announcements, and event information

Here is where you will learn about news, events, photos, stories, stats, and more
for Reading Baseball and its players from 1977 - 2013.

Reading Memorial Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
November 23, 2024

Congratulations to Larry Berg ‘81 and Rob Toczylowski ‘08 for their induction into the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame on November 23.

It was, as usual, a fabulous event and it was great to see Larry, who was an incredible player, and Toz (who we know was inducted for a superb hockey career but was also a good baseball player) get their deserved recognition.

Larry was not able to attend the event, as he is recuperating (and doing well) from major heart surgery five weeks ago. But Larry’s mom, brothers, nephews, friends, and teammates all attended the event to support Larry. Those teammates were Mark O’Brien ’80, Jon Drew ’81, Lennie DeAngelo ’81, Joe Picano ’81, Steve Palladino ’82, plus Coach Bryson and Coach Mosc. You can see photos of the loyal friends/teammates below.

Toz gave a very nice speech where he thanked and his teammates and coaches from both sports. And Larry’s brother, Barry, accepted the award, made some nice comments about growing up with Larry, and then read a heartfelt speech that Larry had prepared.

Our Reading Baseball Alumni congratulate, and are proud of, Larry and Toz.

Here are the script thats accompanied the fabulous videos that are shown at the ceremony:

Larry Berg

On the baseball field the class of 1981’s Larry Berg was a fiery, intense, confident player and
superb leader. He played with enthusiasm and joy and was a catalyst both offensively and
defensively for his teams. RMHS Hall of Fame baseball coach Pete Moscariello noted that in his
35 years of coaching Larry was amongst the handful of most skilled five-tool baseball players he
had ever coached.

When Larry Berg’s family moved to Reading from Portsmouth NH for the start of his eighth-
grade school year he made an instant impact as one of the top athletes in his class.
His first foray into Reading athletics was in the Pop Warner program where he quickly won the
quarterback job and led the team to a championship, which included ending a Ron Hobby led
Woburn team’s 18-game winning streak.

After a spectacular Freshman football season as an elusive running quarterback, he was on
target to becoming the future varsity quarterback. And in the winter he was a standout defensive
guard on the varsity basketball team.

However, he was driven by his love of baseball and as injuries piled up with the more physical
nature of the other sports the gifted athlete decided to save his legs and make baseball his
number one priority. To the dismay of his football and basketball coaches he became a one-
sport athlete after his junior year.

In the Spring of 1980, the highly touted junior burst on to the Reading varsity team and
immediately became an all-star caliber shortstop for a Reading team that was ranked #2 going
into the Eastern Mass Division 1 state tournament.

It was a special season for the Rockets as they won their first Middlesex League title in 9 years
and the first of an astounding 14 titles in Coach Moscariello’s career, and ironically the 27-year-
old coach was an all-league second baseman for the school’s last championship team.
On a stacked team that went 19-4 on the season he was slotted seventh in the batting order,
but his offensive production was at the level of a top of the order player. He batted .414 with 20
runs scored while knocking in 16 runs.

A memorable post season run for the Rockets included overcoming a six-run deficit in the final
inning to beat ML rival Wakefield 9-8 and out slugging Somerville 19-10 in a game played at
Washington Park the day after the miracle win. The season ended with a 2-1 loss to Milton in
the state semi-finals but the post-season performance for Berg which included 7 hits in 10
official at-bats, put the junior on the radar as one of the elite high school players in the state.
At season’s end Berg was named to the Middlesex League All-Star team and chosen as a co-
captain for his senior season.

Berg’s baseball season didn’t end after high school season was over, he starred on Reading’s
American Legion team which featured not only Reading’s best but all-star players from
surrounding towns.

As he entered his senior year, Berg now played the role of a veteran leader, and he easily
earned the leadoff batting position in what was to become one of the all-time best
performances over a season for a Reading high school baseball player.
In an era in which to qualify for the post season you had to win 70% of your games Reading put
themselves in an early hole losing 4 of its first 6 games. But with a 12-2 finish Reading not only
qualified for the tournament but they tied with Melrose for a piece of the Middlesex League
championship.

Berg was at the forefront of the team’s in-season turnaround and for the regular season he
ended up batting .424 with 13 extra base hits, and recorded a fielding average of .915, making
just 6 errors on 71 opportunities at shortstop.

In the first-round matchup with Waltham once again Berg can up a huge in the biggest
moments. In an epic performance he had three hits, two doubles, three RBI, a stolen base, four
putouts and five assists as the Rockets roared back with three runs in the eighth inning to defeat
Waltham 5-4. Berg accounted for all of his team’s runs either by scoring himself or knocking in
the runs. In his first four tournament games as a high school player, he now had 10 hits in 15
official at-bats.

After the game the Waltham coach lamented that “Berg simply murdered us. He was
outstanding, a great player. It seems he made his best plays when he was out of position
playing towards second base.”

The Boston Globe lauded Berg’s performance as well, noting “It is plain and simple: yesterday
at Washington Park, Berg fashioned one of the great individual high school performances this
state has seen in 1981. When the Reading Rockets had their back against the wall, it was Berg
who just made one awesome, game saving play after another.”

In the Eastern Mass state semi-final the season ended with a disappointing 8-5 loss to Medford,
but Berg had one more highlight at Reading high school when he led the Middlesex League All
Star team to a win over the Suburban League All-Stars. Appropriately it was Berg who, after
hitting a single, scored the winning run.

For his career Berg batted .414 with 18 extra base hits, 30 RBI, 19 stolen bases and had an on-
base percentage of .538. He only struck out 10 times in 45 games and 174 plate appearances.
At season end the honors started pouring in for Berg. He was named a Middlesex League All-
Star for the second time, he was named to the Eastern Mass and New England All Star team,
he was voted the Daily Times Chronicle Player of the Year, and named a Boston Globe All-
Scholastic, at a time when the Globe only awarded that honor to 15 baseball players in the
entire state.

After receiving a full scholarship to play baseball at UMass he was also named to a US national
high school touring team. He joined Legion teammate Dennis Livingston of North Reading on a
three-week tour of Scandinavia where he excelled as the leadoff hitter and played second base
for a change. Just five games into the tour the two locals were making a name for themselves,
Berg batting .470 and Livingston (a future first round draft pick for the Los Angeles Dodgers)
pitching a complete game 15 strikeout three-hitter against a US collegiate All-Star team.
After returning from Europe Berg ended his days of playing baseball in a Reading uniform
starring for the next two summers on the American Legion team.

Berg leaves behind a legacy of excellence on the diamond that has been rarely matched in the
history of the storied Reading baseball program and for that distinction the Reading Athletic Hall
of Fame is proud to welcome Larry Berg into its induction Class of 2024.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rob Toczylowski

The accomplishment of the 2008 Super 8 champion Reading High boys hockey team will
be felt for years in the Reading High Athletic Hall of Fame as far as the individual
achievements of a handful of its players who will be taking their rightful place in this
society of athletic greatness.

Rob Toczylowski, the premier goal scorer on the ’08 Rockets, is the latest entry as “Toz”
comes in with some mighty lofty credentials. Only the ultra-talented Reading Athletic Hall
of Famer Sean Collins scored more goals for Reading High than the 92 that Toczylowski
scored during his Rocket career while his 178 career points rank fifth all-time.

Rob Toczylowski cannot remember ever not being on skates. Dating back to his days as
a three-year-old at the “Learn to Skate” program he was on a fast track to stardom that
ultimately led him to be a four-year varsity player for the Rockets. Toz fit well into being
the team’s “power forward” as a 6-foot-tall, 200-pound left winger with his style of driving
to the net and finishing touch.

Rob made his debut during the 2004-05 season as a freshman, a season that saw that
Reading High team advance to the Super 8 semifinals only to bow to Catholic Memorial
at the then-called Fleet Center. That loss, although disappointing at the time, proved to a
driving force for the younger players in the program who saw something in themselves
that they could perhaps take it a step further and beyond in future Super 8 tournaments.

The Rockets had some Middlesex League All-Stars returning for their senior season in
2005-06, but they were quickly overshadowed by the sophomore trio of Patrick Kiley, at
right wing, Michael Lozzi, at center, and Rob Toczylowski on the left side, who began to
make their presence felt. This line was first formed when they were members of the
Sophomore Team at the Hockey Night in Boston summer tournament that prior August
and they really started clicking from the outset. Reading didn’t quite have the season to
return to the Super 8 in 2006 but the Rockets did finish in second place behind
Winchester and won a game in the Division 1 North tournament before losing to St.
John’s Prep.

Toz had a breakout year for the Rockets leading his team with 25 goals and 23 assists
for 48 points. Toczylowski had a four-goal game against Burlington and three other “hat
tricks” against Woburn, Melrose and Stoneham in his sophomore year. He received the
first of three straight Middlesex League All-Star selections for his efforts.

By Toczylowski’s junior year in 2006-07, the team was firmly centered around the junior
class. Besides the three forwards, defensemen Garrett Collins, Travis Busch and
Quinlan Junta were now established blue line regulars. It was another outstanding
season for Toczylowski as he reached the 60-point plateau with 29 goals and 31 assists,
highlighted by a five-goal game against Wakefield. The Rockets soared back to the top
of the Middlesex League, winning their 15 th league title under legendary coach Peter
Doherty and gained entrance to the Super 8 tournament again. But, after sitting with a
19-2-0 record, the Rockets lost their regular-season finale to Catholic Memorial and then
did not win a game in the round-robin portion of the Super 8, losing to Catholic school
teams BC High, St. John’s Prep and Austin Prep in succession.

However, high hopes for the 2007-08 were pretty obvious as all of Reading’s top seven
scorers from would be back the following year. The top line of Kiley, Lozzi and
Toczylowski was riding high with all their past success and experience going into this
special season. They knew as a group they could compete against anyone.
The Rockets started that campaign off on a blistering pace as they won their first 13
games in dominating fashion. Only one of those first 13 wins was by a margin of one
goal as the Rockets were beating teams by scores of 6-0… 7-1… 9-2… and 10-1.

BC High stopped the Reading win streak with a 3-1 victory over the Rockets at Burbank
Arena but that didn’t slow Reading’s momentum and the Rockets and Eagles would also
meet later that season in a more meaningful game. Reading capped off the regular
season with seven more wins and became the second team in Middlesex League history
to go a perfect 18-0-0 in league play, the other was the 1996-97 Reading team.

The Rockets, despite their lofty record, only earned a No. 5 seed in the Super 8
tournament and felt a bit disrespected, according to Toczylowski. Reading then earned
its revenge on BC High in the first game of the tournament with a 2-1 win at the DCU
Center in Worcester and cleared a major hurdle while earning some confidence and
momentum going into a meeting with Catholic Memorial.

Playing at Tsongas Arena, the Rockets were always in control as goals Toczylowski and
four other different scorers paved the way to a 5-2 win and assured the Rockets of a
spot in the tournament semifinals. Reading then put away Xaverian, 5-2, to reach the
title game.

After a slow start in the championship game at the Fleet Center against Malden Catholic,
the Rockets got on the board with a goal from Kiley. However, Malden Catholic hung
tough and was not allowing the Rockets to pull away. At the start of the second period a
fluke goal by Toczylowski then changed the momentum of the game for good. Dumping
one in from the neutral zone on net the puck found its way across the goal line for a 2-0
Reading lead. Soon after, Toczylowski took a nice diagonal pass from Lozzi and fired
home a shot from above the left faceoff circle to make it 3-0.There was little drama left
after that as Reading was content to play a composed defensive-oriented brand of
hockey the rest of the way. When the final horn sounded the Rockets became the first
public school team to win the Super 8 tournament and Rob Toczylowski certainly had a
major role in accomplishing that fete.

For his final season, Toczylowski scored 35 goals with 30 assists for 65 points. Along
with his linemates, they were named to the All-Scholastic Super Teams by the Boston
Globe and Herald for that season.

Rob was also a two-year varsity member of the Reading High baseball team and was
the starting first baseman as a senior in 2008. He helped the Rockets achieve a 16-6
overall record and provided a big hit in the 4-1 tournament win over Latin Academy.
After a year at Proctor Academy, Toczylowski played four years of college hockey at
Bowdoin. He is still playing the game to this day in a men’s league in Middleton on
Thursday nights with former Rocket teammate Pat Kiley.

The Reading Athletic Hall of Fame welcomes Rob Toczylowski into its Hall of Fame.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hover over photos for captions

Reading Baseball Alumni Game -- Pete Moscariello Ballpark -- September 29, 2024

We had another great time at our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Game at Pete Moscariello Ballpark on Sunday, September 29. The temperature was in upper 60’s and the field was recently mowed and groomed so the conditions were just right. Twenty-two players were divided into two balanced rosters. We were able to put former teammates on the same squad so we had, for instance, six 1993-1996 players on one team and four 2002-2004 guys on another. All told, we had players from five decades, the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, ‘10’s on the field together. That is unique and amazing. As you will read, the balance worked out well!

We always start the day by having alumni kids take some swings and run the bases. Dan Marshall’s daughter and son, Chris Dolan’s daughter, Chris Foley’s two sons, and Coach Mosc’s granddaughter and grandson all enjoyed hitting and running. It is just wonderful to see these 2nd generation alumni children play on the same field as their dads.

Thanks to Steve Palladino ’82, our loyal and generous alumnus, for coming to my house to load equipment into our cars and then unloading and setting up for the game. Steve also bought water & snacks for all. Also thanks to the players for packing up equipment and putting tarps on field.

Players arrived at various times, greeted old/new teammates, chose their classic white game shirts, and then proceeded to warm up. We saw guys stretching and playing catch, but didn’t notice anyone doing six sprints between the foul line and out of play line like they did years ago!

Our beloved Coach Ace Bryson came down to see everyone and we asked him to throw out the first pitch. That was a special moment as Ace delivered a successful 60-foot throw, caught by Coach Mosc. Not sure if an 81/71 year old battery exists anywhere else!

So here we go - Team Foohey (teams captains were the oldest player(s) for each team) batted first, while Team Farrucci (a combination of Farris/Lucci) took the field. Steve Langone ’96 was on the mound and Coach Mosc behind the plate to start.

It turned out to be REALLY good game, very well-played with lots of impressive hitting and possibly the best display of defense in the history of alumni games. Pitchers threw strikes which allowed everyone to hit while keeping the game moving. And, for the second year in a row, the game ended in a clean walk-off hit.

Let’s talk about the outstanding defense first. Shortstop Jim Lucci ‘85 recorded three assists in the top of the first inning, one 6-3 and two 6-4’s. I’ll bet that is the only time in alumni game history that a shortstop successfully fielded three ground balls and made good throws. We should mention that 1st baseman Jim Murphy made a nice scoop on the 6-3 putout.

Mark Andrick ‘04, who was an outstanding P/SS/2b in his great career, caught all 9 innings for Team Foohey. Mark looked comfortable and solid back there and caught three foul popups and showed his arm with perfect throws to 2b to start each inning.

Chris Foley ’94, who was our excellent left fielder at RMHS, made a nice sliding catch on a fly ball and adeptly hauled in a few other balls.

Ryan Turenne, son of Ducky ’79, was a superb catcher for UMaine, but he played other positions this day, including 3b where he made a diving backhand stab, then scrambled to his feet to throw out the runner at 1st . A web gem for sure! On the very next batter he made the same diving backhanded stop and tried to throw out the runner from a sitting position. Didn’t get him but it was great sequence of plays, anyway.

Another nice play occurred while the defense was shifting for a pull lefty hitter, Steve Langone came off the mound, all the way to the 3rd baseline to make a nifty backhanded catch of a pop up.

Chris Dolan ’03, who was a very good 3rd baseman, played all around the infield this game and made a nice leaping, lunging backhand catch of a bullet line drive.

Steve Cella ’98 (Peabody HS) showed what a great athlete he still is by running a mile to track down a long fly ball in center field, while avoiding the field hockey nets in the “Mimville” area, and then was involved in what I consider the best alumni team defensive play ever.
Jason Zerfas ’99 had just gone to play left field after Jim Murphy ’93 injured his leg going after a long fly ball double over his head. So with a runner on 2nd, the batter single to left – Zerf fielded it cleanly and relayed it to shortstop Cella who was on the outfield grass. Steve then threw a pea all the way home to catcher Lucci who tagged out the sliding runner, 7-6-2. So there was a nice hit, two great throws, a tag, and a slide all on one play. Unprecedented!

Josh Martin ’95 who played a great shortstop and 3b in his two seasons, flagged down a fly ball over his head in right field, Sean O’Neill ’14 made a very nice running catch on a bomb hit by Scott Farris ’85, and Coach Mosc even got into the act at 1b by backhanding a short-hop bullet hit by Mark Demasse ’02.
Dan Marshall ’03 always finds a way to to show his skill and athleticism in these games. At RMHS hew was our gold glove center fielder, but on this day he looked just as good in the infield, making some nice plays at 2nd base.

I also remember several mile-high pop-ups that were handled with ease. Certainly not easy plays for guys who have not been taking fungoes in 20 years.

On the offensive side, it seems like everybody hit the ball hard. Some notable blasts were by Tom Fratto ’94, who continued to show the same powerful swing and great batspeed that he did in his HOF career; Turenne, who frightens right-side infielders when he steps in the box; and O’Neill, All-Scholastic Pitcher/Hitter, who hit some high, deep shots. Pete McHugh ’92, 2x league all-star and winner of 11 games in 1991, had a good day, compiling a couple base hits while 1989 captain, superb leader, and Summer Rockets coach, Rich Foohey did the same. Mark DeMasse ’02 who may have more career alumni hits than any player, had his usual three base hits. Scott Farris ’85, who not only taught so many kids how to hit, but shows he can do it himself, hit a long drive to RF in one at bat and hit a line drive single in another. Jim Murphy ’93, who was loves to play and compete in these games, banged out a couple hits. And John Feudo ’95, always an alumni game favorite, got his share of hits, too.

The final innings were especially fun. Team Foohey came from behind to take a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the 9th. Then, after one out, John Feudo ’95 singled and Langone hit a 100-mph laser deep to left center. Somehow it was a single, so now runners on 1st and 3rd. Cella stepped up and hit his own 100+ mph bomb to left center, to score Feudo and set up runners at 2nd and 3rd. Now 6-5. Up stepped Zerf who smoked a clean, no-doubt-about-it bullet to left center to easily score Langone and Cella for the walk-off win.
Our pitchers included an impressive staff, indeed: Langone, Zerfas, O’Neill, Murphy, DeMasse, and Andrew Zaccardi ’12, who won 6 games as a senior and continued to show his smooth, classic delivery. Catchers were Andrick (9), Lucci (5), Cella (2), and Mosc (2).

And we can’t forget Dave “El Chapo” Kelloway who was a loyal participant at the Reading Baseball school and is a diehard NY Yankee fan. We were very glad to have Dave join us.
After the game, we gathered for some closing remarks and the awarding of medals/trophies. You can see these in the photos below. Mark Andrick was awarded the Outstanding Defensive Player for his previously mentioned stalwart work behind the plate, while Jason Zerfas was Outstanding Offensive Player for his multiple hits and especially the clutch 2-RBI walk-off hit. Steve Langone was named Outstanding Pitcher for this 6-innings of work.

Then named two MVPs (for some reason I had an extra trophy this year). This was a tough one, because so many guys had great games – Cella, Langone, Andrick, Foley, DeMasse …. But we decided on Pete Collins ’79 because at age 62 he still catches fly balls with ease and produces line drive hits with his sweet swing. And we chose Sean O’Neill, as he pitched, hit, and defended well, but also it was our way of saying thanks to a young guy for coming down to play with his old coaches and teammates from the 70’s-80’s-90’s.

It was also wonderful to see so many kids, parents, spouses, family members, and friends there to enjoy the day. Family members are an important part of our special Reading Baseball Family, so were so glad to see them there. The impressive list, in addition to the children we mentioned, included alumnus and current RMHS Athletic Director, Tom Zaya ’87 and his family; Dan Marshall's wife, Devany, and Dan's dad, Joe; Pete McHugh's sisters Sue and Linda and their families; Jim Lucci's wife, Mary; Chris Foley's wife, Angela; Chris Dolan's dad, Bob; Mark DeMasse's mom, Pam; Sean O'Neill's dad, Tom; Steve Cella's dad, Mike; Jim Murphy's son, Jack; Scott Farris' son, Colby, and Scott's friend, Lynne; and Coach's wife, May, and daughter, Lea. There were SO many people there; I hope I did not leave out any names.

I am happy to think that my mom and dad watched the game with big smiles on their faces. I’m sure they loved seeing you play, just as they did for all of your careers. And then to see their granddaughter and great grandchildren on the field and on the red seats, must have been special for them. It sure was special for me to be there with my wife May, Lea, Steve, and their children.

And you guys know me well enough that I couldn’t let the day end without expressing my thanks. It was just so good to be on that special field, in our classic white uniforms, with all of you. I know all the coaches – Bryson, Farris, Lucci, Zerfas, and myself loved playing with you as much as we did coaching you.
My closing words were to thank every player for “the joy that you all brought me ‘back then’, today, and every day. I am grateful to have coached you all and blessed for your continued friendship. I love you all.”

For the photos below, please hover over them so you can read the captions. For each player, I gave some RMHS career highlights so you can all learn about the guys who played before or after you.

ROSTERS: our rosters were packed with guys who excelled in multiple sports, but if we consider just their Reading Baseball careers, of the 19 alumni, we had:
10 Middlesex League All-Stars, 5 All-Scholastic Players, 9 Captains, 5 Hall of Famers, 14 players who played on championship teams, 4 RMHS coaches, and 2 professional baseball players (Langone, P. McHugh)

Team Farucci
Scott Farris ‘85
Jim Lucci ‘85
Jim Murphy ‘93
Chris Foley ‘94
Tom Fratto ‘94
John Feudo ‘95
Josh Martin ‘95
Steve Langone ‘96
Steve Cella ’98 Peabody HS
Jason Zerfas ‘99
Dave Kelloway (our friend)
Coach Mosc ‘71

Team Foohey
Pete Collins ‘79
Rich Foohey ‘89
Pete McHugh ‘92
Mark DeMasse ‘02
Chris Dolan ‘03
Dan Marshall ‘03
Mark Andrick ‘04
Andrew Zaccardi ‘12
Sean O’Neill ‘14
Ryan Turenne (Ducky’s son ’79)

Our next event is our annual Alumni Dinner & Reunion. We will be honoring our 1994 team that went 19-1, was league co-champs, and D2 North Finalists.

We typically do this in early-mid January but since I am having back surgery Jan. 9, we will push it back to late Jan/early February (so I have time to prepare).

Until then, take care of yourselves and your families,
Coach Mosc

Reading Baseball Alumni Weekend - Cooperstown, NY - August 23-25, 2024

We had another fabulous Reading Baseball Alumni Weekend in Cooperstown on August 23-25. The weather brought three beautiful, sparkling days in the 70’s and low 80’s (which matched the ages of Neal Driscoll, Coach Bryson, and myself!). We had an amazing 48 people attend, including 23 players and 25 additional family members which made it a memorable and special Reading Baseball Alumni Family weekend!

Neal and Java Driscoll and I arrived Thursday night so we were able to meet up for breakfast at the spectacular Otesaga Hotel on Friday morning. Thank you, Neal, for generously treating us to breakfast. The next time you are in Cooperstown, we highly recommend you have breakfast at the Otesaga or at least visit the hotel and its stunning view of the lake and golf course.

Later that morning I took a walk over to the Village Office to visit Deputy Clerk Marcia Nye to present her with flowers to thank her, and other Cooperstown officials, who have been so nice to us over the past 30 years. She truly appreciates us.

Now players and families began to arrive during the day on Friday and everyone met at Doubleday Field in plenty of time to warm up for the 5:00 game.
We had 17 alumni adult players so we called upon Avery Foley (RMHS sophomore) to fill out the rosters. But even with 18 players we decided to go with the three-team format (one team at bat and the other two on defense) to allow some of us older players to sit out innings as needed.

It is hard to remember all the details as the action was pretty fast and furious with the constant rotations, but we know there was a lot of good baseball. One of the teams was comprised of teammates from the ’02-’03 teams: Rob DeMoura, Mark DeMasse, Brian DeMasse, Chris Dolan, Danny Marshall, and Steve Gath. They were favorites on paper, but were challenged by the “A to Z” (Ace to Zerf) team of Coach Bryson, Jason Zerfas ’99, Pete Collins ’79, Dan Foley ’98, Paul Andrick ’12, Avery Foley. The scorekeeping is inexact, but we think those two teams tied with 14 runs, while the 3rd team, Team Driscoll (Java Driscoll ‘95, Neal Driscoll, Matt Morrison (our JV coach), Tommy DeMasse ’08, Anthony DeSimone ’12, Coach Mosc ’71) had a paltry two runs (Captain Java said of his team, “the hits were not plentiful!). Individual player performances listed later in this way-too-long article.

After some picture-taking, we left Doubleday and players and families eventually met for a late dinner, at Upstate Restaurant, just outside of town. We have some nice photos of the happy group below. We did not, however, get a photo of the random guy who approached one table to try to stump us with unusual baseball trivia questions. Stump us he did not and back to his table he went. Many thanks to Pete Collins for his remarkable generosity in picking up the large tab (using his large George Costanza wallet). Some folks then returned to their hotels while others stayed out “beyond curfew” for drinks and stories.

Saturday day was a “free” day, meaning there was no game. So everyone took advantage of the beautiful weather to visit the Hall of Fame, shops, and restaurants. Pam, Tommy, and Mark DeMasse, along with Rob DeMoura and myself, had breakfast at the Otesaga (thank you, DeMasse’s, for treating us). The food and scenery were great plus we got to see Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins at a nearby table. Being a table of Seinfeld fanatics, we were tempted to pound the table and yelp to get Fergie’s attention (like Kramer and DiMaggio at the coffee shop) but we refrained.

After breakfast I met up with Alan Lincourt, photographer and friend, who designs the beautiful Cooperstown Timepieces that we present annually (more on that later). Alan brough a surprise guest, Lenny Jackson, a now 87 year-old who umpired numerous games for us vs. Lexington as well as alumni games. Lenny regaled us with stories from his full and interesting life as a US Marine, NY State Trooper, and professional (as in MiLB) umpire. He is as sharp as can be, and we could listen to him for hours. Lenny and Alan are both former recipients of our Reading Baseball Alumni Outstanding Contributor Award, that we present occasionally to individuals who have enhanced our Cooperstown experience.

One more thing on that – in the photos below you will see then 81 year-old umpire Lenny playing along with our joke on Mark DeMasse. Brother Brian had put, unbeknownst to Mark, a “Fusilli Jerry” pin on Mark’s hat. As Mark went out to right field, Lenny called “time” and approached Mark saying that he (the pin, actually) was causing a distracting glare and he should be ejected. Just one example of how we include everyone in our Cooperstown experience.

On the more adventurous side, the Foley Family, who always finds something fun to do, went to Rail Explorers, where one pedals a vehicle along railroad tracks. They gave the experience mixed reviews. Maybe Cooperstown Axe-Throwing next time. The Bryson’s, all six of them, went to Glimmerglass State Park, a beautiful venue, where some of them went kayaking. Of course there was golfing – Pete Collins, Chris Dolan, Anthony DeSimone, and Paul Andrick played at the gorgeous Leatherstocking course.

Some guys noticed that Nick and John Face, who arrived on Saturday, were wearing, around town, Pittsburgh Pirates #26 shirts. Well, that is because of their relation to Elroy “Roy” Face, 16-year MLB pitcher. Nick says that Roy is his grandfather’s cousin. Roy, now 96-years old, pitched most of his career for the Pirates where he set MLB records in 1959 for the best winning pct. (18-1, .947) and most wins in relief. He was inducted into the Pirates Hall of Fame. On his retirement, Face ranked third in major league history in pitching appearances, behind only Hoyt Wilhelm and Cy Young, and second in saves behind Wilhelm. He holds the Pirates franchise records for career games (802) and saves (188).

Saturday night was our annual everybody-get-together at the still not-air conditioned function room on the “Un-Comfort-able” Inn. Most of our group (37 people) enjoyed pizza, beverages, a short slide show, raffles, and camaraderie.

We used the slide show to wish Pete and Veronica (Ronnie) a happy 34th Anniversary and Jane and Ted Bryson their 58th. We announced that Paul Andrick and Samantha just got engaged, and that Tommy DeMasse and Anthony DeSimone will marry Stephanie and Nicole, respectively, in July 2025. We congratulated Mark DeMasse for being inducted into the Northshore Baseball League Hall of Fame in January. And then a very nice announcement that RMHS Head Coach Dave Blanchard has established the Ted “Ace” Bryson Most Improved Player Award to be presented annually to the team’s most deserving player.

We also had a multi-slide tribute to our friend, Paul “Ducky” Turenne ’79 who passed this past March. Ducky was our catcher in 1978-79. He was one of the most beloved players we have ever had, as his teammates and coaches all loved him. Ducky was always happy, smiling, laughing, telling jokes and stories. He made everyone around him feel great. Ducky was also a superb RMHS and collegiate hockey goalie and an excellent golfer. Most of all, Ducky was a dedicated and loving family man to his wife, Judy, and their children Lauren, Shauna, and Ryan. And Ducky was blessed to have the opportunity to know and enjoy his, grandson, Russell. We all miss, and will always remember, our great friend.
We all, via our alumni shirts, paid tribute to Ducky. The photo below shows the Ducky design (created by Brian DeMasse).

No Saturday night extravaganza is complete without the Baseball Card Raffle (points awarded depending on the stats of the player on your card, e.g., +1 point if your player has over 50 career homers) and a simple, put your name in the box and wait for it to be pulled out raffle Every player received a prize (there were some pretty good ones, too).

We presented Anthony DeSimone with a t-shirt (purchased downtown that day) that says, “I hit a Dinger in Cooperstown.” They didn’t have shirts that said, “I hit two triples in one game” or “I hit for the cycle”, both previous Doubleday feats by Anthony.

We also wanted to show our appreciation to the moms and kids who joined players for the weekend, so we had some special gifts. Kids received necklaces with a uniform number, presented by their dads. Then our Coop players presented their moms with a baseball Mom necklace. I must say, it was a nice gesture that added to the family atmosphere of the special weekend.

We presented three Game 1 medals for Outstanding Pitcher, Defensive Player, and Offensive Player (well, we would have presented them if coach hadn’t left the medals at home. So we announced the recipients but just pretended to put the Olympic-like medal around their necks). Anyway, Paul Andrick was Outstanding Offensive Player, earned by his record-setting performance; Steve Gath was Outstanding Defensive Player because … well, because he IS; and Jason Zerfas collected his 9th Outstanding Pitcher Award. We are sure Zerf holds the alumni records for Appearances, Starts, Innings Pitched, Wins, Losses, Saves . . .

And the highlight for the event was the annual presentation of the Outstanding Reading Baseball Alumnus Award. This year there were two deserving recipients, Java Driscoll and Brian DeMasse. Both of these extraordinary men were lauded for their love of baseball, joy of playing, loyalty to their teammates, and dedication to their friends and family. The base of the award says “Outstanding Teammate”, “Loyal Alumnus”,“Great Friend” - - Reading Baseball Alumni Club 2024.

Then we showed, "via satellite" a video by John Feudo '95 our 2023 recipient, congratulating Java and Brian. Feudo’s sentiments were warm as well as humorous.

The next morning was another nice day, albeit a bit warmer. We were presented with a challenge as our number of available players went from 18 to 13. Uh oh. (Neal Driscoll was on the IL with a knee injury and Andrick, DeSimone, Marshall, and Dolan – our young and really good players -returned home for important personal reasons). But to the rescue came Jeff and Theo Bryson, Nick and John Face, and Jon Whalen. Now back up to 18, we still went with three teams of six players, as that worked out well pm Friday. I won’t list the rosters, nor the scores, but will say we had more nice defense, strike-throwing pitching, and incredibly hard-hitting offense.
A really nice feature was the last inning of each game when we let the younger kids come on the field and play. I won’t list their first names but can say that Jason Zerfas’s daughter, Matt Morrison’s two boys, Dan Foley’s younger son, Dan Marshall’s son and daughter, Steve Gath’s oldest boy, and Dennis Gramolini’s son all got multiple AB’s and a chance to run the bases. And these kids can hit! Seeing the smiles on their faces and seeing proud dads, moms, and grandparents on the field with their kids reinforces what a special and unique thing we have going on.

So how did our guys perform? Here is a report on each player, in no particular order:

Paul Andrick created a Game 1 highlight reel by hitting safely in his first 6 at bats (he eventually made one out) and when you add that to his 6 for 6 performance in our most recent alumni game in Reading, we see that he hit safely 12 times in a row! Paul also caught a couple pop ups behind the plate and showed his youthful arm by firing the ball to 2nd base prior to each inning.

Anthony DeSimone, our other youthful 2012 player hit a monster homerun over the wall/screen/scoreboard in left field. Anthony also roamed centerfield with speed and grace, and made a nice diving catch in right center, reminiscent of the final out catch to preserve Scott Tully’s no-hitter in Arlington in 2012.

Steve Gath who hadn’t played any kind of baseball in five years, picked up where he left off as a 4-year Bentley stater and RMHS Hall of Fame shortstop. Steve lined the first pitch he saw into right field for a single. Later he launched a homer! Then he kept hitting; not sure he made an out all weekend! He also made several typical Steve Gath smooth-as-silk plays at shortstop. Maybe we should all take five years off!

Dan Foley continued his alumni excellence with his patented shots into either gap and athletic play in the field. During the course of the weekend, Dan played infield, outfield, catcher, and pitcher and was great at all of them. One of the best plays of the weekend was when Dan, in centerfield, ranged far, far to this left to make a reaching grab of a missile that Java had hit to right center. A must-mention highlight was Dan’s successful slide into home plate. Alumni slides are as rare as alumni inside-the-park homers!

Avery Foley (anticipated RMHS Class of ’27), Dan and Melissa’s son, had a terrific weekend. Avery played well in both the infield and outfield, making a handful of plays. The most memorable was a diving catch off a line drive hit by Brian DeMasse. Was it a catch or a trap? The replay was inconclusive so it remained an out, a great play by Avery, and possibly Brian’s only out of the weekend.

We all admire Neal Driscoll, Java’s and Zack’s dad, for playing despite a bad knee. Neal always plays well and reminds us of what a true gentleman looks like. On Sunday Neil took a walk outside the park to test out his knee, and he found the homerun ball that his son, Java, had hit completely out of the park.

Dan Marshall and Matt Morrison are still active players in the Woburn Men’s League, and we could tell. Boy, they are really good players. They can both hit, field, and throw. Matt is super-versatile and played infield, outfield, catcher, and pitcher with equal excellence, while smashing the ball all weekend. And Dan is just a superb athlete and a joy to watch. He holds the RMHS records for hits in a season (32) and is even better now, and with more power! Dan still runs like the wind; I read this sentence about Hall of Famer Al Kaline, and it reminded me of Dan: “as he [Kaline] raced down the first-base line, rounding the bag and heading for second, he did so with such grace and swiftness, that upon observation it seemed his spike marks would be no deeper in the dirt than those of a bird’s imprint.”

Then there is the ageless Pete Collins. He and I take batting practice at Washington Park every week in preparation for these games. Pete steps out of his truck, steps into the batters box, and hits ball after ball 330 feet to right field. Everyone marvels at his still-beautiful swing and his ability to barrel the ball just about every time. And Pete can still play defense, as he used nice footwork to catch a long fly ball to right.

Chris Dolan came back to Coop after a few years off, but he looks better than ever. He absolutely smokes lines drive and looked great at his old position, 3b, making a couple nifty backhanded plays.
Mark DeMasse, also an annual Cooperstown player, had his usual performance – he pitched well, made the plays in the OF, and hit ridiculous high exit velo shots. We shifted on him a couple times but the lefty hitter still ripped singles through the right side.

We were all pleased that Tommy DeMasse, was able to join us this year. T-Bone is a terrific all-around player! Tommy pitched (he throws a natural cutter), and hit great. The ball just jumps off his bat. And he told us that his July 2025 wedding will be in Tuscany (he says he and Steph got the last villa in Tuscany – another Seinfeld reference).

The incomparable Jason Zerfas is a Cooperstown fixture. Zerf sets up in the box with the intent of hitting the ball hard or long, and he usually does both! Zerf, as usual, pitched in both games, throwing strike after hittable strike, to make the game move along nicely. No better person in our history than Jason Zerfas!

Java Driscoll had quite a weekend. In addition to being named Outstanding Alumnus (and having a sensational Otesaga breakfast), he hit absolute lasers in both games. A highlight for all of us was to watch Java hit an absolute bomb over the fence, scoreboard, and screen, and out of the park. And we love how Java plays with a constant smile and joy for the game.

Jon Whalen arrived on Saturday with his wife and daughter and joined us for the Saturday evening festivities. Then he suited up on Sunday and had a typical Whalen game, hitting high exit velo balls into the gaps. I call them “fungo line drives” because Jon says his swing was honed by hitting fungoes (Jon is the brilliant pitching coach for Austin Prep and the Northshore Navigators, where he also hits fungoes!)

We are grateful that Rob DeMoura made the long trip up from Maryland. Rob is a terrific guy and Coop weekends area always more fun with Rob is there! Rob pitched several innings in each game, but was most impressive with the bat. A Cooperstown Alumni Game MVP a few years ago, Rob still shows the ability to hit the ball hard.

Nick Face and his dad, John (a former Melrose HS player), played in their first alumni game on Sunday. We could tell they had a great time! They each made multiple plays in the infield and they each had multiple hits. Nick, a lefty hitter, launched one over the right fielder’s head and, John, a switch hitter, got base hits from each side of the plate! We hope they join us at future Coop weekends.

Brian DeMasse, who is a regular at our Coop and local alumni games, had one of his best weekends ever! Brian came out swinging, ripping a gapper in his first AB and repeated that swing all weekend long. It is fun to watch how much Brian loves to play the game. and enjoys his teammates.

Jeff Bryson and is son, Theo (Wilmington HS Class of ’27) joined the rest of the Bryson family on Saturday, and donned Reading red and black for Game 2. Theo is going to be a terrific player; he is an athletic catcher and good hitter. When he ripped a single, we grabbed the ball and gave it to his family. Jeff has played in our Coop games before – he did great then and still does great now. But upon Jeff’s first hit, he said, “maybe I should ask for the ball . . . this might be my only hit.” It wasn’t’; he had a handful. Jeff also showed that Theo got is catching gene from his dad, as Jeff caught a few innings. Note: Jeff is a lefthanded catcher!

And how about our beloved Coach Ted “Ace” Bryson! Youthful Ace may be an octogenarian. but plays so much younger! When he bats, the pitchers do NOT ease up on him, and Ace get the bat on the ball every swing. He had a couple nice hits including a liner to right field. We believe that Ace may be the oldest player ever to hit safely on Doubleday Field! Coach Bryson also made some putouts at 1b and I think, of all the players and families, Ace had the most fun out there!

Let us not forget Dennis Gramolini ’99 who, with his son, was with us all weekend. Dennis was an RMHS all-star and D1 collegiate pitcher, but was recovering from surgery and was unable to play. But his constant smile and enthusiasm certainly was evident and appreciated!

Coach Mosc ’71 (71 is both YOG and age) had a blast playing alongside his former players and fellow coaches. I was pleased that I could still catch some innings and had a couple hard-hit singles (and a couple soft hits, too!).

After Game 2 we had another medal presentation. This time we actually had the medals on hand. Matt Morrison was Outstanding Pitcher for his ability to throw perfect strikes at the perfect speed and pace; Brian DeMasse was Outstanding Offensive Player, on virtue of his 11 for 12 (or similar) performance and capping a great weekend for Bri; and Coach Bryson was Outstanding Defensive Player for his glove and footwork at 1st base. The we have the Outstanding Player Award that spans both games. The recipient was Steve Gath who hit and fielded like the All-Scholastic player he was.

We got together one more time, for lunch at the Patio, off Main Street. Food was good, company was better. Once again, thank you to Neal (the best guy ever) for buying lunch for the entire group.

Some notes of interest: we have had father-son (adults) combos play together in the past – Jim and Matt Morrison (I remember Jim smoked a triple down the right field line); Tony DeMasse with his three sons; Ducky and Ryan Turenne, Java, Zack and dad Neal Driscoll several times, and this year Nick and John Face. hope I didn’t miss any additional ones. But for the first time we had a 3-generation combo, Ted, Jeff, and Theo Bryson. How unique and special is that?!

It was wonderful to have 48 people there (second most ever, one year we had 55); I believe 11 of our players brought at least one family member. Players brought their wives, their kids, their parents. Who else but Reading Alumni does that? Nobody. I feel especially good when moms tell me this was their best weekend of the summer. So special thanks to the moms and grandmothers who not only made the trip but happily participated in all the activities. Back in your son's/grandson's playing days, you were their best source of support, encouragement, and love. Awesome to see that is still evident!

Do you want to see the full 48? Here we go:

Devany and Dan Marshall and daughter and son
Melissa and Dan Foley and two sons
Katie and Steve Gath and three children (boy, boy, girl ages 5, 3 ,1; Katie you are amazing to have brought the whole family!)
Michelle, Jim, Lisa, Matt Morrison and two sons – a fabulous three-generation family of six!
Jane, Ted, Jenn, Jeff, Hannah, Theo Bryson – another fabulous three-generation family of six!
Jenn and Jason Zerfas and daughter and son
Tiffany and Jon Whalen and daughter
Pam, Mark, Brian, and Mark DeMasse. Pam comes to every weekend and is our annual Alumni Mom of the Year
Rob DeMoura (who we should probably list with the DeMasse group)
Neal and Java Driscoll
John and Nick Face
Dennis Gramolini and son
Pete Collins

Paul Andrick
Anthony DeSimone
Danny Tartabull (just wanted to see if you were still reading this)
Chris Dolan
Pete Moscariello

Okay, one more thing: we posted a post-trip trivia question: we brough five-dozen (60) balls on the trip. How many did we use in the two games? Chris Dolan’s guess was the closet to the actual 43 balls we used. Yikes, that’s a lot of unretrieved foul balls. But nice going, Chris, you get first crack at the prize table in Cooperstown 2025.

I think you know that this is a very proud weekend for me - I love being with all of you and feel especially blessed to share the special weekend with your wives, parents, and children. I marvel at how well you all still play; I love seeing you interact with your beautiful families; and most of all, it makes me proud to see the how you treat, and take care of, each other.

The Hall of Fame Grandstand Theater shows a fantastic movie where numerous Hall of Famers talk about the joy of baseball and what the sport has meant to them. It evokes a very emotional (that means I cried!) response. As I watched the movie, I thought about the joy that baseball has brought me. But then I realized it wasn’t baseball that brought me joy, it was all of you.

For the 35 years I coached and the 11 years since, I am grateful for the joy you have brought me. I have been truly blessed to have coached you back then and to remain friends today.
-- Coach Mosc
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hover over the photo to see the caption.

Reading Baseball Alumni Dinner & Reunion
January 14, 2024

Our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Dinner & Reunion was again a fabulous event! For the 2nd consecutive year, we held our event at the Wakefield Knights of Columbus, a perfect venue. Fifty-four former players, representing 25 teams over 5 decades, enjoyed an evening of food, drink, reminiscing, and camaraderie.

This year we provided a simpler food option - pizza and salad from Anthony's Coal-Fired Pizza in Reading. Thank you to Chris, manager at Anthony's, who gave us a considerable discount for the 28 pizzas and 7 giant bowls of salad. The food was great, but I ordered too much! The good news is that many guys went home with an extra pizza or bowl of salad.

There is considerable set-up required and since Coach Mosc was just recovering from a back injury, many guys stepped up. Thank you to Steve Palladino who came to my house to load my car with bins of scrapbooks, laptops, projectors, etc.. Steve also unloaded my car back at my house at 11 pm. Al Weston, Scott Farris, and Jim Lucci all met Steve and me at the K of C 90 minutes before the event to set up tables/tablecloths, scrapbooks, prizes, and the electronics. Thank you to Jon Rosenthal, Scott Reinold, and Steve Langone who picked up the food at Anthony's and set it out at the hall.

Also thanks to Jason Zerfas who, as a Past Grand Knight, got us a nice discount on the hall and to Paul Sumner and Steve Palladino who made very generous donations. Thanks to those donations, our alumni could eat and enjoy the night for just $20.

This event included a record five slide shows for all to view. Upon entering at 6:00 , players could see the History of Reading Baseball (1977-2103) Slide Show that was running continuously on the main projector screen. Later on there would be four more slide shows. Let me explain:

The Main Slide Show is shown after dinner. This is sort of an "alumni year in review" which highlights things like engagements, weddings, babies, Hall of Fame inductions, as well as photos and details about Alumni Games in Cooperstown and Reading. In addition, we honored some "anniversary teams, that is teams from 10, 20, 30, or 40 years ago. This year we had special Tribute Slide Shows for the 1993 and 2002 clubs.

But we went off the grid to create a special tribute show to the 1979 team, even though it was not their "anniversary year". Paul Smith decided to come up from Orlando for the event and he prompted seven of this 1979 teammates to attend as well. So while I was laid up in bed with a back injury, I had time to create a slide show for a most memorable team. The 1979 grads were on the RMHS Freshman Baseball Team in 1976, my very first year of coaching. The following year, they were on the JV team, which was coached by Ace Bryson (this was the team that gave him that nickname) in his first year of coaching at Reading. These guys went on to become my first tournament team, going 14-6 (you had to win 70% back then; very tough) and making the Division 1 tournament. The highlights, stories, and memories from that season came alive as the players watched the slide show, reminiscing and laughing throughout. That show, and all over slide shows, can be viewed by clicking on prompts below.

Dinner was next - pizza, salad, beer - not a bad combination. It was fun to watch former teammates dining together and even better to observe guys who may have played 20 or 30 years apart engaging in conversation. I love that about our fraternity.

After dinner we went around the room and had each player, by YOG, introduce himself. I think it's important that players from, say the 2000's, get to put a face with a name of a player from the 1980's, and vice versa. Then we started the after-dinner festivities with a new raffle. We created a spinner that was sliced up into a dozen categories - things like "you hit a homerun in Cooperstown", "you hold an all-time Reading Baseball record" or "you married an RMHS grad". If the spinner landed on a category that applied to you, then you win a $5 Dunkin Donut card! We went through those 25 cards in just a few spins! It was a new feature and I think guys liked it.

So now everyone settled in for the 2024 Main slide show, a 30-minute , 260-slide experience. We made sure that everyone in attendance was featured on at least one slide, so the show would be meaningful to everyone. We also honored our teammates and loved ones whom we have lost, and agreed to continue to celebrate our teammates' good times and support our teammates in tough times. I am so proud of how our guys have always done that and will continue to do so.

The show concluded with another raffle, this one simply pulling names (which were written on baseball cards) out of a bucket. 20 winners got to choose prizes that included alumni shirts, hats, $10 Anthony gift cards, Baseballism shirts, and baseball books.

Then we took a break so guys could continue to eat and drink, but more importantly, socialize. That's the best part and the whole point of the night!

At 9:00 we simultaneously showed the 1993 and 2003 Team Tribute shows. We had a good group of players from each of those club watching their show and reminiscing about the seasons of two of our memorable teams!

Most of the players there have come to the dinner multiple times, but we were also pleased that we had some first-time players. Either way, we were pleased with the great turnout and that everyone had a great time.

The fact is that some of us are getting up there in years (we wished Coach Bryson a happy 80th birthday); Al Weston and I are 70, and some of our former players have even retired - yikes! Maybe because of that, the event had a wonderful emotional vibe, where guys were open about their love and support for each other and their coaches. With that in mind, I want to share a part of a wonderful message I had received from Paul Smith '79:

"Makes me reflect back on what an inspiration you were and are to me, not only as a coach in baseball but also for role modeling through baseball and coaching what I consider a great way to live a life. You always taught and demonstrated everything starts with the fundamentals. While I also stressed that in my coaching of youth baseball,

I have also realized that it was also ingrained in me as a way to approach life. Get the fundamentals right - live, laugh, love, teach, mentor - and things will fall into place. My life has not been about home runs, grand slams, leaping catches, but the steady production of making contact, staying down on that ground ball, backing up, and being there for the team in whatever capacity is needed.

It makes the struggles bearable, the good times great, and the great times awesome. Thank you for being that inspirational role model - it may have been years ago but you should know those valuable lessons last a lifetime. Although I don’t teach and coach, I consider it my privilege and obligation to pay it forward with my children, grandchildren, friends, and colleagues. "

Love you Coach!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Reading Baseball Alumni brotherhood is indeed very, very special. You all continue to make this old coach very proud. I look forward to staying in touch while we all follow Paul's message:

Get the fundamentals right - live, laugh, love, teach, mentor - and things will fall into place.

I love you all,
Coach Mosc

Here are the various slide shows from the 2024 Alumni Dinner. Just click on the name of the show and the link will appear. Most shows had to be converted from PowerPoint to Google Slides, in multiple parts. So while you are playing the show you will see slides that say "click here to continue." So click there and then click on "Slide Show" in the upper right to play the show.

2024 Main Slide Show

Reading Baseball History 1977-2013

1979 Team Tribute Slide Show

1993 Team Tribute Slide Show

2003 Team Tribute Slide Show

Here are some shows from previous Alumni Dinners:

2023 Main Slide Show

1980 Team Tribute Slide Show

1980 Summer Rockets Slide Show

1981 Team Tribute Slide Show

1990 Team Tribute Slide Show

1991 Team Tribute Slide Show

2002 Team Tribute Slide Show

2011 Team Tribute Slide Show

2102 Team Tribute Slide Show

Thank you to Steve Palladino for taking all these photos. Hover over each photo for captions.

Reading Baseball Alumni Game at Pete Moscariello Ballpark
October 15, 2023

Our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Game took place on October 15 - a cool, crisp autumn Sunday afternoon at Pete Moscariello Ballpark. Prior to the game, there was work to do, so many thanks to my friend of 60+ years and RMHS 1971 teammate, Al Weston, who arrived very early to help me set up for the games. More about Al later. And, of course, our loyal alumnus, Steve Palladino ’82, was there early, too, to help set up, provide water and snacks, and take the multitude of photos that appear on this site. Steve has been a mainstay at all our events, has been very generous, and is totally dedicated to all of us. Fittingly, he received our Outstanding Alumnus Award in Cooperstown a couple years ago.

We were also pleased to have several alumni in attendance, although they were not able to play, to take in the festivities. Rick Burpee ’71, Al’s and my teammate at RMHS and a pure hitter with a beautiful swing, was kind enough to come down. At Wesleyan University, Rick led the nation in RBI per AB. Jeff Nelson ’76, who coached in our program (maybe the only guy to coach the Freshman, JV, and Varsity teams!) for 20 years, came down to see some of his old players and fellow coaches. Congratulations to Coach Nelson recently won his 200th match as RMHS Golf Coach. Steve Lane ’87, two-sport All-Scholastic and RMHS Hall of Famer, who also coached RMHS Basketball and Baseball was on the IL, but it was great to see Steve and his captivating charisma. His 1987 teammates Tom Zaya, current RMHS Athletic Director, career .300 hitter, and Reading Baseball career bases on balls leader, and Dave Johnson, a 3-year starter and excellent hitter and catcher, were also on hand. And representing his 1994 (19-1) Hall of Fame team was Dave Zaya. Like big brother, Tom, DZ is as good as guy as they come.

Maybe the best part of the day was the “Kids Play” segment when youngsters from ages 2 to 14 took turns at batting practice and playing a little game. I think this was the greatest number of kids we’ve ever had and, I must say, the kids were athletic and skilled (must take after their moms). Darnell Canada and Matt Morrison, each brought two terrific sons, Dan Marshall and Mark Andrick each brought a daughter and son, Mike Thompson brought his daughter and two boys, and I was particularly thrilled that my daughter, Lea, brought her daughter and son (my grandkids!).

It was wonderful to watch our alumni dads toss pitches to their kids and see the children’s happy faces as they hit and ran the bases. How awesome was it to see two generations on the field together? Makes me happy to see our Reading Baseball Family growing.

In addition, there were many more family members in attendance. Alumni Supermom Pam DeMasse was there, as were Mike Thompson’s wife (Shelby), Mark and Paul Andrick’s mother (Gail), Al Weston’s wife (Martha – wearing Al’s old RMHS letterman jacket), my wife (May), Darnell Canada’s mom (Janet) and wife (Kristin). And Dan Marshall had quite the cheering section – in addition to his two kids, his wife (Devany), dad (Joe), mother in law (Dawn), brother in law (Dario) and sister in law (Lia) were all on hand.

After the “Kids Play” and many great photos were taken, we got ready for the big boys’ game. Players put on the classic white game shirts that they may have worn in the 90’s-00’s-10’s. Some guys wore the same shirt/number they had in high school; others were surprised by how much their shirts had shrunk!

We had 21 players, which allowed complete rosters for two teams. We read off the lineups and took a moment to introduce Tim Stanton ’85. Tim’s brother, EJ Stanton ’82, passed away suddenly in July. He was a most wonderful man; a beloved teammate and friend as well as a dedicated father and husband. We had a moment of silence to remember EJ, along with David Beers ’79, Paul Ruff ’82, Russell Hunt ’00, Andy Curto ’77, Mark Angelo ’78, Steve Sample ’07, Jory McKinley ’80, John Barrett ’84, and Coach Gil Congdon. On Sunday evening, we held a tribute to EJ’s life at Bertucci’s, where brother Tim, EJ’s wife, Kate, teammates Steve Palladino, Jon Drew, Michael Spurr, Joe Picano, and Coaches Bryson and Mosc attended. It was very nice and Kate and Tim appreciated the love and admiration all showed EJ.

Next, we had to establish some special Alumni Game Rules. We allow no walks or strikeouts (didn’t really need this rule because I don’t think any pitcher got to a 3-ball count and I can’t remember any batter swinging and missing); we said the older guys get priority to where they want to play defensively, for safety and comfort (guys ask me why I choose to play catcher. I say that, at my age, I rather have balls being hit away from me than toward me!); defense cannot turn a ground ball double play on players ages 45+ (there were a few nice DP’s on younger guys and would have been several more on the oldsters if not for this rule!); no out can be recorded on a batted ball that initially lands in the outfield (we did not want the Little League 9-3 putout or 8-6 forceout). Other than that, it was real baseball all the way!

We designated long-time coaches Ace Bryson and Jeff Nelson as team captains. I go to great length to try to balance the teams, ensuring that each has about the same number of guys in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60+ and that each team has ample pitching and catching. Sometimes it results in a close game, sometimes in a blowout! This year’s rosters were a star-studded lineups that included players who spanned five decades and included Hall of Famers, All-Scholastics, League All-Stars, Captains, State Champions, and League Champions. Here are the rosters:

TEAM BRYSON
PAUL ANDRICK ’12
COACH BRYSON 29 yr coach
MARK DEMASSE '02
JOSH "JAVA" DRISCOLL '95
STEVE LANGONE '96
KAELAN RICHARDS '89
TIM STANTON '85
MIKE "TEMPLE" THOMPSON '96
AL WESTON '71
JASON ZERFAS '99
TEAM NELSON
MARK ANDRICK '04
DARNELL CANADA '89
DAN FOLEY '98
DAVE "EL CHAPO" KELLOWAY '03
DAN MARSHALL '03
MATT MORRISON JV Coach 8 years
JIM MURPHY '93
DAN O'KEEFE '00
GREG SMITH '93
JON WHALEN '95
COACH MOSC '71

So off we went, tight shirts and all, to warm up in right field. A few throws back and forth, long toss (40 feet), and we were ready to go. And what a game it was! Matt Morrison’s one-out single to the left center gap in the bottom of the 9th scored Dan Foley and Dan Marshall for a 11-10 walk-off win for Team Nelson. Here is how we got to that point:

Paul Andrick led off the game for Team Bryson with a ringing double and scored the game’s first run. But then things slowed down and the game was a pitcher’s duel as the score stood just at 1-1 after 3 innings. Pitchers Jason Zerfas and Mark DeMasse (both Team Bryson) and Morrison (Team Nelson) were throwing strikes and getting outs. Solid defense also kept runners from crossing the plate.

At this point, Coach Mosc, sensing the low-scoring play so far, addressed both teams, saying (kiddingly), “Hey, the Stoneham Alumni are not down at their field on a Sunday. They are at home on their couches playing Nintendo 64 while you guys are here, working and getting better. So let’s go!” Maybe that worked, because players immediately started hitting and making defensive plays and we even had two guys…..wait for it…..slide into bases!

Motivated by the fake pep talk, Team Nelson forged ahead 3-1, only to see Team Bryson rally to tie the game at 3-3 and then take an 8-3 lead after 7 innings. I can’t remember who had the big hits, but there were a lot of them! In fact, a couple guys commented that this year EVERYBODY hit the ball well! So we know that in addition to Paul Andrick, Mark DeMasse, Josh Driscoll, Steve Langone, Kaelan Richards, Tim Stanton, Mike Thompson, and Jason Zerfas all contributed with key hits to all parts of the field.

Team Nelson was in trouble now, and fearing the foul poles they may have to run, responded with 6 big runs in the bottom of the 8th. Again, hard to remember the details, but I know Darnell Canada, Dan Foley, Dan Marshall, Matt Morrison, Jim Murphy, Dan O’Keefe, Greg Smith, Jon Whalen, and Coach Mosc strung a bunch of hits together, to forge ahead, 9-8.

Jim Murphy took the mound to close it out for Team Nelson. But Team Bryson was clutch - with two outs Paul Andrick came up with a runner on 2nd. There was talk about intentionally walking him, but someone shouted "they have a Hall of Famer (Mark DeMasse) on deck!" So we pitched to Paul (historical note: in 1969 JV Coach Artie Hales pinch hit for Jim Halfyard, who was 3 for 3, stating, "Halfyard is due to make an out". Analytics - Artie was way ahead of his time!). Fortunately, there was no Artie Hales on hand, so Paul Andrick stepped up and ripped a triple down the right field line to tie the game. Then DeMasse followed with and a bomb over the center fielder's head to give his team a 10-9 lead going into the bottom of the 9th. Now it was Steve Langone’s turn to seal the win for The Brysons, but Darnell Canada led off the home half with a bullet single. Dan Foley hit into a fielder’s choice but then Dan Marshall smashed a double to set up 2nd and 3rd with one out. With the game on the line, Team Bryson pulled their infield in, while Team Nelson considered their options- safety squeeze? Fall down play? Nope, let Matt Morrison hit away. He did exactly that, lacing a pitch to left center to score Foley and the speedy Marshall for an 11-10 victory. By the way, Murphy, who had a blown save and then was in line for the loss, turned out to be the winning pitcher!

Other game notes: we had five pitchers (Morrison, Murphy for TN; Zerfas, DeMasse, Langone for TB). All did a great job of throwing hittable strikes and keeping the game moving.

Paul Andrick caught all nine innings for TB (he looks as good as he did when he was our 2-year starter and .300+ hitter in 2011-2102) while TN’s catchers were Dan Foley and Coach Mosc did well considering they were not “real” catchers. I think I recall just one pitch getting past the catchers all game and Paul corralled a couple foul pop ups.

Other guys played multiple positions, just like you all used to do in our hitting games (in fact, Darnell Canada had been an outfielder in HS and during a hitting game he played shortstop and looked so good there we converted him to the infield to become our superb shortstop and leader. Then he went on to be Bentley University’s starting shortstop! See, those hitting games had hidden value!). On this day, Darnell was smooth, as always, at shortstop while Steve Langone showed his formidable glove work at that same position. Dan Foley, 1998 captain and league all-star can play every position with equal skill and athleticism; while playing 2b he ranged far to his list to track down a pop up near the right field line. And Dan Marshall is a joy to watch glide across the outfield. Dan’s glove is where triples go to die (okay, I stole that line; I think it was said about, Willie Mays). And like Mays, Dan (who was a league all-star and holds the school record with his 33 hits in a season) is a 5-tool player who can hit, hit for power, field, throw and run!

The hitting was impressive. Kaelen Richards, at age 52, hit like he did in 1989 when he batted .406 as a league all-star, smashing the ball to right field. Jason Zerfas, who was also a superb 12-year coach for us, always swings big, crushes the ball, had a few hits, and just missed a homer bid; Dan O’Keefe hit a bomb in the gap reminiscent of the seven doubles he hit in 2000; Hall of Famer Mark DeMasse is a Hitting Machine who barrels up every ball with power; Steve Langone, Reading Baseball’s all-time greatest player who earned every honor a high school and collegiate player can receive, smoked a 95 mph exit velo bullet to left and narrowly missed a homerun (unfortunately, wind was blowing in!); Jim Murphy hit-pitched-defended like the superb 3-sport all-star and HOF athlete he is. Ever the competitor, he even spun a few curveballs in there (I think nobody enjoys these game more than Murph!); Matt Morrison, a fabulous all around player and excellent 8-year coach with us, had a bundle of hits, including the game winner; Mark Andrick was only able to stay for a bit, but in his short stint we could see why he was the league’s best player in 2004; Jon Whalen, an all-star in ’95 for his pitching-hitting-defense and now a superb coach, quietly hit screaming line drives and handles every play in the infield; and Java Driscoll, our excellent starting nd baseman and hitter in ’95, comes to every Alumni Game and plays with great joy and again crushed the ball and made a couple nice plays in the outfield.

Three guys played in their first Alumni Game and all were impressive. Tim Stanton who said he had not swung at a baseball since his last tournament game in 1985 when he was our tough-as-nails catcher, had a couple nice base hits, while 1996 State Champion player Mike “Temple” Thompson did the same while also making some plays at 3b. Greg Smith, who flew in from Indiana, literally landing at Logan Airport right around game time, hit the ball well and had a great day in left field. Let’s also recognize Dave “El Chapo” Kelloway, who suited up for the game. Although he did not play in the game, he reported that he had a good time talking to our players.

I want to recognize two very special people. Al Weston, my HS baseball and football teammate and dear friend since Birch Meadow School days, has been a great supporter not only of me, but to our entire Alumni Club. Al has come to Cooperstown, our Alumni Dinners, and our Alumni Games in Reading. I know Al loves to see the camaraderie shared among our guys and now Al is a big part of that, too. Al played in the field, mostly 2nd base, and made some plays including a tumbling forceout at 2nd base that few 70-year olds could make! And how about our great coach and friend, Ted “Ace” Bryson. Ace stepped up to the plate and on first swing put the barrel on the ball! Seems like no big deal? Well, maybe not if you are 30-40-50, but when you are 79+ that is a very big deal. We could see that Coach Bryson thoroughly enjoyed seeing and chatting with all his former players. We all love Ace; he is the best!

We had our usual post-game awards:

First, we should have created a MFMP (Most Family Members Present) Award for Dan Marshall. This could be the first time in Alumni Game history that a player’s mother in law was there!
But on to the actual awards. Matt Morrison was named Outstanding Pitcher. This is always an interesting award because the job of Alumni Game pitchers is to lay it in there at about 55 mph so all batters can hit. Matt did exactly that, but was getting batters out! In fact, he recorded six outs in a row, including a 1-2-3 inning on just four pitches!

Any one of several players could have been chosen as Outstanding Defensive Player. Steve Langone made several nice plays at shortstop, 2nd baseman Dan Foley played great as an infielder and catcher, Java Driscoll made a couple impressive plays, and Dan Marshall glided from left center to right center, catching anything in the air. Behind the dish, Paul Andrick looked as solid as a rock and even caught a couple foul pop ups. But the award went to first-time Alumni Game player, Greg Smith. Smitty, as he did in HS, had fun on the field with his enthusiasm and constant smile. In this game, he let us know how many putouts he was amassing in left field (“that’s two putouts, three putouts…. five putouts”) including hauling in Steve Langone’s long blast just steps from the left field fence. Congrats Smitty!

So many players had great offensive days, but in the end, the choice for Outstanding Offensive Player was a no-brainer. Paul Andrick was a perfect 6 for 6 (matching Scott Severance’s 6 for 6 in Cooperstown several years ago. Footnote – back then we had just one award, Most Valuable Player, and Scott did not get it. You’re welcome, Rob DeMoura). But that’s not all; Paul had four extra base hits (three doubles and a triple) and 11 total bases. The extra base hits and total bases are Alumni Game records (not that we keep records but I doubt anyone has reached those totals!).

And we awarded the game’s overall Outstanding Player. Somehow it went to Coach Mosc, again. Now, I was happy to get a couple hits and catch some innings without injury, so maybe I was Most Outstanding Player Over 70. Yet I understand why our players graciously gave me the recognition - because they appreciate the work I do to make the Alumni Games happen, at home and at Cooperstown, and my effort to keep all alumni informed and together throughout the years. So thank you for that kind gesture; it is my great pleasure and honor to keep our Alumni Family connected.

One final moment before we packed up the equipment and called it a day. After the awards and team photos, I gathered to say something that I needed all to hear. I figured I’d share most of that will all of you:

“Thank you all for coming down to our favorite ballpark today. I hope you had fun; I know I did…..When I come down here, I see the men you’ve become, with your own careers and families, and that’s when I know we’ve done good; together we’ve done some good in this world; and that makes me very, very proud.

I think you know how much this alumni group means to me (I know what you’re thinking - “yeah, we get it, Coach, you text and email us every day!”). My wish for this group moving forward is that you continue to support each other, care for each other, and, especially, be there for each other in difficult times.

And now today I must thank YOU for being there for ME in my difficult time. The love and kindness you’ve shown me these past few weeks mean the world to me and your support gives me the hope and strength I need to get through my little ordeal. Now I don’t know how many more of these games I’ll be able to play…… but I do know that TODAY, THIS DAY, I’m grateful that l got to play alongside each of you .

Thank you, guys, I love you all.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus ended an exciting, fun, and proud day of baseball and brotherhood. Next up – Alumni Dinner & Reunion in January. Can’t wait!

HOVER OVER PHOTO FOR CAPTION. ALL PHOTOS BY STEVE PALLADINO - THANKS STEVE!

"Today Card" created by Scott Farris for our Personal Best presentations. This card had helped a lot of people; we hope it will help you, too

On the evening after the game, we went to Bertucci's to pay tribute to EJ Stanton '82 who passed away July 2023. EJ was not only a superb pitcher, but a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, and friend who enjoyed our alumni events.
EJ's brother, Tim, wife, Kate, and teammates and coaches shared stories and memories of this great man.

Joe Picano, Tim Stanton, Kate Stanton, Michael Spurr, Coach Mosc, Jon Drew, Coach Bryson, Steve Palladino

Reading Baseball Alumni Weekend
Cooperstown, NY -- August 25-27, 2023

We had another fabulous Reading Baseball Alumni Weekend in Cooperstown! Seventeen Alumni Players and family members made the trip to the “Birthplace of Baseball”. And although the numbers were down with just 11 adults (we used alumni sons/nephews to fill the rosters), the enthusiasm, quality of play, camaraderie, and fun were at their usual high level.

For the first time in 20 years of Alumni Games on Doubleday, we had a split schedule - Friday at 5:00 and Sunday at 10:00. That worked out very nicely as it allowed players/families to utilize Saturday as they wish.
Java Driscoll, his dad, Neal, and John Feudo drove out there Thursday night. I liked the idea, so I did the same. That turned out well, as the four of us had Friday morning breakfast at the elegant Otesaga Hotel, where all old and new Hall of Famers stay on induction weekend. The place is spectacular and the food is great. Thank you to Neal for paying for our meal!

Other players arrived at various times during the day Friday, and we all met at Doubleday for the game.
Come game time, we had one player ill and two stuck in traffic so we had just 9 players. We basically had 8 in the field, one guy at bat for a few swings, then rotate. It worked out pretty well; we all got to hit (including the kids) and were finishing up just as the rain started coming down hard.

Later, most of us met at the Upstate Restaurant for a late dinner. Very kind of Pete Collins to pick up the very large tab!

On Saturday, another group has breakfast at the Otesaga; it was wonderful again, in fact, two-time Otesaga breakfaster John Feudo, called it, "the best breakfast of my life". It was for the rest of us, too, especially when John paid for all of us! So next time you get to Cooperstown, we highly recommend breakfast at the Otesaga. The fabulous buffet is just $26 (would cost $56 in Boston!). You can see from the photos below the luxury and beauty of the hotel, which was built in 1909.

Saturday was the “free day”, and everyone used it to full advantage. The Foley Family (Dan, Melissa, Avery, Sam) ventured to Howe Caverns, Pete Collins and John Feudo golfed at the beautiful Leatherstocking Golf course, while Mac Cook and Anthony DeSimone played 35 holes of golf out near Oneonta. Others toured the Hall of Fame & Museum and shopped Main Street.

On Saturday night we had our annual team function at the Comfort Inn and suites. For the 6th consecutive year, the A/C in the function room was broken (but they promise to have it fixed by 2030!). Nevertheless, all 17 who made the trip were there at some point to enjoy pizza and beverage. At this point, let’s give special thanks to Pam DeMasse; a fixture at these weekends; we appreciate her support and glad that Pam has fun. Same for Melissa Foley who brought her whole family out, supported Dan and her sons in the games, took all four kids out for mini-golf and ice cream, and just is a huge part of our weekend.

We had baseball card contests and raffles; everyone left with at least one prize! We gave out medals for Game One’s outstanding performers: Offensive Player John Feudo, Defensive Player Pete Collins, Pitcher Dan Foley. All deserving, but a combination that nobody would have predicted! FYI, we believe Dan Foley has now won the award in all three categories in his career, thus prompting Dan to dub himself, "Shohei O'Foley".

A highlight of the evening is the presentation of our annual Outstanding Alumnus Award. We started this tradition several years ago to recognize and honor an alumnus who has significantly contributed to our fraternity. This year we were pleased to give the award to John Feudo. John was a Summer Rockets Coach and was a great supporter of Reading Baseball School in his role of Reading Recreation Administrator. John also hosted an alumni event at his home when covid prevented us from going to Cooperstown. Moreover, John is a fixture at all our alumni events - dinners and games, and enhances those gatherings with his humor, generosity, and friendship. Congratulations to our great friend and alumnus!

We also paid our respects to EJ Stanton, projecting on screen some photos and text about him, and recognizes what a wonderful man he was. We still plan to have some kind of tribute to EJ for his teammates & friends; maybe on October 1, after our local Alumni Game.

Sunday morning was a sparkling day with temperatures around 70. Now we had enough players to make 3 teams of 4, 4, and 5 (by adding DeMasse Nephew Jack and Foley Son Avery to the lineups). We also made sure that the youngest kids, Daisy Zerfas and Sam Foley got to hit and run the bases.

This was more like our usual format, as we could now play it like a game - one team batted, while the other two played in the field. It worked out well, even though, with a 4-man batting order, Pete Collins was on 2nd base but also due up for his turn at bat! The scores were close and the winning team scored 7 runs (we think) while the other two had 4 runs each.

For the first time in Alumni Game at Doubleday history, there were no homeruns! Our youngest alums came close, with Anthony DeSimone one-hopping the fence and Mac Cook doing the same twice. But there was still a lot of great hitting (our guys can still swing it!), some interesting defense, and a couple baserunning exploits.
It is just so much fun to watch everyone play with such joy and friendly competitiveness. Java Driscoll smiles all weekend long while hitting blasts into the gaps; Pete Collins still has a sweet swing and crushes the ball; Dan Foley is great on offense and plays every position well on defense; John Feudo hit great, including a blast to the fence, and made a bunch of plays including a game-saving, running, juggling catch of a pop up. We already mentioned how Mac Cook is a hitting machine (and plays good defense too!); and Anthony DeSimone is a legit 5-tool superstar who runs down every ball in the OF. The DeMasse’s continue to be the backbone of our squads, with Brian’s consistent hitting & defense while Mark pitches and hits 95-mile exit velo bombs to all fields. And of course, there is Jason Zerfas, our IronMan who pitches a ton of innings and hits some of the hardest balls of the weekend.

Even the old (70+) guys held their own as Neal Driscoll consistently put the ball in play and made a couple nice plays at 1b, plus he made a falling catch of a fly ball in CF. Coach Mosc hit the ball hard, including one over the left fielder’s head, to the fence, and while playing catcher, caught a pop up lying on his back!

The youngsters had a blast! Avery Foley was a full-time player who hit and fielded well (he made a nice backhanded stab and throw at shortstop but somehow the batter-runner (his dad) found a burst of speed to beat it out. Dan also robbed Avery of a hit when he made a backhanded stab of Avery’s line drive. Tough love, I guess!). Nephew Jack looked great catching and had hits both lefty and righty!; Sam Foley roped a hard single into the outfield, Daisy Zerfas (who is just a delightful young lady and a good athlete) showed her nice lefty swing and speed on the bases.

After the game we took some team photos on the field (thank you Melissa and Pam!) and then we gathered outside the game for our “Closing Ceremony”. The captains of the three teams (Neal, Feudo, Collins) got together to decide on the three award medals, and presented them all to the kids! Very nice!
Lastly, the guys presented their old coach with the weekend’s Outstanding Player Award, which was very thoughtful and kind of them. I humbly admit, I did hit really well, but I know this honor was a meant as a gesture of appreciation and affection. It was an emotional moment for me, but it gave me a chance to hug each player and say that I love him.

At this point some guys headed home while most gathered for one more meal at the Pioneer Patio, in downtown Cooperstown. It was a perfect way to unwind and relish in the fun we all had together. Huge thanks to Neal who generously picked up the tab. As we thanked him he said, “Couldn’t have done it for a nicer bunch of guys.” Well said.

So after 20 years of Alumni Games in Cooperstown, we are determined to keep this special tradition going, as we all have a great time off and on the field. We hope our regulars, as well as new guys, join next year; I guarantee you will have a memorable time.

For all of us, it is a time of camaraderie and enjoying baseball and each other’s company. For me, it is a source of great pride to see 1) the outstanding men each of our guys has become and 2) see players from five different decades all bond together through our common experience- Reading Baseball.
Next up: Alumni Game at Pete Moscariello Ballpark- Sunday, October 1. Kids play at 12:00; Alumni Game 1:00.

All the best to our Alumni & Families. Love you all,
Coach Mosc

Hover over photos for captions

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI CLUB DINNER & REUNION
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023

New venue, new caterer but same fantastic time at our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Dinner & Reunion.
47 former players, representing 27 teams and spanning 6 decades, gathered at the Wakefield Knights of Columbus on Sunday, January 22., 2023.

The K of C provided a bright, spacious hall with a private bar while Essex Catering (Laura Lewis, RMHS grad, owner) gave us a delicious meal.

We were able to keep the cost of hall, food, accessories to a reasonable number because we got a hall rental discount thanks to influence by Jason Zerfas (Past Grand Knight) and very, very generous donations from Coach Bryson and Steve Palladino. Thank you, guys!

In addition to food and drink, upon entry we ran a DVD that 2012 team parents created, showing highlights and features for every player from that team while simultaneously, on another screen, showing a photo slide show from the 2022 Alumni Game in Reading.

After dinner guys enjoyed the Main slide shows that illustrated alumni highlights from the past year and a trip through 35 years of Reading Baseball history. Finally, players from our “anniversary” teams, 2002 and 2012, watched special tribute slide shows for their 20- and 10-year anniversaries. It was great fun to reminisce about the seasons of two or our all-time greatest teams! We were pleased that 7-9 players from each of those teams were able to attend.

Of course their were stories and jokes and a fun raffle with alumni-themed prizes. We also honored our teammates and loved ones whom we have lost and agreed to continue to celebrate our teammates' good times and support our teammates in tough times. I am so proud of how our guys have always done that and will continue to do so.

Most of all, the night was about our players connecting with each other, not only with their former teammates, but with Reading Baseball brethren across decades. It is gratifying to see guys who may have graduated 20 or 30 years apart, share their common Reading Baseball experience.

This is always a very proud event for me, and for all the coaches who were privileged to work with our players from 1977-2013. The final slide from the show expresses our sentiment:

Photos below are from Steve Palladino who always makes the effort to get photos of each person and groups of guys, by team/decade. Thanks, Steve! Just hover over the photos for captions.

I also urge you to check out the slide shows:

the Main Show is sort of "last year in review" with news about our Alumni Players.

Click Here for: Main Slide Show Part 1

Click Here for: Main Slide Show Part 2

Note about History Slide Show: it contains slides about each season, 1977-2013 with highlights, photos, and stats. It also features one or more players from each team with their contributions. Certainly we could not include EVERY player, so I made sure to include each player who was at the Alumni Dinner.

So if you were not in the slideshow, it doesn't mean you weren't important, just means that I wanted to give priority to the dinner attendees!

Click Here for: History Slide Show Part 1

Click Here for: History Slide Show Part 2

The Team Tribute Slide Shows are detailed accounts of every game, newspaper article, stats, and photos for that season.

Click Here for: 2012 Team Tribute Slide Show

Click Here for: 2002 Team Tribute Slide Show

Our 47-player roster:

71 Al Weston, Pete Moscariello 77 Mike Moscariello 81 Joe Picano 82 EJ Stanton, Steve Palladino

83 Jon Vedder, Brian O'Neil 85 Jim Lucci 87 Gary d’Entremont, Tom Zaya 89 Rich Foohey

91 Paul Sumner, Rich Curley 93 Jim Murphy 94 Coley Foley, Chris Donegan

95 Josh Martin, Jon Whalen 96 Mike Thompson, Steve Langone 97 Jamie Severance

98 Ryan Carroll, Dan Foley 99 Jason Zerfas, Dennis Gramolini 01 Tim Bryant

02 Kevin Donahue, Nick Radocckia, Donnie Garrity, Jon Rosenthal, Mike Ottariano, Mark DeMasse

03 Chris Dolan, Brian DeMasse, Dan Marshall Special Guest: Dave "El Chapo" Kelloway

08 John Halsey, Sean McGoldrick

12 Anthony DeSimone, Chris Brown, Drew Zaccardi, Max Cook, Zack Driscoll, Paul Andrick

13 Scott Tully 20 Cole Tully

RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony -- November 19, 2022

The RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame inducted 11 athletes and 2 teams on November 19. Among the inductees were three athletes who played baseball: Chris Donegan '94, Mark DeMasse '02, and Patrick Kiley '08.

The audience viewed superb videos that illustrated each honoree's career and accomplishments, and then each player gave an excellent, heartfelt acceptance speech where he humbly thanked all those who had helped them in their careers, including his teammates and coaches.

Plaques for each inductee have been permanently installed on the Wall of Fame at the Walter Hawkes Field House, along with many other plaques of guys who played/coached baseball.

A bit about each new Hall of Famer:

Chris Donegan, whom his teammates called "Abby"
was one of the toughest and most versatile players in Reading football’s illustrious history, earning all-league and All-Scholastic honors. Chris was a powerful force on defense, but excelled on both sides of the ball and may be the only player in history to score by rushing, receiving, interception return, and by kicking extra points and field goals.

Abby also excelled in baseball where he was an all-league 2nd baseman, intense competitor, and respected leader for his ’94 league champion and Hall of Fame club.

Highlights included a 4-hit game in our first-ever Cooperstown game, a 3 for 3 day where he drove in all 5 runs in a 5-1 win over Winchester, a walk-off smash, off the (old) fence, to beat Woburn and set up chance for a title vs. Stoneham, and a double and triple, in the same inning. in title-clinching game at Belmont.
For his senior year, Chris slashed .356/.486/.508 with a .996 OPS. He was a superb defender with just 3 errors in 63 chances (.952).

Congratulations, Chris!

Patrick Kiley was one of the greatest hockey players in RMHS history and that is how he earned his way into the Hall of Fame. Pat was a prolific scorer, a 2-time Middlesex League All-Star, a Globe All-Scholastic, and a clutch athlete who played his best in the biggest moments, leading his team to the 2008 Super Eight Championship.

Pat was also captain and an all-league golfer for Jeff Nelson’s RMHS golf team.

In baseball, Pat was a great kid to coach, as we loved his spirit and competitive nature. As a two-year starter in center field, ’07-’08, Pat totaled 30 Runs, 34 Hits, 7 Doubles, and 15 SB while being a terrific outfielder, making just 1 error in 70 chances. A great highlight was Pat’s two-run homer in a 4-1 tournament victory over Bostin Latin.

Congratulations Pat!

Mark DeMasse was a 3-sport captain and superb performer in football, wrestling, and baseball. Mark earned 9 varsity letters, was a 4-time league all-star, and medaled in the state championship wrestling tournament in two years.
But the reason why Mark was both respected and loved by his teammates and coaches was because of his integrity and humility, as he always deflected credit away from himself and toward his teammates.

Mark faithfully attends all our alumni events and was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award during our 2022 Cooperstown weekend.

Here is a list of Mark’s baseball accomplishments.
- Co-Captain
- Middlesex League All-Star 2001, 2002
- Set all-time single season record with 32 RBI (now ranks 2nd – S. Buitkus 35)
At the time of his graduation, he had following ranks:
- Single Season: Wins (2t), Appearances (2t), Strikeouts (2t), Shutouts (5t), ERA (7), Triples (4t), RBI (1) -- -- Career: RBI (2), Triples (3t), Doubles (4t), Hits (5), Wins (6t), Strikeouts (7) Mark did the 20-20-20 (Runs, Hits, RBI) and 30-30 (Hits, RBI) in his senior year
- One of only two players to have OPS over 1.000 in two seasons
- Led team in 7 Offensive Categories over 2 seasons
- Led team in every positive Pitching Stat (Wins, Games, Starts, Complete Games, Shutouts, Strikeouts, ERA, Opp BAve)
- Pitched no-hitter vs Belmont
- Had 3 shutouts and 6 CG as senior
- Won 3 Games as Soph, 3 Games as Junior

Congratulations, Mark!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hover near bottom of each photo for caption

Reading Baseball Alumni Game - Pete Moscariello Ballpark
September 25, 2022

We held our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Game at Pete Moscariello Ballpark on Sunday, September 25 and what a game it was!

We had 21 players, from 5 different decades, but overall, this was quite a young group as only three players were over the age of 50. So we had lots of guys who can still hit, run, throw, and defend.

And it was a star-studded roster that included five Hall of Fame Players (Jamie Cerretani, Mark DeMasse, Steve Langone, Jim Murphy, and Steve Cella – Peabody HS HOF), Globe/Herald All-Scholastics, Middlesex League MVPs, Daily Times Chronicle Pitchers and Players of the Year, team Captains, pitchers who threw no-hitters (Jon Whalen, Mark DeMasse), players who set all-time records (Dan Marshall – Hits in a Season; Mark DeMasse – RBI in a Season, Jamie Cerretani – multiple offensive records; Steve Langone – multiple pitching and offensive records), and three professional athletes (Murphy – football, Langone – baseball, Cerretani – still playing pro tennis). In fact, every single player on the roster was a Middlesex League All-Star AND/OR played on a Middlesex League Championship team. And as I proudly said before the game, “I got to coach you all!”

The players all owe a huge thanks to alumnus Steve Palladino ’82 for all his help. He came to the park early to help Coach Mosc set up and also provided water and snack. In addition, Steve took the dozens of photos you see below. Steve always makes sure to get at least one shot of every player. He also kept the score to keep us apprised of the inning and score; otherwise we would have no idea! Thanks, Steve, for your ongoing generosity and commitment to the Alumni Club.

We appointed two great RMHS coaches, Scott Farris and Jason Zerfas, to captain their teams. Team Farris took the field first while Team Zerfas came to bat. Pitcher Steve Langone shutout TZ (Team Zerfas) for a couple innings while TF (Team Farris) built a 4-0 lead. From there, both teams battled and made it a competitive game. As we got to the top of the 8th inning, TF was leading 9-5. But Mark DeMasse came to bat with the bases loaded and launched a bomb to right field that just missed being a grandslam. DeMass’ off-the-fence-double resulted in two runs to make the score 9-7. TF escaped further damage that inning and then had the opportunity to extend their lead in the bottom of the 8th. Steve Cella led off with a towering shot off the left field fence and cruised into 2nd with a double. Coach Mosc followed with a single to left to put runners at 1st and 3rd with no outs and the dangerous Mac Cook coming to the plate. But the mandatory 1st and 3rd rule was applied and son-in-law/father-in-law managed to run the #4 option into a double play, leaving the bases empty for Mac. Not good baseball strategy!

So we went to the 9th with TF leading 9-7, but TZ was not about to go down quietly. Dan O'Keefe led off with a single. The next two batters hit “routine’’ ground balls (that is, routine for guys in their prime, but in alumni games there is no such thing as “routine’!) to load the bases with no outs. Then (to the best of my recollection) Paul Andrick , Zack Driscoll, Jon Whalen and Matt Chasse all got clutch hits to put TZ ahead 11-9. Fortunately for TF they executed a nice Cella to Marshall to Richards 6-4-3 double play to give themselves a fighting chance. In the bottom of the 9th, Dan Marshall led off with his second homer of the day, a bomb to right center that Langone called, “a big boy home run!” that made the score 11-10. Mark Cafazzo followed with a single to right (his 5th hard hit ball of the day) and Scott Farris ripped a single to right with Cafazzo scampering to 3rd to set up yet another 1st and 3rd situation. This time, TZ went for the pickoff at 3rd but Cafazzo got back safely; then the ensuing throw to 2nd to attempt to get Farris went awry, scoring Cafazzo. Tie game. Steve Langone was next and he promptly ripped a shot to left center, easily scoring Farris for the 12-11 walkoff win. So the game had just about everything – hitting, good fielding, bad fielding, good baserunning, bad baserunning, a comeback in the top of the 9th and a comeback-walkoff in he bottom of the 9th. Such fun!

Some additional highlights and plays of interest:

Zerf, as usual, did the bulk of the pitching for his club, with DeMasse spinning a couple frames as well. For TF, Langone threw 5 or 6 innings, with Murphy tossing a couple and Cella one (it was cool to have the son-in-law/father-in-law battery for that inning). All five pitchers did a great job throwing hittable strikes, which is the key to making these games exciting. Give these pitchers credit – it not easy to curb the competitive juices and to allow guys to hit, rather than make outs. The pitching staff was quite an impressive group which prompted Jon Whalen to say, “This is like an Alumni Fantasy Camp. First I get to hit against Langone, and now against Murphy.”

Mac Cook and Dan Marshall executed the first ever back-to-back homeruns in alumni game history. And Marshall was the first to ever hit 2 homers in our local game.
The hitting was very impressive. In addition to the three homeruns, I recall DeMass and Cella hitting balls off the fence, and guys like Kaelan Richards, Anthony DeSimone, Scott Farris all hitting bombs over the outfielders’ heads.

There are not official alumni records kept, but Mark Cafazzo might be the first guy to go 5 for 5 at this field, all bullets to right (Scott Severance went 6 for 6 in Cooperstown and like Cafazzo, somehow did not get the Outstanding Offensive Player Award!)

The game wasn’t all offense, as there were some nifty defensive plays. On the first play of the game, 3rd baseman Brian DeMasse backhanded a bullet off the bat of Dan Marshall, and threw him out at first. Steve Cella, also playing 3b, backhanded a screeching line drive and dove to the bag to nearly double off the runner. Mark DeMasse smoked a one-hopper right on the first base line and somehow Kaelan Richards with there to backhand the ball on the short hop. Paul Andrick, who was (and still is, apparently!) a very good catcher, handled two, mile high popups, making it look much easier than it was. Zack Driscoll, playing on a bad knee at 3rd base, glided about 90 feet to his right to catch a foul ball. Zack is so smooth and fun to watch. Dan Marshall, normally a brilliant center fielder, played a lot at 2nd base where he turned a DP and ranged about 150 feet into right field to flag down a fly ball. lAnd probably the defensive play of the day was when left fielder Matt Chasse (who can still run!) ranged far to his right to make a running-reaching-backhanded-snow cone catch.

After the game, we had our usual presentations of awards. Team Captains Farris and Zerfas conferred to make the tough decisions. After all, should Outstanding Offensive player go to the guy who got the walkoff hit (Langone)? Or to the player who hit one homer and hit another ball to the fence (Cook)? Or the hitter who had 3 hits, including a clutch double in the game-winning rally (Farris)? Certainly, the player who went a perfect 5 for 5 (Cafazzo) would be a no-brainer selection. Well, all of these choices were good ones, but the Outstanding Offensive Player went to Dan Marshall for being the only player ever to hit two homeruns in our local alumni game.

The Outstanding Defensive Player Award went to Paul Andrick. Paul caught most of the game and was impressive on catching two, mile-high pop-ups. Paul also played in the field and was the key man in executing a double play on a 1st and 3rd play (he tagged the runner between first and second and then fired home to get the runner at the plate).

Choosing the Outstanding Pitcher Award is always interesting – do you choose the guy who threw a couple scoreless innings or to the pitcher who threw perfect strikes so guys could hit. While all four pitchers (Zerf, Murphy, DeMasse, Cella, Langone) all threw hittable strikes, Steve Langone also threw two hitless innings to start the game and then was the winning pitcher in the 9th. If we count this win in his HS stats, Steve now has 30 wins!

Here are a few words on each of our players:

We had a special guest player, Dave Kelloway, join us. We have known Dave since he attended the Reading Baseball School when he was a kid. He still is a huge New York Yankees fan and loves baseball. So he put on the Reading Baseball classic white shirt #33 and brought his wood bat to the plate. He put the wood on the ball and got on base a couple times. Much thanks to all our players for the kindness and encouragement they showed Dave. I asked him if he had a good time and he enthusiastically responded yes. Just another reason for me to be proud of our alumni.

The 2012 guys came through with four players! They brought down the average age of the roster and provided a ton of highlights. Thanks young guys!

Paul Andrick ’12. In addition to his Outstanding Defensive Player medal, Paul hit the ball hard, played well at catcher and in the infield, and ran the bases hard, even sliding into home plate! Love it! Paul played with such enthusiasm and joy; it was great to see. We hope Paul shows his medal to big brother, Mark!

Mac Cook’12. Mac is one of our all-time greatest hitters, having put together three varsity seasons that puts him among the career best in Hits and RBI. Mac is now one of our greatest alumni hitters as he launched yet another homer (he had two in Coop) and is a threat to go deep every time he steps in the box. We love having Mac at these games.

Anthony DeSimone ’12. Anthony is a true 5-tool alumni player who can still run like the wind, play great defense, display a strong arm, and hit for average and power. He has a 6th tool – he is as great guy whom all his teammates love. So glad that Anthony has become a regular at our games in Reading and in Cooperstown.

Zack Driscoll ’12. We were worried that Zack might not be able to play because of a recent knee injury and family commitment. But he did play and he was his usual outstanding self, playing top defense and hitting the ball hard every AB. And, congratulations to Zack on his recent engagement to Ashley Testa!

Brian DeMasse ’03. Nobody enjoys our alumni events more than Brian. He just loves baseball, loves being with the guys and loves supporting all of us. And he can really play – he made some defensive gems and banged out some hits. And I noticed that Brian went out of his way to connect with Dave Kelloway and help him enjoy the day. Class act.

Dan Marshall ’03. What an athlete and a pleasure to watch! We noted that, in his first AB, Dan grounded out on a great play by Brian. A couple AB’s later he hit a hard ground ball to shortstop and turned on the jets and beat it out easily, saying, “I was not going to go 0 for 3!”. Dan, who holds the record for most hits in a season (32) is now showing his man-strength with his two homeruns! Also it was great to see Dan’s beautiful children play prior to the game.

Mark DeMasse ’02. Our soon-to-be Hall of Famer shows why he will receive that honor. Mark, who is an alumni game stalwart in Reading and in Coop, just crushes the ball – from the near grandslam to ropes in the gap, to homers in Coop - he is still a hitting machine. We are all so happy and proud for Mark on his upcoming, well-deserved HOF induction.

Matt Chasse ’01. We are so glad that Matt has been at our last two alumni games. Last year he was the ODP and this year he made another great play along with terrific offense. Matt stroked multiple hits off his wood bat and impressed with his all-around play. By the way, Chass was a terrific player on our great 2001 team, batting .317 with 19 RBI and handling 121 chances at 1b with just one error.

Jamie Cerretani ’00. Just wanted you guys to see this from Jamie’s senior year: slash line was .500/.625/1.016 with a ridiculous OPS of 1.641, in the greatest offensive season we have ever seen. He also won 4 games with a 1.64 ERA and was an incredible shortstop. Jamie had a break in his professional tennis schedule to come down and show a bit of his skill when he fielded a ground ball and fired to first, eliciting some “ooohs” on his still-prolific throwing arm. It was so great to have Jamie join us; we hope he does again!

Dan O’Keefe ’00. I gotta tell you about Dan; he batted .333 with 21 hits, 7 doubles, 2 triples, and 13 RBI while handling 108 chances at 1st base without an error. Yes, he was a terrific player! And Dan looked good around the bag in this game while smacking a few line drive hits up the middle. This was Dan’s second alumni game; the first being in Coop a few years ago when he teamed up with his dad, John (Reading Baseball 1971).

Jason Zerfas ’99. I could not recall all the details of the last couple innings of the game, so I called Zerf. And as expected, he filled me in – thanks Zerf! If we had a medal for World’s Best Person, Zerf would be wearing a few of them. Plus he pitches inning after inning, providing the perfect speed for guys to hit; he hits the ball a ton; and he treats everyone with respect and affection. That’s why Zerf is such a terrific coach.

Dennis Gramolini ’99. Dennis was a great pitcher and hitter for us in ’98-’99 but did not play in this game. Why not? Well, he ran a half-marathon that morning! We are glad that Dennis came by to see us with his constant smile and positivity. By the way, guys would complain when they had to run a foul pole; now you are running 13.1 miles, by choice!

Steve Cella ’98. Scott Farris and I were saying we would have liked to have seen (and coached!) Steve in HS because he is so good now! An All-Scholastic and Hall of Famer from Peabody HS, Steve launched a couple bombs to left field, made some defensive plays, and impressed us all. And it is great to see how Steve fits in with all the guys. Plus it was a great thrill for me to play alongside my son-in-law!

Dan Foley ’98. Dan, I think, has played every position on the field, because he can! He is a defensive whiz with a great glove, arm, and range. And he can run and he can hit. It is so much fun to watch Dan play with his enthusiasm and joy. I enjoyed, from my view behind the plate, seeing Dan rip what I called, “the quintessential Dan Foley hit” a bullet into the right center gap.

Steve Langone ’96. We were all so happy that Steve had a break in his Professional Scouting assignment for the Red Sox and could play in this game. Steve’s accomplishments, records, and awards are way too many to list. So let’s just say this – he is Reading Baseball’s All-Time GOAT. Yet he carries himself with humility and is always a class act who gives all the credit to teammates and coaches. Well, we hope Steve will take credit for being the winning pitcher while driving home the winning run in this game (something he had done before in his HS and collegiate Hall of Fame careers!).

Jon Whalen ’95. Jon spent his spring and summer as the brilliant Pitching Coach for state champion Austin Prep and doing the same for Bob Macaluso’s North Shore Navigators. Now, with a chance to play, he showed his talent by playing solid defense and by hitting these screaming, rising, backspin line drives that are a joy to watch. I mentioned that to Jon and he said it was from hitting fungoes!

Jim Murphy ’93. For those who think Jim was “just” a great football player, know that he was a ML All-Star baseball (and basketball) player who was 6-1, 1.51 with 19 hits and 13 RBI. It is great to see how much fun Jim has at these games. And great to watch how he loves to compete - as he pitches, hits, and defends with intensity but also truly enjoys himself and fellow players. Best thing – Murph slips a curve ball in there every once in a while – competitor!

Mark Cafazzo ’92. Mark, in his first alumni game, made a big splash! First of all, he is jacked! Second, he is a great guy. Third, his 5 for 5 day was amazing; and he did it with his son, Gabe, in attendance! Mark looked smooth in the outfield, as well. Let’s hope that Mark continues to come to our games and keeps his consecutive hit streak going

Kaelan Richards ’89. Kaelan was the best all-around player in the league in 1989, going 6-2, 1.70 while batting .406 with 22 RBI and 3 homers. And Kaelan still is amazing! One would never guess that he is 51-years old when we see him quietly go about his business, hitting bombs to right field just about every time up and playing a slick 1st base, as well.

Scott Farris ’85. When you can hit, you can hit. And Scott can hit! He was great when at RMHS (Scott did the rare “quintuple double” – double figures in Runs, Hits, Walks, RBI, Stolen Bases), then taught scores of RMHS players how to be great hitters in his brilliant 20-year coaching career, and nowadays he gets in the box and hits singles and doubles with his beautiful stroke. Great to see how Scott’s former players respect and love him.

Steve Palladino ’82. We talked about Steve earlier, but let’s say it again – thank you for what you do for our Alumni Club in your generous, unselfish way at ALL of our alumni events.

Coach Mosc ’71. I was grateful to be able to catch 9 innings for TF and hit the ball hard. It was great to coach you guys back in the day; it is even more fun to play alongside you!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So you can see that this game was at the top of the list for fun & exciting alumni games. The most frequent feedback I heard from players was, “I had a blast”. Most of all, this is such a special day for us guys who coached you (Coach Farris, Coach Zerfas, and myself); to see you all play with joy, pride, and respect and to witness the camaraderie and love between guys, is truly wonderful. And we are so proud to see the amazing men you are. Our Reading Baseball Alumni Club is a special thing we have going, for sure. Makes this old coach very proud.

Thanks guys; I love you all! -- Coach Mosc
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below are over 80 great photos taken by alumnus Steve Palladino '82
In addition, our friend, Michelle Kramer (mother of alumnus Mac Cook '12) took many beautiful photos that can be viewed on her Shutterfly site by clicking on the "PHOTOS" button below:

PHOTOS

Many thanks to both Steve and Michelle!

Check back in a few days to see a detailed write up of the game here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading Baseball Alumni Weekend - Cooperstown, NY
August 12-14, 2022

The Reading Baseball Alumni Club had another wonderful weekend in Cooperstown as 23 players and family members made the trip to the Mecca of Baseball on August 12-14. Players arrived Friday afternoon, evening, and even Saturday morning for the two-game series on historic Doubleday Field and to enjoy all that the town has to offer.

Saturday morning brought a beautiful day, with temps moving to the upper 70's. Players arrived in uniform, sporting this year’s style of black or red game shirts and special designed Reading Alumni socks. After a warm-up and ground rules, we were ready to go for the 10:00 am start.

We had just 15 players so we divided into three teams of five. Let me explain how I decided how to make three fairly equal squads:

I devised a metric called APV (Alumni Player Value). APV is an overall rating of, well, how good that player is today. Once I establish each player's APV, I balance each team with players of high, medium, and low APV. How do I actually calculate APV, you ask? Well, I have kept track of every Alumni player's performances and stats for every Alumni Game we have played (about 35 in Coop and 30 in Reading). From that I calculate each player's AB3WARY (Average of Best 3 WAR Years). So a player whose three best Alumni WAR years were 5.0, 6.0, 4.3 would have an AB3WARY of 5.1. Now we have to take into consideration that most of the younger guys are still performing at a high level and have more athletic skill remaining than a player who just turned, say, 58. So I created the RAA stat (Remaining Athletic Ability). It is on a 0 to 1 scale, so a 28 year old (like Anthony, Max) may have 95% of his ability remaining, thus an RAA of .95 while the 58 year old may have an RAA of .20. Now to get each player's APV we use the formula: APV = AB3WARY x RAA. So the younger player with an AB3WARY of 5.1 and RAA of .95 has an APV of 4.85. The older guy who may have had great WARS in the past, and also has an AB3WARY of 5.1, but is over the hill, might have an APV of 1.02 (5.1 x .20). See, simple.

Okay, I admit I didn't really do that. What I really do is try to balance by putting the same number of 60-50-40-30-20 year olds on each team. It seems to work out!
So the teams were:

Pete Collins ‘79
Mark Torrisi ‘91
Dan Foley ‘98
Mark DeMasse ‘02
Kevin Palladino (North Andover ’10)

Al Weston ‘71
Jon Vedder ‘83
Jason Zerfas ‘99
Brian DeMasse ‘03
Mac Cook ‘12

Coach Mosc ‘71
Josh Driscoll ‘95
John Feudo ‘95
Anthony DeSimone ‘12
Pete Collins (nephew of Pete Collins) ‘17

This three-team format worked great; constant action, lots of AB's. Only drawback is, with a 5-man batting order, you might be on 2nd base but also on deck! No problem- three Alumni teenaged sons to the rescue: Ray Vedder, Jackson Feudo, and Avery Foley all served as frequent pinch runners. The teens also were used as defensive replacements so players could take a little rest. So the kids really saved the day (and pulled muscles) for us!

Okay, so Game 1 was very competitive with pitchers throwing hittable strikes and lots of hitting, some defense, and a little baserunning. The game was won by the team of DeSimone, Pete Collins (nephew of the original Pete Collins), Java Driscoll, John Feudo, and Coach Mosc. That team was led by Anthony DeSimone who got about 7 hits, including a single, double, triple, and homer. That's right- an unprecedented Alumni Cycle! No surprise thar Anthony received the Outstanding Offensive Player Medal for Game 1.

We are not quite the Savannah Bananas but we create some fun, such as when we put on a shift vs. Mac Cook. Mac's response was to hit a high-out-of-the-strike zone pitch over the right field fence, bleachers, and back fence and off a tree in someone's back yard!

Jason Zerfas continues to be our Robert Downey Jr. (Ironman, get it?) as he pitched the equivalent of 12 innings, breaking his own single-day Alumni Game record. Zerf was awarded yet another Outstanding Pitcher Award. And southpaw Mark DeMasse pitched 6 strong innings as well.

Zerf is no PO, in fact Feudo called him "Zerftani" for his 2-way prowess. Zerf always hit the ball a ton, including a moon shot down the left field line that was clearly going not just over the fence but completely out of the park- just a question of fair or foul. Zerf calmly stood at home plate and said, "Stay fair." When he saw the ball was cooperating, he said, "That's good" and took his trip around the bases.

When he was in high school, I commented that I would play to watch Dan Foley play. More true now than ever! Dan was named Outstanding Defensive Player- shortstop, center field, catcher. Among his brilliant plays was a sliding backhand stop in shortstop hole (we thought ball went through, into LF) and throw to first for the out! Another was when Dan ranged to his left in CF, reached out, and stabbed the ball before it landed on the warning track. I called out to Dan's wife, Melissa, for her comment and she said, "Is that my husband??"

A special Alumni Game rule is that when a 1st & 3rd situation occurs, the offense MUST put on a play. This just have come up a dozen times with the offense scoring just once. Was that the result of perfect execution by the defense? No. Slowness and lack of agility by the runners? Possibly. Or was it because we had the teenagers on the bases who didn't know options #1, 2, 3, 4 and who hadn't been drilled on these plays hundreds of times? Definitely!

After Game 1, we all had the afternoon to do as we please- get some lunch, go to the Hall, visit the shops, etc. Pete and Pete Collins and John and Jax Feudo golfed 9 holes at the beautiful Leatherstocking Golf Club . We heard that highlights including Jax's birdie on the last hole and the group somehow sneaking into the members-only restaurant to have drinks.

Saturday night is always a highlight, as the entire group gathered for pizza and beverage at a function room at the Comfort Inn and Suites. We eat, drink, laugh, share stories, and thoroughly enjoy each other's company. We also watched a slide show that illustrated our most recent alumni games and dinner. We also have a raffle which results in every player and family member winning prizes such as shirts, books, alcohol.

We also played the popular “baseball card game" where points (and prizes) are awarded for things like, "if your player batted over .250” or “is wearing a batting glove." Among the stack of MLB players’ cards, someone found a Coach Zerfas card (we had baseball cards made up for our players and coaches back many years ago). Anyway, Brian DeMasse grabbed the Zerf card and he and Feudo colluded at the Sunday game to give the card to a couple (non-Reading) youngsters and have them come into the field to have Zerf autograph the card! You can see the photo in gallery.

In previous years, we had awarded three trophies at the end of the weekend for the Outstanding Pitcher, Offensive Player, and Defensive Player, for the cumulative two games. This year we decided to award medals for those same three categories, but not for each game. That is when Zerf, Anthony, and Dan received their medals for their Game 1 performances.

And we continued our tradition of presenting a beautiful Cooperstown Timepiece, created by our friend, Alan Lincourt, to our Outstanding Alumnus. This year we were pleased to honor Mark DeMasse. Mark has played in every Alumni Game and attended every Alumni Dinner. We love Mark’s humble, appreciative, and unselfish demeanor, and his love of the game, competitiveness, and sense of humor. DeMasse was a great pitcher/hitter then and continues to be a great player and teammate today. Not to mention he has hit about 10 homers in Coop and will be inducted into RMHS hall of Fame in November.

On to Sunday morning and Game 2. The Weather was picture-perfect, once again sunny and in the high 70's. We were lucky to avoid the heat wave that came both prior and after our trip.
So our guys were cool and fresh and ready to play. However, the turkey vultures who circled above the field saw things differently, and anticipated alumni casualty.

Game 2 was played at a higher energy level than we sometimes see on Sundays, so that was great! Maybe it was because of the cooler weather or because we had the teenagers to give us a break, or maybe because there were women in the stands. Anyway, the same team that won Game 1 also won Game 2 (I must have underestimated these players’ APV!).

It is hard to remember all the details, but I know that Zerf and Mark DeMasse did the bulk of the pitching. Kevin Palladino also pitched some innings, as well. And then there was Foley and Feudo taking turns on the mound, throwing beanballs and blooper pitches to each other. Always having fun and competing!

An unforgettable highlight was Mac's second homer of the weekend, this one a bomb into the right field bleacher on a high pitch and against the shift again. So on Mac's next AB, center fielder Vedder put his back against the RF fence while rightfielder Collins actually positioned himself IN the bleachers. Max responded with a bullet to left center!

A big thanks to Steve Palladino who took the 150 photos you see posted below. Steve helps in every regard of the weekend- providing water, keeping score, and assisting on Saturday night. And we know Steve was thrilled and proud to see his son Kevin put on the Reading uniform (Kevin was a catcher at North Andover HS). So Kevin caught some innings, played other positions, and impressed everyone when he banged out five consecutive hits* in Game 2.

Speaking of impressive hitting, nobody amazes us more than Pete Collins. Pete and I took BP about ten times this summer and it paid off as Pete's sweet swing resulted in a bullet down the RF line, a rope to the oppo gap, a laser right over the pitcher's head, a blast to the centerfield, and, best of all, a long drive to right that hit halfway up the fence, just missing a homer.

That makes us wonder who is the oldest alum to hit a Doubleday homer? Scott Farris, Jim Lucci, and John Barrett all hit theirs in the early 50’s. Pretty amazing. But I think Chuck Ross ’74 hit his homer when he was 56. But Pete C is the only guy to at least reach the fence on the fly in his 60’s (61). Way to go, Pete!

Pete has had the most family members play with us in Coop- brother in law John Forelli and nephews Jackson and Patrick Forelli. This year it was nephew, also named Pete Collins (John Feudo tagged him as "Pete Collins Lite"). Well PCL, whose dad, Mike, played little league ball for my dad, had a terrific weekend. By Game 2 he was smashing line drive singles and doubles and also made an incredible defensive play when, from medium deep left field he fielded a single and launched a perfect one-hop throw to the plate, nailing the runner who tried to score from 2nd.

Mark DeMasse added to his Doubleday Field homer total (I think he has hit one every year). This was the typical DeMass long, high blast over the right field fence. That homer was the just one of six extra bases hits Mark totaled in two games! Add to them some nice outfield defense and about 12 innings of effective pitching and you get the usual DeMass Cooperstown show.

And the final homer of the weekend was off the bat of Java Driscoll, a no-doubter that cleared the wood fence and bounced off the top of the chain link fence, on its way to Elm Street. Java, whom we love because he plays every moment with a smile on his face, had a favorite moment. He was at bat and I was catching and said to Jav, "I see a bullet to left center coming." He said, "No, I'm thinking right center" and he promptly drilled a laser to the right center gap! I believe that John McDonald, former 15-year MLB player, who was at the game, saw Java's prowess and realized that Java, and not he, should have been Providence College's star player! BTW, John and his wife Maura (nee Maura Cignetti, RMHS grad and friend of Java-Feudo-Foley) were in Cooperstown to watch their son play for Scituate at Dreams Park. Maura's brother, alumnus Jon Cignetti, coached a U12 Hingham team at the same venue.

How about a couple more unusual moments in Alumni Game history: sure, Anthony's cycle was rare, but how about both Zerf and Foley SLIDING?! Dan's was on a steal of second base (also unprecedented) and Zerf's was when he scored from second on a single. See, this is the hustle we have been looking for, as we have not seen a slide since Jim Lucci's hustle double (local alumni game) when he was trying to impress his girlfriend (and future wife, Mary).

Jon Vedder is simply a Cooperstown legend. Despite having a significant injury, V went out there and flagged down fly balls and had his usual hits to left, center, and right. And then son Ray got to run for him! Also got to have lunch with V on Sunday and hear him tell some great Maco stories! V is just the best guy!

Mark Torrisi is about as fine a gentleman as we have had in our program, both then and now. He played Game 1 despite having a leg injury (he plays men's hockey every week). We all appreciated Mark's effort and was sorry that he aggravated the injury and had to sit out Game 2. But it was great to have Mark on the trip!

An annual Coop highlight for me is talking/hanging/playing with Brian DeMasse; he is constantly interesting and funny and he just LOVES baseball and his alumni teammates. And Brian, who has a bunch of Doubleday homers, stroked out his usual share of base hits. He also had a great line, when after misplaying a ground ball said, "I went from 1.000 fielding average in high school to .000 fielding average here."

He plays the infield and outfield, he hits the ball hard, he plays golf, he tells funny stories - he can do it all (except remember to bring a projection screen). He is John Feudo, an alumnus that loves every moment and makes the weekend fun for all of us. In addition to stinging the ball, John made a really nice foul ball catch at the fence and I know he enjoyed being on the same field as Jackson.

Nobody enjoys the weekend more than my friend of 60+ years, Al Weston. He just loves the camaraderie and considers Saturday night to be the highlight (he loves watching generations of players interact with each other and with their coach(es). Al is fearless as he plays the right side of the infield even with dangerous lefties Mac and DeMasse at bat. And Al finished his Game 2 in style with a nice line drive single to left. So great to spend time with my dear friend.

We must recognize and thank family members for sharing their weekend with us. We have mentioned teenagers Ray Vedder, Jax Feudo, and Avery Foley, as well as alumnus Steve Palladino, all of whom were of great help and spirit. And thanks to Pam DeMasse (20th consecutive Cooperstown Mom of the Year Award), Melissa Foley (Dan’s fabulous wife) and their younger son, Sam. And trooper Daisy Zerfas who got up pre-dawn on Saturday to drive four hours so her dad could get to get to Game 1 on time. And thanks, Daisy, for helping with the raffle Saturday night.

We awarded medals after Game 2, in the Doubleday concourse, right where our Reading HS and Alumni brick resides. The Outstanding Pitcher was Mark DeMasse; Outstanding Defensive Player Pete Collins Lite, and Outstanding Offensive Player was Java Driscoll. We also chose an Outstanding Player for weekend and players graciously awarded that to me! I must admit, I hit better than I have in my entire lifetime, going 10 for 15. I also appreciate that this recognitiona was my players’ way of appreciating my efforts in putting together the entire weekend. Thanks, guys, you are very kind.

My sincerest thanks to all 23 who came and shared a special weekend together. This is my favorite weekend each year as I love playing on the field with my beloved players, but even more enjoy the camaraderie and love that is evident off the field as well. I love you all!

-- Coach Mosc

Below are photos taken by Steve Palladino '82.. Thanks Steve!

Front: Daisy Zerfas, Sam Foley, Avery Foley Middle: Al Weston, Jason Zerfas, Mark DeMasse, Pete Collins Lite, Coach Mosc, Kevin Palladino, Steve Palladino Back: Jackson Feudo, Pete Collins, Mark Torrisi, Dan Foley, John Feudo, Ray Vedder, Anthony DeSimone, Jon Vedder, Java Driscoll, Brian DeMasse, Mac Cook

Reading Baseball Alumni Dinner & Reunion -- March 6, 2022
We had a terrific Alumni Dinner & Reunion on Sunday, March 6 at The Horseshoe Grille as 49 guys, spanning 5 decades,  enjoyed a night of food, drink, reminiscing and camaraderie. This was one of our largest turnouts ever, and feedback was that it was one of our best events!

The new venue worked out well; the food was good and although the space was much less than what we are used to at Dos Lobos, we made it work. Thank you to Steve Palladino and Coach Bryson who made very large donations to lower the cost per person by $10.

After dinner. we presented our Main Slide show that highlighted important events in the lives  of our alumni, paid tribute to our brothers whom we have lost, recognized new Hall of Fame Inductees, took a trip through 35 years of Reading Baseball, had a trivia quiz, and gave away a lot of prizes (alumni shirts and hats and gift cards from Nick Face’s store, Empower on Haven. We also played a DVD (that parents had created) on the 2011 season and ended the night by watching some VHS tapes of iconic moments from the 1991 tournament.

We also paid tribute to "anniversary teams" (10-20-30 years ago, sorta) from 1991 and 2011. We had 10 players from each team at the celebration, which was a great showing! We created additional slide shows for each of those teams/players/seasons, and they were big hits!. It was wonderful to relive the seasons of those two outstanding clubs and see players enjoy their teammates’ company and reminisce about old times.

By the way, we didn’t forget other anniversary teams: the 1971 team (John O’Keefe and  myself as players and Mike Mosc as batboy) or the great 2001 team (senior- Tim Bryant, juniors Kevin Donahue, Rob DeMoura, Jon Rosenthal were all present). The 1981 club had a separate reunion at Bertucci’s this past fall with a dozen guys in attendance).

We also noted that we need players for our annual Cooperstown Alumni Games on August 13 and 14. Please let me know if you plan to come, whether as a player or just to enjoy the trip and your fellow alumni.

Thank you to Steve Palladino, who took all of the photos that appear below.
Also, here are the links to two slide shows. They are also on the website. They open and show nicely with Google. The Main Slide Show is apparently too big to download.. I am working on it.

1991 :  1991 Tribute.pptx - Google Slides
2011:   2011 Tribute.pptx - Google Slides
(I am trying to post the Main Slide Show, too, but file too large; working on in)

So the event was another great success. These reunions are particular times of joy for me, as I love watching our players, whether 60 or 27 years old, all share in our common bond and brotherhood, Reading Baseball. I am so proud of the men you are & how you love and support each other. And I remain, forever proud, to be your Coach.
Love you all, Coach Mosc

Here is the complete roster of attendees: 1971 John O'Keefe, Pete Moscariello 1977 Mike Moscariello 1979 Jack Marlin 1981 Joe Picano 1982 Greg Bernard, Steve Palladino, EJ Stanton 1985 Scott Farris 1987 Gary d'Entremont, Tom Zaya 1988 Chris Curley 1989 Darnell Canada 1991 Anniversary Team: Captains Franny McHugh, Tom Quinn, Paul Sumner. Seniors Desi Conte, Rich Curley, Bill Rooney, Mark Torrisi. Juniors Mark Cafazzo, Pete McHugh, Matt Minghella 1994 Coley Foley 1995 Josh Driscoll, John Feudo, Josh Martin, Jon Whalen 1996 Steve Langone 1999 Dennis Gramolini, Jason Zerfas 2001 Tim Bryant 2002 Mark DeMasse, Rob DeMoura, Kevin Donahue, Jon Rosenthal 2008 Nick Face 2011 Anniversary Team: Captain Jeff Covitz; Seniors Adam Halley, Chris Welch. Juniors Greg Altobello, Paul Andrick, Mac Cook, Anthony DeSimone, Zack Driscoll, Drew Zaccardi. Sophomore Scott Tully 2014 Nick Clivio And of course, Coach Ted "Ace" Bryson

Photos below - most have captions; just hover over.

1981 Reading Baseball Team 40th Reunion
September 18, 2021

We had a fabulous Alumni Club event on Saturday, September 18 as we held a 40th year reunion for our 1981 Middlesex League Championship Team at Bertucci’s of Reading.
We had ten alumni in attendance, traveling from Florida, New York, and Maine, to enjoy good food/drink, great camaraderie, and a wonderful trip down memory lane.

The photo shows the players who were there, Back Row: Lennie DeAngelo, Pete Michelini, Michael Spurr, Ed Stanton, Steve Palladino. Front Row: Coach Mosc, Dave Powers, Bill Tompkins, Larry Berg, Joe Picano.

Coach put together slideshows of two seasons, the 1980 Summer Rockets season and the 1981 RMHS season, and guys enjoyed seeing articles, photos, and stats from their high school careers.

Here is some info about those teams:

In June of 1980, our great RMHS team had just won the league title and the Summer Rockets, coached by Mike Moscariello, continued the momentum. They had the greatest summer ever, going 16-0 in the regular season, including a stretch when they won 5 games in 5 consecutive days. They swept Wilmington in the first round of the playoffs, but suffered their first loss, to Chelmsford, in the best of three finals. With their backs to the wall, they won 2-0 and 6-4 to capture the championship.

Thus, we had high expectations for our 1981 season. Yet, we started off 2-4 and The Reading Chronicle even had a headline that said, "RMHS Baseball Puzzle Crumbling."

But this was a team of fighters who pulled together and won 12 of its remaining 14 games. In a tight 4-team race, Reading beat each contender down the stretch, including first-place Melrose, 5-0, and Woburn, 3-0. But with one game remaining, we still trailed Melrose by a game. We won our final game, 4-0 against Stoneham, while Wakefield beat Melrose to give us a share of the league title.
In the quarterfinals of the MIAA Division 1 North Tournament, Reading beat a tough Waltham team, 5-4, at Washington Park. But our exciting season ended with an 8-5 loss vs. Medford in the semifinals.

You can learn all about these two special teams and our terrific players, captured in Google Slideshows, by copy/paste the links below.

1980 Summer Rockets: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1O2Ih5M7kFC1q5z7B963D4OUryb9uF99s/edit#slide=id.p44

1981 RMHS Baseball: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KboMP7VvFATmDeCoNRyYsZ6DmSTZyQ8y/edit#slide=id.p98

The photos below, all from the reunion, were all taken by Steve Palladino. Thanks, Steve! Some photos have captions - hover above.

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI WEEKEND -- COOPERSTOWN, NY
AUGUST 14-15, 2021
We had another fantastic Alumni Weekend in Cooperstown, as 38 players, family members, and friends traveled to the Mecca of Baseball for baseball games and camaraderie.
Most players arrived on Friday and had time to do the tourist thing around town and enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. Then it was off to bed to dream and visualize about the game on Saturday morning.
On Saturday, Doubleday Field was in great condition on a cloudy, cool, but rain-free morning. The field is undergoing a $5.8 million renovation – improvements to the parking lot and entrance have been completed, with new grandstand and press box on the 3rd base side still under construction.
Anyway, we had 19 players for Game 1, split into teams wearing the “Classic” shirts (white shirts in the same design as our 1990-2011 game shirts) and the cleverly-named “New” design (black/red combo). Both shirts were created to honor RMHS former baseball/basketball coach, math teacher, and Athletic Director, Gil Congdon, who passed away in March. The Classic shirts all bore Gil’s number 4 and the New design had RGB (Rolland Gilbert Congdon) embroidered on the sleeve. You can get a good look at all the shirts in the photo gallery.
Prior to the game, we had a moment of silence in memory of both Mr. Congdon and alumnus John Barrett ’84 who passed on August 11. Then Mr. Congdon’s son, Brad, and grandchildren Sofia and Chase, went to the mound to throw out the first pitch, with their dad catching. Brad and kids proudly displayed Gil’s actual RMHS game shirt on the fence along the 1st base side during the game.
Okay, the game. It is hard to recall play-by-play, as we are all in the midst of the action, but I know the Classic team won, 11-9, holding off a comeback by the New team, who ended the game with a bases loaded fly out to left field. But here are some highlights:
Jon Whalen pitched for the Classic team and was “checked” for possibly applying a foreign substance to the ball. Harold, the umpire, played along with Jon’s gag, as he came out to the mound and when he asked Jon to empty his pockets, out came a jar of Spider Tack, a tube of GOOP, sandpaper, and a nail. All good fun, as you can see in the photos.
Speaking of pitchers, they are really the key to the entire weekend, as we need guys who can throw strikes and work a lot of inning. So big thanks to Sean O’Neill, Tommy DeMasse, Mark DeMasse, and Jon Whalen. By the way, our pitchers do a great job of putting their egos aside and lay the ball in there with the goal of letting guys tee off. So it was very rare when Tommy retired 7 consecutive batters, including a 4-pitch inning. Was it good pitching or bad hitting?
Anytime a team had runners on 1st and 3rd, we made it mandatory to run a play. Sometimes they worked out for the offense, sometimes for the defense, but it was fun to see guys try to execute the old #1, 2, 3, 4 options. The best defensive play was on a #2 (regular steal),when the catcher fired the pitch back to pitcher Tommy DeMasse, who turned and caught the runner off 3rd. Just the way we used to practice it!
We don’t allow actual stealing, but that did not matter to Rob DeMoura, as he suddenly took off from 3rd in an attempt to steal home. Despite getting a good jump and making an aggressive slide (the first Alumni Game slide since Jim Lucci’s in 1998), Rob was out. It was…not close.
We had a few alumni sons on hand, who got some AB’s (more on that later) but one son who played the entire game on Saturday was Ryan Turenne, son of Paul (Duckey) ’79. Ryan will be a senior at UMaine, and as their starting catcher last year, hit over .300 with 5 homeruns. Duckey humorously berated Ryan on every foul ball (there were a lot!) or swing and miss, but Ryan responded with two home runs, one of them leaving the park entirely. Ryan was also utilized in the outfield (we need younger guys in those positions) and he made some nice, athletic plays.
One thing about our Alumni, they can still hit! Guys bashed the ball all over the park, including several off the fence in left and right and bullets in the gaps. Homers are not uncommon in our games and doubles happen frequently, but triples are rare (you have to hit it far and also be able to run fast). Enter Anthony DeSimone ’12, who tripled in both games, unprecedented in Alumni Games.
So Game 1 was competitive, fun, and injury-free, so now guys had the afternoon free to do as they wish. Most had lunch in town, visited the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, perused the memorabilia shops, or took a swim in Lake Otsego. Some even played golf on the beautiful Leatherstocking Golf Course.
Saturday night is always an opportunity for all of us to get together. We rented the function room at the Comfort Inn and Suites, order pizzas, and got to view photos from Game 1 and past Alumni Games, have contests and raffles, and open the floor for guys to tell their favorite stories. This is my favorite, because it shows how we all share the same experiences and have a common bond. Whether the stories came from 1979 or 2012, they all made us laugh and enjoy our brotherhood.
We also projected on screen a few slides about Gil Congdon and also about John Barrett. We just wanted to make sure that players and families knew how much we admired and loved these men and how much they meant to us. Then we raised our glasses to toast Gil and John.
We also presented, on Saturday night, the Outstanding Alumnus Award. We have been doing this for several years now, with former recipients being Chuck Ross, Pete Collins, Jon Vedder, Scott Farris, Jim Lucci, and Steve Palladino. This year we were pleased to present to Jason Zerfas ’99. Or at least we tried to! Zerf, who is a Cooperstown regular whom we count on to pitch 18 innings and hit a few bombs each year, couldn’t make it this year. Nevertheless, we recognized his contributions as a Reading Baseball player, a 12-year coach in our program, Summer Rocket Coach, and loyal alumnus. I know no better person than Jason Zerfas.
So Saturday was great fun and we made sure guys adhered to the strict 3 am curfew in order to be fresh for Sunday’s 10:00 am game. This day was sunny and in the 70’s – perfect for a group of somewhat sore, somewhat tired players. We were boosted by the addition of three new players. Ryan Turenne and Sean O’Neill (the New team’s youngest and probably best players) needed to head home, but we added Kyle Palladino (son of alumnus Steve) and Dan Foley ‘98, who had coached a Reading Little League tournament game on Saturday morning, drove to Coop Saturday afternoon, joined us Saturday night, played Sunday in Game 2, and then drove home for another LL game Sunday evening. Now that is baseball dedication at all levels; but if you know Dan, you are not surprised. But we did have a nice surprise when Dave Powers ’81, came down from Maine on Saturday with his wife and two of their children. So Dave joined us Saturday night and was encouraged to play Sunday. He did so, even putting on the catcher’s gear and reminding us that he was the most solid, toughest catcher we ever had at RMHS.
Prior to the game, our good friend and professional photographer, Alan Lincourt, came to the field and offered to take team photos (“when I say ‘Coke’ you say ‘Pepsi;”). It is always great to see Alan who “gets us” and has been taking RMHS and Alumni photos since 1994.
Again, I cannot recall game details, but I know the Classic team won again, maybe something like 11-6. A summary might say: pitchers threw strikes, guys crushed the ball, there was some good defense, not much running. And there were highlights, like homers by Mac Cook ’11 and Mark DeMasse ’02, both lefties who launched bombs into the right field bleachers. Both of these guys were among the greatest hitters we ever had at RMHS and can still rake.
One of my favorite moments was when the New team had runners on 2nd and 3rd and Brian DeMasse ’03 (runner on 2nd) got a big secondary lead and fell to the ground. That’s right, he was executing the “Fall Down Play”! Although the catcher didn’t take the bait, it was great fun.
Here was a first: as the game moved into its later innings, more and more guys were willing to sit out an inning on defense. So sometimes we would look up and see only 7 guys in the field. In fact, one time, the field umpire had grabbed the 1st baseman’s mitt and was throwing pre-inning ground balls to the infielders! We played along and let him actually play 1b for a batter or two while Coach Mosc took on the ump’s role.
One of the best things about our games is that we have players who are in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. And all age groups play great! Really, every single guy who played did very well. That includes those in our oldest age group. Neal Driscoll, father of Java and Zack, had a couple nice base hits in Game 2 and made plays at 1b in the field. Al Weston ’71, a catcher back in the day, played 1b and 2b and made really nice plays on ground balls. Even better, is that Al went a perfect 4 for 4 in Game 2! And Coach Mosc got in the act, launching a ball that landed on the left field warning track and rolled to the wall for a double.
On the other end of the age spectrum, we were happy to allow some young Alumni kids to get some action. In addition to Ryan Turenne and Kyle Palladino, who are adults and played a full game, we got Ryan Feudo, Jackson Feudo, Ray Vedder, and Jack the DeMasse’s nephew, a couple at bats each. And they did well- not the least bit intimidated, they all had good swings and combined for 2 or 3 hits. Young Jack even got behind the plate to warm up his uncles prior to a couple innings.
After the game we gathered to thank and congratulate each other on our games and then give out three awards. Tommy DeMasse earned the Outstanding Pitcher Award, as he threw maybe 15 innings, had the two consecutive 1-2-3 innings, and snared a bullet line drive off the bat of John Feudo.
John Feudo was the Outstanding Defensive Player. I don’t know what’s going on, but Feudo is getting better as he gets older! He seemed to hit a line drive every AB and he was great in the field. He made two memorable plays at shortstop, going back on soft pop ups and making over the head catches. Note: the ODP Award was originally given to Jim Lucci. As noted by a couple players in the dugout, Looch’s ground ball mechanics are perfect and he has a strong, accurate throwing arm. But as he was being handed the award, Scott Farris intercepted it and noted that Looch had reached above his shoulders to catch a batted ball off little 10 year old Jack. Thus, the award went to an elated Feudo. All part of the fun.
The Outstanding Offensive Player was Anthony DeSimone. In addition to his two triples, Anthony went something like 10 for 12, making just one out in each game. He hit a couple balls off the fence, a few in the gap, and lined some through the infield. He also was tremendous in the outfield, making running, sliding, and diving catches. He could have also been the ODP, but…you know, Feudo.
The feedback from everyone was unanimously positive; everyone had a great time. The games are awesome, but the off-field stuff is just as good and really our opportunity to bond and enjoy each other and our unique fraternity. So you know what? I think we will do it again in 2022.
All 199 photos below were taken by Steve Palladino. Thanks, Steve, you always find a way to get shots of every player and every important moment. As you look at photos, the first team photo (has players with both white and black shirts), hover over it to get a caption with players’ names.
Here is a complete list of players, friends, and family:
Al Weston ’71. We mentioned how well Al played, but must also mentioned what a great guy he is! We all saw Al’s pure enthusiasm for baseball (and life) and how much he loved being with all the guys. What a thrill is was for me to play and hang out with my friend of 60 years.
Neal Driscoll. Dad to Java, Zack. This was Neal’s second time playing at Coop and he did great! Neal is a gentleman and a class act. So awesome to see Neal on the field with his sons.
Joyce Driscoll. Mom to Java, Zack. We were so glad that Joyce made the trip. She mentioned to me that she has been here several times, probably beginning in 1994 for Java’s team. If you want to know why Java and Zack are such great people, just look to Neal and Joyce.
Mike Moscariello ’77. The best part of my trip was spending so much time with my brother. Not only was Mike captain of my first team, he has been my best supporter and best friend forever. Mike has been with me, Reading Baseball, and all of us, every step of the way from 1977 to today. Thanks, Mike.
Pete Collins ’79. Scouting report: lefthanded hitter who squares up the ball, with power, consistently. Beautiful swing, excellent mechanics. Athletic outfielder who catches everything that comes his way. Oh, and he is about to turn 60 years old! One of the reasons I love Coop is that Pete and I take BP about 8 times in preparation. How lucky are Mike Mosc and I that Pete has been part of our baseball lives since 1969.
Paul “Duckey” Turenne ’79. Duckey was on my first RMHS team – Freshman Team 1976 and then varsity ’78-’79. What you saw in the dugout at Doubleday and Saturday night was vintage Duckey – smiling, laughing, ragging, joking, having fun. That is why it was so great to have him with us.
Ryan Turenne, son of Duckey. We could see why Ryan is a top D1 college player and a pro prospect. He definitely was not thinking “opposite field single”….he was going for the homer and he got two! He is a great kid and we were happy that he could join us for Game 1.
Dave Powers ’81. What a great surprise it was to get a text from Dave just a few days before our trip to say that he would like to join us. It was great catching up with a guy who was the backbone of our ’81 championship team and it was great to see Dave behind the dish in Game 2.
Dave Powers’ wife, Sarah, daughter Maggie, son Matt. Wives and kids have to be good sports to come to Cooperstown and endure Saturday night and the games. So thanks very much; we all enjoyed meeting the Powers Family.
Steve Palladino ’82. Steve continues to be a loyal and generous alumnus and the impetus behind our 1980 team reunion and upcoming 1981 reunion. Many thanks to Steve for taking the 199 photos and capturing pre-game, in-game, and post-game moments. Nobody loves Reading Baseball Alumni Club more than Steve!
Kyle Palladino, son of Steve. It must be pretty tough to jump into Game 2 without knowing anyone on either team. So we give Kyle a lot of credit for doing so and handling himself with poise as he banged out a couple hits and made some plays. Way to go, Kyle!
Jon Vedder ’83. Day in the life of Jon Vedder: get up, go to game, go 4 for 5, humbly take no credit for it. Once again, V smacked the ball around Doubleday Field and made a highlight reel tumbling catch in center field. V is not getting older, he is getting better!
Ray Vedder, son of Jon. Ray, who is a great kid, has been politely asking me, for a year, to get on Doubleday Field. So when he did, he made the most of it with a double to right field! Nice going, Ray, it was great to have you there all weekend.
Scott Farris ’85. Scott not only is a great hitting coach, but is a hitting machine himself. Single to right, single to center, double to right…. all with his perfect lefthanded swing. But Scott is not one-dimensional as he plays great in the field, smoothly making plays in both the infield and outfield. Scott and Looch really help make the weekend fun for all of us.
Jim Lucci ’85. How does Looch do it? At 54 he is still one of the best all-around players out there. His fielding mechanics are textbook, he has a strong, accurate arm, and he ripped the ball off the left field fence a couple times. Does Baseballism sell a t-shirt that says, “I’m older than you, but a better player than you?” that Looch can buy?
Josh “Java” Driscoll ’95. Did you guys notice that Java smiles throughout the entire weekend? Pre-game, during the game, post-game, at restaurants, Saturday night….It is such a lift to be around him. And, of course, we would all smile if we could hit like him – bombs in the left center and right center gaps all weekend.
Jon Whalen ’95. Jon is a 5-tool Alumni Player as he can hit, hit for power, field, throw, and pitch! He certainly put all 5 tools on display in both games. We are so glad to have Jon and his family back in the USA so he can play and hang with us. And it was moving to hear Jon talk about a Freshman Game speech from Coach Farris that he called “life-changing.” Very nice. And Jon is changing young lives as a brilliant coach, himself.
John Feudo ’95. Feudo is a amazing. Was he always this good? He sure is now, cuz all he does is hit scorching line drive after line drive and make web gems throughout the weekend. And his kids were there to witness it! It is so much fun to be around John as he relishes every moment of our trip.
Ryan Feudo and Jackson Feudo, sons of John. John Feudo has two great kids! It was great hanging with them all weekend and seeing how much they enjoyed all the activities. And they patiently waited to get a couple AB’s in Game 2 and, I think, they both got base hits.
Dan Foley ’98. We mentioned how Dan coached a game at home, drove to Coop, played, and drove home to coach. He is a faseball fanatic and loyal alumnus, for sure! I have talked to some of Dan’s fellow Reading Little League coaches who mentioned that Dan was going to Cooperstown. I tell them, “you know he’s a good coach…you should see him play!” In other words, Dan hits, fields, runs, and throws with the best of them and with Dan’s constantly contagious enthusiasm.
Rob DeMoura ’02. Rob’s baseball journey has been from scorebook to MVP! I know he was our student-manager, but Rob can play! About five times, we sat in dugout and said, “he did it again, another crushed ball into the gap. And he catches everything he gets his glove on. I hope we haven’t missed this in all the baseball stat talk, but Rob is a really, really good guy, loyal alumnus, and great friend.
Mark DeMasse ’02. I won’t rest until DeMass is inducted into the RMHS Athletics Hall of Fame, because he was a phenomenal hitter/pitcher/player/leader. And he still is! DeMass was the complete Game 2 winner on the mound and helped his cause with a homer to right (I bet he has 10 Doubleday dingers over the years). Add to that, several other hard hit balls and the always-humble Mark had another great weekend.
Brian DeMasse ’03. Personally, I enjoy the weekend with Brian as much as I do with anyone. He is thoughtful, inquisitive, analytical, funny, compassionate, and kind. And, yes, he can play! We can always count on Brian for hitting some bombs, making some plays, and displaying our true Alumni spirit on and off the field.
Tommy DeMasse ’08. He was our Outstanding Pitcher but also an outstanding defender and prolific hitter. It just seemed like every time T-Bone was up, he fouled off a ball or two and then slashed a double to left or center. He made the play of the weekend when he caught the line drive back at him. It is always fun to play alongside Tommy!
Stephanie Woods, friend of Tommy DeMasse. We give Stephanie a lot of credit for spending her weekend in Cooperstown with a bunch of baseball fanatics telling inside jokes all weekend long! She seems like a terrific person; we all enjoyed meeting her! BTW, Stephanie’s dad, Tom, was one of my favorite umpires and a super guy.
Pam DeMasse. Mother of Mark, Brian, Tommy, Ashley. No Cooperstown weekend is complete without Pam DeMasse there. We love her enthusiasm for our games and our players. Pam, you are the best!
Jack. Ashley’s son, Pam’s grandson; nephew of Mark, Brian, Tommy. I think Jack had a great time! He wanted so badly to get on the field so we were happy when he got to warm up the pitcher (his uncles) and get a couple AB’s.
Zack Driscoll ’12. I would pay to watch Zack play! He is so fluid and graceful (yes, he has grace!) and plays with flair and joy. Zack is brilliant in the outfield and also hits the ball hard every time up! His enthusiasm is part of what makes our weekend so much fun.
Anthony DeSimone ’12. We previously mentioned that Anthony was Outstanding Offensive Player, with about 10 hits, including two triples and that he was amazing on defense. He truly demonstrated his 5 tools of hitting, power, fielding, throwing, and an unusual alumni skill, running! Add to that a 6th tool, as Anthony is a sensational guy of humility, gratitude, and class.
Mac Cook ’12. Nobody wants to play the right side of the infield when Mac is up. He hits the ball so HARD! He was a prolific hitter in high school and certainly still is! He had an assortment of bullets to all fields, capped off by a screaming homerun to right that got out of the park in about two seconds. In addition, Mac played great defense, showing some nice footwork in the outfield and looking solid behind the plate.
Sean O’Neill ’14. Sean was an All-Scholastic pitcher/player at RMHS and then played at Brandeis and UMass Lowell. This was Sean’s first Cooperstown Alumni Game and we hope he comes back for more. Sean is still playing in a Men’s League so could only play Game 1 before going home for a couple playoff games. But he was great in his first appearance, hitting some balls to the fence and pitching well.
Brad Congdon, Sofia Congdon, Chase Congdon. Mr. Gil Congdon’s son and grandchildren. I think everyone agrees that one of the best things about the weekend was to have Mr. Congdon’s family there. Brad and his kids watched every inning of both games and joined us on Saturday night. Thank you Brad and kids for coming and allowing us to honor your dad.
Coach Mosc ’71. For me, it was a just a wonderful weekend, and one that was full of emotion. Honoring Mr. Congdon was important to me and you guys all did it perfectly. And I knew there would be some emotional moments when we honored John Barrett, as he had just passed three days prior, but again you guys did it beautifully. And on the happy emotion side, hanging out with you was a blast –during the games, meals together, and Saturday night, I laughed more in those three days than in the other 362 combined. It is still a thrill to put on the uniform and so much fun to be on the field with you. I still love watching you guys play and am so proud! I am very grateful that you all came to Cooperstown and that you allow this old coach to remain in your lives (I guess you have no choice since I email you six times a week!). I love our Cooperstown weekend and I love you guys.

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI GAME - SEPTEMBER 26, 2020
We held our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Baseball Game on Saturday, September 26 at Pete Moscariello Ballpark. After having our 2020 Cooperstown games cancelled, it was good to get back on the field again. It was a beautiful September afternoon with temperatures in the mid-70’s and the field was beautifully groomed. It was a perfect scenario for players from five different decades to play on our favorite field.

Here is a list of players:
Pete Collins ’79, Bob Macaluso ’82, Jon Vedder ’83, Jim Lucci ’85, Kaelan Richards ’89, Franny McHugh ’91, Jim Murphy ’93, Steve Langone ’96, Dan Farnham ’97, Dan Foley ’98, Jason Zerfas ’99, Mark DeMasse ’02, Danny Marshall ’03, Remy Carpinito ’09, Paul Andrick ’12, Nate Terry ’14, Coach Mosc. We also added to the roster Steve Cella, Peabody HS ’98 (Coach Mosc’s son-in-law), Julien Cella, and James Murphy, RMHS 2023. Pretty impressive lineup of some of our all-time greatest players and leaders!

We had some alumni who were there to help, support, and watch: Jon Whalen ’95, who has relocated from Belgium back to the US; Rob DeMoura ’02 who always plays in these games but is on the DL with a fractured ankle, Steve Palladino ’82 (more on Steve later on), and Tom Zaya, a terrific player in 1987 and current RMHS Athletic Director. And of course, Coach Bryson was there! Ace watched his grandson, Theo, play and got a chance to see his players who all love him. Ace and I were side by side for 29 awesome seasons. What a treat it was to also see Jeff Nelson there. Jeff played for Reading Baseball in 1976 and coached in our program for 20 years as Freshman, JV, and even Varsity Coach (1988). Jeff may be the only person who was RMHS Head Coach in three sports: basketball, baseball, and golf. He is a great guy and loyal friend.

We started the event by having the Alumni Kids play ball. We had several boys and girls who got to hit and field and share the diamond with their proud dads/uncles/granddads. It is so nice to see how excited our Alumni Kids are to play on the same field that their dads did.

It was also special that we had some guys who were playing in their first game in a few years, or even their first Alumni Game ever. Steve Langone hadn’t played in a while because of his schedule with the Red Sox and Bob Macaluso has been busy coaching in California, so we were glad they were there. And Dan Farnham played in his first Alumni Game and was as good as ever! Then there was Nate Terry who was a junior on Coach Mosc’s final team and then played for RMHS Hall of Famer, Ken Hollingsworth, at the Tilton School. And it was great to see so many family members and friends on hand; there was a crowd as big as we had on most game days during high school games! I think our fans had as much fun as the players did!

I was particularly happy that my wife, May, daughter, Lea, granddaughter, Adalynn, son-in-law, Steve Cella, plus Steve’s son, Julien, and Steve’s dad, Mike Cella, were all there. It made it a nice family day for the Moscs & Cellas.

We had a moving and meaningful moment when all players gathered around to honor former RMHS Baseball Coach, Mr. Gil Congdon prior to the game. Gil is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease but he always comes to the games in his old Reading #4 shirt and hat. Those of us who had him for a baseball coach, JV basketball coach, math teacher, or Athletic Director were greatly impacted by Mr. Congdon’s character and commitment.

Yet another special feature was that all players wore special “MRA” Alumni Shirts, to honor our fellow alumnus and dear friend, Mark Robert Angelo, who passed away in April. Mark was not only an All-Scholastic, All-American, and Reading HS and Cape Cod League Hall of Famer, but also was a loyal and generous friend and committed and loving family man. If you knew him, you would have loved him like his teammates, Coach Bryson, and I did. The very first photo below is from Mark's wife, Lisa, and children Briana and Mark Jr. They put together a beautiful display of our Alumni shirts and the 1977 team photo where Mark is in the back row, #16.

Thank you to Steve Palladino ’82 for purchasing and bringing water, fruit, and granola bars. Steve is always tremendously helpful at this, and all of our events. So we were very pleased that we could present Steve with the 2020 Reading Baseball Alumnus Award, a beautiful Cooperstown Timepiece created by our friend, Alan Lincourt. The award stated our appreciation for Steve being a Generous Alumnus, Loyal Teammate, and Great Friend. Congratulations and thank you, Steve.

And, of course, the game was great fun! Our guys all still hit, field, and pitch so well! There were bombs in the gap, dazzling defensive plays, and impressive pitching. When I saw guys play, I flashed back to when they played so beautifully while wearing the Rocket uniform- 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago.

We gave out three awards: Kaelan Richards ’89 was the Outstanding Offensive Player. Kaelen absolutely crushed the ball, hitting a triple to the right field fence to go along with a single and long double. Kaelan hit .406 with three homers during his senior year and he has not lost a bit of that prowess!

Danny Marshall ’03 won the Outstanding Defensive Player Award. Dan had a great offensive day, ripping the ball consistently and he holds the Reading Baseball records for hits in a season. But he was (and is) a brilliant defender who used his speed and athleticism to gracefully chase down every potential hit that came his way.

And Jim Murphy ’93 was our Outstanding Pitcher. Murph, whom most people know as a record-setting collegiate and pro quarterback and RMHS Hall of Famer, was also a terrific baseball player. A captain and all-leaguer, Murph was 8-1 on the mound with a 1.33 ERA, including the tournament. On Saturday, he toed the rubber for six effective innings, holding the other team to just three runs.

These events are so special to me and I am glad that they are special to you, too. The most frequent comment I heard from players was, “I had a blast.” And someone who was at the game (but is not an alumnus) commented that "there is a lot of love out there." I am really proud that fact is evident to everyone. Our Alumni Club is truly a unique brotherhood and I am pleased how you all stick together and support each other. It was such a privilege to have coached you guys and is even more fun to play alongside you. I am so grateful to remain friends with you; and I am so very proud of each of you and to continue to be your Coach.

Please enjoy photos, taken by Steve Palladino, below.

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI CLUB DINNER & REUNION -- JANUARY 17, 2020

Our first alumni event of the new decade was our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner & Reunion on Friday, January 17 and everyone there agreed that it was a fabulous event! We had a record-setting 52 alumni and coaches there, across five decades, so thanks very much to everyone for attending and making this a special night! At the end of this story is a list of all 52 players.

I must give special thanks to Al Weston, my 1971 baseball and football teammate and friend of nearly 60 years for being there, and for supporting us for decades.

A highlight of the event was to recognize and honor our Middlesex League Championship team of 40 years ago. Special thanks the eleven players from the 1980 team for being there. To give you an idea of how meaningful this reunion was to that team, consider that players came from Connecticut, Maine, New York, West Virginia, and Florida!

Once again, we had our private function room and bar at Dos Lobos, The Official Restaurant of Reading Baseball, which works out great. Buffet dinner, cash bar, plenty of seating and walking around space makes it a perfect venue for us. We were able to keep the cost reasonable thanks to the continuing generosity of alumnus Steve Palladino, who made a very large cash contribution to defray costs. Thanks very much, Steve!

Guys started arriving at 6:00 and saw that we had video on two projection screens, 1) the “Main Screen” where we had a 2010 Team photo DVD going and would later show our Big Slide Show; and 2) the secondary screen near the back corner of the room where we played videotapes of old games and then would show our slide show tribute to the 1980 team.

In addition, we had scrapbooks, photo books, stats & record books, championship shirts and jackets, and old scorebooks all on display, which players thoroughly enjoyed.

So guys ate and drank and talked and laughed and reminisced. I really enjoyed watching groups of guys enjoying conversations, looking at scrapbooks, sharing memories, and having fun together. The brotherhood we have built over 35 years and the bond we continue to have is truly amazing and unique. That is the whole point of the evening.

After a while, we told players who were captains of their respective teams, to pull guys together for the Main Slide Show (once a captain, always a captain!). The show included:

Alumni News and Announcements (engagements, weddings, babies, etc.)
Players in College/Amateur Baseball and Alumni Who are Coaching
In Memoriam to our Alumni Brothers who have passed
Tribute to the many alumni moms and dad who passed in the past year.
Upcoming Alumni Events in 2020, including Alumni Games in Cooperstown (see below)
Recognition of two new Hall of Famers – Tom Fratto and Mike Ottariano
2019 Year in Review – Alumni Games in Cooperstown and at Pete Mosc Ballpark
A trip through 35 years of Reading Baseball – highlights, memories, and players from each season.

This was a 290-slide MegaShow which should take about 30 minutes but, when we added in stories, it took over an hour! The stories really are the best part! I know the show can get long, but I make sure to include a slide and text about every player who was there at the reunion. It is a true labor of love to create a show that demonstrates my pride and affection for each team and player.

When we took time to acknowledge the losses we suffered in 2019, we noted that we lost a dozen moms and dads and one of our beloved alumni brothers. And we are aware that some of our alumni are dealing with hardship or illness every day. But we know that we all have been trained to: have the strength and mental toughness to respond to adversity; and to support, lean on, and love each other. That is this old coach’s wish for all of us.

And more eating, drinking, socializing, we began the Tribute to the Teams of 1980 and 1990. Well, the honest truth is that we really didn’t get to the 1990 tribute because we got totally engaged with the 1980 group for a couple hours! But I did prepare a 1990 slide show and Joe Miller ’90 got a private showing of his team’s season. If anyone who played on that team wants a copy of the slide show specifically for 1990, let me know and I can email it to you. In fact, if anyone wants to complete big slide show, I can get that to you, too.

So the players from the 1980 team, which included three seniors from that team, seven juniors, a sophomore team manager, and two coaches, gathered in front of the projection screen to see a detailed account of their season. This was Coach Mosc’s first championship team, one who went 17-3 (19-4 overall) and won 12 one- or two-run games. The team was not particularly great on defense, but had outstanding pitching, excellent clutch hitting, and an unparalled competitive intensity. The personalities, leadership, and spirit on this team made every day on the field exciting and fun. We recalled how we won our first 13 games but then lost 3 of 5 before clinching the title in an extra inning win at Watertown, prompting our first-ever Reading Baseball dogpile.

But even more excitement was to come, as we began the tournament, at Washington Park, with a game vs. Wakefield, whom we had already beaten twice. But we struggled and fell behind 8-2 going into the bottom of the 9th (we were Division I then so played 9 innings). Then, hit by hit, batter by batter, we drew closer and closer until Jory McKinley came to bat for the 2nd time in the inning, now behind, 8-7, with 2 outs with runners on first and third. Jory roped a ball down the right field line, scoring both runners in our most exciting walkoff in our history. The very next day, we beat Somerville at home, 19-10, highlighted by Terry Dennehy’s homer over the center field fence at Washington. But our season ended, 2-1, at the hands of Milton HS, in the Eastern Mass Semifinals.

Our guys just loved going through the season, game by game, reading Reading Chronicle articles, viewing box scores, seeing photos, examining stats, and, best of all, adding their own remembrances and stories. The photos below indicate just how much fun guys had.

It was important to all of us to remember Jory McKinley, our tri-captain and catcher, who passed in August. The affection for Jory was evident and, I believe, the reason some of the guys made the trip. Sean McKinley, Jory’s younger brother by two years, came to the reunion and we presented him with a framed photo of Jory in one of the most iconic moments in our history; his walkoff triple to beat Wakefield. In addition, I found the game ball from the league championship game; we had our players sign it and present to Sean.

A wonderful moment ensued when players “re-created” our official team photo from 1980, seating players in the same spots as they took in 1980. Sean was invited to sit in Jory’s spot. Well done, guys.

The 1980 tribute exceeded all my expectations in that so many guys came from such far distances, but, moreover, in how players demonstrated how special that season was to them and how much they loved each other. For days after the event, the 1980 guys (and this coach) continued to text and call each other to talk more about how meaningful the reunion was to them.

I know the focus was on the 1980 team, but this was a celebration for all our of player and coaches,over 35 years. Personally, these reunions are always special nights for me (I guess you can see that!). Going back through our history reminds me how proud I was to be your coach, not just 40 years ago in 1980, but every year, from 1977 to 2013. And when I see the men you are now, I am even more proud to still be “Coach” to you, today.

Here is our 2020 Alumni Dinner and Reunion Lineup

13 Garrett Colantino
13 Scott Tully
12 Greg Altobello
12 Mac Cook
12 Anthony Desimone
10 Pat “Packy” Mahoney
08 Nick Face
08 John Halsey
08 Sean McGoldrick
02 Mark DeMasse
02 Rob DeMoura
02 Mike Ottariano
02 Jon Rosenthal
01 Tim Bryant
99 Scott Severance
99 Jason Zerfas
98 Dan Foley
97 Jamie Severance
96 Steve Langone
96 Mike “Temple” Thompson
95 Josh “Java” Driscoll
95 John Feudo
95 Josh Martin
94 Chris Donegan
94 Coley Foley
94 Tom Fratto
94 Dan Robinson
94 Dave Zaya
91 Rich Curley
91 Paul Summer
90 Joe Miller
89 Kaelan Richards
88 Chris Curley
87 Dave “DJ” Johnson
85 Scott Farris
82 Greg Bernard
77 Mike Moscariello
71 Al Weston

And our honored guests from the 1980 team:

Steve Palladino, Soph. Team Manager
Larry Berg, Jr. Shortstop
Lennie DeAngelo, Jr. Pitcher/OF
Jon Drew, Jr. Pitcher/OF
Pete Michelini, Jr. OF
Joe Picano, Jr. 2nd Base
Dave Powers, Jr. Catcher
Bill Tompkins, Jr. 1st Base
Penn Michelini, Sr. Pitcher/OF
Darrell Neufer, Sr. Tri-Captain, Pitcher/OF
Mark O’Brien, Sr. 2nd Base
Assistant Coach Ted “Ace” Bryson

Head Coach Pete Moscariello
Special Guest, Sean McKinley

TO READ CAPTIONS ON PHOTOS BELOW, HOVER CURSOR OVER PHOTO

Reading Baseball Alumni Game at Pete Moscariello Ballpark -- September 29, 2019

We worked hard to get player for our Alumni Game but we did it! We had players from four different decades come to our favorite field on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We had our usual great time of baseball and friendship. Thanks to the guys who were there and a hope that more of you guys can make it next year.

Prior to players arriving, Steve Palladino ’82 came down to help Coach set up; Steve also generously brought water, granola bars, and bananas (“monkey never cramp”) for us all. Steve had to leave for a family obligation, but not before he took a bunch of great photos – of teammates and of fathers and sons. Steve's photos, which truly capture the friend and family aspect of our Alumni, are in the gallery below. Thanks, Steve!

Joe Picano ’81 and his son, Anthony (RMHS junior who played in this game last year) came down. Although they were not able to play, it is always great to see the Picanos!

A special treat was when Gil Congdon and his wife, Pam, came to the field. We always include Mr. Congdon in our Alumni events; after all, he was Head Coach from 1969-1976 as well as AD in the early ‘80’s. It was really nice to see all the guys show their respect and affection for Gil, as we pointed out that he, as Coach Mosc’s RMHS coach in ‘71, demonstrated how a coach can maintain friendships with players long after their HS days. We certainly have followed Mr. Congdon's example.

We started the day by having Alumni Kids play on the field. It was great to have the youngsters, with their dads, pitching and encouraging, take some swings.

Then Coach Zerfas put some of the guys through a pre-game infield and outfield. What used to serve as just a warm up for our players, now is just plain exhausting!

Nevertheless, our 17 players, dressed in full uniform, including the classic white shirts we wore so proudly from 1990-2011, took the field.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with Team DeMasse prevailing, 11-9, on the strength of a 4-run 6th inning. A new feature in 2019 was the "mandatory 1st and 3rd plays", that is, every time that situation occurs, the offense must put on a play. I think that occurred 4-5 times, with the offense prevailing once and the defense the other times. It actually looked like the way we had practiced it (just much slower!).

Here are a few notes from the game:

First of all, Tommy DeMasse ‘08 and Jason Zerfas '99 are THE reasons why we can play alumni games, as they provided 100% of the pitching in our three 2019 games. This 7-inning game was a breeze for these hurlers, who are used to double header outings and 300-pitch stints. Anyway, they both did their job, by throwing strikes and letting guys put it in play. DeMass got the win in the 11-9 thriller, and he was awarded Outstanding Pitcher.

There was some pretty impressive defensive play, both in the outfield and in the infield, highlighted by the play of Darnell Canada ’89. “D-Train” drew rave reviews for his smooth and athletic play at shortstop. Despite being older than even Tom Brady," Darnell showed range to his left, once snaring a hard hit ball up the middle and doing a 360 and firing to first for the out. Darnell was selected for the Outstanding Defensive Player Award.

Chris Welch ’11 had a big offensive day. In his entire playing career, no coach has ever said this to Chris: "Welchy, swing harder." Chris swings as hard as he can every time and it resulted in two long doubles plus a sac fly for the winning club, earning him the Outstanding Offensive Player Award.

Although there were no homeruns on a day when the wind was blowing in, Anthony DeSimone '12, came very close, blasting one off the centerfield fence, narrowly missing a homer. Then we all enjoyed watching Anthony fly around the bases for a triple.

Dan Foley '98, a loyal alumnus who even missed part of his daughter's hockey game to play baseball, had one of his trademark drives to the right center fence, along with his usual energetic, enthusiastic play.

Mac Cook '12 was one of our greatest hitters ever and he still makes infielders shudder in fear that he might hit a ball at them. Fortunately he just drove a few into the deep outfield instead.

Tom Fratto '94 showed why his is a soon-to-be Hall of Famer by ripping the ball and making athletic plays at 3b. Tom was a 6-tool player then (hit, hit for power, field, throw, run, and PITCH) and still has plenty left in the toolbox!

Chris Curley '88 made his Alumni Game debut, and despite being a high school and Bentley University PO, he showed that, in his words, "pitchers can hit!", going 2 for 4. We could see that Chris had a great time and we were so happy to see him there.

Paul Andrick '12, our 2-year excellent starting catcher, was kind enough to let Coach Mosc go behind the plate (at my age, I'd rather have balls being hit away from me than toward me!) and he played great in the OF, making some nice plays in left to go along with a couple line drive hits.

Chris Donegan ’94 was a superb 2nd baseman, hitter, and leader on our 21-2 team in 1994, and he reminded us of that with his intensity and some excellent plays in the field.

Scott Farris ’85, despite incurring a leg injury while making a nice play at shortstop, still showed his sweet swing and lining a couple shots to right field.

Jim Lucci ’85, always one of our best all-around players, at age “Brady +10”, played his usual good game in the field and at bat.

And, of course, no Alumni Game is complete without the DeMasse Brothers. Tommy, the Outstanding Pitcher, also ripped the ball all afternoon, Brian ’03 is always a prolific hitter and made some nice plays in the infield, and Mark ’02 smashed the ball to right and to left, just as he did at RMHS.

Tony Lucci (Newburyport HS 2021) helped us out, as we needed another player. Tony put on our classic white shirt and Reading Baseball hat, and played great in the field and stroked a long double to right.

It was great to see Michelle Kramer and Steve Cook, whose son, Mac Cook '12, was a tremendous 3-year starter for us and whose daughter, Kasey Cook, was a 3-year manager. Michelle took thousand of photos during her kids’ HS days and she continues to take photos at our alumni events. For this game, she took 147 shots and posted them at Shutterfly for all of us to enjoy. Thank you, Michelle!

https://rmhsbaseballalumni.shutterfly.com/.

A couple last things. Many thanks to kids, wives, relatives, and friends who came to the event. You are all a very important part of our Reading Baseball Alumni Family and we appreciate your support.

We concluded our day with presentation of our Outstanding Alumnus Award, a beautiful Cooperstown Timepiece, crafted by our friend, Alan Lincourt. We make this annual presentation in Cooperstown, and this year we presented to Scott Farris. Yet we had an equal award, designed for Jim Lucci, but Looch was not able to make it to Coop. But it was even better to present Jim with the award this day, as his wife, Mary, his father, Al, and son, Tony, were all on hand. Looch, we know is a terrific alumnus player, but also was a dedicated coach for our program, and has always been a generous and thoughtful friend who has supported all of us in many ways. So thanks and congrats, Looch!

So thanks, everybody, for another wonderful Alumni Day! Can't wait til our next event, our annual Alumni Dinner and Reunion in January 2020.

Here is the complete roster:

'85 Jim Lucci
'85 Scott Farris
'88 Chris Curley
'89 Darnell Canada
'94 Chris Donegan
'94 Tom Fratto
'98 Dan Foley
'99 Jason Zerfas
'02 Mark DeMasse
'03 Brian DeMasse
'08 Tommy DeMasse
'11 Chris Welch
'12 Paul Andrick
'12 Mac Cook
'12 Anthony DeSimone
NHS 2021 Tony Lucci
'71 Coach Mosc

Reading Baseball Alumni Cooperstown Weekend
August 16-18, 2019

Our 16th annual Reading Baseball Alumni Weekend in Cooperstown was another great success. Although the numbers were down, the baseball, fun, laughs, and camaraderie remained at our usual high level.

The festivities began on Friday, when players arrived throughout the day/evening, some driving through torrential downpours, flash floods, and even frog invasions (ask Dan Foley about that one). As players arrived at different times, we ended up in various places for dinner and post-dinner. The Foley-Java-Zack-Feudos group discovered the new Cooperstown Sports Bar and Grill, which could become a good meeting spot for us in future years.

Our first game was on Saturday morning and after the Friday night rains, the skies were clear. However, the field was wet and in need of attention (for some reason they only tarp the mound). Fortunately, Doubleday Field’s crack field crew got the field in playing shape (this means two high school-aged kids dropped a bag of drying agent on the mound and plate area and pretend-raked for 10 minutes). Anyway, after stretching and throwing, we were ready to go.
We had 14 players so we planned to have three teams of 4, 5, 5. But Brendan, a current Wilmington HS player who was there with the Zaya Group, was invited to join us. That really helped because, as Java says, 15 is a key number as it allows one player to sit out on defense to get a (much needed) rest.

Okay on to the game. Well, not quite yet. Alan Lincourt, from Pro Image Photos, and our long-time friend and photographer, took some team photos (“when I say ‘Coke’ you say ‘Pepsi’ “). And then we had a nice little ceremony to honor Lenny Jackson, a gentleman who umpired our Reading-Lexington games since 1994 and our Alumni Games for the past 16 years. Lenny is a wonderful guy, a classy ump, and really understands who we are. He umpires with good humor and friendship and even goes along with our pranks. We gave him a beautifully engraved (Reading Trophy and Shirt!) acrylic award to thank him for his excellence, service, and friendship. Lenny was moved and very appreciative and said he would put the award on his mantel. It nearly didn’t get there*

Now the game finally began. With three teams, we couldn’t play the usual 9 innings; instead we played 6 “rotations”. For example, Team A was at bat with Teams B and C in the field for 3 outs and then rotate. So we played a top-middle-bottom of each “inning” for 6 innings, a total of 54 outs (same as a two-team nine-inning game). Team C won the Saturday game and Team A won Sunday. A side note: on Sunday morning, guys tend to be a little tired and sore from Saturday's game. As we watched several turkey vultures circle above the field, one player quipped, "they smell death!"

Some of the highlights included three homeruns, a couple great sliding catches, tireless pitching, controversial (but good-natured) umpire calls, trash talking, and lots of laughs. It’s amazing that players, of all ages, can still really hit the ball and catch the ball. Throwing and running, not so much!

A new feature, implemented for the Sunday game, was mandatory 1st and 3rd plays. Whenever that situation arose, the offense was required to initiate a play. The execution may not have been exactly as we practiced it years ago, but was fun to do and watch, sometimes resulting in the runner at first being tagged out (Feudo) while the runner on 3rd (Java) stayed put (which drew a verbal reprimand by Feudo), or good defensive execution and outs at the plate, or nice offensive execution with a run actually scoring. Even better was a -loaded “fall down play” where Mark DeMasse “fell” of 2nd base and drew a throw from the catcher which ended up in a run being scored. Fun stuff and good memories.

The games are great fun, but not the only purpose of the weekend. For example, Dan Foley, Josh Driscoll¸ Zack Driscoll, John Feudo, and his son, Ryan, played golf at the beautiful Leatherstocking Golf Course after Saturday’s game. Despite thunderstorms and rain delays, they go through their round intact and were able to meet up with the rest of the group on Saturday night.

And, of course, guys visited the Hall of Fame, perused memorabilia shops, met up for meals at the Hardball Café on Main Street, and just enjoyed the Cooperstown experience.

In the past few years, we started a tradition of renting the function room at the Comfort Inn and Suites Cooperstown on Saturday night. That was a good night of pizza, drink, stories, and laughs. We also saw a slide show of photos from this year’s game (taken that day by Tom Zaya) and from previous years’ games. And we watched some baseball videos (guys requested the Sticky McShnikins video and anything by Kawasaki). We had baseball card and spinner contests where we gave away prizes of t-shirts (Costanza cotton uniforms, Major League, Roy Hobbs Lumber Company, and a Baseballism favorite). What made this fun was that all the players were there plus Mrs. Bryson, Mrs. DeMasse, Ray Vedder, Ryan Feudo, and Team Zaya.

Each year we give out three awards: Outstanding Offensive Player/Defensive Player/Pitcher. This is usually done on the field after our second game. But we were concerned that Sunday’s game might be rained out or washed out, so we gave the awards on Saturday night. Scott Farris was given the Outstanding Offensive Player, John Feudo the Outstanding Defensive Player, and Jason Zerfas the Outstanding Pitcher. You can read about why below!

One more award was the Alumnus of the Year Award, a Cooperstown Timepiece – a beautiful baseball clock on an engraved pedastol, created by Alan Lincourt. Previous recipients where Chuck Ross ’74, Pete Collins ’79, and Jon Vedder ’83. This year’s two recipients were Scott Farris ’85 and Jim Lucci ’85. Jim was not able to make it to Coop this year so we will present his award at the Alumni Game at PMB in September and speak fondly about him. But Scott certainly was there and we talked about how he was a great player, brilliant coach of 20 years, and loyal, supportive alumnus and friend for decades. All our players love and appreciate Coach Farris and we are all happy that he received this recognition.

As far as the game action went, it’s hard to remember details, because at any given time, each player was either in the field or at bat, except for those short rests. We can recap the play this way:

Team A

Ace Bryson. Coach Bryson, at 75 years young, continues to amaze us. He plays every inning in the field and takes every at bat. The lefthanded-hitting Ace popped a few base hits, but the amazing thing was, even without base hits, he got on base nearly every time, as his batted balls often eluded defenders. Ace loved it, laughing and talking all the way to first base. What a pleasure it is to play with Ace; nobody enjoys playing more than he. And it is great to see Mrs. Bryson, our forever loyal fan. Congrats to Ace and Jane as they celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary a couple days after Coop.

Jeff Bryson. Jeff has progressed, in three years, from a pulled hamstring/DL his first year, to a healthy 18-inning player his second year, to a fabulous player in this, his third year! Jeff hit the ball hard all weekend, played well defensively at catcher and in the field, and played with a constant smile on his face. He is just a great guy and we love having Jeff, his wife Jenn, and his kids Hannah and Theo with us all weekend.

Mark DeMasse ‘02. Here is one way to describe how we consider DeMass as a hitter. When he is up, the first baseman plays on the outfield grass, just for personal safety! Our 2002 captain and two-time all-league player still has it, as he absolutely smashes the ball with power. My favorite DeMass at bat happened when I was catching and he said, “5.5 hole”. He proceed to drill the next pitch between short and third for a base hit. DeMass also catches and plays the outfield, where he made some really nice plays, including snagging a ball deep in the left field corner. By the way, DeMass is so humble that you would not know that in his junior and senior years he drove in a combined 56 runs had an OPS of 1.100 and 1.200 and was 8-1 with 1.10 ERA as a senior. In my book he certainly should be an RMHS Hall of Fame.

Brian DeMasse ‘03. Brian was 8-0 on the mound in his incredible all-league senior year, but in Coop it is his bat that makes him stand out. By his own admission, he started somewhat slowly, but he got increasingly hotter as Saturday and then Sunday progressed. By his last few at bats, he was ripping his customary shots in the gaps and then culminated the weekend with a Grand Slam to left field, propelling Team A to a Sunday victory. Brian has played in Coop for probably 14 of our 16 years and has hit a homer there all but one year! It is so much fun to see how Brian supports his teammates and enjoys playing baseball.

Tommy DeMasse ‘08. We have had some great pitchers who went undefeated on the mound (with at least 5 wins) and awesome hitters who batted over .400. T-Bone was such a prolific all around player that he did both of those in his senior year! And when we see him play on Doubleday, we can see why! Tom pitched 12 innings, throwing his unintentional cutter for strike after strike, so guys could put it in play. And he absolutely ripped the ball all weekend. Whatever his hit total was, it should have been higher by two, as he was robbed by a sliding Dan Foley non-catch in left field on Saturday, and a hit-the-chalk “foul ball” on the left field line on Sunday. But Tommy takes it in good humor, like the good guy he is.
Just so much fun to have Mark, Brian, and Tommy, three of our all-time great players and guys, with us each year. And, of course, thank you to their Mom, Pam for being there with her usual great support and friendship.

Team B

Pete Collins ’79. If you look in the Baseball Encyclopedia under “beautiful swing”, you will see Pete Collins. Age is not a factor for Pete, as he plays the outfield with confidence and ease, and hits like he did at RMHS and Babson College. We went to our field in the week previous to Coop to take some BP and I continued to be amazed with how Pete gets the barrel on the ball every time. Well, he did that throughout the weekend, including a Sunday bases-loaded double in the gap. Pete is a Cooperstown fixture for us and a great friend of almost 50 years!

Dan Foley ’98. Dan was a captain and all-league player in 1998 – 21 years later he is even better! He hits absolute bullets, is brilliant in the field at every position, and is one of the few guys than can still run and throw! It is such fun to play with Dan because he plays with such joy and a constant smile.
*Yet, despite the fact that Dan does not have a mean bone in his body, he is sort of a “Smiling Assassin.” His line drive broke Zerf’s arm a few years ago, and we certainly thought it was a total accident. But this year, with two men on base, Dan took aim at an easier target and hit a heat-seeking missile right at octogenarian Lenny Jackson’s head. Fortunately, Lenny has some reflexes left and got his head out of the way, taking just a glancing blow off his body. The ball was dead, Lenny was not. And it cost Dan an RBI.

Zack Driscoll ’12. Zack was a captain of our 2012 league title team. I like to use Kramer’s phrase to describe Zack’s play - “like strawberry pie.” He is smooth and sweet out there and plays with true grace (and you can’t have a little grace). Zack gets every ounce of fun possible out of our games, as he rips the ball (just missed a homer this year), tracks down balls in the gap, makes sliding catches in the OF, makes flashy plays at 3b and short (Zack throws lefty). He is like Willie Mays in the outfield – his glove is where triples go to die!

Jon Vedder ’83. Sign of the apocalypse – V made an out this year. VV Rider, the line drive machine, may have made a rare out, but every other at bat he hit line drive after line drive all over the field. It is uncanny how he barrels up the ball and hits equally hard to all fields. Amazing. And V is a two-way player who shows he hasn’t lost a step, making a fine running catch in the left center gap. V is a Cooperstown regular/legend; just a pleasure to play with him.

Brendan (goes by his first name, like Beyonce’). Thank goodness for Brendan, who allowed us to get to 15 players and provide an occasional rest (it is tough to be a runner on third base but also be on deck!). And he did great, hitting the ball hard all weekend, including one-hopping the fence in center field. And he is a very nice kid, too!

Team C

Scott Farris ’85. Coach Farris was our Outstanding Offensive Player, on the strength of his Rafael Devers-like performance. Just like Devers, Scott had a 6-hit game with 4 doubles. Two of those doubles were nearly homers, as well. Scott, just like when he was an all-league player in ’85, has that perfect lefty swing and the ability to put the sweet spot on the ball. And Scott made one of the best defensive plays of the weekend, going to his right, at shortstop, to backhand the ball and throw out the runner. Sweet. A great weekend for Scott who is our loyal and unselfish alumnus and friend.

John Feudo ’95. John has often been the target of ribbing from his “buddies” but this year he turned it right back on them. John just played fabulously in both games. He won the Outstanding Defensive Player Award with many putouts in the outfield, a rare Cooperstown outfield assist, and a legit, beautiful sliding catch of a pop –up on the right field line. And John crushed the ball all weekend long. Really nice swings and some impressive ball-exit speeds. It looks like Feudo is peaking at age 42. TB12, step aside for JF42.

Josh Driscoll ’95 . He smiles in the field, he smiles when at bat, he smiles on the bases, and he gives Feudo grief. Java just has pure fun every moment of the weekend. He is self-deprecating about his play, but don’t be fooled. Java has been one of our most prolific and consistent hitters/player in our 16 years of Alumni Games. This year was no different, as Java belted a bomb over the left field fence on Sunday. Java always makes these weekends fun for all of us, on and off the field.

Jason Zerfas ’99. Never mind Robert Downey Jr.; Zerf is the real Iron Man! Once again, he did the yeoman’s work of the pitching, hurling the equivalent of 24 innings on the weekend! I love that Zerf has the classic, full, over-the-head windup and then delivers strike after strike. As mentioned, he was named Outstanding Pitcher. But there’s more – Zerf had a big weekend at the plate, launching some long balls to left and center, including a no-doubt-about-it homer over the left field fence. Player-coach-alumnus: Reading Baseball has never produced a better person than our man Zerf.

Coach Mosc ’71. I am just thrilled to be on the field with my players and friends. But I still take pride in my performance, so I was happy to hit the ball hard a couple times and catch two foul pop-ups behind the plate!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So thank you to our alumni and friends who made our annual Cooperstown Weekend so memorable and fun. I am so proud to play alongside my players and grateful to stay connected with you guys.

We have some alumni news for the spring/summer of 2019

Congratulations to alumni who have some engagement-wedding-baby news:

Congratulations to Steve (’03) and Katie Gath on the birth of their first child, Connor Steven Gath. Baby Gath was born on February 21, 2019 and weighed in a 7 lbs, 8 oz. All the best to Connor and his mom and dad!

Congratulations to Dan Marshall ’03 and his wife on the birth of their second child, Drew James Marshall. All the key stats are right there on Drew’s baseball bat! Best wishes to Danny and his beautiful young family.

Congratulations to Jesse Woods '00 and his wife, Danielle, on the birth of their daughter, Atley Margaret in March. Atley joins her big brother Caden in Jesse's beautiful young family.

Congratulations to Patrick ’08 and Brianna Kiley who welcomed their baby girl into their family this spring. Reagan Louise Kiley was born on May 15. We are happy for Pat and Brianna and wish them all the best.

Congratulations to Bill Cataldo ’08 on his engagement to Katie Wiklund. We wish you both all the best in your future together.

Congratulations to Jeff Covitz ’11 and Elizabeth Haley who were married on April 20. Best wishes to Elizabeth and Jeff for a wonderful life together.

Congratulations to Tom White, who was an Asst. Varsity Coach for us in 2013, was Head Coach at Lyndon State College and currently an Assistant at his alma mater, Colby Sawyer College. Tom is the son of Coach Mosc’s former UNH teammate and long-time friend, who coached the Lisbon (NH) HS Baseball Team who used to come down to scrimmage us. Tom was a standout baseball and soccer player and Hall of Famer at Colby Sawyer. That is where he met his future bride, RMHS graduate Ellen Naughton! Tom and Ellen were married on June 29; we wish them all the best.

Congratulations to Steve Cool '10, as he married Paige on June 22. Steve and Paige live in Denver, CO as Steve will be starting a Masters program at the University of Colorado. Best of luck to the newlyweds!

And some more good news:

Rob DiLoreto ’14, on June 29, became a Massachusetts State Trooper. Congratulations to Rob for his great accomplishment and career choice. He makes us all very proud!

Hayley Barrett, wife of alumnus John Barrett ’84, has had her book, Babymoon, recently published. It is a beautifully written and illustrated book that serves as a wonderful gift for expectant parents.

Ducky Turenne’s (’79) son, Ryan, just completed his freshman year at the University of Maine. Ryan’s photo appeared in Collegiate Baseball newspaper when he not only broke up a no-hitter, but did so with a pinch-hit grand slam! Ryan played in the NECBL this summer for the Sanford Mainers.

Jesse Woods ’00 completed his first year as Head Baseball Coach at Colby College. His club started out with a bang, winning its first six games! Check out the beautiful new baseball/softball complex at Colby.

Bob Macaluso’82 is an Asst. Coach this summer with the Anchorage Bucs, who are champions of the Alaska Baseball League. This is a league for top collegiate players, similar to the Cape Cod League. We wonder of Coach Mac is the only guy to have not only coached, but won championships, in both of those leagues!

Congratulations to former RMHS Baseball Head Coach (1969-1976) Gil Congdon who was inducted into the East Longmeadow High School Hall of Fame this past fall. Here is the story I wrote for Facebook back then.
In 1962 Rolland “Gil” Congdon, President of the first graduating class of the new East Longmeadow High School, chose a quote from Louis Adamic, to appear under his yearbook photo, “ There is a certain blend of courage and character.”
Well, Gil demonstrated that courage and character as he delivered his acceptance speech for his induction into the East Longmeadow HS Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday night. Gil began his speech by saying, “if you see my hands shaking, it’s not because I’m nervous. I have Parkinson’s Disease. But I am a little nervous.” Typical Gil - he always finds humor even in the toughest situations.
Then Gil spoke with his usual humor, passion, and emotion, as he talked about his days as an outstanding 4-sport athlete, Class President,
and academic award-winner at ELMS. Gil’s wife, Pam, and children Peter, Brad, and Brooke, along with close friends, were there to share in Gil’s special night.
Now, many of us know Gil as “Mr. Congdon”, the math teacher at Reading High School or as “Coach Congdon” the varsity baseball coach and asst. basketball coach at RMHS, where he spent most of his 46 years as a remarkable educator. In addition to RMHS, Gil also ventured to Bethlehem, NH, to teach math, coach baseball and basketball and be AD at the brand new Profile High School, while he and Pam operated a small farm. He returned to Reading to become our Athletic Director and teach math for several more years. Gil completed his HS teaching career at Manchester-Essex High School where he was a beloved Teacher of the Year and delivered a memorable speech, in song (Gil loves to sing - he was in the Glee Club in HS and also started a barbershop quartet, ‘The Gay Blades’) at the graduation ceremony .
Upon “retirement”, Gil’s passion for helping young people still burned and it brought him to Bentley University where taught math and was honored both as Adjunct Professor of the Year a Student Advisor of the Year, concluding his career in 2014.
Wow. That’s an amazing career in which Gil impacted countless young women and men, in the classroom and on the fields. And he did it all with a certain blend of courage and character. He still does.
So congratulations Mr. Congdon for your well-deserved honor, and a huge thank you from all of us students, athletes, colleagues, and friends whom you’ve had such a lasting, positive impact. We hope we can demonstrate the character and courage you have shown us.

This is the Reading Baseball Alumni shirt I designed for our Cooperstown games. As you admire this sharp-looking shirt, take a close look at the oval above READING.

The MOM is a tribute to all our Reading Baseball moms- our moms, grandmothers, wives.

This was prompted by the sadness from recently losing Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Donegan, Mrs. Lucci, Mrs. McHugh, and my mom, all in a short span in 2019. It also serves to bring hope and strength to the moms who are currently facing difficulty health challenges, as well.

A couple of you have asked if the shirts are available for sale (there is a red version, too). The answer is yes- I bought 32 shirts and, after the Cooperstown players get theirs, I will make them available to you.

And some very sad news:

The Reading athletic community was very saddened this June by the passing of one of RMHS’ greatest athletes, Jim Kiley ’68. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim’s family and friends.
Jim was truly one of the greatest athletes in RMHS history. He excelled in football, hockey, and baseball during the mid-late 60’s of of the Golden Eras of RMHS sports. His teammates included RMHS Hall of Famers John Doherty, Bill Kelly, Bill Carroll, George Watkins, Mike Jackson, Mike Camarota, and Gino Serrechia. My 1971 classmates and I remember, as Junior High School students, watching Jim Kiley play football and baseball. He was a larger-than-life character who absolutely dominated in football. Whether carrying the ball from scrimmage or returning a kick, he was big, strong, fast – unstoppable! In baseball, he was a shortstop, hard-throwing pitcher, and a lefty hitter with great power. Story is that he hit a ball to right field that went into the wooded area beyond where the batting cages now stand.
Here is the piece that appeared in Jim’s Hall of Fame tribute:
During his three year varsity career, Jim was a dynamic three sport star, earning nine varsity letters and playing a vital role in the success of six Middlesex League championship teams- three each in football and baseball.

On the gridiron, Jim was an explosive running back, defensive back and excellent punter. A ML All-Star as a junior, he outdid himself as a senior, winning the league scoring title and the Ingersoll Award. He capped his football career by being named to the Record-American All-Scholastic team and earning honorable mention on the Boston Globe and Boston Travelers teams.

In the winter, Jim was a three year varsity forward for John Burns' hockey teams. A solid skater and scorer, he helped lead the team to its first post season tournament during his senior year. He was rewarded for his efforts when he was named a first team Middlesex League All-Star in the 1967-68 season.

Jim started on three consecutive ML champion baseball teams as a shortstop and pitcher. During his senior year, the team won the Eastern Massachusetts Class A title before being defeated by Springfield Tech in the state finals. A two time league all-star, he played in the Record-American Sandlot All-Star game at Fenway Park in 1967 and 1968. He was named to the Boston Globe 1968 All-Scholastic team as a utility player while also being named first team shortstop on the Record-American All-Scholastic team.

Though chosen in the eighth round of the 1968 major league baseball draft by the Chicago White Sox, Jim elected to attend the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he had an outstanding collegiate career.

 READING BASEBALL ALUMNI CLUB DINNER & REUNION 2019

We held our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner & Reunion on January 11,, 2019 and it was, once again, a resounding success. Thanks to 36 guys, who represented 20 different teams over five decades, for being there and making it a memorable event. Compete list of the attendees appears below.

Dos Lobos is a great location for us. The private room and bar serves our needs perfectly. Plenty of space, table seating, big projection screen for our presentation, and good food.

In addition to guys catching up with each other (which really is the point of the whole thing!), we had photo books, stats books, record books, individual season scrap books, and more, on display. Guys seem to like those, and I noticed players taking photos of photos, for themselves or to share with old teammates.

We had some videos from past games (on videotape and played via a VCR) running throughout the night. A highlight was the video of our first Alumni Game in Cooperstown, in 2003. Amazing to think we have been playing on Doubleday Field for 15 years!

Then there was the slide show, which I told guys would be 25 minutes long, without stories added on, and 90 minutes with stories. Guess which one we did? The show included Alumni News (engagements, marriages, babies), Alumni Coaching in HS or College Baseball, recognition of two alumni who will be inducted into the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame next November (Mike Ottariano '02, Tom Fratto '94), a remembrance of our five alumni brothers whom we've lost, our 2018 alumni year in review, and a well-received new feature - Alumni/MLB look-alikes (was really cool effect - showed photo of MLB player and it morphed into one of our guys - Alex Bregman to Jamie Cerretani, Alex Cora to Tom Zaya, and Jon Lester to Mark DeMasse). Then we had a trip through Reading Baseball history 1977-2013 with lots of photos, newspaper articles, trivia, highlights, and stats. And this is when the great stories came out!

A special feature we have added the last couple years is to pay tribute to the team's whose last digit of their graduation year matches the current year. So in 2019, we recognized the teams of 1979, 1989, 1999, and 2009. We ended up just celebrating the ''79 and '99 as those were the teams whose players made it to the event.This was a whole other slide show! We had six guys from the '79 team - senior co-captain Steve Mello, plus seniors Pete Collins, Jack Marlin, Paul "Ducky" Turenne, and juniors Mark O'Brien and Penn Michelini. This was a special group in that it was my first coaching job - the 1976 RMHS Freshman team and then in '77 they were Coach Bryson's first team, as JV's. Then they became our first tourney team in '79, back when we were Division I and had to go 14-6 just to qualify. Stories about the team, the season, the players, and, the post-season carried us almost to midnight!

The '99 team, represented by Dennis Gramolini and Jason Zerfas, got the see the show that was made for their incredible team. That 17-3 league championship club holds all-time records for Most Hits (214; 10.7 per game, Batting Average (.371), On Base Average (.480), Slugging Pct. (.527), Fewest Errors (17), Fielding Average (.970), and Least Stolen Bases Allowed (4). Great team comprised of great kids.

The YOG with the most players were the '79 team and the 2002 team who had Mark DeMasse, Rob DeMoura, Jon Rosenthal, and Mike Ottariano. Special thanks to my ‘71 teammate and friend of almost 60 years, Al Weston, for being there.Al and I are proud members of the 1971 league championship club!

So it was a terrific night; feedback from players said they had a great time and liked the venue and all the activities.

Photos will be attached soon. They are mostly from Steve Palladino ‘82, who also made a very generous donation that lowered the cost for each of us. Thanks so much, Steve, for your ongoing support and thoughtfulness.

Alumni events are always very special times for me. I have wonderful memories and stories about each of you (as those at the event could tell by my long-talking!). I guess I still love to stand up in front of my alumni and talk about you because, in those moments, I get to feel like I’m your coach again. I’m just so very proud of what you all did back then and, especially, of who you are now.

Here is our list of alumni at the event:
‘71: Al Weston, Coach Mosc
‘77 Mike Moscariello
‘79 Pete Collins, Jack Marlin, Steve Mello,Ducky Turenne
‘80 Penn Michelini, Mark O’Brien
‘81 Joe Picano
‘82 Steve Palladino
‘83 Brian O’Neil
‘84 Kevin Mello
‘87 Gary d’Entremont, Dave Johnson, Tom Zaya
‘88 Chris Curley
‘89 Rich Foohey
‘91 Rich Curley, Paul Sumner, Tom Quinn
‘95 Josh Driscoll, John Feudo, Josh Martin
‘99 Dennis Gramolini, Jason Zerfas
‘02 Mark DeMasse,Rob DeMoura, Mike Ottariano, Jon Rosenthal
‘03 Brian DeMasse
‘08 Tommy DeMasse
‘11 Jeff Covitz
‘12 Zack Driscoll
‘13 Garrett Colantino, Scott Tully

photos - hover over photo to see captions

Steve Langone, Boston Red Sox World Champions

We have all enjoyed the Red Sox's amazing regular season, playoff run, and World Series championship. They were just an incredible team of confident, but humble guys, all of whom embraced their role and put the team first. Reminds me (seriously) of how you and your teammates went about it in your Reading Baseball days. But, winning the World Series is probably even a bigger deal than winning the Middlesex League title!

Anyway, in addition to watching, Pearce, Price, Joe Kelly, Sale, JBJ, etc., many of us enjoyed following the Sox because of our very own Steve Langone '96, Manager of Advanced Scouting. In the past few years Steve traveled on his own to scout the teams' next opponents (2 days in Baltimore, 2 days in Cleveland, 2 days in Toronto, etc.) and did his scouting from live games and then submitted reports. When Alex Cora came in, he valued Steve's input so much that he wanted Steve to be with the team every day, so staff and players would have immediate access to Steve's insights. Steve still prepared the reports, now from video (he was in charge of advising how Sox hitter's should attack opposing pitchers and he also was responsible for the running game) and was in uniform and always nearby. Steve told me, for example, that if a reliever came in, he would, on the spot, remind Mookie Betts that this pitcher looks at 2nd base once on the first pitch, and not at all on the second pitch. Next thing we knew, we'd see Mookie stole 3rd!

So congratulations to Steve for being a valuable and integral part of the team's success! Here are some playoff photos, uncropped, taken off TV screen by fellow alumni using our cell phones

Alumni News - November 2018

Congratulations to two of our alumni: the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame will, next November, induct Tom Fratto ‘94 and Mike Ottariano ‘02. Both were outstanding three-sport athletes who represented their team and school with class and integrity. Both were terrific baseball players but excelled in other sports, too. In addition to baseball, Tom excelled in football and track while Mike excelled in football and hockey.

Tom was co-captain, along with Dan Robinson, of our 1994 Hall of Fame team that went 21-2, was league co-champs and made it to the D2 North Final. In that season, Tom batted .415 with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 5 homers, and 24 RBI. He slugged .846 and had a remarkable 1.390 OPS. Most memorable was his 3-homer game at Doubleday Field, in Cooperstown. Tom also was 8-1 as a pitcher, with a 1.59 ERA and a no-hitter.
Tom was a two time Middlesex League All-Star, plus Boston Herald All-Scholastic, Boston Globe Division II All-Star, and Daily Times Chronicle Player of the Year.

Mike, who was a high-scoring forward on the hockey team, and a ball-hawking defensive back in football, was a superb lefthanded starting pitcher for us. He played on two great teams, including the 2001 team that went to the Division II North Final. Mike had a flawless 6-0 record , with a save, in ‘01 . He pitched great, in relief, in the North Finals. Then,as a senior, he went 4–1, with another save. Mike’s career 10-1 record ranks him third all-time in winning percentage (.909) for pitchers with at least ten decisions.

Congratulations to Tom and Mike for this well-deserved honor. We are all proud of you!

And congratulations to Gil Congdon who will be inducted into the East Longmeadow High School Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 17, 2108. Gil was RMHS Head Baseball Coach from 1969-1976. He coached RMHS' only MLB player, John Doherty '69. Later, Mr. Congdon was Athletic Director at RMHS. Gil was my coach and remains a great friend today. So I am happy to see him receive this honor.
His induction will be as one of his school's greatest 3-sport athletes: football, basketball, and baseball. Gil was also captain of all three sports and President of his senior class!

One more thing: congratulations to sons of two of our alumni! Anthony Picano (dad, Joe '81) and Tommy Sumner (dad, Paul '91) have been chosen as two of the three tri-captains for next fall's RMHS Golf Team. Both Anthony and Tommy were starters and key players on this year's Middlesex League Liberty Champions, coached by alumnus Jeff Nelson '76.

Reading Baseball Alumni Game -- Sunday, September 16, 2018
Newt Morton Field at Pete Moscariello Ballpark

We held our third Alumni Game of the summer, this one not in Cooperstown, but right here at Pete Moscariello Ballpark.
Seventeen players, plus a good contingent of parents, wives, and children all gathered on a very warm Sunday afternoon.

Our players, who represented teams from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, and 10’s donned the classic white shirts that our clubs proudly wore for over 20 years and got ready to see if they could capture a bit of the glory they experienced back in their RMHS playing days.

But first we wanted to give our Alumni Kids a chance to play on the same field that their dad’s had played upon. So our alumni boys and girls got a chance to take some swings and run the bases. Alumnus Steve Palladino ’82, took photos of each youngster (and of all the alumni, too) that you see below. I think the kids had a good time and I know it was a thrill for both kids and parents to see them out there.

To play the big boys game, we split into two pre-determined teams, Team Bernard and Team Zerfas, strategically balanced by age. Sometimes that works out into a close, competitive game, sometimes it doesn’t!

Mark Andrick (who I consider the best player in the league in 2004) took the mound and put down Team Zerfas order (of course, that is not the goal in an alumni game – pitchers just lay nice fastballs in there so batters can hit. Mark tried to do that, but he just got outs!). Then Jason Zerfas (who certainly is the Alumni Game all-time leader in starts, innings pitched, wins, losses, and every other stat, due to the fact that we rely on him to throw 9-27 innings every alumni event) also recorded a 1-2-3 inning.

I remember the scoreless tie continued for a couple innings, and then the hits began to pile up. But, with just 17 players, each of us was either on the field or getting ready to hit, so I don’t remember all the details of who produced key hits, etc.

But I can tell you a bit about each player. But first, huge thanks to alumnus Steve Palladino '82. True to his training as our team manager in 1980, Steve arrived early and helped with all the pre-event set up. He took all the photos you see below - kids, players, team. Steve had to leave early for another commitment, but made sure he got a photo of each player and kid. Thanks, Steve!

Alumnus Legend Pete Collins ’79, who was the Outstanding Offensive Player in Cooperstown, continued his impressive hitting, including driving a double into the right center gap. Pete, who played college ball at Babson, still loves to play the game. And we never get tired of watching Pete’s beautiful swing.

Greg Bernard ‘82 is a very important alumnus for us. He was a player in the rollicking early 80’s, a Summer Rockets Coach, and our Freshman Team Coach. Everyone likes Nardo for his commitment and humor and we enjoyed watching him scoop a ball at 1b and stroke a single to left.

Scott Farris ’85, who was an All-League player and National Assistant Baseball Coach of the Year, is still a terrific all around player. He showed his beautiful lefty swing and made a dazzling play in the field with a backhanded snag of a line drive. Scott is one of just a few players who had a Quintuple Double season, with double figures in Runs, Hits, Walks, Stolen Bases, and RBI.

Jim Lucci ’85 is a marvel. He gets a quality AB every time and just rips the ball. He plays the field beautifully (one opposing player applauded for Looch when he fielded a slow roller and threw to 1st on the run). Looch plays every position well, including catcher and demonstrates his love of playing the game. And let’s remember that Coach Lucci was a valuable member of our coaching staff for many years.

Kaelen Richards ’89 showed why he was a Middlesex League All-Star and one of the best hitters and pitchers that we’ve had (batted .397 as a junior and .406 with 3 HR and 22 RBI and 6-2 pitching record as a senior), as he launched a bomb to right field and looked comfortable around the 1st base bag.

Tom Fratto ’94, a captain and All-Scholastic player from his 19-1 team, and the only player to ever hit 3 HR in one game (at Doubleday), is still imposing at the plate. He made the 3rd baseman, runner on 3rd, and 3rd base coach very uncomfortable, as he laced half a dozen bullets in that direction.

Chris Foley ’94 was our every day leftfielder and leadoff hitter who scored over 20 runs and led the team in walks . Later, Chris assistant coached with us, and has hit an Alumni homer at Doubleday. He still is the consistent, solid player and class act we remember.

Jason Zerfas ’99 has done it all for Reading Baseball – player, Freshman Coach, Summer Rockets Coach, and Varsity Assistant, and Alumni Game constant. Zerf My point is, if there is something important to our program, Zerf is there – playing, coaching, helping, being a great teammate and friend. This day, Zerf also hit a blast to just about to the same spot as Welchy. Zerf never gets cheated on a swing and he always crushes the ball to go along with his Iron Man pitching.

Dennis Gramolini ’99 was just born to throw a baseball. I noticed him playing catch and commented on his perfect mechanics. Maybe his perfect mechanics is the reason why he threw our program’s only tournament perfect game – vs. Lynn Classical in 1998, won 14 games in two season with an ERA under 1.50. Dennis can also field and hit and he does so with a constant smile.

Mark Andrick ’04 is still an active player in the Wakefield Twilight League, and we could tell! In addition to his pitching, Mark hit the ball with authority to all fields. Watching Mark play made us recall what an incredible player he was for us, when he was 7-0, 1.80 and batted .384 with 2 HR and an OPS of 1.013.

Chris Welch ’11, in his first Alumni Game, hit the longest ball of the day, a bomb that landed at the base of the left field fence. It made us recall the moonshot homer that Chris hit vs. Melrose in 2011, high over the foul pole, as well as Chris’ great senior year when he hit .379 with 2 HR and over 20 RBI and Runs.

Greg Altobello ’12 smoked a couple hits to right field, just the way he had practiced so many times! It was fun to watch play shortstop with the same ease and athleticism that made him a Middlesex League All-Star and a team leader in Runs, Stolen Bases, Sacrifices, and Assists.

Anthony DeSimone ’12. Look up his name in the dictionary next to the word “Athlete”. He was a 5-tool player for us just a few years ago and still is now. We recalled how he had the biggest hit of the season to beat Belmont to propel us to the league title and how he made a nice running catch in Arlington to end the game on Scott Tully’s no-hitter. Anthony also led the team in On Base Average. Yet, he is as humble as they come.

Zack Driscoll ’12, co-captain of our league championship team his senior year, plays the game with great joy. He is a beautiful lefthanded thrower and a fluid righthander hitter (we have had over 20 players with that combination!). But Zack makes us happy and sad. Happy because it is a pleasure watch him play with such grace, and sad because we (over 40’s) wish we could field, throw, hit, and run the way he does!

Paul Andrick ’12 did his usual flawless job behind the plate, just as he did for two years as our starting catcher. Paul, who is in grad school to earn his PhD, also looked good at 3b and at the plate. Paul batted .378 as a junior and amassed over 300 putouts in two seasons. It was great to see Paul on the same field as his brother, while his parents proudly watched from the stands.

Anthony Picano, who is a Future Alumnus and current RMHS sophomore, is the son of our great alumni friend, Joe Picano. Knowing we had just 16 players, we asked Anthony to join us. He saved the day, as he became the 9th defender for both teams, playing infield, outfield, and catcher. He got his AB’s, too, and showed why he is on his way to being an excellent player.

After the game, Captains Bernard and Zerfas conferred to choose three award winners. Mark Andrick was selected as the Outstanding Pitcher for his complete game-pound the zone-yield just five runs performance. They gave me the Outstanding Offensive Player Award, probably because they remembered my two nice singles and forgot my two weak pop ups! And, in an unprecedented move, they named 10-year old Colby Farris as Outstanding Defensive Player. During a couple innings, Colby escorted his dad out to left field where Scott primarily protected Colby from hard hit balls. But on one high fly toward the left field line, Colby took off after the ball and Scott let him take a shot. Well Colby made a running, reaching, backhanded stab that was clearly the best defensive play of the day, from any age group!

We should have recognized the 2012 team as the Alumni Team of the Year 2018, as they had four players at the game. Good to have the youth out there to make the game more lively!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My big thanks to all our fans – wives, parents, family members, and friends, who came to watch us play. I know how much joy parents got from watching their sons play for Reading Baseball back in the day; I think they experienced the same joy watching them play this day.
And players - you guys all know how much I love these Alumni Games. It was a privilege to coach you all, but even more fun to play alongside you! Even more, I enjoy talking to each of you, hearing about what is new in your lives, saying hello to your wives and parents, and seeing your beautiful kids. When I see the men of character that you have become – successful at school and career, as husbands and dads – well, then I know that we coaches must have done something right.
So thanks for being there and thanks for giving the old coach more memories and more reasons to be grateful and proud!

Reading Baseball Alumni Club Cooperstown Weekend 2018

The annual Reading Baseball Alumni Club Cooperstown Weekend 2018, held on August 24-26, was great fun and a great success! No longer just considered “Cooperstown Alumni Games”, the event has morphed into a full weekend where players spend as much time together off the field as on.

Most players arrived on Friday evening, after a traffic-slowing 5-hour drive. When Coaches Lucci, Zerf, and I arrived, we drove past Cooperstown Fun Park on the way to our hotel. We noticed go-kart #11 displayed out front. Figure it must have been taken out of action due to irreparable damage suffered in 2002!

Other guys, traveling in groups, arrived different times, but we all somehow ended up at the same restaurant, Redneck BBQ, for dinner.

After a good meal, which including absorbing some cracks by our spirited server, some guys went to the very nice Cooperstown Distillery and then joined, again, the entire group, at Cooley’s (never realized that it’s actually called “Cooley’s Stone House Tavern”).

Some guys left early, while some stayed late (tomorrow’s game not til 1:30, so you know what that means!). I hear that among the activities were spirited games of darts (a highlight was John Feudo defeating DanFoley) but all got back to their respective hotels in town to “visualize” before falling asleep.

With an afternoon game on Saturday, we had ample time in the morning to visit the Hall of Fame and/or shops on Main Street. Baseballisms has become a favorite store of many, for their interesting shirts and posters for true baseball fanatics. I bet you can figure out what this shirt says.

A bit about what Coaches Lucci, Zerf, and Mosc did on Saturday am. Coach Lucci posed the idea of having breakfast at the Otesaga Hotel, the historic 5-star hotel on the lake and where all Hall of Famers stay on Induction Weekend. Great idea, Looch! We enjoyed a gourmet breakfast in their spectacular dining room and then walked the beautiful grounds. I highly recommend it.

Then we drove to Clarke Sports Center, the venue where the HOF Induction actually takes place. It’s like an indoor Rec Center next to outdoor fields, next to a corn field. We filmed our own little Field of Dreams scene.

Okay, about the game- Saturday brought a beautiful upper 70’s day. Our 21 players, previously separated into the Red Team and Gray Team, included alumni from six different decades! 1995 teammates/friends/adversaries Java Driscoll and John Feudo, were designated as captains, Java for Red and Feudo for Gray. Team Red was like “Team Family” as it included Ace and Jeff Bryson, Mark, Brian, and Tommy DeMasse and practically-a-DeMasse-brother, Rob DeMoura, plus Java and Zack Driscoll, along with their dad, Neal. It was wonderful to see three generations of Brysons at Coop – Ace and his wife of 52 years, Jane, their son Jeff, Jeff’s wife Jenn, and their children Hannah and Theo. We marvel at Ace’s energy and caliber of play, as he gets the bat on the ball every time (and his base hit makes him the oldest batter to single at Doubleday) and plays well at 1b.

Neal Driscoll, playing in his first Alumni Game, singled to left in his second AB and looked very comfortable at the plate. He is a terrific guy and we are so glad he came. It was just great to see how proud Java and Zack were to play with their dad. Team Gray had its own family group with Pete Collins’ two nephews, Jackson and Patrick Forelli, joining us. Jackson has played several times and is an outstanding player. Younger brother Patrick is really good, too, as he hit and caught well. Both Forelli boys are great kids and we could see how much they admire how well Uncle Pete hits and fields. A note about the DeMasse Brothers and Rob – they combined for 30 (yes, 30!) wins for Reading Baseball. Moreover, they are such great and loyal alumni who always excel at Cooperstown, but, moreover, find ways to make the trip great for all of us. This old coach recognizes and appreciates that.

Both teams warmed up and then we paused for a few minutes to honor Alan Lincourt, who has photographed our players and teams for 25 years. We presented Alan, who was joined by his lovely wife, Peg, with a nice plaque with gratitude for “25 years of Service, Excellence, and Friendship to Reading Baseball Players, Coaches, and Fans”. Alan was quite moved and appreciative and asked to shake each player’s hand. But first, he lined us up for his traditional team photo. Giggity.

Oh yeah, the game. The Gray Team jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the first, thanks to a 2-run homer into the left field net by the remarkable Jim Lucci. I wish we had kept count of Doubleday Homeruns over the years, cuz Looch has had a bunch.

Looch had barely touched home plate before a video of his home run trot was texted t

But the Red Team came right back to tie the game and take a 7-2 lead late into the game (sorry, I can’t remember all the details). Team Gray could score only one more run off complete-game winner Tommy DeMasse, for a 7-3 final. The three runs may be the lowest total in the history of our Alumni Games.

Photo at left - Tommy DeMasse worked 15 innings on the weekend: 85% strikes!

Tommy said that he’s not trying to get guys out; he wants guys to hit the ball hard. Tommy truly understands the spirit of what we intend to do. Nevertheless, T-Bone has a little bit of a cut on his fastball which resulted in seemingly 20 of the 27 outs being ground balls to shortstop Chris Dolan or fly balls to center fielder Zack Driscoll. Chris, I noted (I can’t help talking about mechanics) gets so low – his head and eyes are so close to the ball and he gets in great position. Plus still has the arm to throw it across the diamond! And Zack just ranges from left center to right center, tracking everything done with fluidity and grace (... you either have grace or you don’t have grace; and you can't acquire grace). Maybe the best single defensive play was when Jim Lucci, despite the losing cause, made a really nice play as catcher – ranging well up the 3rd base line to catch a pop up.

The Red Team offense was led by the ageless wonder, Jon Vedder, who went 4 for 4. I know other guys also pounded the ball – Danny Marshall, Chris Dolan, Rob DeMoura, Josh Driscoll, and, as always, Mark, Brian, and Tommy DeMasse. Matt Morrison, who can catch, pitch, and play anywhere, also had a strong weekend and he is still the leading hitter in the Woburn Men’s League.

Iron Man Jason Zerfas threw his usual complete game for the Gray Team pounding the strike zone for 8 innings and allowing the Red Team to get their hacks.

We also had, what Kramer would call “an incident”. At the beginning of one inning, umpire Lennie Jackson called time out and walked out to RF to talk to Mark DeMasse. Lennie claimed that Mark had something shiny on his hat that was distracting the home plate umpire. Lennie was put up to this by Mark’s brothers and Coach Mosc as Brian had attached, unbeknownst to Mark, a “Fusilli Jerry” pin on Mark’s hat. Lennie played his part perfectly and once Mark saw what the commotion was about, he enjoyed the joke and shared in the laughter.

Speaking of Lennie- he has umpired our games – both vs. Lexington and Alumni Games since 1993. Now in his 80’s, Lennie is a wonderful guy who really “gets us”. Unlike some of the other umpires (Lucas), Lennie knows we are all friends with a common bond and play the games competitively, but with fun as the goal. We took some time after Game Two to collectively thank Lennie for his good work and friendship.

On Saturday evening we continued our tradition of renting a small function room at the Comfort Inn and Suites where we all got together for food, drink, and camaraderie. This is always a highlight of the weekend. All 21 players were there and we showed some video clips from baseball movies as well as photos from our game on Doubleday that day. We even hooked up Radica Baseball (some of you guys remember that game we used to play in my classroom) and Tommy DeMasse stepped up and hit a dozen homers

We had some “baseball card” contests (remember - take 1 point if your player is wearing a white shirt, etc.) with multiple winners receiving various baseball t-shirts and other prizes.
We also talked about Game 1 (the Gray Team was not happy that the Red Team played in set positions for all 9 innings. Borrriinng! Captain Driscoll said, no, that’s just good coaching! We told some good stories (for example Ace talked about one of our pitchers warming up and not “hitting the bull” yet and Mark DeMasse told how the outfielders entertained themselves by earning points if their long throws caused bodily harm to unsuspecting (but always good sport) Rob DeMoura.

We had some good laughs, too, as Mark DeMasse also showed us a video that taught us to eat bananas because “Monkey never cra(m)p”.
Check out the video:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LdGai72Tt8Y

Then Java discovered that several guys had not heard the “15 Minute Late joke yet, so I was happy to tell that one! Always a crowd-pleaser!

We recognized Zack Driscoll; we mentioned that he played so well in CF that he made even tough plays look like “a can of corn”. So he was given an actual ear of corn (from the cornfield video).

And we all gave a big thanks to Jim Lucci, who was a tremendous help all weekend. Looch took care of collecting money for the trip and Saturday night’s food, and helped me in many ways (I say Looch always looks out for me and takes care of me). And we presented Looch with this shirt – to add to his collection!

I was also grateful and moved when Danny Foley, on behalf of all the guys, presented me with a shirt from Baseballisms. Here it is - my new Favorite Shirt. Thanks guys.

The highlight of Saturday night (as far as I know- I didn’t go out with any of the guys later that night!) was our Third Annual Distinguished Alumnus Award. The honor, which recognizes an alumnus for dedication to Alumni Games and events, has been presented previously to Chuck Ross ‘74 and Pete Collins ‘70. The award includes an engraved Cooperstown Timepiece, designers by Alan Lincourt, and was given to Jon Vedder.
Not only has V been to all of our Doubleday Games, but he’s batted about .800! He has brought his sons Johnny and Ray on some of trips and made the weekend memorable for them. He has also endured “camping” with Bob Macaluso and Maco’s legendary bonfires!

Jon Vedder, Maco, and two Russian girls from Cooley's consider Maco's suggestion to "throw another log on the fire"

One story that speaks to V’s patience, humor, and roll-out-of-bed and hit qualities is when he and Maco drove up the morning of a a Saturday game, missed an exit, and ended up near Lake George. They turned around and got back in the last inning. We pushed V right up to the plate to hit. He singled and then the next guy made the third out, ending the game. V jogged to dugout, grabbed his stuff and said “Good game, guys. See you next year!”

Above-left is photo of what V’s award looked like, only his had the nice engraving. V was was moved and appreciative, with his award, and all the guys were happy to recognize him for his loyalty and dedication.

Game Two was at 10:00 on Sunday. I suggested we be at the field at 9:00 to properly warm up. Having no more leverage nor influence over anyone, guys rolled in promptly at 9:59. Play ball!
The Red Team was looking to sweep and have a full year of bragging rights. But Gray Team captain Feudo gave a passionate pre-game speech (it was actually quite good!) and Team Gray took the field.

Again, details elude me but I know Pete Collins had a 4 for 4 game with some big RBI hits while his younger nephew, Patrick Forelli, launched the longest hit of the weekend, a homer over everything in left field.

Jason Zerfas pitched 7 more innings to earn the win (Zerf is probably the Alumni all-time leader in wins and innings pitched) while Rob DeMoura and John Feudo pitched the 8th and 9th to close out the 9-5 win.

John Feudo had a nice all-around game, making a sliding catch in CF and a “Johnny Mac” type play at shortstop. Despite John blasting a nice double to right center, the Red Team employed the first-ever “all-infielder shift” on his next AB. A more conventional shift was used vs. Mark DeMasse. Mark was one of the most prolific hitters in Reading Baseball history and has continued his prowess in Alumni Games, with multiple homers and laser beams to right field. Despite the shift, DeMass smoked some bullets to RF.

The Red Team pounded out 21 hits but somehow scored only 5 runs. That’s hard to do! Part of the reason is that the Gray Team turned 3 or 4 double plays, got an out at the plate on a first and third play (I think it was a #1) and had a most unusual force out at the plate. On that play, Red had the bases loaded with two outs when the batter hit a hard ground ball to Danny Marshall who was playing very deep and off the line at 3b (by the way, Dan is Reading Baseball’s all-time single season hits leader and a gazelle in CF). Dan looked to 2nd for a force out but nobody was covering. Then he made a move to get the unassisted force at 3b but the runner was already there. So Dan heaved the ball across the diamond to Pete Collins, who was playing 1b, but much too late. Pete then turned and threw the ball home to catcher Jim Lucci who inadvertently was standing in contact with home plate. Looch caught the ball and the ump signaled out, as the throw beat the runner who started at 3b. The 5-3-2 force out at home, just the way we used to practice it!

Dan Foley played great in the field (he is just a pleasure to watch) and hustled on the basepaths, as always. But wait – was that Chris Dolan sliding into second base? We have not seen an Alumni Game slide since 1992 when Looch led off a local game with a hustle double, sliding into 2nd base (some say to impress his wife-to-be, Mary, who was at the game). Zack Driscoll played showed his lefthanded versatility by playing 2b and SS flawlessly for the Red Team and deftly started a 4-6-3 double play. He must have learned that by playing the required “different position” during hitting games. Zack also pitched two innings.
So the teams split the two games, which is not unusual. However each team scored exactly 12 runs in the 7-3, 5-9 split). Coach Lucci, ever the thinker and competitor, said we should “break the tie” by having a homerun derby. Someone else suggested a hitting game so we went with that - an end of day hitting game just like what you guys did so many times. Now normally we are whooshed off the field as soon as the game is over (someone said the “Field Nazi” would have thrown us off), but the new groundskeeper was more lenient (or unaware). The rules were that infielders had to catch the ball on the grass, outfielders play where they want, each batter gets just one fair ball, with point values of 1 up to 5, with opposite field counting double. Red hit first and scored 11 points, with Danny Marshall hitting one of the best balls of the day – a bomb to left center and Red also got a big 4-pointer coming from Java (Java won’t admit it, but he is a legitimate threat to hit a long ball every time up. Love watching him hit!). Note- a 4-pointer was defined as any ball that rolled and contacted the OF fence. More on that later.

The Gray Team took its turn but was foiled early when Brian DeMasse first made a “leaping” stab of a hot liner and then snagged a 1-hop bullet. Jeff Bryson also snared a 1-hopper, with full extension to his right. Note about Jeff – we all know his as Coach Bryson’s son and one of our two lefty catchers (DeMass, the other), but in addition, he is as great a guy as you will ever meet. Confident, but humble; funny, respectful, and appreciative. A superb educator and wonderful family man. Jeff is always welcome to join us. Okay, so Red needed to get it going and they did when Jason Zerfas smoked a clutch 4-pointer *(by the way, talk about great guys. Never met a better man than Zerf). So now Gray was close at 11-9 and then Coach Mosc hit an oppo ball through the right side for an 11-11 final. Tied again. Maybe that was the best way to end the series.

*Note- the Red Team protested (translation: whined about) the 4-pointer by Zerf. The ball was grounded hard past 3b, hit the side wall in foul territory, and ricocheted back into play where it rolled to the LF fence. Protest denied!

After post-game photos, we met at the entrance of the park to make three awards. Captains Feudo and Driscoll made their decision for the recipients. Pete Collins was awarded Outstanding Offensive Player, Chris Dolan was Outstanding Defensive Player, and Tommy DeMasse was chosen as Outstanding Pitcher. Good choices by the captains as they handed the recipients their valuable trophies. Too bad we didn’t get photos. By just visualize those guys holding cheapo little trophies with a sheepish grin.

After the game, most guys spent additional time in town before heading home. Coincidentally, about half the group ended up at the Doubleday Café for lunch, sharing one more meal together. And then – back to home, family, work, real life!

So it was a fabulous weekend in all regards, on and off the field. I think I speak for all the guys when I say it is a weekend we all look forward to every year and enjoy sharing the special bond we have built through Reading Baseball. One of my favorite things is when fans ask who we are, I say, “This is an alumni group from Reading High School. All these guys played for me.” Outsiders marvel at that and think it is pretty special. It is, and I was grateful to be able to express, on Saturday night, how much these weekends mean to me. Really, it’s how much my players continue to mean to me. To spend a weekend with you, to play baseball alongside you, and to share laughs, stories, and friendship with you – is special to me, beyond words. I was so proud to be your coach “back then”; I am even more proud now.

Dan Foley summed it up well when he texted the group this poster from Baseballism:

Here is the complete roster. You can have fun matching names with photos above! Note that Brian DeMasse must have wished he was on the Gray Team. Giggity!

Zack Driscoll ‘12
Tommy DeMasse ‘08
Brian DeMasse ‘03
Chris Dolan ‘03
Danny Marshall ‘03
Mark DeMasse ‘02
Rob DeMoura ‘02
Jason Zerfas ‘99
Dan Foley ‘98
Josh Driscoll ‘95
John Feudo ‘95
Jim Lucci ‘85
Jon Vedder ‘83
Pete Collins ‘79
Coach Mosc ‘71
Matt Morrison – Reading Baseball Coach
Jackson Forelli – Alumni Nephew
Patrick Forelli – Alumni Nephew
Neal Driscoll – Alumni Dad
Jeff Bryson – son of Ace
Coach Bryson – The Ace

Summer 2018 photos. Top Row Left: Dan Robinson '94 was a coach of the Reading Little League District 10 All-Star Team. Here he poses with entire club after the won the Regional Championship. Dan, just as he was at RMHS, has unparalleled enthusiasm and positivity. His leadership helped the kids have a summer they will never forget. Top Right: Dan with his son Isaac (Ike) and Scott Farris '85 with his son Colby. Scott did brilliant work with the team's hitters and Ike and Colby are both terrific players!
Bottom Row Left: Franny McHugh '91 recently invited and treated Coach Mosc to a Sox game. Franny contacted Steve Langone '96 (Manager of Advanced Scouting for the Red Sox) to get us on the field for BP. Thanks, Franny and Steve, it was a great night! Bottom Right: No, this was not taken at the George Costanza Bald Man Convention. It was at Market Street where Jeff Covitz '11 (in middle) arranged dinner with his coaches - Coaches Farris, Mosc, Zerfas, Lucci. Jeff was not only a prolific hitter (#2 all-time in career Batting Average) and an All-American Football Player at Bryant University, he is also as fine a young man as we lucky coaches have ever had. Thanks, Jeff, and best of luck in your engagement and then wedding to Elizabeth Haley, April 2019

New Batting Cage Dedication
On May 20, Reading Little League organized and conducted a ceremony to dedicate the two beautiful new batting cages, built on the site where the original cage stood. Tom Fratto, Reading Baseball ’94, hosted the ceremony. I was honored to be chosen, by the Mello Family, to speak about the original cage and about Reading Baseball’s connection to Mr. Mello. Here is what I said:

I am grateful to have the privilege of introducing Steve Mello, which I will do in just a moment. But first I want to talk briefly about the original batting cage that was here and about Ernie Mello.

Back in 1992, long before this beautiful ballpark had a fence, dugouts, a scoreboard, or its current perfect playing surface, the high school team had a need for a batting cage on this site. It became a reality only through generous donations from the Mello Family and the Reading Boosters Club, all to honor the memory of Ernie Mello. In fact upon Mr. Mello’s passing, the family requested donations to the Boosters Club to make sure the project was completed.

So Peter Seibold built the cage and it stood here proudly and was utilized constantly for 26 years, all the while serving as a tribute to a wonderful man. The cage was used by Reading High School baseball and softball players for sure, but also by Babe Ruth and Little League teams, youth softball teams, and by individuals of all ages. As the coach of teams who used the cage most frequently, my forever thanks goes to all the Mello’s. That’s why I was happy to do the regular maintenance and improvements to keep the cage in good condition – I thought your dad deserved that respect. Countless players found enjoyment here and became better hitters because of their time in that cage. And many more will do the same in these beautiful cages.

Steve Mello was my captain in 1979 and Kevin Mello was captain in 1984. It has been a gift to coach Steve and Kevin and to know the entire Mello Family for over 40 years. In my opinion, the town of Reading has never produced a finer family. And the head of that special clan was Ernie Mello. I just wanted you to know how much I liked and admired Ernie – everyone did, and that I appreciated his loyal commitment to our high school teams. He was constantly supportive and always present and always positive. In 1979, Steve’s senior year, our season ended on a heartbreaking 14-inning tournament loss at Acton Boxboro, played in 95 degree heat on the day after the senior prom. As exhausted and despondent players and coaches boarded the bus, Mr. Mello approached me and just gave me kind of a squeeze on the shoulder as if to say, “It’s okay, your players have done themselves proud.” That was the quiet but strong way Mr. Mello operated ....and our community is better, then and now, because of his influence.

It is now my pleasure to introduce my good friend and Mr. and Mrs. Mello’s oldest son, Steve.

Steve, in front of his siblings and all of Ernie’s grandchildren, gave a heartfelt and eloquent tribute to his dad. Among the stories he told about his dad, Steve told us that Mr. Mello was the driving force behind establishing Senior League, which evolved into the current highly successful Reading Babe Ruth League. As Steve concluded, it was clear that all of us who have been involved in baseball in Reading have been impacted, directly or indirectly by Ernie Mello.
The other cage was dedicated to Mr. Nick Diranian, a dedicated Reading Little League coach, who died suddenly in 2017. It did not have the privilege of meeting Mr. Diranian , but I hear, repeatedly that he was a committed coach, consummate family man, great friend, and wonderful asset to our community. Nick’s close friend, Darren Abreu gave a moving tribute to honor Nick.

In the photos below, you will not only see the beautiful cages, but also the permanent marker stones that stand in honor and memory of Ernie Mello and Nick Diranian.

Also note in the Mello Family photo, taken after the dedication ceremony see Ernie and Ellie’s six fabulous children: Kevin (on one knee), then Karen, John, Donna, Gail, Steve.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jesse Woods Named Head Baseball Coach at Colby College

Congratulations to Jesse Woods ‘00 for being named Head Baseball Coach at Colby College. There is a link at the end of this story that describes Jesse’s impressive collegiate coaching career. But here is some info on Jesse’s impressive high school playing career:

Jesse was a three-year starter, as a DH, first baseman, and catcher. He was Co-captain in 2000 and a two-time Middlesex League All-Star, and he led our teams to Middlesex League titles in ‘99 and ‘00 (last year of one millenium and first year of next!). Jesse was a prolific hitter who batted .448 his junior year with 30 hits, 4 homers, and 25 RBI. As a senior he hit .424 with 29 hits, 2 homers, and 26 RBI. For his career (he was DH as a sophomore - .333 with 15 RBI), Jesse ranks as one of the best hitters in Reading Baseball history - 2nd in Career At Bats, 2nd in Career Hits, 2nd in Career Doubles, 3rd in Career Walks, and 1st in Career RBI. He was also a terrific defense players who handled 316 chances with no errors!

Most of all, Jesse was a great teammate and great kid to coach. He worked hard at his hitting and his defense and was well-liked by teammates and coaches. We coaches still talk about how Jesse would make a perfectly-timed funny comment to cut through the tension when Coach Mosc was aggravated about us messing up pickoff plays at practice!

So from all of us, big congratulations and best of luck to Coach Woods! Colby Baseball is lucky to have him. Here is the link to read detailed story about Jesse’s hiring at Colby:

http://www.gocolbymules.com/sports/bsb/2017-18/releases/coachwoods7-31-18

Jesse is Reading Baseball’s second collegiate head coach, as Bob Macaluso ’82 has served in that role at Muhlenburg College and Cal State Bakersfield. Check this out – Maco has a Wikipedia page! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Macaluso

!
READING BASEBALL ALUMNI CLUB DINNER & REUNION ----- JANUARY 12, 2018

A big THANK YOU to all of you who attended our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Club and Reunion and made it a great success! We recruited hard for this one, and you guys came through!. One alumnus called it, "the best Alumni Dinner ever!". I would agree, as we had an all-time record 49 people in attendance, which included 41 former players, 6 parents, Coach Bryson, and me.

Our usual venue, The Great American Tavern, has changed hands, and is now Dos Lobos (I don't speak Spanish, so I Googled the translation and found that "Dos Lobos" means "Two Lobos!"). Anyway, this ownership treated us even better, as our private room and bar was set up with round tables, table cloths, linens, etc. They must have thought we were very important! We added to the decor by displaying scrapbooks from several seasons, record books, photo books, and more. It all made for a perfect setting.
Despite Two Lobos being a Mexican restaurant, they offered a buffet of MOZ, CZB, and SPO (my shorthand is inspired by Jon Rosenthal '02, who likes to initialize/shorten lots of words (e.g., "Santarps"). For those of you who don't speak "Rosy", we had Meatballs Over Ziti, Chicken-Ziti-Broccoli, and (Sausages, Peppers, Onions). The food was good and there was plenty for everyone.

So the turnout was amazing, as we had players there who spanned five decades - including players from my first year in 1977 to final year in 2013. Pretty impressive. One thing I love about the event is we see guys connecting and bonding, despite maybe having played 10-20-30 years apart. Guys played in different decades, but had the same experiences. To me, that is the uniqueness of our special fraternity. In fact, in one (of over 400 ! ) slides shown, we saw 1985 graduate Jim Lucci scoring a run in the Alumni Game and high-fiving 2012 player, Greg Altobello, who played on the same field, 27 years later.

As people arrived, beginning at 6:00, we had videos projected on a big screen of games from the 80's and 90's. Everyone enjoyed seeing games/moments such as when Graham Bailey, Tom Zaya, and Gary d'Entremont played Lynn English in 1986, Tom Fratto hitting three Cooperstown homeruns in '94, and, from the 1998 Tournament, Dennis Gramolini's perfect game and Ryan Carroll's 12-inning complete game win.

After dinner, we did our main slide show, which really was the Main Event. The extensive presentation illustrated our 2017 Alumni Year in Review, with lots of photos and facts about: alumni marriages, engagements, babies; our Alumni Games in Cooperstown and at Morton Field; recognition of alumni playing/coaching college or Men's Leagues baseball; highlights of our two new RMHS Hall of Famers; a remembrance of the five alumni who have passed away; and then a sort of history of 35 years of Reading Baseball. My goal was to have at least one photo and words about every person who was in attendance, and we accomplished that. We added a couple stories, and I think everyone enjoyed the show.

Back at the 2016 dinner, Jason Zerfas suggested we do a tribute to the 1996 state championship team, on its 20-year anniversary. Great idea, Zerf! That evolved into our new feature of special recognition of the teams from 10, 20, 30, and 40 years ago. So this year, we honored the teams of '78, '88, '98, and '08. So that is a whole separate slide show! That turns out to be a really nice trip down memory lane for guys who played on those teams, including Jack Marlin and Pete Collins, who were juniors in '78; Ryan Carroll, Dan Foley, Steve Rulison, Erik Kaloyanides (all seniors on the '98 team), Dennis Gramolini, Jason Zerfas, Scott Severance ((juniors in '98); and a large contingent from the 2008 team, including our entire starting infield and two starting outfielders: Steve Buitkus, Bill Cataldo, Tommy DeMasse, John Halsey, Joe Harvey, Sean McGoldrick, Nick Face, and Rob Toczylowski. A special treat was that Diana and John Halsey, Pam DeMasse, Rick Carter, and Norm Harvey, all parents of '08 parents, were there to share some wonderful memories. Thanks, parents - we all shared great times together 10 years ago, and again on Friday night.

After that slide show tribute, the 2008 players, parents, and coaches especially enjoyed watching season highlights on a fabulous DVD created by Mr. Halsey and Mr. Catanzano. It was great fun sitting at the "2008 Table" and listen to players from that team comment (i.e, rag on each other) about who made the best hits and plays in 2008.

Guys inquired about our annual Alumni Games at Doubleday Field this summer. Well, our application has been submitted and we expect to get good news about a date next month. A lot of guys at the dinner said they are planning to come to Cooperstown this year, so that will be great!
After all the "official" presentations is when guys kick back, enjoy each other and .... the stories come out. This is where the fun begins as players remember vividly (or not so vividly) about specific moments on and off the field and enjoy the back and forth with their old teammates.

A true highlight of the evening, for me, is to take the opportunity to step back and observe my former players. When I did, I saw over 40 guys - of different ages and at different stages in their lives, but all pulled together by their common bond with Reading Baseball. To see how each of my players has grown from a young high school baseball player to become a great husband, father, professional, or leader in his community, well, that is the greatest reward from 35 years of coaching. I know I speak for all of your coaches when I say that I was so proud of you guys when you played for us; I am even more proud of you now.
Once again, thanks for coming to our dinner and reunion and making it a great time; and, especially, thanks for allowing your old coach to stay connected to your lives. That means more than I can say.

Coach Mosc

click below (not on this line) on alumnidinner18.docx to see list of all who attended.

Enjoy the photos below - all taken by our generous alumnus, Steve Palladino '82.

alumnidinner18.docx
File Size:	13 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Reading Baseball Alumni Game -- September 24, 2017

Our second Alumni Game of 2017 was held right here at home- at Newt Morton Field at Pete Moscariello Ballpark. It was an unseasonably warm late September day with bright sunshine and game time temperature in the mid-80's. So it was a perfect venue and day for 19 alumni, spanning five decades, to play ball.

The day started with an opportunity for Alumni Kids to play on the field. It was a treat to watch young player named Picano, Feudo, Farris, and Richards show that they can swing the bat as well as (or maybe even better) than their dads.

Next, Jim Lucci '85 conducted a lively pre-game infield/outfield practice, where clean double plays and
hitting the cutoff man were apparently optional. Coach Lucci did well to suppress the urge to fling his fungo over the backstop and make guys run a foul pole! Nevertheless, both teams were now ready to play ball.

Players split into two teams, each wearing the classic white game shirts that our players wore from 1990-2011. With 19 players (18 present at the beginning of the game), everybody got to be a "starter". Pitching was at a premium, so we were grateful that Tim Bryant '01 and Jason Zerfas '99 were each willing to throw complete game, 9-inning efforts. The key to making Alumni Games work is pitchers throwing consistent, hittable strikes, and both guys did that beautifully. Thus, the game was filled with impressive hitting and the opportunity to make defensive plays.

Details are hard to recall, but there were plenty of extra base hits, nice fielding plays, and even a perfectly executed (defensively) 1st and 3rd play. One highlight was that someone noticed that, at one point in the game, the bases were loaded with three "over-50" alumni, as (I think) Greg Bernard, Joe Picano, and Mike Moscariello were on base. That was an inning when it was definitely station-to-station baseball! The game also included the usual good-natured ribbing between players, highlighted by the Farris-Lucci interplay, and the Driscoll-Feudo-Foley ragging.

An exact score was not kept, but one team apparently had a big lead after 8 innings. But we pretended the game was tied, to create some drama. And that is exactly what happened. After the visiting team left a couple runners on base, the home team hit three consecutive singles, to load the bases. With no outs, Mike Moscariello '77, our oldest alumnus, crushed a bomb to left center, for the pretend walk off win!

After the game, we gathered for some postgame thoughts and awarding of Outstanding Defensive Player (Tom Fratto '94, who had a bunch of putouts in the OF and good plays in the infield) and Outstanding Offensive Player (Mike Mosc who went 4 for 4, including the game winner).

A wonderful feature, and one of the main reasons why we have a local game, is that many alumni family members were in attendance. In addition to the young kids who played on the field before the game, there were additional children, of all ages, plus wives, fiancées, parents, and grandparents. It was awesome to see parents there, watching their now grown-up sons play and feeling the same pride they felt years ago. Plus nice for those parents to watch a game when the temperature is 85 rather than 42! Personally, I love it when an alumni wife/fiancée/girlfriend sees an alumni game for the first time and witnesses the amazing camaraderie. Alumni have told me that their wives say, "Now I get it; now I understand why this is so important to you.”

Here is a lineup of who played, in order of YOG:

Mike Moscariello '77. It was great to see my brother on the field. Seeing Mike play second base brought back happy memories of 40 years ago when he was an All-League player on my first team. On Sunday, we were all thrilled for our oldest alumnus and his previously mentioned 4 for 4 day and Outstanding Offensive Player award. Nobody knows and loves Reading Baseball and its history more than Mike.

Pete Collins '79. Pete comes to every Alumni Game, Coop and Morton. Pete is such a great alumnus, and we appreciate his loyalty. Moreover, he always amazes guys with his performance. He hits the ball hard and made one veteran alumnus comment, as Pete roped a double, "he just has the most beautiful swing." He always did and I bet he always will!

Joe Picano '81. We were so happy to see Joe, as he adds such spirit, enthusiasm, and humor to our events; Joe just makes these games that much more fun for all of us. And he plays well, too, collecting base hits and defensive putouts. In his own words, he had a successful day because "I made a couple plays, got s couple hits, and did not get hurt!"

Greg Bernard '82. Barney, who was not only a good player, but later our Freshman Coach, is a longtime, loyal alumnus and friend. Greg always does well at these games, as he quietly manages to slap the ball for base hit after base hit all day. A story: Greg was playing 3b and I was coaching 3rd when a ball was tossed near my feet. Rather than pick it up, I lazily kicked at the ball and somehow it popped up right into Greg's glove. He looked at me and snapped, "You want to be a soccer player? Cuz that can be arranged!" Made me laugh because Barney was repeating the kind of comment I made to players, for just about everything they did, back in the 80's.

Jon Vedder '83. Initially, V thought he couldn't make it to the game, due to his son's hockey game. My first thought was "Well, we just have to cancel the game; it's not an Alumni Game without Jon Vedder!" But a schedule change allowed V to play, and we are glad he did. As usual, he stroked the ball well to all fields, played gracefully in the outfield, and enjoyed the whole experience. At 52, the amazing V can still get it done!

Scott Farris '85. Everybody knows that Scott can hit, with his perfect stance, balance, and bat speed, but in addition to hitting the ball well, he also played great defense. At third base, he ran far into foul territory to track down a pop up; he lunged to his right, snaring a line drive down the line with a full extension reach; and he ranged to his left to snag a ground ball and make the play at first. Scott, a former All-League player and Mass. Asst. Coach of the Year, is a key man in everything that has to do with Reading Baseball. Great player, great coach!

Jim Lucci '85. With Looch at the game, you know it's going to be fun. Nobody has more enthusiasm for playing in these games and he makes these games fun for all of us. From conducting pre-game infield, to chiding his buddy, Scott, to playing every position on the field, Looch is all energy and smiles. As he always does, he hit the ball hard all day, with his great hands and short stroke, and he played solid defense, as an infielder and catcher.

Kaelen Richard '89. This was Kaelen's first Alumni Game ever, and we are glad he came! Since most guys didn't know him, I filled them in on Kaelen's senior year when he hit .406 with over 20 runs, hits, and RBI. And he was 6-2, 1.74 on the mound; an All-Leaguer and one of the best all-around players we’ve had. Guys saw he was the real deal when he launches one of the longest hits of the game, a bomb to deep right field.

Tom Fratto '94. What a pleasure it was to watch Tom play and recall why he was an All-League and All-Scholastic and true 5-tool (actually 6-tool because he could pitch!) player in ’94. He won the Outstanding Defensive Player Award for his stellar play in both the outfield and the infield, showing everyone what a tremendous athlete he is. At the plate, Tom swings so hard and hits the ball scarily-hard, resulting in bullets and gap doubles.

Josh Driscoll '95. Java is another guy that is an Alumni Game stalwart and makes the game fun. He loves the game and has a constant smile on his face, whether he pops up, gets a hit, or is ragging on John Feudo. Java always provides great offensive highlights as his loose, smooth swing results in impressive hits. In fact, two of the longest hits of the day were his towering balls to deep left field.

John Feudo '95. John texted me I the morning that he might be "15 minutes late" (some of you know the joke he was referring to). Well he wasn't late (sorry, John), and he came to play with his usual good-nature and love of being on the field with his pals. John plays great; he makes the plays in the outfield and he hits the ball on a line. I really enjoy watching one of our most loyal alumni playing well and having a great time.

Here is a story from the game: Java fouled a ball off his ankle, very painful, so he was hurting. Nevertheless he continued his AB and hit one of his bombs over the left fielder’s head. Hobbling, he turned an easy double, into a single (note- sometimes Java does that even when not hurt!). One of John Feudo's sons asked his dad why "Uncle "Java" only got a single. John said, "you should watch Uncle Java's swing [because he has such a great swing] but then look away."
Dan Foley '98. Dan plays the game like he is still 18 years old. He can still run (an Alumni Game rarity), hit, field, and throw! He plays any position: infield, outfield, catcher, with equal skill and energy. And Dan hits the ball hard with some nice power, too. Just fun to watch him play. It is easy to see why Dan was an All-League player and a great leader 19 years ago.

Jason Zerfas '99. Thanks goodness for Zerf, as we needed his ironman pitching! As usual, he threw a complete game. Actually, this was a relative piece of cake, as Zerf often throws 15-18 innings in Cooperstown. Zerf is Mr. Reliable- always there, always eager to help, always unselfish. That’s why he was so well loved by his teammates, coaches, and players. And, by the way, he smacks the ball with authority all around the park!

Tim Bryant '01. Thanks goodness for Tim, too, as we aslo needed him to hurl for 9 innings. Tim is, and always was, a strike-throwing machine. In HS, he was the master of the 80-pitch complete game. On Sunday, he threw strikes and allowed hitters to get a good pitch and put the ball in play. At the plate, Tim smoked a few balls, showing the hitter-pitcher combination that made him an All-League Player, RMHS Hall of Famer, and one the classiest acts we’ve had.

Evan Carpinito '06. The best surprise of the day was to see Evan and Remy Carpinito come to the field. I wasn't expecting them so it was great to see these guys at their first Alumni Game. Evan is such a good guy, so we were glad that he banged out some base hits and made some plays in the field. And it was wonderful to see Evan's parents, fiancée, and daughter all together at the park.

Remy Carpinito '09. Remy was a big reason why the '09 team won the league title and went to the D2 North Final. He was an outstanding All-League pitcher, hitter, and outfielder. Guess what - he still is! It was great to see Remy and his beautiful lefty swing whack base hit after base hit. Plus he hauled in fly balls in the outfield like it was 2009 again. Coaches Farris, Lucci, Zerfas, and Mosc, the staff in 2009 were all happy to a player who meant so much to the team.

Greg Altobello '12. Greg was the first guy to show up, nice and early and his first words were "what can I do to help?" That pretty much sums up the guy that Greg is. During the game, he demonstrated why he was an All-League shortstop on the '12 championship team. Greg has great range, good hands, and a quick release. He made a bunch of good plays at short and had a good day at the plate, including flashing his sprinter's speed and beating out two ground balls to short.

Mac Cook '12. Mac is dangerous. Nobody wants to play on the right side of the infield when he is up because their safety is at stake. He just hits the ball so darn hard, just as he did when he was a 3-year starter and All-Leaguer at RMHS! So Mac had his typical day at the plate, using his big lefty swing to rip the ball. We are so glad that Mac has become an Alumni Game regular, playing in both the Cooperstown and local alumni games the last two years.

Zack Driscoll '12. Zack, a co-captain in 2012, can be proud that he and his teammates brought the most players from a given year to the game. Zack plays with such freedom and joy; he does everything with fluidity and athleticism. Batting from the right side (he throws lefty; we have had dozens of such players), he hit the ball well all day. In the outfield, he moves gracefully to catch every ball, gap to gap. It was a special treat to see Zack and big brother, Josh, on the field together.

I think you guys know how much these Alumni Games (really, the Alumni Players) mean to me. So thank you all for being there. After the game, I asked guys to talk about their favorite memory on this field. It was nice to hear players talk about a meaningful moment from a practice or game. I was moved when John Feudo, ever the kind and thoughtful friend, said that the field dedication day, a year ago, was his favorite day. Thank you, John. I will say this - that day was wonderful for my family, our program, and me, but I rank it as my second favorite day. Every other day, for 35 years, that I was on the field with my players, all tied for first.

Michelle Kramer, who has taken tens of thousands of beautiful photos for us over the years, took 300 more. Thank you, Michelle. A team photo appears below and all of Michelle's photos can be viewed at:
https://rmhsbaseballalumni.shutterfly.com/pictures

Reading Baseball Alumni Club Cooperstown Weekend – August 2017

The Reading Baseball Alumni Club's annual Cooperstown Weekend was another great success and, as always, we all had a great time.

We had 17 players, plus 8 additional friends and family members make the trip to the (mythical) birthplace of baseball. Most guys arrived some time on Friday, except the venerable Jon Vedder '83, and his son, Ray, who needed to be at home Friday, so they hopped in their car at 4:00 am Saturday and drove directly to Doubleday Field. Newly HOF inductee John Schuerholzt once said, “George Brett could roll out of bed on Christmas morning and hit a line drive.” But only V can roll out of bed, drive four hours, and hit about 10 line drives!

Anyway, some of us got together on Friday night. Scott Farris '85, Jim Lucci '85, and I joined Team DeMasse (brothers Mark, Brian, and Tommy plus their mom, Pam, and Brian's girlfriend, Flavia) at the Upstate Bar and Grill. Good food, good company, and lots of Seinfeld talk. By the way, Pam and Tony DeMasse are amazing Reading Baseball parents, then and now, and have been regulars at Cooperstown and great supporters of everything we do.

Saturday brought a relatively cool, cloudy day to start, but it became a very pleasant day as the sun came out. Doubleday Field was in great shape and, after being briefed on the field policies (no swearing, no seeds, one guy on deck, no kids in the dugout, etc.) by Clayton, a nice enough kid, who certainly was not even born when we started coming to Coop in 1993, we were ready to take the field.

We had two teams, Team Gray, led by Honorary Captain Pete Collins '79, and Team Black, led by Coach Ace Bryson. Players looked great in full uni; you have all seen photos of our alumni shirts, which are particularly sharp and received rave reviews.

Okay, now we warmed up. Interesting - when you were 17 years old and loose and limber, you did 10 minutes of stretching, plus laps, sprints, BP, lengthy infield/outfield practice, and pre-game bat-swinging in order to be warmed up and ready to play. I remember we used to say you need to break a sweat, even on cold days, in order to be loose. But now, at a more advanced age, apparently just 5 minutes of playing catch is a sufficient warm up!

The umpires for the first game were Lennie, an older gentleman who umpired many of our Reading-Lexington games as well as Alumni Games over the years. He is a great guy and really understands and appreciates want we are all about. Same for Dale, a rail-then, raspy voiced, very likeable man who umpired Game Two. But the other ump, Lucas, who worked both games, just didn't get it. He spent much of his time telling one pitcher that he needed to come to a set (even though nobody on base) and telling another that his hand-glove tapping was a balk. And when one of our base runners playfully knocked away a throw to 1b, Lucas was totally frazzled ("Serenity now!"); we thought he was going to make us all go home. Bottom line is that Lucas didn't take away from our enjoyment, I just had to get that off my chest!

So Game One began. On the years when we have more than 18 players and, thus, substitutes, we are able to chronicle the details of the game accurately, since we had a chance to sit in the dugout, take photos, make notes, etc. But with 17 guys (a player from the offensive team would fill in on defense each inning) everyone is constantly engaged, so it is hard to recall play by play. But we can provide some highlights.
Team Gray won the first game, 11-8, behind the pitching of Matt Morrison. One might wonder how an 8-run, 23 hit performance on the mound can be considered effective, but Matt provided exactly what we needed- hittable strikes, and lots of them. Matt does such a great job when pitching, and is a terrific player who plays the outfield and infield with skill, and hits the ball hard all day long.

Tommy DeMasse '08 started on the mound for Team Black, and like Matt, he delivered consistent strikes for guys to put in play. Big brother Mark DeMasse '02 pitched the last few innings, giving Team Gray a different look, as Mark is lefty. By the way, all three DeMasse brothers were fabulous pitchers and in their senior years, were a combined 22-1 . Yikes!

Hitting was abundant on both sides, with nearly 50 hits in total in Game One. There wre lots of gappers, extra base hits, long warning track outs, and a couple balls hit off the fence. The biggest blow was provided by Mac Cook '12, a blistering home run I into the right field bleachers (he did the same last year).

There was plenty of good defense, too. With so many well hit balls, outstanding outfield play was needed to keep teams from scoring 20 runs! It was an absolute pleasure to watch Anthony DeSimone '12, Danny Marshall '03, Jackson Farelli, and Matt Morrison roam the outfield with speed and grace, taking away hits in the gap or down the line. Of course, it is no coincidence that these guys are in their 20's and 30's! The older guys did just fine, too: Jon Vedder covers the outfield with loping strides and Pete Collins catches flies as easily as he did in 1979.

Some of the most impressive infield play came from 50 (or almost 50) year old players. On consecutive plays, Scott Farris '85 ranged from his 2nd base position into right field to snag a pop up with a lunging grab, and then shortstop Jim Lucci '85 snared a hard ground ball to his right and fired a long throw to first for the out. Coaches Farris and Lucci – they are such good players and it is so fun to watch them play so well (and to listen to their good-natured jabs at each other!). Cooperstown is always better when Scott and Looch are there.

We took a 30-minute break between games and got right back at it for Game Two. Mark DeMasse started, and completed, the game on the mound for Team Black. He yielded just 4 runs (low for Alumni Games) and scattered 19 hits. At one point, Team Gray had 14 hits, reached by error 3 times, yet had scored only one run! How is that possible? Can you say "left on base!"?

A big reason for DeMass getting out of those jams was some big defensive plays behind him. Chris Dolan '03, played 3rd base beautifully, handling every ground ball and throwing bullets to first. He started a couple double plays, too. More defense game from Tommy DeMasse '08. Trailing by a score of 8-4, Team Gray loaded the bases with no outs and was certain to get right back into the game. But the next batter smoked one toward 2b where Tommy made a leaping stab and threw to first to complete the big double play. The next batter also ripped a liner but again Tommy was there to make the play. T-Bone!

Game Two featured three home runs, all over the high screen in left field. Brian DeMasse ‘03, who hit the ball well all day and has a few Doubleday homers to his credit, hit a high pitch that soared easily over everything. Since Brian was such a great HS and college pitcher, we sometimes forget that he is a terrific all-around player who can hit and play defense. Later in the game, Jackson Farelli (Pete Collins' nephew and a Coop regular) hit a similar bomb. Jackson is a talented all-around player who has banged multiple balls off the fence in previous years, so it was great to see him hit his first dinger. And newcomer Thompson Booth (a teammate of Morrison-Marshall-Dolan in the Woburn Men's League), flew out to the warning track three or four times, the last time saying aloud "that's all I got". But he did have more as, in his final at bat, he clobbered one over the fence for a happy homer.

Of course, the non-homerun hitters did well, too! Righthanded hitters Danny Marshall, Anthony DeSimone, Jim Lucci, Chris Dolan, Matt Morrison, and Tommy DeMasse all pounded the ball in the gaps all day. It just seemed like every time these guys swung, they hit the ball hard. And, boy, it was fun to watch Danny and Anthony motor around the bases.

And how about our lefty hitters putting on a show. Scott Farris showed his beautiful lefty stroke by consistently smoking the ball to right (he doesn't just teach hitting, he does it, too!). Pete Collins, also owner of a sweet lefty swing, took BP with me a few times prior to the trip, and it helped, as he collected some hits of his own, as usual. Another lefty, Jon Vedder, never makes an out (single to left, single to right ....), and lefties Mac Cook and Mark DeMasse, two of RMHS Baseball's all-time greatest hitters, hit the ball so hard in Coop that it was downright scary. First time player, Jeff Bryson, made his debut with some base hits and nice lefty catching behind the plate.

One more lefty- the man we affectionately call Ace. This was Ace’s second alumni game in Coop (I think) and it was 15 years ago, I was so happy when he said he was going to play. I (and all of us) figured he'd take a couple at bats and the watch from most of the game from the dugout. But not Ace. He played all 18' innings, at 1b or in the outfield, made some plays, and got three or four hits! Every single player commented on how impressed they were with his Ace’s play and wonderful enthusiasm. Way to go, Coach!

Pitchers for the weekend included Matt Morrison, Jackson Farelli, and Jim Lucci for Team Gray and Tommy DeMasse and Mark DeMasse for Team Black. Catchers were Jeff Bryson, Jim Lucci (Looch made a nice play on a foul pop up), Mac Cook, Brian DeMasse, and Coach Mosc. I may have been other guys, as well; sorry if I missed anyone who caught or pitched.

We had some fun with first and third plays, some executed well, some not so well (but at least nobody had to run a foul pole for messing them up!). And then there were a couple of interesting plays that involved Chris Dolan. With runners on base, he crushed a ball deep into the gap. Coach Mosc was playing 1b and admiring the hit before I realized I should get in cutoff position (I know, I owe a foul pole). As I did, I ran directly into Chris' path and a high-speed collision ensued. Chris felt badly but it was 100% my fault. The best part is that Chris said it was reminiscent of the collision we had on the go karts at Cooperstown Fun Park in 2002 (that one was not my fault!).

Later in the game, apparently not satisfied that he nearly wiped out one of his old coaches, Chris was at it again. He was at bat with Coach Bryson a runner at 1b and Coach Mosc playing behind the runner. Well, Chris hit absolute laser directly at Coach Bryson. Everyone gasped in anticipation of Ace being drilled. But, as Mark DeMasse said, Ace made a "matrix-like move" to avoid being hit. It truly was remarkable that Ace avoided disaster. Well, Coach Mosc was totally screened by Ace and didn't see the missile until it was past Ace and on top of me. I spun away just in the nick of time, too (I suppose I could have tried to catch it, but survival first). Chris, relieved, said, "I almost took out two of my coaches on one play!" No worries, Chris, and we all wish you all the best in your upcoming wedding next month.

At the conclusion of the second game, we all exchanged handshakes and hugs (I always felt the postgame handshake line was meaningless, but not this one). It was great to say "good game" and shake hands with guys you truly care about and love playing alongside.

Then there was the call of "right field line" for our customary postgame debrief. After commenting that both teams had gone 1-1 (that’s what teams like Melrose and Woburn do!), I had the opportunity to thank players and family members for making the trip and making this a wonderful experience again.

We gave out three impressive trophies, with a total retail value of $11.95. Nevertheless, it was fun and meaningful to recognize three players. The Outstanding Offensive Player went to Mac Cook, who just hits the ball so darn hard; the Outstanding Defensive Player to Anthony DeSimone, who must have had 20 putouts in CF, ranging in, back, left, and right; and the Outstanding Pitcher to Mark DeMasse, who worked 12 innings on the day and probably exceeded the 160 pitches that he threw in a tournament game in 2002!

We gave out one special award, called the Cooperstown Timepiece to Pete Collins. This is a very nice item - a piece of a wood bat with a clock balanced at the end of it and an engraved plate that said “Pete Collins – loyal friend and alumnus”. It was presented to Pete in recognition of his longtime commitment to our Cooperstown games and all Alumni Club activities. In addition to being a Cooperstown regular, Pete started his career playing Reading Youth Baseball (Cardinals) for my dad, then Pony League (Rockets) for Lennie Luizza and me, and then played on my first RMHS team (Freshman in 1976), then Coach Bryson’s first team (JV in ‘77), and two years varsity in ’78 and ’79. Other than my brother, Mike, Pete Collins has had the longest connection to me and my family, all through baseball. On behalf, of all of us, we just wanted to let Pete know we love and appreciate him.

The games were over, but the weekend was not, as people visited the Hall of Fame and shops after the game or on Sunday. Also, players gathered Saturday night at the function room at the Comfort Inn and Suites for pizza and beverage. It was fun to talk about the games, talk about RMHS playing days, look at the stats and record, books, give out some prizes (earned by baseball card contests), and enjoy each other's company. I know I really enjoyed that night. I love listening to guys talk about their playing days – whether they were in the 70’s or 2010’s, the names may be different, but the experiences were the same. And although I was tired from the long day, I wouldn't call it a night because I did not want to miss a single story told by Mac or the DeMasse’s.

We must give special thanks to family members and friends who made the trip. We already mentioned and appreciated Pam DeMasse and Flavia for coming (Flavia was a good sport to listen to us all reminisce on Friday at dinner and Saturday night. She did mention that she was impressed when looking at Brian’s HS stats!). Then there was young Ray Vedder who got up before dawn on Saturday and came out to see his dad play. One of the highlight s of my weekend was to tour the hall with V and Ray and to see Ray’s excitement. It was also nice to meet Ellie, Jackson’s girlfriend , who, I think, enjoyed the weekend and won a prize Saturday night!

And of course, thanks to the Bryson Family. Mrs. Bryson (Jane) whom you all know from her dedication to Reading Baseball (and Basketball). She was a loyal follower of all our teams, official scorer at hoop games, and present at Morton Field for years and years. I bet some of you or your moms still have the beautiful bears, dressed in Reading Baseball uniform, that Jane lovingly made for us. It has been a great pleasure to know Ace and Jane’s sons, Mark and Jeff and their families. So we were so glad that Jeff made the trip. What a great guy he is - a brilliant educator and leader, and dedicated family man. Back in the day, Jeff worked at The Reading Baseball School and was terrific. It was wonderful to have him in Coop and I know that Jeff and Ace enjoyed playing together. Jeff’s wife, Jenn, is awesome! Thank you to Jenn for coming and bringing your beautiful kids, Hannah and Theo. It was fun for us to watch the kids have fun watching their dad and Papa. Jen, also took a bunch of great photos (remember, she cued us when to suck in our stomachs!) and shared them with us. The entire Bryson Family means so much to Reading Baseball, its players, and it’s fellow coaches.

The first two photos below, provided by Chris Dolan, illustrate how we all feel, I think, about Reading Baseball. Brian DeMasse, Chris Dolan, and Danny Marshall, were all great friends and superb players on the great 18-1 team in 2003. Here they are in during the summer prior to their senior years, playing for the Summer Rockets. Now, fifteen years later, they are still great players, but even better, still great friends. To me, that is the real beauty and power of Reading Baseball; the creation of a bond and fraternity that can last 15, 20 …. 40 years.

So, to conclude, I say it every year and I mean it - other than being with my own family, there is nothing I cherish more than spending time with my Alumni Players, whom I love. To coach you all was an honor; to play alongside you, on Doubleday Field, makes me even more proud and grateful.

Let’s look forward to Cooperstown 2018. But first, stay tuned for an announcement about a September 2017 Alumni Game at Newt Morton Field at Pete Moscariello Ballpark!

Doubleday Field - our RMHS and Alumni teams have played 50 games here!

post game team photo

Team bricks at entrance to Doubleday Field

2002 team donated this brick to their coaches

Tommy DeMasse watches his centerfielder, Dan Marshall, make a play

Pete Collins '79

Coach Mosc

resting and chatting between games

a short rest between games

Tommy and Brian DeMasse waiting for Game Two to start

Mark DeMasse '02

Demass - one of our all-time greatest pitchers/hitters

Coach Bryson ready to make a play at 1b

Ace making a leaping play!

view from Umpire Cam

Coach Farris - he not only teaches hitting, he demonstrates great hitting!

Another hit for Coach Farris!

Chris Dolan - outstanding 3rd baseman in 2003

Jim Lucci '85 - fantastic all around player - still!

result of Coach Lucci's at bat: double!

Anthony DeSimone on deck

Anthony DeSimone '12 ropes one to center

Coaches: Lucci leads off first and Bryson plays behind (watch out for "Let's get an out!"

Farris leads off first; this time Ace plays in front

Matt Morrison, 8 years our JV Coach

Matt Morrison can hit! (and pitch and field and throw and run!)

Bryson and Morrison - two great coaches!

Mac Cook '12. One of our greatest hitters ever

our loyal fans!

Jackson Farelli crosses plate after his long, long homer!

post game debrief in right field!

Anthony DeSimone '12 receives Outstanding Defensive Player Award

Coach Lucci presenting Outstanding Offensive Player Award

Mac Cook receives Outstanding Hitter Award

can't resist opportunity to make a speech!

great to have Jeff Bryson play along side his dad.

Pete Collins receives appreciation award for long time loyal alumnus and friend

The DeMasse Brothers - combine their senior years of pitching: 22-1 record!

Three big reasons why 2003 team went 18-1: Brian DeMasse, Chris Dolan, Dan Marshall

Coaches Lucci, Bryson, Mosc, Farris: 95 years of Reading Baseball coaching

Anthony DeSimone and Mac Cook - great players from 2012

poster from our favorite store - Baseballism

20 years of playing Lexington in Coop and I never noticed the lake!

Below are photos from the Alumni Games at Doubleday Field. Hover over a photo to get a caption (on most, but not all, photos).

Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner & Reunion --- Friday, January 13, 2017.

It was Friday the 13 the but there was no bad luck at our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner & Reunion at the Great American Tavern in North Reading. This event has evolved from a casual dinner of about 20 guys to a well-attended reunion/ceremony/celebration. This year 40 Alumni, Coaches, and friends, from teams of 1977 to 2013, gathered for a night of food, drink, fun, and great camaraderie.

The GAT is the perfect venue, as they provide an expansive private room with its own bar/bartender and a large projection screen. As players entered, we projected videos of some classic Reading Baseball games from the 80's and 90's. Everyone marveled at the red-shirted players, the fenceless filed, and the youthful (and skinny!) players.

On display all night were scrapbooks from selected years, books with complete Reading Baseball All-Time Records, Stats Books from every season 77-13, and professionally bound books of 400 photos from the field dedication ceremony and Alumni Game.

What fun it was to reminisce, share stories and laughs, and reconnect with old teammates. This was aptly put by Scott Tully ’13 who said how great it was to see old teammates as well guys whom he looked up to when he was younger. I think that is what our Alumni Club is all about – a fraternity of guys who share a common bond and can enjoy and respect the players and teams who came before or after them. For me, I enjoyed every bit of the evening, but I especially enjoyed spending time with the ’77 guys (my first team), Gary Johnson, Shawn Kennedy, Mike Mosc, and Joe Prew. Listening to their stories brought great memories of how we grew up together that year and started the tradition and legacy that we all enjoyed for the next 35 years.

After a buffet of steak tips, meatballs, sausages/peppers/onion, and chicken parm over penne, players pulled up a chair for Coach Mosc's Powerpoint presentation. The show included the Alumni Year in Review, including who got married or had babies; Alumni playing or coaching in college, amateur adult, or HS baseball; Alumni Events (such as Alumni Game in Cooperstown, Alumni at Red Sox Game); a remembrance of our Alumni players who have passed; recognition of two new RMHS Athletics Hall of Famers (to be inducted in Nov. 2017) Jeff Miller '85 and Jamie Cerretani '00; and the highlight of the entire presentation – a comprehensive tribute to the teams of '77, '87, '97, and , 07 with details about the players’ performances and the teams’ accomplishments and personality . Of course, there were tons of photos, newspaper articles, and stats for each and every segment of the show.
A fun addition to the presentation was comments from players, such as when Tom Fratto, upon seeing a slide of our records vs. all Middlesex League opponents (including our 61-7 record vs. Watertown) exclaimed, “Who lost to Watertown?!” Another is when Mike Moscariello told a 1977 story about how the umpires wouldn’t believe that young Pete Moscariello was really the Head Coach until Pete said, “Yes, I am; see…I’m wearing a watch.”

After the 30-minute presentation, we continuously ran a slide show on the Field Dedication Ceremony and ensuing Alumni Game from Sept 17. This included beautiful photos (all taken by Michelle Kramer) of each segment of the event: introduction by Reading Babe Ruth President and event organizer, Jeff Pierce, unveiling of the fabulous sign proclaiming Pete Moscariello Ballpark – Home of Newt Morton Field and list of all major donors (which includes many alumni individuals and families as well as teams from ’71, ’85, ’90, ’93, ’94, ’98, ‘15); a beautiful speech about his parents by Mike Mosc; unveiling of the ballpark seats dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Mosc; a wonderful speech by Dave Sample about his son and then dedication of the new first base dugout in Steve Sample’s memory; and Coach Mosc's speech, culminating with the unveiling if the scoreboard sign with new ballpark name.

The larger portion of this slide show included an individual photo of every player who participated in the game (when being introduced and lining up on first base line), and many action photos from the game itself.
It was great to see guys taking cell phone photos of some of the slides/photos. Glad you liked them. So if anybody is interested in getting any slide/photo from either slide show or actually having the slide show itself, just let me know and I will get it to you.

Next, Mike Mosc took the floor for an announcement. 1975 alumnus and Hall of Famer Ken Hollingsworth had been diligently working on compiling a book of letters from players and friends to Coach Mosc. Apparently Ken was relentless in emailing alumni and urging them to contribute heartfelt words to Coach! Mike presented the book with a beautiful speech that was, as always, poignant and right on the money. I appreciated that Mike said that I have helped and impacted many players, and I was moved to tears when he told me that you were all "holding on to the rope for Coach". I am welling up now even as I type this. I have not read the book of letters yet, but I know there are 60 such letters in there. When I do read it, I know it will become one of my most prized possessions and I promise to reach out to each of you individually to say thank you. But I will say this now- whether you wrote a letter or not (and I know some of you didn’t receive an email from Ken, as our alumni email list does not include all of players), I think you all know 1) how much I loved coaching every one if you, 2) how grateful I am that you all stay in touch and include me in your lives , 3) how very proud I am of you for the men you are - great husbands, fathers, sons, friends, and professionals who have taken on life's challenges with courage and integrity and became the true champions that we coaches always knew you would be.

So thanks to all of you who attended, wrote letters, or participated in the event in any way. I had a blast and I hope you did, too. I really appreciated how each of you made a special point to talk to me (and your other coaches) during the evening and then seek us to say goodbye with a great hug. My daughter’s recent wedding truly was The Best Day of My Life, but these Alumni Events with you guys are very, very meaningful to me, too, and always will be!

Below is a list of all who attended and a group photo. I will certainly keep you posted when we get our Cooperstown date and other Alumni events

All the best and much love to all of you and your families,
Coach Mosc
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a complete list of alumni at the reunion:
1977: Gary Johnson, Shawn Kennedy, Mike Moscariello, Joe Prew
1982: Michael Spurr, EJ Stanton
1983: Brian O’Neil
1985: Scott Farris, Jim Lucci, Jeff Miller
1987: Gary d’Entremont, Dave Johnson, Tom Zaya
1994: Tom Fratto
1995: Josh Driscoll, Josh Martin
1996: Steve Langone, David Pizzotti, Scott Reinold, Chris Smith
1998: Dan Foley
1999: Dennis Gramolini, Jason Zerfas
2002: Mark DeMasse, Jonathan Rosenthal
2008: Steve Buitkus, John Halsey, Sean McGoldrick
2009: Derek Strukel, Jeff Wyer
2011: Jeff Covitz
2012: Mac Cook, Zack Driscoll, Drew Zaccardi
2013: Garrett Colantino, Scott Tully
2014: Mike O’Leary
Coaches Bryson and Mosc
Special Guest: John Halsey (Sr.)

Reading Baseball Alumni Club Cooperstown Weekend 2016
Cooperstown 2016 was another fabulous Reading Baseball Alumni Club event as 18 players, 3 children, and one wife made the trip to the Mecca of baseball. In addition to the Doubleheader at Doubleday, guys also got to visit the Hall of Fame, memorabilia shops, share some meals together, and relax at their hotels or campgrounds.

Since quite a few of our regulars (e.g., Farris, Driscoll, Zerfas, Feudo, Macaluso, DeMoura, Barrett, DeMasse x 3) were not able to make it, we were concerned that we would not have enough guys to make the trip happen. But we were determined not to cancel two years in a row, so some of our guys did some recruiting. Matt Morrison brought two teammates from the adult league in which he plays in Woburn- Josh Clark and Pat Maher. Both guys are Woburn Tanners (yeah, I know) but thanks to them, we got our player count to 17. The crucial 18th player was Jackson Farrelli; again not an alumnus but nephew of alumnus Pete Collins. Jackson has actually played with us a couple other times so he is a virtual regular now.

We had several players at their first Cooperstown alumni games, returning to Doubleday Field for the first time since their RMHS team played Lexington there. Adam Halley '11, Nick Scali '11, Anthony DeSimone '12, Mac Cook '12, Chris Dolan '03, Dan Marshall '03, and Steve Gath '03 were all first timers and provided youth, fresh legs, and phenomenal play. A special treat was to see first-time player Bob Lucci '87, brother of Coop regular, Jim.

Alex Kozlowski, co-captain in '07 made his second appearance; Dan Foley '98 is a fixture (he was joined by his wife, Melissa, and kids Lucy and Sam); Jim Lucci '85 comes every year, as does Jon Vedder '83 who brought his son, Ray; Pete Collins '79 is another never-miss guy; Matt Morrison, our 8-year JV coach and now Asst. Varsity coach at Woburn and Coach Mosc rounded out the 18.

Guys came to Cooperstown anywhere from Friday afternoon to Saturday morning and all were there well prior to the 1:30 game time to warm up on a cloudy 75 degree day. Team captains were designated – Pete Collins for the Red Team and Jim Lucci for the Gray Team. Looch conducted a spirited pre-game infield/outfield practice for both clubs. I have always been proud of the caliber of play we produce at these games- we always have great hitting and decent fielding. But this year was amazing. Since we had 13 guys in their 20's or 30's, several of whom are still playing, there was not only great hitting, but spectacular defense, and guys running the bases like we'd never seen before. It really was a terrific show.

The Red Team was the home team and the Gray Team batted first. Now, it is tough to recall details from 18 innings, 46 runs, and about 100 hits. But we do know that Red slowly built a 3-0 lead and Gray chipped away to tie it in the top of the 8th. In the bottom of the 8th, Red got a leadoff double from Steve Gath (I think it was Steve). Chris Dolan, always the team player, tried to hit to the right side. After fouling one to right, he hit one up the middle for a single. Gath rounded third and looked to the 3rd base coach (who was not there) and guys yelling “Go” and “Stop” from the dugout were no help. Gath continued but Nick Scali uncorked a great throw to catcher Jim Lucci who deftly applied the tag. But just when it looked like an opportunity was lost, Mac Cook blasted a 2-run homer into the right field bleachers for a 5-3 lead. Pitcher Matt Morrison finished his complete game gem, putting down the Grays in the 9th and yielding the fewest runs in alumni game history.

Team Red was feeling pretty good about their victory and had each team member sign a game ball to present to the Grayss in a derisive manner. But the Grays would have the last laugh as they came out with a vengeance after the 30-minute intermission.

Here is where game details are foggy, but I believe the Reds took an early small lead. But Team Gray, in the second inning, scored 11 runs. The first 9 men up each recorded a hit (I was catching and remember catching just a few balls outside of the strike zone while every hittable pitch was smoked. I think there was one single and eight doubles in that stretch!).

Team Gray continued the onslaught and showed no mercy as they compiled an alumni game record 27 runs. The Reds more than doubled their first game output with 11 runs, but they still list by a couple touchdown and 2-point conversions.

Here is what I do remember:
The umpires' average age seemed to be 83, but they are good guys who have worked not just our alumni games, but some Reading-Lexington games. Did I mention our record vs Lexington in Coop was 12-5?

A sizeable crowd watched the second game. People come by Doubleday just to see the field that Ruth, Aaron, Mays, and Williams played on, and the fans tend to stay if the play looks good. There were some vocal fans who cheered big hits and nice plays, but also heckled any mistakes we made.

Here are notes about each player:

Pete Collins '79 played Little League ball for my dad, played for me in Pony League, played for me on the Reading Freshman Team in '76, and then on my first varsity teams. So I have had the pleasure of watching his beautiful lefty swing for a long time! He was the oldest alumnus, but he doesn't play like it. He still has his sweet swing that he used to drive hits to RF, and he plays the outfield with confidence and style, showing remarkable range and pulling in any fly ball that comes his way.

Jon Vedder '83 just doesn't make outs. He fouls off pitches in the batter’s box or down the line and just when he looks vulnerable, he slaps base hits to all fields. One time, he had two strikes on him and he hit a ball that was a foot outside on a line to left field. Guys marvel at his bat control and how he plays the outfield flawlessly with his long, graceful, strides. V is a Coop regular for us and it is a joy to watch him play.

Jim Lucci '85 looks and plays like one of the 20-year olds! He plays the infield like the D-1 college player he way, he catches like a natural (he made a nice play to catch a throw on one hop and apply a sweep tag to nail a runner at the plate and he also caught a foul pop-up like he does it for a living). At bat, he hits single and doubles all day long and hustles on the bases. Looch instills an energy and joy for playing that is contagious. His enthusiasm and humor helps make the trip a fun event.

By the way, V, Looch, Matt Morrison, and Dan Foley combined on a defensive play dear to this coach's heart. Team Red had Chris Dolan on first and Jackson Farrelli on third, when Dolan broke early (the #1 play) and intentionally fell down (in his version if the 2nd and 3rd fall down play). Pitcher Matt calmly stepped off and threw to 2nd baseman Lucci who ran hard at Dolan. 1st baseman V who called "Now" (maybe) and Looch tossed to him. At that time, Jackson broke for the plate. V quickly tagged out Dolan and then wheeled and threw to catcher Foley who made a nice tag for the out – a double play, just like these guys practiced it in '85, '83' '98 !!!

Bob Lucci '87, as we said before, made his first trip, coming up from the Philly area. Bob was a brilliant lefty pitcher for us who once struck out 17 in a six-inning game and had a fine career at Bentley. But now, he was here to see what he could do with the bat. In his first time up, he hit a ball that landed between the pitcher and catcher for an infield hit. Good-natured sneering ensued. But next time, Bob roped a single to right and ended up 4 for 4 in Game One and about the same in Game Two. This prompted me to issue and apology to Bob for not batting him in the #3 spot in 1987! The players rewarded Bob by selecting as Outstanding Offensive Player. Moreover, Bobby’s wit and humor, often directed at his brother, kept us laughing and enjoying the day.

Dan Foley '98 is as good an all-around player as we see in these games. He is an Alumni Five Tool Player! He played his usual excellent infield defense and caught a few innings as well. One of the reasons I like to catch is because I get to talk to players when they come to bat. Dan typically will say how he is likely to make an out (even though his Coop lifetime average is about .800 with a few homers). I say, I see a typical Foley double in the gap coming up. Next swing - double in the gap! I don't think anyone finds more joy in playing the game than Dan. It was also cool that his fabulous wife, Melissa, and kids got to see him play so well.

In 2003 our team went 18-1 and averaged 9.1 runs per game. Three of the reasons for that were Chris Dolan, Dan Marshall, and Steve Gath, all in their first Coop Alumni Games.
It was great to re-connect with Chris when he came to the 2015 Alumni Game at Morton, and we were glad he came to Doubleday. Chris is an excellent all-around player then and now. The second batter of the game hit a hard ground ball to Chris’ right at 3b; Chris backhanded the ball confidently and fired to first. Looked like 2003! And Chris hit the ball well with a bunch of singles and doubles for the day. Also, congratulations to Chris who will be married in September 2017.

Dan Marshall holds the RMHS single-season record for hits with 33, and if you add in his Coop hits, he would have about 43! Showing adult power, he had several extra base hits, including a ball that hit a foot from the top of the fence in right center. It is fun to watch Dan hit, but a thrill to watch him run. He scored from first on a double, showing speed reminiscent of 2003 (he is #2 in career stolen bases) and never before seen in an Alumni Game. And he catches balls in the outfield that were intended to be extra base hits.

You don't have to be a Hall of Famer to play in Cooperstown. Well, Steve Gath is one and played like one on Doubleday Field. The first batter of the day hit a ground ball to Gatho's left; he gauged it, timed it, ate it up, and fired to first just like he did when he started every game for four years at Bentley. And then there is the hitting- ropes to left, doubles in the gaps, bombs off the fence. Steve was just born to be a baseball player and I would gladly pay to watch Steve play. Steve, like all the guys at these games, manages to be even a better person than player.

Alex Kozlowski '07 was co-captain of our 18-2 team in 2007. He was an All-League first baseman and still plays like one! In his second Cooperstown alumni appearance, he picked up where he left off last year, banging out hits. He was a doubles machine, hitting four in four consecutive at bats in Game Two. As fine a gentleman as we have known, Koz adds class and humble confidence to our group.

Nick Scali '11, in first alumni games, was very, very impressive. He hit the ball well, with some extra base hits, and he shone in his specialty, tracking down fly balls with his amazing speed. Several balls that would have usually been alumni hits, went to die in Nick's glove. He also has a great arm and pegged out a runner at the plate, maybe the first such play in alumni game history. Players voted Nick as the Outstanding Defensive Player for the weekend.

Adam Halley '11 pitched for us in 2011, continues to pitch in adult leagues, and is RMHS Varsity Pitching Coach. Nobody loves to pitch more than Adam. Thank goodness, because we needed him to pitch both games of the doubleheader! He pitched 9 complete in Game One and came right back to pitch about 7 more in the nightcap. After about 15 innings I asked him how his arm felt and he said, "Great!". That’s Adam, for you. Adam can swing the bat, too, and hit the ball hard all day including a bomb double to CF. He was awarded the Outstanding Pitcher Award for his tireless work on the mound.

Mac Cook '12 was one of Reading greatest all-time hitters and a 3-year starter. His senior year stats rank among the best we've ever seen. So it was no surprise when the big left handed hitter smacked the ball hard day. He is a pull hitter who hits it scarily hard to right and he struck the big blow of the day with his long 2-run homer into the right field bleachers to win Game One. It was great to have Mac with us and we hope he joins us again next year.

Anthony DeSimone '12 is as good an athlete as we have had in Reading Baseball. Every day at practice, we would see him do something amazing in the outfield (such as the time he went to catch a low line drive but his glove fell off so he just caught it barehanded!). At Cooperstown, Anthony showed his skills with both excellent hitting and defense. He made one of the best plays of the day with a diving/sliding catch in CF and he slammed out a variety of singles and doubles. He is a class act in all regards.

Matt Morrison is a regular at our Cooperstown games and we can always count on him for superb all-around play. Matt can play the infield, outfield (he made a nice running, backhanded catch of a fly ball in the left field corner), catch and pitch. Thus year, he pitched about 15 innings, winning the first game as previously noted, and pitching 6 more in the second game. Whereas the first game was a neat, low-pitch complete game, high-scoring Game Two saw Matt's total pitches thrown soar (understand that pitchers are instructed to lay it in there- fastballs only at BP speed so guys can hit) probably to 300 for the day! Matt (like Adam Halley) didn't complain; since we had a scarcity of pitchers on the roster, he just kept throwing to help both teams. Pitch count, shmitch count! Oh, and Matt can hit. He has had a few homers at Doubleday in the past; this year he hit singles and doubles and rarely made an out.

Jackson Farrelli is a kid we would have loved to have had at Reading Baseball. He is big, strong, fast, and athletic. He covers the outfield with great range and uncorked a couple nice throws, too. At bat, he is always dangerous as he hits the ball so darn hard: triple to the left field corner, doubles to both gaps, singles through the infield. The reason we most would have liked to coach him is that he is a terrific kid.

Josh Clark and Pat Maher, along with Jackson, saved the day, as these three "non-alumni" enabled us to play nine on nine. Josh and Pat were highly recommended by Matt, and that was good enough for us to welcome these two Woburn Tanners into our exclusive club. And they are excellent players and great guys! I enjoyed Clarkie's sense of humor and spirit and enjoyed talking baseball history with Pat.

Josh started slow but came on strong with some big hits, including one off the left field fence that just missed going out. He was versatile in the field, playing both infield and outfield. He made the play of the day in the outfield, making a full-extension diving catch of a line drive that drew cheers and applause from the crowd. One fan even sang out the Sports Center theme to indicate Josh's catch would be highlighted on ESPN!

Pat Maher is Woburn HS Freshman Coach at age 23 and a guy who loves to play, coach, and talk about baseball. He had an impressive doubleheader with a bunch of hits, probably 20 putouts in left field (Pat made catches to his left and right and hauled in a few in the warning track), and pitched the last couple innings for Team Red.

Coach Mosc '71 was thrilled to play alongside the players he loves. I was happy that I stuck in a few hits and was able to catch the entire doubleheader for the Red team.

After an injury-free doubleheader, guys met up at the Cooperstown Inn and Suites at the Ballpark where we rented a function room and brought in pizza and beverage. Thus was a fun night and perfect way to end a great day as players from FIVE DIFFERENT DECADES perused the Reading Baerball stats and records books and talked about the games, their high school memories, and their current lives. What a thrill and proud time it was for me to watch a player from the 70's bond with one from the 2010's over their common experiences- Reading Baseball. It made me think, "this doesn't happen for anyone, anywhere else"; it made me feel wonderful about our most special fraternity.

Many thanks to all the players (and family members who came). Thanks for the joy of playing alongside you guys in a most revered ballpark. I hope you guys know how lucky I consider myself to have been your coach, how grateful I am that you all choose to continue to include me in your lives, and how proud I am of every one of you- from your playing days then to your alumni days today.

Coach Mosc

Photos from Doubleday Field in no particular order and with no captions!

Congratulations to two Reading Baseball Players who were inducted into the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame last night!

Brian O'Neil '83 excelled in football, basketball, and baseball for RMHS. I know Brian was a tremendous running back and punter who, I think, was 2nd in the state in scoring his senior year. He was a tough and elusive runner and a workhorse who wanted the ball every down. He was chosen as an All-Scholastic in his senior year. In wrestling, Brian had a tremendous dual I think only 4 losses for his career!

But I knew him best from baseball (although Tom Darrin and I coached him in Freshman Football where Brian was a force!). Anyway, he was a captain in 1983 when he batted .321 with 17 hits, 2 homers, 16 walks, and 11 RBI. He led the team in On Base Average and Walks. As a junior, Brian batted .318 and led the team in triples. Brian played shortstop but also pitched. He went 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA.

He was 7th in his graduating class of over 400 and went to Harvard where he became their starting fullback and punter. He led the team in rushing his senior year.

Moreover, he was (and is) a guy of great character. Brian represented his school and team with great integrity at all times. He is a leader, a class act, a gentleman, and a great family man. He and is family live in Byfield, but he still comes to Reading to play Men's Softball!

Tim Bryant '01 had tremendous careers in both football and baseball. In a Super Bowl-winning season, Tim was an outstanding receiver with 35 catches and an average of nearly 20 yards per catch, and a bunch of TD's. He was an all-league defensive back and ranks among the top all-time in career interceptions for RMHS.

In baseball, Tim was a 3-year varsity player and a 2-year starter. He had a truly Hall-of-Fame senior year. He led the team to a 17-3 regular season record and 20-4 overall (somehow not good enough to win the league - Stoneham did. But we pounded them 12-0 in the tournament).

But back to Tim. He had an amazing senior season in baseball where he had probably the best combination pitching-hitting season of any player in the past 40 years. For the 24 total games, Tim hit .414 with 36 hits. That included 8 doubles, 5 triples, and 6 homeruns. His Slugging Pct. was .828 and OPS a ridiculous 1.339. He also scored 33 runs and drove in 33 runs. All our official stats are for regular season only, but I doubt anyone, when we include tournament games has matched Tim's 30-30-30 in hits, runs, and RBI.

There is more; Time was our #1 pitcher who (in 24 games) went 10-1 with an ERA of 1.66. He was masterful in that he had dominant, low-pitch count games due to his ability to throw quality pitch after quality pitch. He always worked ahead in the count and had such great command that batters had to hit pitches in tough locations. He knew how to pitch to contact before it became popular in higher baseball. In 71.2 innings, he walked just 14. A typical game for Tim was 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 walk, 4 K's in about 80 pitches (and a W). He won two tournaments games and drove in 7 runs in the 3 tourney games.

Tim was a great competitor who always seemed to get the big hit or make the big pitch in big moments. Moreover, Tim was an excellent leader and teammate. His success was due as much to his character and humility as it was his talent. Tim was a great kid to coach. He loved the game and took it seriously, yet knew how to enjoy the game, his teammates, and coaches.Fame person.

Tim had a great career at Bentley University and is one of the school's all-time leader in wins.

Both of our guys were articulate and humble in their heartfelt speeches. Their class and dignity still shines through. It was a privilege to coach each of them and an honor to remain friends with them today.

Great Alumni news! Bob Macaluso '82 has just been named the Head Baseball Coach at Cal State University Bakersfield. Maco was an Assistant Coach there this past spring and will take over the helm in 2016. This is a well-deserved position for Bob who is a tremendous coach and the best guy ever. He is well regarded nationally as a baseball "lifer" who has coached at the high school (JV in Reading, Melrose, plus Head Coach in Weston), American Legion (Reading!), Cape Cod League, and college DIII, DII, and DI. I think Coach Mac is Reading Baseball's first Division I Head Coach. Congratulations and best of luck to Maco! Read more at
http://www.gorunners.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=58070&SPID=6320&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=210303500&DB_OEM_ID=13300

Reading Baseball Alumni Club - Boston Red Sox Night -- September 12, 2016
Thank you to Steve Palladino '82 who organized and orchestrated our first ever Reading Baseball Alumni Night at the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 12. In addition to Steve, his son Kevin, and Steve's dad, Rich Foohey '89, Dan Foley '98 plus his wife and two children, Mike Beatty ’06, Coach and Mrs. Bryson, and myself enjoyed a beautiful late summer night at Fenway. The Sox beat the Orioles, 12-2, and we saw David Ortiz hit a homer. You can see a couple photos here and more on our website. Steve says he will do this again next year and hopes we get even more alumni to attend. Thanks, Steve, who is a great alumnus and friend.

Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner and Reunion
January 15, 2016
Our annual Reading Baseball alumni dinner was billed this year as “Alumni Club Dinner and Reunion”. And according to the attendance (46 guys – an all-time high) and feedback I received from guys in attendance, this was our best event ever!

The forty-six arrived at The Great American Tavern on Friday, January 15 for a night of food, drink, laughs, Reading Baseball memories, and best of all, great camaraderie.
We had players from 1977 all the way to 2012 in attendance- that's players from five different decades! We were especially pleased that some of our youngest alumni were there, as nine players from 2010-2012 were there.

The GAT is the perfect venue as they provide a large private room with its own bar, table seating, and plenty of room to mingle. In addition, they have a projection screen that we utilized to show old game videos (on the VCR!)

Videos of several different games ran all night long and were well received. Particularly interesting games included a 1991 tournament game at Morton Field vs Tewksbury. Players at the dinner who played in that classic game were tri-captains Paul Sumner and Franny McHugh and Pete McHugh who went 11-2 that year on the mound. Alumni enjoyed watching Reading defend a 1st and 3rd play which featured catcher Franny pancaking the Tewksbury runner who attempted to cross "Franny's plate."

Another popular game was a 1998 tourney game, also against Tewksbury. In this one, The Redmen led after 6 1/2 innings only to have Reading tie it in the bottom of the 7th. Tewsbury again took a one-run lead in the 9th but Reading tied it in dramatic fashion. Once more time, Tewksbury took the lead in the 12th, this time by two runs. Yet undaunted, Reading came back on some clutch hitting, including the walk-off winner by Gus Saggese. Players at the dinner who played in that game were Jason Zerfas, co-captain Dan Foley, who drew a key walk in the 12th, and winning pitcher Ryan Carroll who pitched all 12 innings to earn the win. That's right- twelve! Pitch counts, shmitch counts!

A new feature was a presentation created and presented by Coach Mosc that included a Powerpoint with alumni highlights from the past year. We showed photos from the Reading Baseball Family Night at the Lowell Spinners, lots of great photos (thanks Michelle Kramer) from the Alumni Game at Morton Field, a feature on our alumni who are coaching college or high school baseball, and a slide show of alumni who are playing amateur baseball – college, Intercity League, Cape Cod League, North Shore league, etc.

I am trying to post the Powerpoint on this site, but having difficulty. If you would like to see it (I think you will really like it, I can email it to you: petemosc@gmail.com)

A special and important part of the presentation was to remember the five alumni whom we have lost. We spoke about each of our Reading Baseball Brothers and remembered them fondly. I know I think about each of them a lot; I bet you do, too. Please continue to remember David Beers ’79, Paul Ruff ’82, Russell Hunt ’00, Andy Curto ’77, Steve Sample ’07.

We showed a video clip of alumnus Bob Macaluso ’82 being presented as the new Head Baseball Coach at Cal State University Bakersfield. The crowd loved seeing Maco doing so well.
Next, we honored Brian O’Neill ’83 and Tim Bryant ’01, Reading Baseball players (and other sports) who were inducted into the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame in November.

We showed photos of the new dugouts at Morton Field and the seating pavilion that will honor Sully and Irene Moscariello for their longtime support of Reading Baseball where they sat on the first base out-of-play line for 35 years. And we showed a photo of the proposed signage (funding still needed!) that will appear on the scoreboard, proclaiming Newt Morton Field and Pete Moscariello Ballpark.

We showed a video and photo about the “500 Win Indian” that was constructed by the legendary Hal Croft to commemorate Coach Mosc’s 500th victory and our mutual infatuation with Seinfeld. Jonathan Rosenthal ‘02 (as are several alumni) is a Seinfeld fanatic who was given the masterpiece and will proudly display this piece of art in his new home in Stoneham.

If you watch the Powerpoint, you will see, toward the end, some miscellaneous photos of players, teams, or moments. That was my attempt to include a photo and caption of each player who attended the dinner. Almost got everyone!

We previewed some events for 2016 which will include another Reading Baseball Family Night at the Lowell Spinners, a local alumni game at Morton (we hope to make that a family event with a cookout and a kid’s game), and a doubleheader on Doubleday Field in Cooperstown on July 30. We hope you will attend those events – please let me know if you are interested in Cooperstown. Last year we had to cancel because of lack of numbers; this year we have to make it work!

At the end of the presentation, we had a contest where alumni gained “points” for doing things such as being a team captain, playing for Jeff Nelson, or playing in alumni games in Cooperstown. The winners got their choice of Reading Baseball Alumni hat or t-shirt.

We had on display several scrapbooks from selected years. Those are always a big hit as guys enjoy seeing themselves and teammates in photos and print from years ago. We also brought a notebook with complete stats packages from each year 1977-2013 and put out display boards of interesting team achievements over 35 years. If you have not seen those yet, check them out on this website by clicking on the Stats and Records tab. Some really good stuff.

Jason Zerfas ’99 suggested that we honor the 1996 Division II State Championship team on its 20-year anniversary. So the Powerpoint includes some photos, stats, and memories from that incredible team. Again, see the Powerpoint to view how amazing that club and its players were.
We also showed the 1996 state championship game where Reading beat undefeated Auburn, 7-0. It was awesome that six players from that team came to the dinner and stayed for the entire game video (until nearly midnight!) and enjoyed sharing memories, telling stories (some of them I heard for the first time and wish I did not know!!), and enjoying each other and the special season they had.

Thanks 1996 guys who came, all seniors in ’96, were Steve Langone (cpt), David Pizzotti (cpt), Jeremy Purington, Scott Reinold, Chris Smith (cpt), Mike Thompson.

Okay, so here is the complete list of guys who attended, as you will see in the photo:

1977: Mike Moscariello
1979: Pete Collins
1981: Joe Picano
1982: Greg Bernard
1985: Scott Farris, Jim Lucci
1987: Dave Johnson, Tom Zaya
1988: Chris Curley
1989: Darnell Canada, Rich Foohey
1991: Franny McHugh, Paul Sumner (Paul’s son, Tommy, was there, too!)
1992: Pete McHugh
1994: Dave Zaya
1995: Josh Driscoll, John Feudo
1996: Steve Langone, David Pizzotti, Jeremy Purington, Scott Reinold, Chris Smith, Mike Thompson
1998: Ryan Carroll, Dan Foley
1999: Jason Zerfas
2002: Mark DeMasse, Mike Hurley, Mike Ottariano, Jonathan Rosenthal
2007: Alex Kozlowski
2008: Tommy DeMasse
2010: Andrew Gray
2011: Jeff Covitz, Adam Halley, Nick Scali, Mark Sheehan
2012: Greg Altobello, Mac Cook, Anthony DeSimone, Drew Zaccardi
Coaches: Ted “Ace Bryson, Gil Congdon (RMHS Head Baseball Coach 1969-1976), Coach Mosc
Special Guest : John Halsey – Reading Baseball supporter, benefactor, parent, friend

I want to thank everyone for coming and making this a memorable event. We look forward to our Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner & Reunion in 2017. Maybe we will recognize and feature our “anniversary” teams from 1977, 1987, 1997, and 2007.
I think you guys know how much my (our – as I speak for all your coaches) players mean to me and how grateful I am that you guys are willing to stay in touch and continue our friendship, whether it be for 5, 10, or 40 years!

I will close with something that I posted on Facebook :

Monday Morning Motivator by Personal Best -- Building Champions
We held our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner and Reunion Friday night at Great American Tavern in North Reading. Over 40 guys whom I had the privilege of coaching from 1977 to 2013 came to enjoy food, drink, memories, and camaraderie. It was a fantastic evening, for sure.
During the event, we paid tribute to the 1996 state championship team on their 20th anniversary. We also made note of the many league championship teams that players and coaches built together.
At one point, I took a step back and observed these men talking to each other - maybe about a practice or game from their playing days, but much more likely about their families, their careers, their lives. That's when I understood that as much as we thought it was important to build championships, it was much more important to build CHAMPIONS. And I think that's what our coaching staff did so well - we helped our players learn essential skills and attitudes that made them CHAMPIONS in their college academics, in their professional careers, in their community service, and as husbands, fathers, and men of great character. Saying I am proud of my former players doesn't even begin to express how I feel about them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Take care of yourselves and your families, and hope to see you soon. Go Pats. Oh … I forgot.

Coach Mosc

Reading Baseball Alumni Game --- August 16, 2015
Newt Morton Field at Pete Moscariello Ballpark

It was a hot, muggy Sunday morning when nineteen Reading Baseball Alumni, representing teams from five different decades, came to Morton Field for our annual Alumni Game. We used to play these games at Morton for many years, usually on Memorial Day weekend, but for the past 12 years we have played games in Cooperstown. But we did not have enough guys to go to New York this year, so we were happy to play on the beautiful filed that holds so any great memories for all of us.

After warming up, which generally consisted of playing catch (you didn't really think guys were going to do a dynamic warm up and pre-game sprints, did you!?) we split into two squads – Black Team and Gray Team (took us a long time to come up with those names!). A fun fact is that I think 10 of the 19 guys were making their Alumni Game debut!

The Black Team took the field with Drew Zaccardi '12 on the mound and Tim Melanson '05 behind the plate. Pitchers Zaccardi, and Jason Zerfas ’99 for Gray Team, generously laid the ball in there at BP speed and in the zone, so we played with no walks and no strikeouts. Now here is where the details get fuzzy. We did not use the scoreboard or a scorebook (former Team Manager Kasey Cook was there-we should have asked you her to keep the book! ) so I can't say who scored how many runs or in what inning. All I do know is that guys were hitting the ball all over the ballpark and other guys were making good defensive plays. That is par for the course for alumni games- our guys can still hit and can catch the ball if it is hit at them. But this game was different due to the fact that we had so many young guys. In fact, we had 7 guys in their 20's (some just 20, if not still 19) and 6 more in their 30’s. So we had our youngest ever average age which meant that now we had guys with range and strong throwing arms! That made the game ever better.

The game appeared to be evenly matched throughout so when we got to the top of the 9th inning, we just said it was tied and would play it out until we got a winner. Again, not sure of the details, but the Black Team scored in the 10th for the win. No dog pile ensued; guys were too tired.

So despite not remembering the score, I do remember some individual highlights:

Derek Galante'13, showed why he was the league’s premier catcher in 2013 and one of the best hitters we have ever had. Derek hit the ball hard all day and showed off his strong throwing arm from the field. We were so glad that Derek came!

Zack Driscoll '12, who was one of our captains and led his team to a league title in 2012, displayed his usual fluidity and athleticism in the filed- but not from his customary outfield spot, but as a second baseman! Since he throws left-handed, he had to perform a 360 degree pivots to complete double plays! It is always great to watch Zack play – he plays with such joy and passion.

Anthony DeSimone '12, was a premier all-around athlete in his RMHS days and had the single biggest hit to help us win the league title. Today, Anthony can still hit, field, throw, and run! In addition to making all the plays in CF, he swung the bat well and just missed a homer with a long fly to center.

Mac Cook ’12 was one of the most prolific hitters in Reading Baseball history. Mac was a 3-year starter and league All-Star who hit for a high average with great power. On Sunday, it was great to see Mac set up in the lefty batter’s box and drive extra base hits to left and right - just like he used to do at RMHS!

Drew Zaccardi ’12 was 6-1 on the mound in his senior year and was a huge factor in our league title season. His specialty was throwing low-pitch count complete games, but Sunday was different – Drew had to throw all 10 innings and probably 150 pitches! As usual, Drew threw about 80% strikes, which was the key to making the game go so well. In addition, he roped a couple opposite field base hits.

Tim Melanson ’05. This was Tim’s first Alumni Game and he made a great debut! In addition to catching all 10 innings for the Black Team (Tim was captain in ’05 and a great leader and catcher) he hit a shot that hit the yellow cap on the top of the left field fence and went over for a homer. Just to make sure he did not cut it close the next time, he followed with a bomb over the scoreboard!

Eric Sample ’04. Eric is just a terrific all-around player, as he was in his championship seasons at RMHS. He still plays competitive baseball, so he was in mid-season form, playing well at shortstop and smacking the ball around the park. He did the same in his Alumni Game debut at Doubleday last year when he hit a couple balls off the fence and then a long homer.

Chris Dolan ’03. We went 18-1 in 2003 and I always felt Chris was a key, unsung hero. He was our #2 hitter who got on base consistently and was in the middle of every rally. In addition, he was a very good 3rd baseman. Now, 12 years later, Chris played solid 3rd base and hit the ball as hard as a guy twice his size!

Dan Marshall ’03. Dan, a Middlesex League All-Star his senior year, holds the Reading Baseball record for most hits in a season. He unofficially added to that total on Sunday with a bunch of hits, including a long double and a triple. He also showed signs of his legendary speed, tracking down balls in the outfield with ease.

Kevin Donahue ’02. Kevin was a captain of a terrific ’02 team and a versatile player at Endicott College. Sunday he played like the league All-Star he was, with a bunch of hits and impressive infield defense. Alumni Games don’t usually feature strong throws, but Kev fired the ball across the diamond all day long.

Jason Zerfas ’99. Jason is not old, but he is Old Reliable! When something baseball needs to get done, call on Zerf. He certainly did that for 10 years as an Assistant Coach with us. And on Sunday, he pitched all 10 innings for the Gray Team, never showing a sign of fatigue (he has been known to throw 27 innings on previous Alumni weekends, so this was a breeze). And I recall a couple of typical Zerf bombs – deep to left and to right field.

Josh Driscoll ’95. Java is a constant at our Alumni Games. We appreciate how he is at all of our Alumni events every year. On Morton Field he had a big day with a long clout to left among a slew of other hits. He made a great catch on a pop-up, ranging far to his left from his 2nd base position (too bad Feudo and Dan Foley were not there to see it!). Even better, was a running catch from CF where he robbed his little brother of a hit.

Chris Foley ’94. I think Chris’ middle name should be “Steady” or “Consistent”. He was that way in high school when he was our leadoff hitter and left fielder for his Hall of Fame 1994 team, and continues to play that way today. Chris came to one Sunday morning BP session and hit about 50 balls in a row on the nose. In the game, every at bat seems to result in a hard hit ball. And he makes every play in the field, too!

Jason LaVita ’91. Before the game, we told everyone of Jason’s exploits as a big hitter for his league championship team in 1991, including a huge bases loaded double to help win the title game vs. Stoneham. That was in pre-fence days, so Jay would have had a grand slam that day as well as some additional dingers had the fence been erected then. Jason showed great persistence Sunday, battling through long at bats that culminated in hard hit balls to all fields.

Tom Zaya ’87. Mr. Zaya is the outstanding Athletic Director at RMHS, but he is “Z” when he plays ball for us. In 1987, Z was a terrific hitter and infielder (he holds record for career walks) who worked very hard every day. But now, he contradicts the idea that practice is essential, because he hadn’t picked up a bat in 3 years, yet he went 5 for 6, snared a bullet line drive at 3b, and caught a long fly at the fence.

Scott Farris ’85. I wish I could hit like Scott. Of course, everyone does! His stance, approach, and swing is simple and compact. He gets up there and ropes the ball just about every time! He was a great “Quintuple Double” (double figures in hits, runs, walks, RBI, stolen bases) hitter in high school, was a fabulous 20-year coach with us, and is the best hitting instructor around!

Jon Vedder ’83. V is a regular at Alumni Games – Morton and Doubleday. It is a pleasure to watch Jon Vedder play the outfield so smoothly and gracefully. It is a marvel to watch him hit; a tall lefty, he stands up there and hits first pitch just about every time – single to right, double to left …. I don’t think V has made an out in the last three Alumni Games! To make it even more amazing, the ageless V is 50 years old!

Ken Hollingsworth ’75. What a treat it was to see our great RMHS Hall of Fame friend come to Morton Field, where he last played 40 years ago! Ken was a tremendous 3-sport athlete at RMHS and excelled in football and baseball at Williams College. He has been the football and baseball coach at the Tilton School for 35 years where he has accomplished everything a coach can ever accomplish! He has supported everything we have done at Reading Baseball. He has come to our post season practices and games, talked to our players, come to retirement parties, and spoken at a Selectman Meeting for field naming. He is a Hall of Fame guy in every regard. Oh, and he started the game with a sweet backhanded play up the middle from second base, strapped on the gear and caught several innings, and had some great at bats. It was especially great to see how he bonded with fellow alumni and had a great time.

Pete Moscariello ’71. I was happy to be able to catch some innings, play in the field, run the bases, and get out of bed the next day! And I was pleased to get an oppo field single and a gap double (just to show you young guys that Coach used to be an athlete!)

==============================================================================
We had three post game awards. The “trophy” was a very nice dri-fit Reading Baseball Alumni Club shirt (last year’s model).

Outstanding Defensive Player – Kevin Donahue. As mentioned, Kev scooped up every ground ball with perfect mechanics and fired bullets to first base.

Outstanding Offensive Player – Tim Melason. A lot of guys had great offensive days, but none could match the 2-homer output that Tim had!

Outstanding Pitcher – Drew “Zeke” Zaccardi. Both Zeke and Zerf did their job with 150-pitch, 10-inning complete games, but we gave the award to Drew because he was the winning pitcher and because he showed great consistency and poise in throwing some 20-pitch at bats.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We must thank our fans who endured the long game in the heat. It was awesome to see Reading Baseball parents in their customary spots in the bleachers or alongside the field. Many thanks to the John and Diana Halsey, Dave and Marianne Sample, Neal and Joyce Driscoll, Michelle Kramer, Steve Cook, and Kasey Cook for being there. You made it feel like old times; good times!

In addition, thank you to wives and children who were at the game. It was wonderful to hear some “Go Daddy” cheers when Alumni Dads came to bat. So thank you to Gina Driscoll and her and Java’s daughters, Adrianna and Jocelyn, and Angela Foley and her and Chris’ son, Liam. Jenn Zerfas is due with her and Jason’s second child any day, so the Zerf Family was represented by sister Tara and Jason/Jenn’s daughter, Daisy.

We all certainly enjoyed our day of baseball on Morton Field. Many heartfelt thanks to all our players who made the day great. Special thanks to those guys who made their Alumni Game debut and to our young ’12 and ’13 players. It is so nice to now have a mix of the young, mid, and older alumni all playing ball together.

Yet even better than the playing the game was the camaraderie between guys who played in the '70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, and 10's, all who share a common bond and experience called Reading Baseball. What a thrill it was for this old coach to be on that beautiful field, once again, with the players whom I was privileged to coach at RMHS. I consider myself most blessed to have coached you guys and especially grateful that my former players still choose to include me in their lives. So thanks, guys, you made me proud then; you make me even more proud now!

We all look forward to next year when we plan to have an Alumni Game in Cooperstown, and a Reading Baseball Reunion, which will include an Alumni Game and cookout at Morton with parents, wives, and kids.

In the meantime, stay tuned for upcoming Alumni events, such as our annual Alumni Dinner in the winter.

From Ken Hollingsworth '75 - RMHS Hall of Famer:
I got to play in my first Reading High School Alumni baseball game today. Legendary coach Pete Moscariello (in photo below) has been putting these games together for many years, often playing at the Hall of Fame field in Cooperstown, NY. We had Rockets from the 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and teens today, which is a great testament to Pete's outstanding work with the program. As most of you know, Pete was an exceptional coach and is, even today, a great role model for his players. The best part of the day, though, was that the game was played on Pete Moscariello Ball Park in Reading, which was recently named for Pete this spring. It was very cool to play a game with a guy on his own field! Can't wait until next year's game!

Congratulations to Reading Baseball Alumnus Jon Whalen '95, who was married to Tiffani Fujimoto on August 1. I was privileged to attend the wedding and had fun seeing Jon's teammates/friends Anthony Caporale,Josh Driscoll (who was a Groomsman), John Feudo, PJ O'Leary ,as well as Zack Driscoll '12. See happy photo below.

Best wishes to Jon and Tiffani - she is a terrific young woman. You guys who know Jon recognize that he not only was an outstanding player at RMHS and Williams College, but is one of the classiest guys around. Jon continues his highly successful baseball coaching career at an international high school in Brussels, Belgium. Jon's club again won the International Championship this spring!

Reading Baseball Alumni Night at the Lowell Spinners
We had a great time on a beautiful night at LeLacheur Park as 27 alumni and family members sat together in Section 106. I don't remember the score or even who won, but I know it was terrific talking with each alumnus and friends. We have done this for two years and will continue. So thanks to the following for attending:

John O'Keefe '71
Mike Moscariello '77, wife Cindy, son Evan, dog Jasper
Scott Farris '85, daughter Gianna, son Colby
Gary d'Entremont, wife Nicole, son Luke, daughter Eva
Mark Torrisi '91, wife Denise, sons Ryan and Ethan
Dan Robinson '94, sons Colby and Isaac, and he brought Tom Fratto '94's boys, Thomas, Anthony, Nicholas
Mike Thompson '96, son Jack, daughter Mary
Coach Bryson and his son Jeff
Coach Mosc

Congratulations to Jon Whalen (Reading Baseball '95) whose team ) just won the European Championship. Jon is the Head Coach of high school team at an International School in Brussels, Belgium. Jon has won this title multiple times!

Here is what he said in an email to me:

"just got back from London. just wanted to let you know that we had a great run and won the European Championships. We overcame an 8 run deficit by scoring 9 in the last two innings of the semi-final. then today we had a dominant performance by our ace in the final who struck out 16 in 7 innings. He is a special player and is starting to get some scouts following our games (blue jays and cubs) so it is exciting for all of us. I attached a a picture from after the game."

So double congrats to Jon who will be coming home this summer to be married!

Notre Dame at Boston College 5-14-15. This is post game; Coach Farris and I bookend Jesse Woods '00, who is an outstanding young Assistant Coach at ND, and Scott Tully '13, who was the starting pitcher in Notre Dame's 10-4 victory.
Scott ended the regular season with a 4-4 record, and led his team in K's (56) and Opponent BAve (.236). Scott was 3rd on the team in ERA ( 3.10) and 2nd in Appearances (19, which included 5 starts and 14 relief appearances). Scott also recorded one save (vs. Florida State) and got his first ACC win vs. #20 North Carolina..
It was great to see the large contingent for Reading friends and family who came out to support Jesse and Scott. Up next for ND is the ACC Tournament; good luck to our alumni!

Announcements - May 2015:

This is a long message, with lots of information for alumni and friends.

1) Field Naming: I want to thank everyone for your wonderful support about the Reading Selectman’s recent decision to add my name to the baseball complex. It is a most humbling and surreal honor for which I am very grateful.

I must thank all of you who worked so hard to make this happen. My colleague, boss, mentor, and great friend, Phil Vaccaro, has been pushing hard on this for a couple years. Thank you Phil, on behalf of my entire family, for your dedication and perseverance in making this happen.

Thank you to John Halsey for making sure, through his influence as a Selectman, that this would happen. John has been an amazing catalyst in all the improvements at Morton (including upcoming dugouts and seating pavilion in memory of my parents), but moreover has been a great friend and tremendous supporter of everything that is Reading Baseball.

Thank you to John Feudo, who is our town’s head of Recreation/Community Services, but a great alumnus and friend. I know John worked behind the scenes for this project. Running the Reading Baseball School for 30 years was fun and rewarding because I got to further build a great relationship with John.

Thank you to, as Phil called it at the meeting, the “batting order” of guys who spoke so eloquently at the Selectman’s meeting. In addition to Phil’s passionate introductory words, Rick Carter, Ken Hollingsworth, Scott Farris, Steve Gath, Jeff Pierce, and John Feudo all said words that not only ensured the Selectman’s support, but made this old coach very proud and grateful. Thank you guys, you are great friends.

Thank you to alumni and friends who took the time to attend the 9:00 pm meeting on a weeknight: Tom Zaya, Dave Zaya, Jim Lucci, Mark DeMasse, Scott Reinold, Mr. Tom Crowley, and Gil Congdon. I watched the meeting on TV with my mom and we could not see the entire audience. So if there were others of you there that I could not see, I thank you very much. Special thanks to my RMHS coach, Gil Congdon, for speaking from the audience. It is from Gil that I learned that players and coaches can have lifelong relationships. And thank you to Tom Crowley ’11, who is finishing his senior year at Trinity College, but wrote a wonderful letter, read aloud by Mr. Vaccaro.

Thank you to Ken H., Rick C., John H. who posted the announcement and photos on Facebook so that our friends and family would be aware.

And thank you, to all of you alumni and friends, for all your congratulatory phone calls, emails, text, FB messages. They mean a lot to me.

I am especially grateful because this decision honors my entire family – my brother, Mike, who was my first (tri-) captain in 1977, and who has been my biggest supporter in everything we have done; my mother, who was an avid fan, appearing at every game, and hosting post-season cookout; and my dad, who took thousands of photos of you guys, built all kinds of things for the team, and spend countless hours maintaining Morton Field back when it was constantly wet and in need of care. There were game days when he would work on the field from 7:00 am until 2:30 in order to make the field playable. My mom was thrilled to hear the news and my dad would have been very, very proud. So if it is to be called Pete Moscariello Ballpark ; to me the emphasis is on the last name.

By the way, please note that the field was not-renamed, just “additionally named”. So I am very honored to share the field/ballpark name with Newt Morton. Newt was my Pony League coach in 1966 and my first supervisor when I became a Park Instructor in 1971.

This honor is beyond my wildest dreams. All I hoped to do, when I became Head Coach at age 23, was teach the game I love and use baseball as a vehicle to make my players better men. Certainly, I am most proud that this goal was accomplished, as I see my former players as outstanding citizens, devoted husbands, great fathers, successful professionals, and loyal alumni. The fact that our plan culminated in a lot of wins, championships, and awards is all because of you. Thus I feel like this recognition, just as any other recognition I've received, belongs to all of us. But since it is not practical to put all of your names on a sign above the scoreboard, I guess it is pretty cool that mine will be up there! Just know that my name represents what we all did- together.

The difficult part for me is sort of the acceptance of the finality of my career; the realization that I will not be coaching players I love on the field I love anymore (I guess two years of retirement did not give me enough of a hint that my career was over; I needed this to get the picture!). I know we will have alumni games there, and I hope I will work with your kids via clinics or lessons, but the everyday practice at Morton with my beloved players is what I truly miss most. So now my hope is that when my alumni go to that field with your young son or daughter (or grandchild) and s/he reads the

name above the scoreboard and asks" "Dad, who was Pete Moscariello.", you can say, "He was my coach; let me tell you a story."

2) Field upgrades and dedication: Mr. Halsey will plan a ceremony in which the ballpark is named and the christening of the new dugouts, seating pavilion, and other improvements will occur. Tentatively, this would be in mid-July before a Reading Bulldogs game. We will keep you posted.

3) Alumni Game at Moscariello Ballpark! After the Selectman’s meeting, I was thrilled that ten guys came to my mom’s house to see us and celebrate the decision. In discussions, some guys have come up, with an idea to have a local alumni game (like we used to do), some time after the dedication. That is a great idea for us to play together and enjoy the new facilities. We will come up with a date soon and get that out to you.

4) Alumni Game at Cooperstown: Getting to be crunch time for rounding up players for our games on Doubleday Field on August 15-16. So far we have Joe Prew, John Feudo, Josh Driscoll, Dan Foley, Mark DeMasse, Brian DeMasse, Tommy DeMasse, and me.

So we need you- so please talk to each other, urge each other to play, and contact me to commit. Special challenge to the 2002 team- if you truly want to be Alumni Team of All Time, then you must do more than come to the dinners – you need to come to Cooperstown. Captains DeMasse and Donahue have done that, now time for the rest. Same with all you other tight groups of players – 2008 team, for example. I guarantee it will be a memorable time.

5) Reading Baseball Alumni Club Day at Lowell Spinners: Last year, we had an Alumni Father-son/daughter game at the Spinners. Let's do that again. Certainly, wives or any family member or friend can come, too. I can get a bunch of tix ($10 each) for maybe Wed, July 15 or Fri, July 17. Let me know if you would like to do this

5) Sunday Morning Baseball: How about, beginning in mid-June, we go to Morton for some hitting, fly balls, ground balls, etc? You don't have to be a Cooperstown player for this; just come down to play some ball. Let me know if you think you would be interested.

6) Alumni in College Baseball: we have two of our alumni coaching in Division I college baseball – Jesse Woods ’00 at Notre Dame and Bob Macaluso ’82 at Cal State Bakersfield. Both teams are doing very well: Notre Dame is 30-18 and CSU Bakersfield is 30-17-1. Good luck to both coaches in the conferences tournaments.

We have two alumni playing college ball: Sean O’Neill ’14 had an excellent freshman year at Brandeis University. As a pitcher, he was 5-2 with a 2.18 ERA. Sean led the team in Innings Pitched and ERA and was 2nd in wins. He will play with the Reading Bulldogs again this summer.

Scott Tully ’13 is having an outstanding sophomore year at Notre Dame. He is a deceptive 3-4, and is 2nd on the team in ERA and first in Opp. BAve. He has pitched with some tough luck – for example left a game with a 5-3 lead, but team ended up losing 6-5. Another time Scott cam in relief and pitched a scoreless 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and gave up a run in the 11th for a loss. I have watched him pitch via Watch ND and he looks great.

Notre Dame is playing at Boston College this week on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday afternoons. I know there will be a large contingent of Reading folks there to support Jesse and Scott.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That’s it! Please let me know about Cooperstown, Spinners, Alumni Game at Morton, and Sunday Morning Baseball. And, again, thank you all for everything you have done for our program, my family, and me.

Coach Mosc

Here is news about players in college baseball.
Scott Tully, a sophomore at Notre Dame, is 2-0 on the young season with a 2.08 ERA. He got his first career varsity win by pitching six scoreless innings vs. Northwestern. The following week, Scott pitched three hitless innings, with six strikeouts to pick up his second win, vs. Belmont College.
Notre Dame plays in the ACC and will be coming to play at Boston College on May 14-16. Not only will we see Scott at Chestnut Hill, but also Reading Baseball Alumnus, Jesse Woods '00, who is an Assistant Coach at Notre Dame. Jesse is a highly regarded coach among the college ranks, and was previously a coach at BC prior to going to ND. So it will be a double kind of homecoming for Jesse.

Bob Macaluso '82 is an Assistant Coach at U Cal Bakersfield, having left Cal Irvine after seven years there. This is a great opportunity for Coach Mac who is the 3rd base coach for his new club and has increased daily responsibilities with running practices and recruiting. Best of luck to Maco, whom we all know as a great guy and great baseball man.
Read more about Bob at http://www.gorunners.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13300&ATCLID=209695587

We also have alumni coaching high school baseball. John Halsey '08 is an Assistant Varsity Coach at RMHS; Jason Zerfas '99 is an Assistant Varsity Coach at Wakefield HS, and Matt Morrison, Reading's former JV Coach, is an Assistant Varsity Coach at Woburn HS.

Here is some interesting information about John Halsey and his full-time career. John is the Baseball Operations Manager at SmartSports, developer of the SmartKage. The link below can explain what John does better than I can. Congratulations and good luck to John on this cutting-edge career in baseball.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/12/19/baseball-numbers-all-them/wzPEQVZaCavmOauKkir1jM/story.html

1-9-15 Alumni Dinner, Cooperstown, and More!

Our annual Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner was a great success; truly one of the
best ones we've ever had. Maybe it was such a success because we enjoyed the new venue - The Great
American Tavern in North Reading. We had a spacious private room with tables to sit at and space to mingle, as well its own bar a - perfect for a large crowd.

Maybe it was because we held the event on a Friday night for the first time. Usually we hold this on a Sunday, with a work day looming the next day. Friday night proved to be a great night out, as guys stayed until 10:00 (and some even continued the evening at Kitty's afterward!).

Or maybe it was the excellent food - guys gave “two thumbs up” to the sausages with peppers and onions, chicken parm with ziti, steak tips, meatballs, and salad.

Possibly it was because guys enjoyed the videos of Reading Baseball games that we projected on a big screen all night long. Reading Cablevision used to broadcast our games in the 80's and 90's, so we showed highlights from those games as well as some more recent "home movies" of Cooperstown games vs. Lexington and Alumni Games at Morton.

Maybe it was because players enjoyed looking at old scrapbooks and all- time records/highlight books that depicted their accomplishments during their time at Reading Baseball. By the way, much of that stuff is available to view at this website – click on the Stats & Records tab; I think you will like it.

Or maybe, after all, the success of the event was due to the fact that we had 30 alumni players from 1977 to 2014 all together enjoying each others' company and sharing memories of their playing days.

We all enjoyed congratulating guys from '02: Mike Ottariano and Rob DeMoura, who each recently got engaged. Two other 2002 guys, Nick Radocckia and Kevin Donahue, were applauded for their recent marriages. In addition, we got word that Ryan Carroll’s ’98 wife just gave birth to their third daughter. Congratulations to everyone!

Also congratulations to Brian O'Neil '83 and Tim Bryant '01 on their selection to the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame, and Jeff Covitz '11 for being named to the 3rd team All-American Football Team for his fantastic career at Bryant University.

A non-baseball event was a pool to predict the Pats-Ravens score. The winner, whom we did not know until the next day, was Mike Ottariano. He won a big $9. That's right: NINE! Mike will have the option of taking his winnings as a lump sum or 45 cents per year for the next 20 years.

We also announced that earlier that day we got word that we got our Doubleday Field Reservations. We will be playing our Alumni Games there on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16. So save the date and plan your trip. As Josh Driscoll says, this should be a blow-out year!

Here is the list of players and coaches who attended: Kenney Jones '73, Joe Mangelinx ‘73, Mike Moscariello'77' Joe Picano '81, Brian O'Neil '83, Jim Lucci '85, Scott Farris '85, Gary d'Entremont '87, Josh Driscoll '95, John Feudo'95' Josh Martin '95, Steve Langone'96, Dan Foley '98, Dennis Gramolini '99, Scott Severance '99, Jason Zerfas '99,Jamie Cerretani '00, Mark DeMasse '02, Rob DeMoura '02, Kevin Donahue '02, Mike Hurley '02, Mike Ottariano '02, Jonathan Rosenthal ’02, Jeff Covitz ’11, Mac Cook ’12, Zack Driscoll '12, Scott Tully '13, Liam Kenneally '14, Coach Bryson, Coach Mosc

This happy event gives us great momentum for future dinners at Great American Tavern, the new Official Restaurant of Reading Baseball Alumni Club (replacing former title holders Kitty's, On the Border, and Bertucci's).

Well, I think you guys know how much I enjoy our alumni events, because I love seeing you guys and catching up on how your lives are going. I especially enjoy watching you interact with teammates from five different decades, sharing common Reading Baseball experiences. I hope you know that I am proud of each of you for the men you have become, and I am fortunate to have you guys include the old coach in your lives.

Coach Mosc

Congratulations to Reading Baseball Alumnus Steve Lane '87, who will be inducted into the Intercity League Hall of Fame on November 15. Steve played in that prestigious league for seven years, primarily as a shortstop, but also played every infield position,outfield, plus did some pitching. He batted .382 for his career and led his team to three regular season titles. Steve has previously been inducted into the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame and the UMass Lowell Hall of Fame, both for his basketball and baseball excellence.

Those of us who coached or was a teammate with Steve, know that not only was he an outstanding pitcher, hitter, and shortstop, but that he was one of the best and most charismatic leaders we have had. Steve was (still is, as he is Head Basketball Coach at Nashua North HS and a scratch golfer) a tremendous competitor who loved the game. We enjoyed his personality, his confidence, and the way that he always deflected credit from himself and to his teammates. Photo at left is Steve during his playing days at RMHS.

Also, congratulations to Reading Baseball Alumnus Don McGillicuddy '56, Reading Baseball Alumnus Dean Koulouris ''72, and Reading Baseball parent George Ravanis, all of whom are being inducted into the ICL HOF as well. Don McGillicuddy is also in the RMHS HOF and his son, Mike, was a terrific athlete, too, who played basketball and baseball at RMHS ('87, with Steve Lane) and baseball at Babson. Dean Koulouris was a teammate of Coach Mosc's RMHS and at UNH. He was an excellent QB in football and a dominant righthanded pitcher. I don't know the exact stats, but I know Dean pitched in the ICL into his forties! George Ravanis was a great player at Lexington HS and Boston College, and his son, Alex, was an all-league first baseman for us. So lots of Reading Baseball connections in the ICL HOF - congratulations to all!

The RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame has announced its next class of inductees, and included are two Reading Baseball players: Brian O'Neil '83 and Tim Bryant '01. Congratulations to Brian and Tim on this prestigious and well-deserved honor. Here is some information about their outstanding careers.

Brian was a fabulous athlete who excelled in three sports, but whose greatest achievements came on the football field. Tom Darrin and I coached him in freshman football and our ingenious offensive strategy was to give Brian the ball and let him run! Brian had a great career at RMHS (I don't have his football stats on hand, but I know he scored over 100 points in his senior year as a running back and kick returner) as well as at Harvard University. Brian was also outstanding on the wrestling mats and on the baseball diamond. He was a 2-year starter for us as he played shortstop and pitched. As a junior, Brian batted .318 with 15 runs and 14 hits and led the team with 3 triples. He was also 2-1 on the mound. During his senior year, Brian batted .321 and led the team in homeruns (2), walks (16), assists (36), and on base pct (.554). He was 3-1 with a 2.96 ERA and led the staff in strikeouts. So you see he was a versatile, consistent, and excellent player for us.

Tim was also a multi-sport athlete who had a great football career as a wide receiver and defensive back, where he was an all-league selection. Yet baseball was Tim's best sport where he had possibly the greatest pitching-hitting combination single season of anyone we have had. In 2001, Tim was a tri-captain who helped his team win 20 games and go to the Division II North Final. Including the tournament, Tim was 10-1 with a 1.66 ERA. He walked just 14 batters in 71 innings. Offensively, Tim batted .414 with 31 runs, 36 hits, 8 doubles, 5 triples, 6 homeruns, a slugging pct of 828 and OPS of 1.339. Yikes! Tim led the team in runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, slugging, OPS, wins, and ERA. He was 2-0 in tournament play and batted.375 in those four games.

Tim was named to the Middlesex League All-Star Team and the Boston Herald All-Scholastic Team. He went on to have a stellar four-year career at Bentley University where he is one of their all-time greatest pitchers, and then to the Intercity League where he starred for the Lexington Blue Sox.

I would say this about Brian and Tim: if you take away all their athletic accomplishments, you are still left with two of the best men of character and integrity whom we have known.

So congratulations to Brian and Tim. We look forward to their induction ceremony next November.

Congratulations to Ken Hollingsworth '75 who is being honored at the annual New England Preparatory School Athletic Council's annual conference in Worcester on November 21. Ken will be receiving the Distinguished Service Award, presented annually to an "individual who has contributed significantly to New England Independent School Athletics and Physical Education through enthusiasm, dedication, leadership, and vision." Those words describe Ken perfectly!

Ken has been the Head Football and Head Baseball Coach at Tilton School for over 30 years and was their Athletic Director for 20 years.
Many of you know Ken Hollingsworth as an RMHS Hall of Famer who excelled in football, basketball and baseball at Reading. Ken, despite being in NH, has remained an ardent supporter of Reading Baseball since his own graduation. He has come to our practices and games and even has inspired our players by speaking to them at practice. Plus, there is no better human being on this planet than Ken. Great coach, great teacher, great family man, great friend.

So now we all congratulate Ken for a well-deserved recognition for his lifelong commitment to young people and excellence.

Reading Baseball Trivia Contest

Although these questions span five decades, they are categorized by decade, with two or three questions from each era. Then there are some that span multiple decades. Hopefully, you will all find some questions that apply to the players/teams with whom you played. You can answer any question, not just for your decade. A couple answers may be found in all-time records on this website, but most are designed to be answered from memory and experience!

They are not easy, but hopefully will be fun! Prizes will be awarded to alumni who get the most points. You can submit answers to Coach Mosc at petemosc@verizon.net. Also, have fun discussing these questions on Facebook.

70's

1)      10 pts: This RMHS Hall of Famer played for us in the 70’s and then led the Cape Cod Baseball League in home runs for two consecutive summers.

2)      10 pts: These three guys pulled off something in 1979 that had never been done before or since: Mark Bosteels, Paul Smith, Paul Turenne.

80's

3)      10 pts: State what was quite unusual about our starting outfielders in 1984: Mike Crispo, Nate Cross, Kevin Mello.

4)      10 pts: This player did the “quintuple double” (double figures in hits, runs, walks, RBI, stolen bases) his senior year. Also, he hit a double vs future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine (in a Legion game).

90's

5)      10 pts: He hit three home runs, in the same game, vs Lexington at Doubleday Field, Cooperstown.

6)      2 pts for each player named: The 1999 team had an all-time high team batting average of .371. Name the five regulars who hit over .400.

00's

7)      5 pts each player: Name two players who, in 2000, won Middlesex League Triple Crowns (Batting Ave, HR, RBI for hitters; Wins, Strikeouts, ERA for pitchers).

8)      10 pts: This Middlesex League All-Star and team captain was the Reading player to hit a home run over fence the fence at Morton in 2004 (fence was red temporary fence that year).

10's

9)      10 pts: This All-League first baseman is the only Reading player to hit a home run at LeLacheur Park (was in MIAA Tournament).

10)   10 pts: He tied the RMHS all-time record for career saves by retiring the one batter he faced in his final appearance for RMHS.

Crossover (covers more than one decade)

11)   2 pts each: Name the five Reading Baseball players who are in their college HOF (although may/may not be for baseball).

12)   1 point for each. Name the players with these nicknames. Hint- listed from oldest to most recent.

Ducky
Redness
Head
Nardo
Fats
Red
Packy
Vatz

13)    2 pts for each: Name five Reading Baseball players who played pro ball (YOG '77 or later). Hint: one graduated in 70's, one in 80's, two in 90's, one in '00's

14)   1 pt each: Name Reading players who were Middlesex League MVP's from these years:

               1977, 1980, 1990, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009, 2013, 2014


15) Bonus: 5 pts: Just noticed this: some MVP's were primarily pitchers but also hit; some MVP's were primarily hitters, but also pitched. But only one did not pitch at all. Name him.

Reading Baseball Alumni Club Weekend
August 16 and 17, 2014 -- Cooperstown, NY

Thirteen alumni and seven family members made the annual pilgrimage to Cooperstown, the (not really) birthplace of baseball. We had a fabulous weekend in every regard, enjoying beautiful weather, playing two games on historic Doubleday Field, and especially, enjoying the camaraderie with our teammates in friends of The Reading Baseball Alumni Club.

Guys arrived in Cooperstown at different times – Friday afternoon, Friday night, even Saturday morning. Players stayed at various motels. I recommend you talk to Josh Driscoll, John Feudo, and Dan Foley about the accommodations at the Cooperstown Motel. That motel was the very first one our Reading HS team stayed at in 1993. That prompted me to say that the Cooperstown Motel is a four-star motel (of course, the state of New York uses a 100-star system!)

We were happy to have first-time players join us: Eric Sample '04 and Alex Kozlowski '07, as well as our loyal alumni who have attended nearly every year: Chuck Ross '74, Pete Collins '79, Jon Vedder '83, Josh Driscoll '95, John Feudo '95, Dan Foley '98, Jason Zerfas '99, Mark DeMasse '02, Brian DeMasse '03, Tommy DeMasse '08, and Coach Mosc '71.

For the ballgames, we divided up into teams of 4, 4, 5 and found a way to make it work with two teams in the field and one at bat, and then rotate every three outs. Net result was that each player got 15-20 AB's and nobody sat out (or even sat down) at any time! In fact, sometimes a player would be on base due up to bat. But it all worked out great.

The three teams were Team Driscoll: Alex Kozlowski, Tommy DeMasse, Jon Vedder, Java Driscoll
Team Feudo: Brian DeMasse, Pete Collins, Mark DeMasse, John Feudo
And Team Foley: Chuck Ross, Dan Foley, Jason Zerfas, Eric Sample, Coach Mosc

Game 1 was played on A beautiful 75 degree Saturday morning. Jason Zerfas took the mound and retired the first six hitters in order. Those six outs were the beginning of 69 outs and 23 innings that Zerf pitched on the weekend. As the morning warmed up, so did the bats as hitters started to bang out hits to all parts of Doubleday Field. There were just too many offensive highlights to list, but the most memorable was a grand slam by Mark DeMasse. Jon Vedder was his usual masterful self, slapping hits to all fields. John Feudo did the same , having a big offensive day despite a bad back. The most outstanding offensive display was by Eric Sample who showed bat control as well as power, hitting the ball to all fields and hitting two near home runs high off the wall in right center.

On the defensive side, Sample played well in the infield and outfield and also pitched a few innings. Tommy DeMasse played equally well, also on the mound and in multiple positions. Dan Foley made a fine running catch in CF and at 2b, turned double plays and tracked down pop ups from left center to foul territory .

It was tricky keeping score with such rapid changing of teams. But for Game 1, it was clear that Team Foley came out on top.

After the game, we gathered down the right field line (just like we used to do at Morton Field) to present the Offensive Player of the Game trophy to Eric Sample and the Defensive Player of the Game trophy to Dan Foley. In addition, we made a special presentation to Chuck Ross (more on that below).

The game ended shortly after noon, and everyone had the afternoon to tour the Hall and shops. Saturday night we all got together at the function room (empty room with round tables), bought take out food, and enjoyed each other’s company for hours. I must thank everyone for staying all night – I know you had other options. I know I really enjoyed telling stories and hearing players’ stories from their days at RMHS. I may be biased, but I can’t imagine that any team/program has the special fraternity that we enjoy. I am really grateful and proud for that.

Game 2 began under cloudy skies and there was even some light rain. Yet we started (almost) on time and the weather improved each inning.

Usually, during these games, players take photos, but everyone was either in the field, at bat, or on the bases! Also, I like to make notes during the game so I can write about them without having to recall the facts. So not having done that, what I do recall is that Team Driscoll won this one, as Java’s team banged out four homeruns: by Java, Tommy DeMasse, and two by Koz.

Eric Sample also homered in Game 2, as did Brian DeMasse. So the Alumni hit 6 long balls in Game 2 and 7 for the weekend!

Zerf and Tommy DeMasse handled the pitching and Mark DeMasse, Dan Foley, and Coach Mosc were the catchers.

At the end of Game 2, we again gathered down the right field line to thank everyone, exchange hugs, and give out awards. Alex Kozlowski earned the Offensive Player of the Game, not just for his two home runs, but also for ripping the ball all weekend. Jason Zerfas received the Defensive Player of the Game – after all, most of defense is pitching and Zerf pitched more than anyone. Also, remember he made several outstanding (albeit self-defense) plays on the mound.

We noted that Chuck Ross and Java had been to the most Alumni Games (except for Coach Mosc, who has been to them all – someone has to pay the umpires!). Chuck received his award Saturday, but we saved the best for Sunday when we have Java the Maskot Pizza Award (it was a t-shirt that the owner of the pizza shop sent me to apologize for the crappy pizzas he sold us last year).

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are my thoughts on each player, in order of least recent to most recent RMHS graduation.

Chuck Ross – at age 58, Chuck can still pound the ball. He short-hopped the left field fence a couple times and had a bunch of other hits. It was 40 years ago that Chuck was an All-Scholastic at Reading HS. We can see why – he still has great presence on the field. Remember just a couple years ago that Chuck hit an over-everything home run to left. For you young home run hitters, think about whether you will be doing that 20 or 30 years from now! Chuck says this may be his last year as a player, which we are sorry to hear, but I hope that he and Molly will at least continue to make the trip.

We recognized Chuck’s loyalty as an alumnus who has come to these games, all the way from Belfast, Maine, in 9 of 10 years. We also wanted to recognize his coaching excellence at Belfast HS (33 years and still going!), and his Hall of Fame career as a player at RMHS. After Game 1, we presented Chuck with the Cooperstown Timepiece with inscription:

George “Chuck” Ross

Reading High School Hall of Fame

Great Coach, Great Alumnus, Great Friend

Doubleday Field 2014

Pete Collins – it is such a treat to watch this 53-year old play ball; he sure doesn't play like 53 !.I have known Pete for a long, long time: he played Pony League for me and then was on my very first RMHS team – 1976 Freshman. Then Pete was an excellent player for me on the Varsity in ’78 and ’79. He had a beautiful swing then and still does now! He hit the ball great this year, as he always does, and he looks so natural playing in the OF, handling whatever comes his way. He plays the game like a much younger guy and continues to have a deep love for baseball and for the alumni. He is a great guy and great friend for over 40 years!

Jon Vedder - V gets better every year! After his first three AB’s (all hits) I told him he might as well step in the batter’s box, announce where he will hit the ball and just go to first base, as he consistently hits the ball hard to the open spaces in left, center, and right. Still a great athlete, he tracks down balls in the outfield with grace and ease. It was great to see Jon’s sons, Jonny and “Ray Ray”, make the trip. Jonny even got a few at bats and drilled a ball into left field. We know that V loves this trip and we appreciate his loyalty.

Java Driscoll – Java has been a constant, loyal alumnus who always plays great at Doubleday. And now he has the Maskot Pizza t-shirt to commemorate his achievements! Java always humbly downplays his ability, but we know better. He can play! He hit the ball hard all weekend, including a towering homerun, over everything, down the left field line. He is smooth and steady at every infield position and plays with a constant smile on his face; awesome to see how much Java enjoys the experience. He is one of the guys that really makes it fun for all of us.

John Feudo – John has had a back issue all summer and he came to Cooperstown not knowing how well he could participate. Well, he hit the ball so well in both games that guys wanted to know where they could go to get a bad back! He hit the ball for singles and doubles all over the field, including a shot past a lunging Foley at 2b and dropping one in front of a hustling Driscoll in CF, much to John’s delight. For Feudo, Java, and Foley – it is not whether you win or lose, but if you have an edge on the other two guys. He is another great guy who greatly contributes to the camaraderie and bonding on the trip.

Dan Foley - Foles is such a good player. Not only does he hit and hit and hit, but he is awesome in the field. He made a nice running catch in CF, ranged into foul territory from 2b to catch a pop-up, turned double plays, ate up ground balls, looked natural behind the plate, and made slow roller plays like Derek Jeter. At bat, seems like he never makes an out. When did he get to be so good?! Anyway, Dan’s enthusiasm and love of playing was evident when he was in high school and is evident today. Love to see that.
By the way, one of the slow roller plays Dan made at shortstop is when he threw out a heartbroken young Jonny Vedder. Yes, Foles is competitive.

Jason Zerfas – he is our Iron Man. Once again, he threw over 20 innings (we think it was 23 this time; 27 in a previous year!). Considering that most innings have 5 to 8 batters, Zerf probably threw over 400 pitches on the weekend. Pitch Count, Schmitch Count. Zerf throws so many strikes that the catchers rarely have to touch the ball. Showing no fear from a broken forearm from a previous Doubleday Game, Zerf lays the ball in there with enough speed that balls get hit back with good velocity. The mound was not a safe place as Zerf had some rockets (pun intended) hit at him. He snagged a hot shot headed for his ribs, snared a couple one hoppers at his head, took a liner off his pitching hand, and still caught pop ups, covered 1b on balls hit to first baseman, and participated in run downs. Why does Zerf pitch so many innings and throw in a manner that he knows he will be hit hard? Because he is totally unselfish and wants everyone to have a great time. That’s Zerf. And, by the way, he crushes the ball every year at Doubleday.

Mark DeMasse – the oldest of the three brothers continued to excel, as Mark banged out his usual array of bullets all over Doubleday. He had the most memorable shot of the weekend, a mammoth grand slam that not only cleared the fence, the bleachers, the back fence, but also, according to right fielder Pete Collins, hit a house on the fly! A note about the grand slam: Mark was batting not for his team, but for Team Foley (that happened a few times because sometimes pitchers/catchers stayed in the field when their own teams were up, so we need to adjust). Anyway, I said to Mark that if he hit a granny, 3 runs count for Foley’s team and only one for his own! Mark fouled off a couple pitches and said he was having trouble squaring it up. Until the next pitch and a 420 foot bomb! Mark has amazingly hit at least one home run in every Cooperstown trip and has over 10 homers to his credit. In addition, Mark caught probably 20 flawless innings. If you think he can hit now, you should have seen him in HS!

Brian DeMasse – It has been said of the great hitters that they can roll out of bed and go 4 for 4. Add Brian to that list, as he has a knack of shaking off the cobwebs and smacking the ball time after time! Brian, like all three DeMasse’s, is very humble, and downplays his performance, but every year he is outstanding. This year he got up to the plate and said, “I think I need to get some hits.” Next pitch, double. Next AB, long home run. Brian has also hit several dingers at Doubleday, but this one was special for me. Brian broke a cleat on his shoe, so he borrowed mine; I was so happy that my shoes had the opportunity to see what it feels like to run around the bases on a home run. Thanks, DeMass!

Eric Sample – this was Eric’s first alumni games in Cooperstown, and after his performance, I bet he will come back! In Game 1, Eric may not have made an out, gathering probably 10 hits. Included were two near homers – both balls hitting high off the wall in right center. As mentioned, he got the Offensive Player of the Game on Saturday. On Sunday, he may have made an out or two, but had the highlight of a long home run to left field. Eric could have gotten the defensive award, as well, for he played brilliant defense in the infield. What alumni veterans learn is to look around the field to see where the old guys are playing and hit it there. But since there were not many old guys this time, a lot of balls went to Eric and resulted in outs. He also pitched a few innings despite having pitched (in a real game) two days prior.

Alex Kozlowski – Koz was another first timer and I hope he comes back, too. It is not easy to travel out there alone and not know too many of the guys, but it did not take Alex long to fit in. Guys who had not previously known Koz commented to me what a great kid he is. Besides being the great kid, he is also a heckuva player! Koz tied for the most doubles in season (11) in his junior year and hit about 11 more on the weekend! He hit the ball scary hard, including a ball at Brian DeMasse in LF and two home runs. His second homer to left was an over-everything missile. That is why he was the Game 2 Outstanding Offensive Player. Koz was a first baseman in HS, but played the OF for these games (usually the older guys play 1b – safer and closer to the bench!) and he looked very natural and played very well out there.

Tommy DeMasse- Tommy or Tommy John or T-Bone (but definitely not KoKo) was again our youngest alumnus. And Tommy’s youthful athleticism was on display all weekend. We don’t keep a scorebook so we don’t really know how many hits guys are getting, but it seems like Tommy hits .750 each year. Singles, doubles, and, not to be outdone by his older brothers, Tommy hit a homerun (he has hit others in the past, including a grand slam). Tom pitched a bunch of innings and, like Zerf, threw strikes so guys could have offensive success. So thanks to all three DeMasse brothers for being loyal and constant participants in the Cooperstown weekends; you are great alumni and friends!

I must thank all family members who made the trip. Pam DeMasse is awesome! She has joined us most years and seems to enjoy the Cooperstown experience and watching her sons play. Between all the Reading HS games her three sons played at Doubleday and the Alumni Games there, I bet Pam has seen 20 games at the historic field. We also appreciate that Pam’s daughter/the guys’ sister, Ashley, and her 3-year old son, Jack, made the trip. What a great family; we love the DeMasse’s!

Molly Ross makes the trip fun for all of us. Her natural enthusiasm, sense of humor, and candidness is why we love her. Thanks, Molly.

We mentioned the young Vedder boys, Jonny and Ray. Great for them to see how well their dad plays; I bet great for V to share these times with his boys.

We are so glad that Dave Sample accompanied Eric on the trip. They had just returned from a family trip to Oregon, so we know it was a lot to ask. I know that Doubleday Field is a special place for the Samples; I think it is even more special now.

Thanks to all for making this another wonderful Reading Baseball Alumni Weekend. You all know how much the weekend means to me –I love playing alongside you in the games and hanging out with you, off the field, is always special to me. Thanks for making more great memories for the old coach. I can’t wait to do it again in 2015 !

I wish you all the best and hope that, every once in awhile, you will be 15 minutes late!

Coach Mosc

We had a fun Reading Baseball Alumni Club father -son/daughter outing at the Lowell Spinners game on June 26. Great night for alumni to get together and spend time with each other and with alumni kids! One photo here but many more posted on the Photos & Videos page.
Alumni and kids who attended: Coach Bryson and son Jeff; Joe Picano '81; Steve Palladino '82; Scott Farris '85 and daughter Gianna, son Colby; Gary d'Entremont '87 and son Luke, daughter Eva; Steve Lane '87 and daughter Brooke; Mike Thompson '96 and son Jack; Dan Foley'98 and daughter Lucy; Coach Mosc

Reading Baseball Alumni Club is on Facebook! We started a Facebook page for our Alumni to stay in touch and many of you have already "friended-up". You can find our page under Pete Moscariello so you can join, too.

Reading Braves - North Shore Baseball League. Reading is going to have a team in the North Shore Baseball League this summer. This is a league of post-high school (mostly college guys). Alumni Nick Scali and Adam Halley did the groundwork to get a Reading entry. The team's field manager will be alumnus TJ Murphy '07. Nice going by Nick and Adam to bring a team to Reading (will be called Reading Braves) and give our alumni an opportunity to keep playing ball (base, not soft!).

Best of our luck to our alumni in college baseball, including Coach Bob Macaluso (UCal Irvine), Coach Jesse Woods (Notre Dame), Coach TJ Murphy (Suffolk University) and players , Derek Galante (freshman, Salem State), Scott Tully (freshman, Notre Dame). Check out their respective team websites to follow our guys.

Congratulations to our long-time Reading Baseball coaches who are continuing their careers. Matt Morrison will be the Varsity Assistant at Woburn HS while Jason Zerfas will do the same at Wakefield HS.

Reading Memorial Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony ​November 23, 2024

Reading Baseball Alumni Dinner & Reunion​January 14, 2024

Reading Baseball Alumni Game at Pete Moscariello BallparkOctober 15, 2023​

Reading Baseball Alumni WeekendCooperstown, NY -- August 25-27, 2023

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI CLUB DINNER & REUNION ​ SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023

Reading Memorial Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
November 23, 2024

Reading Baseball Alumni Dinner & Reunion
January 14, 2024

Reading Baseball Alumni Game at Pete Moscariello Ballpark
October 15, 2023

Reading Baseball Alumni Weekend
Cooperstown, NY -- August 25-27, 2023

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI CLUB DINNER & REUNION
SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2023