2012 SFL Season Ends, 2013 Begins

A strange game was played on December 15, where Havelock Hewes pitched for both teams, and won. And lost. On December 23, Hewes beat Freddie Melendez 27-25 in an offense-heavy game at Dyckman. Sam Melendez cranked 3 home runs and drove in 11 runs against his brother. I wonder if Freddie got him anything for Christmas.

SFL's 2012 season was a record-breaker. 105 games were played, due to an unusually mild winter and early spring. SFL batters came to the plate a record 7516 times, and scored 1647 runs on 2580 hits. Many individual records fell by the wayside. Sam Melendez scored 161 runs, got 197 hits, and batted 443 times, setting records in all three categories. After 29 seasons of no one driving in 100 runs, three players did. Eric Schulman drove in a record 147 runs (helped by 62 extra base hits and 22 sacrifice flies), Cid Rivera drove in 108 runs, and Freddie Melendez drove in 105. Cid also had 59 doubles, shattering his previous record of 36. Ian Parfrey won his third consecutive batting title at .514, and Marvin Cohen won his first pennant, winning 54 of the 89 games he appeared in.

Remember, our default setting from Christmas until Easter is "no game." When the weather, and player demand, are strong enough, we will play, and it will be announced here, as well as via facebook and email. The location until further notice will be the Dyckman fields.

There will be a winter meeting as always, date and time to be determined.

Games of 10/28

Ever wonder what softball in a wind tunnel would be like? We found out. A fly ball to right-center blew foul. A fly to medium left landed 20 feet behind the infield. It was interesting. And high scoring.

Hewes 12, Mishkin 8
Will Romero drove in 4 runs, and Freddie Melendez drove in 3 for Hewes's team. Sam Melendez was 4-for-5 for Mishkin's team.

Parfrey 9, Melendez 8
Ian Parfrey took a 9-3 lead into the last inning, and then gave up 6 consecutive hits before retiring Bob Holzwasser on a bases-loaded fly to right. Sam Melendez homered and drove in 2, and Sam Magnus was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles. Alex Rivera was 3-for-3 for Melendez's team.

Games of 10/21

Hewes 8, Rosengard 5
Ian Parfrey's 2-out, 2-run single broke a 5-5 tie in the bottom of the 5th, and Alex Rivera homered and drove in three.

Martinez 4, Nilva 3
Freddie Melendez hit the tiebreaking single in the 5th inning, as Derek Martinez allowed 3 runs on 6 hits for the win. Zach Nilva was just as good, allowing 4 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits.

F.Melendez 4, S.Melendez 1
In a very rare instance of brothers pitching against each other, Freddie Melendez picked up his 17th win and allowed only 2 hits in 5 innings. Sam Melendez allowed 3 runs in the 1st, with Chris Hall's 2-run single being the big blow.

Games of 9/23

We're slowly catching up here...

Rosengard 10, O'Connor 2
This game was tied at 2-2 going into the top of the 7th, when Rosengard's team erupted for 8 runs. Sam Melendez's infield single scored the go-ahead run. Ian Parfrey was 4-for-4 with 2 RBI, and Eric Schulman added 3 hits. Dave Rosengard allowed one earned run on 7 hits for the win.

Melendez 8, Lawrence 5
Freddie Melendez was staked to a 6-0 lead after 2 innings, and cruised to a win. He helped his cause with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Phil Ciccone was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI for Lawrence's team.

Mishkin 7, Hewes 7 (5-inning tie)
In the third game, Mishkin's team led 7-5 after 2 innings, but the pitchers eventually regained control. Nel Yomtov was 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and 4 RBI for Mishkin's squad, and Havelock Hewes backed his own pitching with 3 hits and 2 RBI.

Eric Schulman drives in 100th run

In a Great Lawn game on Thursday August 30, Eric Schulman became the only SFL player to drive in 100 runs in a season. He broke Cid Rivera's single-season record of 94 the previous Sunday with-- what else-- a sac fly.

The game was a high-scoring affair, won by Jeff Appell 11-9 over Glen Lawrence. Schulman was 3-for-4 with a 2B, 3B, and 3 RBI. Sam Melendez and Alex Lee also added 3 hits, and Melendez scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error in the bottom of the 5th.

Games of August 12

Melendez 7, Hewes 1
Hewes's defense allowed 5 unearned runs in the second inning to blow the game open, Freddie Melendez allowed one run on 7 hits, and Sam Melendez was 3-for-3 with an RBI.

Nilva 7, Parfrey 4
Zach Nilva backed his own pitching with three hits, and Sam Melendez went 4-for-5 enroute to a 7-for-8 day.

Games of July 29

We played a tripleheader at the Dewitt Clinton field, with Heckscher under water. Several dramatic finishes occurred.

Rosengard 7, O'Connor 6
Rosengard's team trailed 5-2 after 5 innings, but rallied to tie on an RBI triple by Sam Magnus, and took a 6-5 lead when Russell Rivera singled him in. A two-out RBI single by Dave Sommers tied the game in the seventh, but O'Connor lost the plate in the bottom of the inning, walking the bases loaded before Sam Melendez won it with a walk-off infield single.

Melendez 4, Parfrey 3
Freddie Melendez prevailed in a pitcher's duel, stranding the winning runs on base in the bottom of the 7th when he induced Joe Geller to ground into a game-ending DP. Parfrey lost despite allowing only four hits.

Martinez 10, Hewes 9
In another dramatic finish, Sam Melendez came all the way around on an infield hit and two errors to break a 7-7 tie in the top of the 6th, and Gil Schmerler singled in an insurance run in the 7th. Martinez's team rallied for three runs and the win, with Bob Holzwasser singling in Ian Parfrey with two outs to end the game. Derek Martinez homered and drove in 3, and Joe Geller was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI. Phil Ciccone and Sam Melendez had 3 hits and 3 runs scored each for Hewes's team.

Games of July 8

Nilva 7, Hewes 6
Bob Holzwasser drove in 4 runs, and Alex Rivera had 3 hits to back Zach Nilva's pitching. Sam Melendez had 3 hits for Hewes's team, who stranded the tying run at first base.

Melendez 13, Lawrence 9
Freddie Melendez won his 10th game of the year. Eric Schulman was 3-for-5 with 2 triples and 6 RBI, and Sam Melendez was 4-for-5 with 4 runs scored.

Also note that the Heckscher hotline was unreliable this week. They claimed to be opening late at 11:00, and then opened at 9:15. When in doubt, call someone, or just show up.

Games of July 1

Mishkin 5, Hewes 4
Sam Melendez's 6th inning single scored winning pitcher Matt Mishkin (1-0) with the deciding run. Nel Yomtov added 3 hits for the winners, and Mishkin allowed only one run over the final 6 innings.

Nilva 6, Appell 5
Zach Nilva improved to 5-2 on the year in a wild finish. Appell's team went ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the 6th on four consecutive 2-out singles by Freddie Melendez, Fred Lang, Jeff Appell, and Paul Geoghan. Appell's team thought the game was over (as it was almost 11:00) and the 6th run was held at third base. Appell then came out to pitch the top of the seventh and had a rare control lapse, walking 4 batters (two intentionally) in the inning. Nel Yomtov's sac fly tied it, and Kim Mishkin's bases-loaded walk won it. Nilva retired the side in order for the win. Nilva also went 4-for-4, and Eric Schulman hit a 3-run opposite field HR.

Games of May 20

Melendez 11, O'Connor 9
Freddie's team battled back from a 6-0 deficit, scoring 6 times in the bottom of the 6th for the win. The go-ahead runs came in on Marvin Cohen's bases-loaded grounder to first, as Sam Magnus threw a 3-3-6 DP attempt into centerfield. Phil Ciccone and Chris Hall homered for O'Connor's team.

Parfrey 6, Holzwasser 2
Sam Melendez had 2 hits and 2 RBI in a three-inning second game.

Opening Day-- Games of 4/8

Parfrey 17, Hewes 4
Ian Parfrey backed his pitching with 4 hits, Don Weiss also had 4 hits, and Alex "Cid" Rivera drove in 5 runs. Parfrey's team scored 9 times in the 2nd inning to blow the doors off of this one.

Nilva 12, Melendez 4
Zach Nilva scattered 9 hits for the win, Sam Melendez was 3-for-4 with a grand slam, and Bob Holzwasser also homered in his return to SFL after missing all of 2011. Freddie Melendez was victimized by his defense-- only one of the 12 runs was earned. Eric Schulman was 3-for-3 with 2 RBI.

Lawrence 4, Connor 3
Glen Lawrence picked up the win and hit the winning sac fly to score Alex Rivera.

Games of April 1

Hewes 18, Martinez 5
Sam Melendez (2-for-4, HR, 6 RBI) hit a grand slam broke open a close game in the 5th inning. Matt Mishkin was 5-for-6 with 2 RBI. Havelock Hewes allowed 9 hits and picked up his 2nd win of the season. Eric Schulman homered for Martinez's team.

Greenblatt 10, Nilva 9
In a thrilling finish, Eric Schulman's 2-out 2-run single to right capped a 5-run comeback in the bottom of the 7th. Sam Magnus, Jim O'Connor, and Dan Greenblatt had consecutive 2-out hits before Schulman's game winner. Schulman and Freddie Melendez each had 4 hits. Nilva's team had scored 5 times in the top of the 7th to take a 9-5 lead.

Games of March 18

This week we played a twin bill at 260th Street & Broadway, after being kicked out of every other field in Riverdale.

Sulyman 9, Hewes 7
Sulyman's team blew an early 6-1 lead, due to a multitude of errors, misplays, and a Zach Nilva 2-run single. Eric Schulman's RBI groundout plated Ian Parfrey for the go-ahead run in the bottom of the 6th. Freddie Melendez was 4-for-4 with an RBI.

Melendez 13, O'Connor 7
Freddie Melendez picked up his 5th win, and added 3 hits enroute to a 7-for-8 day. Ian Parfrey and the Melendez brothers combined to score 10 runs on 9 hits from the first 3 spots in the batting order. Chris Hall was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI for O'Connor's team.

Awards and Results of Winter Meeting

Awards

Gold Gloves:
Pitcher-- Ian Parfrey
Catcher-- Josh Balsam
First Base-- Sal Cipriano
Second Base-- Ben Indek
Third Base-- Freddy Melendez
Shortstop-- (tie) Ian Parfrey and Phil Ciccone
Outfield-- Zach Nilva, Alex Rivera, Eric Schulman, Brian Hernandez

Best Pitcher-- Freddy Melendez
Rookie of the Year-- Sam Melendez
MVP-- Alex Rivera


Rule Changes:

1. When there are 22 players at a game, it is closed to
non-duespayers. Dues payers have a right to play no matter how large
the teams are. This rule takes effect when we move to Heckscher.
Non-duespayers cannot be displaced from a game they are already in,
and have the option of paying on the spot.

2. Due to the rising cost of permits, the league has raised annual dues to $40.

3. The league has banned alcoholic beverages at the games. Any
player drinking during a game will be subject to immediate ejection
and possible additional penalties.

4. The league has decided that outfielders will be required to play a
certain distance (to be determined) behind the infield basepaths.
This distance will be marked with a small orange cone on each foul
line. This is to discourage (but not eliminate) throws to first from
the outfield, and will eliminate the possibility of turning a double
play through the centerfielder.

5. A grievance committee has been elected for one year. Members are
Josh Balsam, Zach Nilva, and Alex Rivera.

6. Selection of pitchers-- Havelock, or whoever is making teams in
his rare absences, cannot tell a manager who to pitch. Regular
pitchers should not act as managers, unless no one else present is
willing to. It is hoped that this will result in an equitable
distribution of pitching innings.

There are two other items which will soon be presented to the league
for voting, as there was not a 2/3 majority at the meeting.

Thanks to Anne Atkinson and Gil Schmerler for hosting.

Games of March 11

O'Connor 12, Hewes 8
Sam Melendez (3-for-4, 3 RBI) led O'Connor's team to a victory at Van Cortlandt Park parade grounds.

Parfrey 12, Magnus 5
Ian Parfrey scattered 12 hits and struck out 3. Jorge Davila was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI.

Games of February 26

Melendez 13, Hewes 9
Sam Magnus (4-for-5, HR, 5 RBI) and Adam Garcia (3-for-5, HR, 5 RBI) led Melendez's team to the win.

O'Connor 22, Mishkin 22 (8 innings)
This was one of the most dramatic SFL games ever. O'Connor's team stormed back from a huge deficit to (apparently) tie the game in the top of the 7th. Gil Schmerler's 2-out single to center plated Eric Schulman with the winning run-- except a scorekeeping error was discovered later-- Mishkin's team actually had 21 runs in the 7th, not 22, and Magnus's HR could have been the game-winner. No one noticed at the time and the game was declared a tie. Sam Magnus had an amazing game, going 4-for-4 with 5 runs scored, 2 HR, and 8 RBI. Bill McLaughlin had 5 hits, Matt Mishkin drove in 5 runs, and Sam Melendez and Mike Sulyman each had 3 hits, a homer, and 4 RBI.

Games of February 5

February 5
Hewes 12, Melendez 6
Jorge Davila: 2 HR, 3 RBI
Sam Melendez: 4 hits

O'Connor 19, Velez 9
Freddie Melendez: 3 for 4, 4 RBI
Sam Melendez: 4 RBI
Bobby Echevarria: 3 for 5, HR, 2 RBI
Jorge Davila: 2 solo HR's
Fritz Lambert: 2 for 3, grand slam HR

Nilva 16, Connor 10
No W/L awarded due to disagreement over length of game
Sam Magnus: 3 for 4, 6 RBI
Adam Garcia: HR, 3 RBI

Games of Dec 11

Hewes 11, Nilva 9
Havelock Hewes won his 20th, settling in after a rocky start. Sam Melendez was 3-for-5 with 3 RBI, and Sal Cipriano and Sam Magnus each added 3 hits. Bobby Echevarria had 4 hits for Nilva's team.

Velez 15, Melendez 6
Cisco Velez won his SFL pitching debut, backed by the bats of Sam Melendez (3-for-5, 4 RBI) and Sal Cipriano (3-for-3, 3 RBI). Alex Rivera hit his 21st HR, and broke last year's alltime RBI record-- Cid now has 94.

Games of Oct 16

Hewes 7, Nilva 6
Zach's team stormed back from a 7-2 deficit on a 3-run HR by Zach and a Freddie Melendez RBI single, however Havelock retired Marvin Cohen on a bases-loaded comebacker to end the game. For Havelock's team, Fred Lang's bases clearing triple in the 5th inning provided the margin of victory.

Martinez 15, Stoeth 4
Zach Nilva was 4-for-4 with a grand slam, Sam Melendez had 3 hits, and Ian Parfrey drove in 4 runs to give Derek Martinez his 5th win of the season.

Melendez 4, Lawrence 1
Freddie Melendez picked up his 14th win. All the runs were scored in the first 2 innings, the big blow being a 2-out 2-run single by Jack Cutler in the 1st.

Games of Oct. 9

Our Heckscher farewell was a sloppy triple bill featuring insane amounts of runs scored, and some of the worst mental errors you could ever hope to see. Two lowlights would be Joe Geller's bases loaded grounder to short turning into the equivalent of a 3-run double thanks to a throwing error followed by a slow recovery and an additional boneheaded throw; and catcher Havelock Hewes baiting Alex Rivera into a rundown only to find that no one covered home in his absence.

Please note that we will be at East 10th Street at 10:00am next week.


Hewes 20, Appell 7

Yes, that is what you're seeing. The hitting stars were Ian Parfrey (4-for-4, 3 RBI), Derek Martinez (4-for-5, 3 doubles, 3 RBI), and Zach Nilva, Jim O'Connor, and Paul Geoghan each added 3 hits. On the other side, Sam Melendez was 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored, and Dave Sommers was also 3-for-4, with an RBI.

Melendez 12, Rosengard 4

Freddie's team scored 7 times in the 2nd inning to put this one away. Sam Melendez was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Nilva 8, O'Connor 6

Derek Martinez had a great game, going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, driving in the winning runs in the top of the 6th with a 2-run single, and picking up the save in relief. Sam Melendez was 3-for-4 with 4 runs scored and a 2-run HR, and Zach Nilva added 3 hits. For O'Connor's team, Chris Hall was 3-for-4, and Alex Rivera's 15th HR was a 2-run bomb to left-center that tied the score at 6. Nilva's defense also turned two difficult double plays-- a 6-6-3 on a slow chopper up the middle, and a 6-5-4.