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Honored

Jacob Guertin, center,  a catcher on the TriTown American Legion baseball team, received the Joe Lindley Most Improved Player Award at the team’s recent Post-Season Banquet.  Guertin is pictured with Lindley, left, and coach Dan Durand. Courtesy photo.

 

 

TriTown 

baseball

celebrates

present and 

the past

By Ron P. Coderre

Despite posting losing records, the TriTown American Legion Baseball Senior and Junior teams closed out what was considered successful seasons by many.  An audience of approximately 125 family and friends joined in the Post-Season Banquet, which was held at American Post #67 in Thompson.  The evening was a celebration of the present and the past.

Among the honored guests were members of the 1984 Putnam Silk Sox American Legion team, the forerunner of today’s TriTown program, which captured the Zone IX title and competed in the State Tournament.  They were the invited and honored guests of this year’s TriTown entry.

Coach Tom Auclair, who guided the fortunes of the ’84 team and coached the local American Legion program for more than 20 years, was on hand as were five of his former players.  Recognized in the 30th anniversary of the team’s success were David Austin, Chris Mayhew, Scott Belanger, Ron Baron and Lou Thomas.  Also on hand was John Sherman Sr., who made the journey from his home in Port Aransas, Texas, who was the Zone IX Commissioner in 1984.

“This was a great evening of baseball with an opportunity to look back at a past team while honoring our present day coaches and players.  Having the ’84 team on hand was a real bonus, not only for the members of that team but for the ability to demonstrate the quality of baseball we have in American Legion in Northeastern Connecticut,” said Joe Lindley, TriTown Baseball Executive Committee secretary.

John Iovino, the distinguished retired baseball coach of Norwich Free Academy, was the guest speaker of the evening.  Iovino is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University where he captained the Blue Devils’ football and baseball teams and is a member of the college’s Hall of Fame.  He served as the NFA baseball coach from 1979 to 2007, leading the Wildcats to a CIAC Class LL baseball title in 2003.  Three of the players that Iovino coached have played in the Major League.

“Baseball is a great game but it’s very simple in nature,” Iovino reminded those present.  “It takes time to be good in baseball but if you take things one pitch, one out and one game at a time you can achieve success,” he said.

Eric Campbell, currently with the New York Mets, Dominic Leone, now a pitcher with the Seattle Mariners, and Andrew Carignan, who pitched for the Oakland A’s and is currently in AAA with the San Francisco Giants, all played for Iovino.

“One of the biggest thrills of my life came when I watched the Mets and Mariners on TV and witnessed Dominic Leone pitch to Eric Campbell, two NFA guys.  How often does a high school coach have that opportunity?,” Iovino queried the audience.

The TriTown Senior team finished the season with a 13-17 record good for seventh place in the 11-team Zone VI.  The Junior team was 8-12 and finished just out of consideration for postseason play.

Six TriTown players were recipients of the of special recognition awards for their play in 2014. Ty Anderson received the Coach Tom Auclair Outstanding Player Award.  He batted .346 and led the team in hits, with 36, runs with 19 and stolen bases, 11.  He was the team’s starting centerfielder and a pitcher.  

The Rene “Doc” Desaulniers Distinguished Player Award went to Luke Sarsfield, who will join the U.S. Navy in January 2015.  He was outstanding offensively and defensively this past season.

The TriTown Executive Committee Award was presented to Ben Brissette, the team’s second baseman.  Brissette posted a .393 batting average, with an on-base percentage of .485.  He was the lone TriTown player selected to this year’s Zone VI all star team.

The Stan Lesniewski 10th Player Award went to Nick Foucault, a young man who played on both the Junior and Senior teams.  When called up to pitch for the Senior unit, Foucault posted a perfect 3-0 record.  He pitched a crucial game against Montville that is credited with turning the team’s season around.   

On the Junior level, the Joe Lindley Most Improved Player Award went to Jacob Guertin, the team’s stellar catcher.  Guertin was the team’s leader from behind the plate and contributed a number of clutch hits throughout the 20-game season.

The Louis Francis Bates Memorial Award, which was presented by his son, Shawn Bates, went to Ryan Gadoury.  He posted four of the team’s eight wins with a 1.64 ERA, and 35 strikeouts, while holding opposing batters to a .167 average.  He also batted .333.

The Senior team also honored nine players who concluded their American Legion baseball careers.  The graduating players are Garrett Ponte, Josh Malboeuf, Ty Anderson, Luke Sarsfield, Ben Guimont, Ben Ross, Will Bourgeois, James Cutler and Steven Bettner.

In its usual manner the program opened with the presentation of the colors by the American Legion Post #13 Honor Guard, represented by veterans Alan Joslin and David Smutnick.  Maurice “Moe” Coderre, a U.S. Air Force veteran sang the National Anthem.

The three sponsoring Posts were presented plaques for their support of the program.  Accepting for Post #13 was Commander Rick Carnahan; Lindley accepted for Post #67; and Adjutant Glenn Boies for  Post #111.