2011 MVP - ALL-STAR GAME and SKILLS COMPETITION

All-Star Game - the big game …. click here for photos

Our 5^th Annual Midsummer Classic MVP game ended – rightly so - with the 2010 MVP centre-fielder Ryan King (whose lasts year’s game play was still talked about last night, a year later), making the final out, putting the final nail in the East Division’s coffin!

West Division wins!  The All-Star game has historically been an intense and sometimes close encounter – not this year, the West victorious- handily beating the East with the Final Score 20 -10.  Alex (whom we cannot thank enough for all his help) and Ray led the way with 4 hits apiece for the West, with Alex driving in countless runs, however the 2011 MVP was on the losing side as Chris Attim of The Avengers blasted 3 home runs in 3 at bats for the East.

A fun game to watch, admire the fine plays and slides and we hope a fun game to play!

Like the MLB’s American League/National League winner of the All-Star Game earning home-field advantage in the World Series - a tradition since 2003, it will be the West Division getting home-field advantage in the 2011 FINAL Championship Game, Sunday, September 25^th - Diamond 4 – Dunton Sports Complex!

The skills events…

Arm Accuracy – Best Arm!  Your top 5 (5 made the 2^nd Round hitting the bulls-eye with 100 points):

1. Scott Crowder – CB3
2. Syd Saunders – Average Joes
3. Bernie MacDonald – Rebels  (Bernie wins the event in 2^nd Round scoring 50 points - 2011 Arm Accuracy Champion!!)
4. Ed Lee – Island Boys
5. Kris Baczynski – Smurfs

Fastest Base-Runner: Your top 3 (Fastest 3 qualify for 2^nd Round):

1. Ryan King – Manchester Brewers  (2011 Base-Runner Champion!!)  Ryan wins the run-off in a blazing time of 12:89 seconds
2. Sean Grima – Rebels @ 13:06 seconds
3. Trevor Georgie - Glorious Basterds @ 13:59 seconds

Home Run Derby:

1. Mike Cristobal (2 in 2^nd Round – 2011 Home Run Champion!!) 
2. Kris Baczynski (1 in 2^nd Round)

With the Home Run Derby taking place last night as part of the All-Star Game festivities, the Derby, for some, it’s one of the most exciting contests of the All-Star experience, for others it’s just plain boring up until last night – THERE WAS NOTHING BORING about last night’s sluggers who were set to face off in the 2011 Homerun Derby - 2 mighty bats stole the show!

It was his second appearance at the BTSPL Home Run Derby but this time, Big Captain Smurf - made it count! It was a derby like no other.  Those in attendance can vouch for that!

In a derby that saw few total blasts, Defending Champion, The Smurfs’ slugger Kris Baczynski, certainly delivered last night – whom not only surpassed but almost tripled his 2010 record of 4 dingers beating out slugger Mike Venditello of the Brewsters last summer, to become 2010 Derby Champ.  Kris uncorked 11 in a single round, beating all other 29 competitors, until there came our last competitor, No. 31 from Team What Mike Cristobal, who made his presence felt at the plate, his first All-Star Game, his first appearance in the Derby.

Team What’s Mike hit 11 bombs (including 5 cars!!) in the first round to earn his spot in the finals against defending Champ Baczynski.

Then after a coin toss, the top two all-stars were to slug it out -head-to-head – 4 “outs” each.

Baczynski was first who hit a bomb what seemed like 400 feet, on track to yet another unbelievable round, however his “other” 3 hits, as outstanding as they were, did not clear the 225 border.

The came Mike of Team What again, did he run out of gas in the second round? His first hit just fell short, his second another monster home-run, his third too fell short, then came over the crowd an overwhelming silence, one more out to decide the 2011 Champion!  Would our 2010 Defending Champion Kris Baczynski reclaim his title or would we have a new Champion?  Last out, a bomb for Mike!

Awards will be handed out at our year-end banquet and in our young Ryan’s case at the year-end tournament.

MVP Game pictures will be posted on our web-site in the coming days.

Thank you to Richard Wojcik for a splendid job running the evening as he does for us every year, to Randy our beloved Umpire, and again, to you all.

Best,

Ava

click here for MVP - ALL STAR GAME photos