Surf Dawgs of South All-Star Squad Fall 7-6
Published on July 19, 2006 under Golden Baseball League (GBL)
San Diego Surf Dawgs News Release
SAN DIEGO - Here's a couple things you missed if you weren't at Nettleton Stadium in Chico Tuesday for the inaugural Golden Baseball League All-Star Game: A 5-for-5 performance with five doubles by San Diego's Adam Mandel, a dramatic home run to break a tie in the eighth inning hit by a hometown player, a home run derby won by a former American League Most Valuable Player and a knuckleball-riddled pitching performance from that same former MVP. And while it may pale in comparison to all the individual feats, 3,111 fans watched the North squad beat the South 7-6.
North Division outfielder Jason Van Meetren of the Chico Outlaws won the Most Valuable Player award mostly due to his tie-breaking blast in the bottom of the eighth. The long ball off San Diego pitcher Josh Rummonds sailed over the centerfield fence, near the 405-foot mark. Besides the homer, Van Meetren also drilled a two-run single and stole a base.
Outlaws players played extremely well, as pitchers Nick Singleton and Phil Springman each set down the side in order in their respective one-inning performances. At the plate for Chico, Craig Kuzmic was 2-for-2 with a double; Mike Mallory had a single and a run scored, Desi Wilson doubled and knocked in a run and Van Meetren earned the All Star Game's MVP award.
Temperatures climbed well over 100 degrees in the North State but fans came out early to get autographs from the All-Stars and to watch the home run derby. Long Beach designated hitter Jose Canseco emerged victorious after cranking out five homers in the first round and four in the championship, beating San Diego outfielder Scott Goodman, who hit three in the final round. Canseco may have won the competition, but Goodman wowed the crowd enough with 13 long balls in the opening round. Fullerton's Peanut Williams hit four in the first round, as did Chico's Craig Kuzmic.
The South team - made up of players from the Long Beach Armada, Fullerton Flyers and San Diego Surf Dawgs - started fast in the All-Star Game, as Mandel doubled in the first and trotted home on a Williams homer. Mandel hitting doubles would be a recurring theme throughout the night. He matched his entire doubles output in one night, as he had five doubles in 178 regular season at-bats leading up to the All-Star Game.
Mandel ignited another scoring rally in the third with an RBI double that plated Armada outfielder Ryan Webb and upped the South's lead to 3-0. The North - with players from the Chico Outlaws, Reno Silver Sox and Yuma Scorpions - got on the board in the bottom of the third when Yuma outfielder Javier Lopez knocked in teammate Billy Malone with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right-centerfield.
The South scored twice off Yuma pitcher Steve Dunham in the fourth when Armada shortstop Jeremy Hernandez knocked in Surf Dawgs outfielder Seth Pietsch. Hernandez scored later in the inning on Mandel's third double and second RBI of the night.
Canseco came in to show off his knuckleball in the fourth and the North team wasted no time getting back into the game, tallying four runs to tie the game. Reno catcher Marcus Jensen doubled, Outlaws outfielder Mallory singled and another Outlaws slugger, Wilson, knocked in Jensen with a groundout. That one was the only out Canseco recorded, as the next two hitters walked and a doubled, respectively. Canseco lasted just 1/3 of an inning, allowing three hits and four runs.
Silver Sox pitcher Chris Marini played right field for the North Division and made his presence known with a fifth-inning single that scored Chico catcher Kuzmic. The South matched that run to tie the game in the seventh when Mandel doubled and scored on a single from his Surf Dawgs teammate Goodman. The tie was short-lived, though, as Van Meetren's homer in the eighth proved to be the game-winner.
The Reno bullpen closed out the game, with Nate Sevier setting down the South in order in the eighth and Silver Sox teammate Scott Schneider tossing a scoreless ninth. Sevier was credited with the win with Schneider picking up the save. Rummonds was saddled with the loss.
Golden Baseball League Stories from July 19, 2006
- Surf Dawgs of South All-Star Squad Fall 7-6 - San Diego Surf Dawgs
- Van Meetren homer lifts North Division to 7-6 All-Star Game victory - Chico Outlaws
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