BY MIKE MASTOVICH
Depth has made the difference for Delweld’s pitching staff through the first third of the AAABA League season.
Manager Chris DelSignore has used 10 hurlers in various situations, and the defending league playoff champs are once again sitting atop the six-team league standings.
“We just have a solid staff,” said DelSignore, whose 13-2 team had a one-half game lead over second-place Martella’s prior to Wednesday. “Any one of those guys is capable of starting and giving us quality innings.”
Delweld began the week with three pitchers with two wins – Kody Reighard (2-0, 2.70 ERA), Andy Smithmyer (2-0, 2.81) and Joe Novotny (2-1, 3.18). Mike McDermott had four saves.
The team ERA was a respectable 2.93 at the week’s outset.
“Smithmyer is more of a power pitcher. He throws in the upper 80s and touches 90 from time to time,” DelSignore said.
“Novotny is the same kind of pitcher as Smithmyer. Kody gives us innings from the left side. All three of them throw the ball well. They change speeds well and have given us a lot of quality innings. McDermott is the epitome of a closer.
He’s comfortable coming out of the pen with a tight game on the line and closing. He embraces that role.”
Five other pitchers had one win through last week. Seven hurlers started at least one game for Delweld.
“It’s a little bit different. This is probably the deepest staff that we’ve had in terms of quality arms,” DelSignore said.
“There isn’t that clear-cut No. 1 guy like a Randy Dicken or an Eric Gibbons or somebody you can run out as a Game 1 playoff kind of guy. But they’re all more than capable of holding their own at any given time.
Any one of them can start and do a great job for us.”
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Draft notice: When the Yankees selected Ben Watkins in the 40th round of last week’s draft, Watkins became the 12th player with roots in the Martella’s Pharmacy/Johnstown Grays organization to be picked in the draft or sign a professional contract.
Eight of those played for the Grays/Martella’s and four others were Johnstown Grays pick-up players in the AAABA Tournament.
The list includes: Watkins (drafted by Yankees); Doug McNulty (drafted by Mets); Dave Wagner (free agent Rangers); Alex Gett (independent pro); Pete Vuckovich (drafted by Chicago White Sox); Matt Ogrodnik (free agent Reds); Landon Sinclair (independent pro); and Brenton Gilmore (independent pro) Delweld’s Jimmy Mayer (drafted by Devil Rays) and Randy Dicken (drafted by Blue Jays), Galliker’s Greg Lasinski (independent pro) and Principle Development’s John Bachman (independent pro) were pick-up players with the Grays who played pro ball.
Many players with roots to the Delweld-Pepsi-Knicks-Moxham Bank-original Principle have gone in the draft. Former major leaguers Mike Holtz, Keith Williams, Joe Vitko and Mike Ryan as well as minor-league prospects such as Rick Roberts, Eric Dinyar, Matt Bimeal, Mike Sube, Mike Moore and Aaron Sams either were drafted or played in the pros.
A list of drafted AAABA League/Johnstown Junior League players is being compiled. Have a name to be added to the list? E-mail mmastovich@tribdem.com.
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Off to the Lakes: Berkley Hills Renegades pitcher Tom Shirley opted to play in the Great Lakes League at the request of his college program, Xavier University. Shirley joined the Licking County Settlers.
He had one appearance through Tuesday. In two thirds of an inning he gave up two hits and one earned run while striking out one.
Shirley tossed a two-hitter in a 7-1 win over Roxberry Creamery on June 5. After the game, manager Roland Black said Shirley was wrestling with his decision.
“He went, but he’s planning on coming back at the end of the year and getting his four more appearances and playing in the playoffs,” Black said of the 6-foot-5 left-hander.
Shirley isn’t the only Renegade out of the lineup.
Black said he’s missed Greg Stewart, A.J. Rievel, Dan Gray and Cory Manarelli due to various injuries, some more serious than others.
“We’re just getting hammered by injuries,” Black said.
“But we had a good bit of depth. I’m bringing two guys on.”
Black said he’s in the process of adding two high school stars – North Star’s Cory Kalten-baugh and Homer-Center’s Garrett Sisak – as well as Jeremy Mains of St. Vincent College.
Ironically, Black said he and members of his staff will visit the Pitt-Johnstown campus twice this week to sign Kaltenbaugh and Sisak, who both are participating in the Ken Lantzy Finest 40 all-star football game on Saturday.
The teams practice and are housed at UPJ during the week.
Mike Mastovich is a sports writer for The Tribune-Democrat.
