All Things Valley League

2009 Player List Available

Here's the deal: ATVL just spent way too much time creating a master list of every player who appeared in a game in the 2009 Valley League season.

Therefore, I'm making it available to all. It's an excel spreadsheet, fully sortable.

Oh- ATVL also has lists all the way back to 2004, if anyone's interested.

Click on this: 2009 Player List.

Rockbridge Also Names New Coach

Completing the trifecta, as Dick Vitale would say, the Rockbridge Rapids have also named a new coach, joining the New Market Rebels and Waynesboro Generals. This story appeared on the Valley League website on September 29th.

LEXINGTON, Va. - The Rockbridge Rapids announced Tuesday that Greg Keaton has signed on to be its manager in 2010.

Keaton, currently an assistant baseball coach at the University of South Carolina-Sumter, has extensive collegiate coaching experience.

Prior to his experience at USC-Sumter, the Logan, W. Va. native DII schools West Virginia State University and Davis & Elkins College in addition to several West Virginia high schools.

Keaton graduated from both Marshall University and West Virginia Tech.

"We are really pleased to have someone like Greg on board," Rockbridge General Manager Ken Newman said.  "He has college and summer ball experience and has an extensive network with college coaches and players.  He will be able to recruit some top-quality college players and we expect the 2010 Rapids to be very competitive."

Keaton's most recent summer position was coaching for the Battle Creek (Mich.) Bombers in the Northwoods Collegiate League this past last summer.  "We were very successful in the Northwoods and it was a great experience," Keaton said. "I want to coach closer to home and this Rockbridge expansion situation is ideal for me."

Rockbridge completed its first season in the 12-team Valley League this past summer. The Rapids finished fourth in the four-team South Division with a 9-33 record.

Keaton was part of a USC-Sumter staff that led the Fireants to a 52-11 record and a JUCO Regional championship in just their second year of play.

Newman and Keaton stressed that they are especially looking for players who have something to prove and have a strong baseball work ethic. "We want kids who want to play every day and know the Valley League is a great showcase opportunity for them," Keaton said.

The Rapids' 2010 season begins on June 4th and most of the players will be selected and signed to contracts while they play fall baseball for their colleges. 

Some Musings from Jerry Carter

Many of you are probably unaware of the fact that Jerry Carter, the "caretaker" of the Waynesboro Generals, is also a pad-toting writer like ATVL. This is a story that Jerry wrote about the state of things in the Valley League. Since this site is, ahem, all about the league, here it is for your enjoyment.  JLL

The transition period for the Valley Baseball League continues as the league announced that the ownership group of the Fauquier Gators will not return for the 2010 season. The Gators made the transition from the Clark Griffith League to the VBL in the summer of 2007 and just completed their third VBL season in Warrenton. The organization competed for six seasons in the Clark Griffith before making the step up to the VBL.

The VBL will start a search for a new ownership group and begin that process in hopes of finding a person or group with ties to the Warrenton area. While there have been a number of expansion teams as well as ownership changes, the league has avoided either relocating a franchise or having a team fold. Those will be two of the options if neither the current ownership nor the VBL find a suitable alternative.

Steve Athey was the original founder of the team along with Cecil Campbell and Sam Johnson, but things changed upon the passing of Athey a few years ago. The Athey family has stepped in to keep the dream of summer baseball in Warrenton a reality, but times and circumstances will change that next season.

As recent as 2000 the Valley Baseball League had just six teams and each club had long time ownership in place. The change in Fauquier will be the fifth made in the 2009 calendar year. The year started off with Jim Critzer selling the Waynesboro Generals back in January and then Rockbridge kicked off its inaugural season down in Lexington. Woodstock changed hands at the start of September when original owner Stu Richardson sold the River Bandits to Jim Yates and then Covington just announced a change in their ownership group prior to the announcement from Fauquier.

Luray’s Bill Turner, Haymarket’s ownership group and Front Royal’s Donna Settle are three more franchise owners that have joined the group since the beginning of the decade. The only four franchises to remain intact from 2000 are Winchester, New Market, Harrisonburg and Staunton.

At the pace the VBL is changing up there will soon be a new place where a line up card is needed; the board room.

- Jerry Carter

New Market Names New Coach

The following is a news release sent by Austin Gisriel of the New Market Rebels:

New Market, VA—September 29, 2009  The New Market Rebels are pleased to announce that Corey Paluga has been named Head Coach for the 2010 season.  The Head Assistant under Lucas Jones during the 2009 season, Paluga is currently the Head Assistant Coach at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken , New Jersey .

“We always attempt to hire from within the Rebel family to ensure continuity.” says New Market Rebels’ President and General Manager, Bruce Alger. “Corey brings continuity, character, and a sound baseball background to the Rebel organization.”

“When Bruce called, I was very honored and flattered that he considered me a qualified individual to handle such an important position for the organization and for the town of New Market ,” says Paluga.  “After a great experience last summer, it wasn't a tough decision to accept the position.”

Paluga, who played and coached at Lynchburg College , has already started recruiting players and hopes “to have some familiar faces back in 2010.”

“Corey is one of my closest friends in this profession, and he was a large part of our playoff run last summer.  I have nothing but confidence in him,” says Lucas Jones.

Calling it a “tough decision,” Jones declined an offer to return for 2010, citing the fact that he intends to pursue a coaching position in Division I baseball, and it would not be fair to the Rebel organization to divide his attention.

“I certainly owe the town of New Market , Bruce Alger, and the entire organization extreme gratitude for the opportunity to coach the 2009 Rebels team.  I have built positive, lifelong relationships that extend past the diamond, and I have nothing but positives as I reflect on my experiences in New Market,” says Jones.

“We wanted to bring back Lucas for the 2010 season,” notes Alger, “but we were happy to extend the offer to Corey to be our head coach, and we’re even happier that he accepted.”

Some News

My self-imposed hiatus is over, so let's get to the offseason, shall we? First of all, I've spent some time over the past couple days preparing my top lists of hitters, starters, and relievers, and I will begin those lists soon.

First, though, we have some news we have to get out of the way: I have left the ownership group of the Waynesboro Generals.

The first question that is asked in these situations is why? Let me be very, very clear about this. I am leaving the Generals because of my family. It sounds like a cliche, or at least a cop-out, but it is not. It is the truth. My daughters are nine years old (well, Anisa turns 10 today), and while they enjoyed some of the experience, they missed me, especially at bedtime, when they need that last hug and prayer from Dad. Those who know me well understand what my family means to me: it means, well, everything. I look at parenting as one shot to do the best possible job to give your children what they need to become highly functioning, well-adjusted, happy adults. I will not shirk that responsibility.

I am leaving the team on very good terms with Jerry, Chris, Crystal, and all the others down in the 'Boro. I am not running from anything besides the huge time commitment that the job entailed. Is that clear? Good.

Now, on to something fun: what did I learn this summer?

1. Jerry Carter is an amazing guy. I met no one else over the summer that combines two qualities- being a people-person and thinking about the betterment of the league- than Jerry does. Jerry has a way of making everyone feel heard and important- and trust me, as a teacher in the people business, this isn't easy. I watched him one night, harried from trying to get things done right before the game, stop because a kid wanted to ask him a question. Jerry, in a hurry, totally stopped what he was doing and listened to a child for a few minutes. Did what the kid say matter? Maybe, maybe not- but Jerry took the time to make it matter.

He also thinks- constantly- about how to make the Valley League better. This vision, in my opinion, is a critical piece as the league moves forward. Jerry is not only concerned about the Waynesboro Generals, but the Staunton Braves, and the Haymarket Senators, and the Fauquier Gators, and all the others. He wants this league to be a close second to the Cape Cod League.

2. Running a baseball team takes an incredible amount of coordination and people, but once those people are in place, good things can, and will, happen. The folks down in Waynesboro did a great job this season with their team. The team didn't win as much on the field as desired, but off the field, the season was a success. Chris and Crystal, Brian, Beth, Scott, Keith, Nat, Bill, Webber, Richard, Chuckie, Mike, Benji, and of course, the Carter family- Jerry, Linda, Sabrena, Josh, Becca, Chris, and even Charlie and Jane- did a wonderful job with this team. Mistakes were made, sure, but I wouldn't bet on those mistakes being made a second time.

3. Every fan of the Valley League should take some time to thank the folks running their hometown team. The Valley League is something special- high-quality baseball played with players from all over the country, in your small town in Virginia. The Valley League is a jewel, and too few of us are thankful about what we have. Take some time- right now!- to thank the folks running your team.

4. My daughters absolutely adore the funzone in Waynesboro. They also love the food, chasing foul balls, and every now and then, getting an autograph. Don't worry- we'll still be coming to games next season.

5. I also learned that I enjoy broadcasting baseball games. If I were a little younger, maybe I would go back to school.... ah, never mind. Hanging out with Chris down the left field line and chatting was a blast. I feel like we fell into a rhythm in most games and did a very good job describing the action. (And Chris eats a hot dog faster than anyone I've ever seen!)

This all started with a sit-down with Jerry Carter back in November, when he offered me a chance to come along for the ride. Even though I'm hopping off the wagon at this point, I'll still be doing my little blog, and watching from afar. And maybe showing up at Kate Collins every now and then, hopefully with daughters in tow. Jerry, a million thanks for allowing me the opportunity to join you for this little while. I believe that it won't be long before Waynesboro's organization is run as well, if not better, than every team in this league. Waynesboro, your team is in good hands.

Sincerely,

JLL

Front Royal Clinches #1 Seed

Well, that didn't take long!

Front Royal brought in Ryan George to stifle the Rebels in the bottom of the 9th, and he struck out Zach Helgeson, and got Zak Messer to fly out to center. Thus finished the suspended game early this afternoon.

Therefore, Front Royal clinched first place overall in the Valley League playoffs.

Where does that leave New Market? From what I wrote this morning:  "If the Rebels lose both, Winchester is #5 and New Market is #6. If New Market loses to Front Royal and beats Luray, New Market will hold the inter-divison tiebreaker (over Winchester) (they'll be 13-11)."

In other words, if New Market wins tonight, they are #5, and Winchester is #6. If the Wranglers win, then Winchester will be #5.

Oddly enough, if New Market loses to Luray tonight, then they will return to Luray tomorrow for game one, because Luray is seeded #3.

I'll keep you posted....

Playoff Primer, 3 Games Left!

Here's the deal. I'm going to go through the issues one playoff seed at a time. Keep in mind that I will be doing more in-depth playoff previews of the matchups starting tonight.

Ready? I don't know if I am.....

Games tonight:

1. Front Royal vs New Market- this game has 1 out in the bottom of the 9th inning, with the bases loaded for the Rebels. (1:00 PM)
2. New Market vs Luray
3. Fauquier vs Haymarket

Seeds

#1: This is simpler than I initially realized. If Front Royal finishes the win against New Market, they are the top seed based on a 29-15 record (.659 winning percentage). If they lose, they will fall to 28-16 (.636), which will put them below Staunton, who are 27-15 (.643). So that's it: a win this afternoon, and Front Royal is #1. If they lose, Staunton is #1, and Front Royal is #2.

#2: See the discussion for #1. Our top two seeds are safe- they will be Front Royal and Staunton.

#3: Luray. This position belongs to the Wranglers no matter what happens against New Market tonight.

#4: Woodstock. The Bandits are 24-20. If New Market wins both games today, they will also be 24-20, but Woodstock holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. So the Bandits clinched this spot.

#5: This spot will come down to Winchester and New Market. Winchester is 23-21. If New Market wins both games today, they are #5. If the Rebels lose both, Winchester is #5. If the Rebels beat Front Royal and lose to Luray, both teams will be 23-21. The teams went 1-1 head-to-head, and will be 12-12 in their divisions. (I'm waiting to hear what the third tiebreaker will be!) If New Market loses to Front Royal and beats Luray, New Market will hold the inter-divison tiebreaker (they'll be 13-11).

#6: See above discussion for #5. If New Market loses both, they will have the same record as the winner of the Fauquier-Haymarket game, but the Rebels hold tiebreakers over both (Better interdivision record than Fauquier, better head-to-head against Haymarket).  This will be Winchester if the Rebels slip past them.

#7: This one is simple: the winner of the Fauquier at Haymarket game tonight slots in here. The loser of the game is eliminated.

#8: Also simple: Covington. They have the worst record of all the playoff teams. Do you think they're rooting for Staunton or Front Royal?

Simpler Yet:

1. Front Royal OR Staunton
2. Front Royal OR Staunton
3. Luray
4. Woodstock
5. Winchester OR New Market
6. Winchester OR New Market
7. Fauquier OR Haymarket
8. Covington

I hope to give an update when the afternoon game is over.

Playoff Update, 2 Days Left!

Whew. More important games were played last night, as you might expect. This is where we stand with two days left in the season:

North Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Front Royal	27	15	-
2	Winchester	23	20	4.5
3	Fauquier	21	22	6.5
4	Haymarket	21	22	6.5

Front Royal clinches #1, Winchester clinches #2.

Central Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Luray	25	17
2	Woodstock	24	20	2
3	New Market	21	20	3.5
4	Harrisonburg	20	23	5.5

Luray clinches #1. If New Market sweeps its last three games, there will be a tie for 2nd place. Harrisonburg's only shot is at the wild card.

South Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Staunton	26	15
2	Covington	21	23	6.5
3	Waynesboro	18	26	9.5
4	Rockbridge	9	33	17.5

Staunton clinches #1, Covington clinches #2 (even at 21-23).

Wild Card Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	New Market	21	20
2	Fauquier	21	22	1
3	Haymarket	21	22	1
4	Harrisonburg	20	23	2

The wild card is obviously hotly contested. Here are the remaining games for these four teams:

New Market: Harrisonburg, Front Royal, @ Luray
Fauquier: @Haymarket
Haymarket: Fauquier
Harrisonburg: @ New Market

The loser in Haymarket tonight, along with one New Market win, will be eliminated. One New Market also eliminates Harrisonburg, which would finish off the 8 teams in the playoffs, with the only question being seeds.

The Race for Seeds

As of right now:

1. Front Royal
2. Staunton
3. Luray
4. Woodstock
5. Winchester
6. New Market
7-8. Covington and either Fauquier or Haymarket

Tonight's Games

Fauquier vs Haymarket (Loser out along with New Market win)
Front Royal vs Winchester (Battle for seeds only- Winchester can tie Woodstock for #4 (Royals hold tiebreaker. Cards trying to hang onto #1 overall.)
Harrisonburg vs New Market (Turks eliminated with loss, New Market fighting to get in)
Luray vs Staunton (Fight for seeds only- Luray 1.5 games behind Staunton)

The Elephant in the Room

You know- the huge issue that no one wants to talk about. On July 29, Staunton was to play a double header in Rockbridge, but the games were rained out. They should be played tomorrow, but Rockbridge, allegedly, said they couldn't play the games due to their players going home. (Let me claim here that this is all from a source who shall remain nameless.) If the league awards forfeits to Staunton, that means the Braves have a shot at the #1 overall seed. If not, they can't win #1 overall with one more Front Royal win, even though they may have the same number of losses.

**ADDITION** This was just brought to my attention: In NCAA play, there is no such thing as a forfeit of contests not actually competed. To receive a forfeit in which you count a victory, the game actually has to start. The Rockbridge situation, whatever it might be, means that those games would go down as ‘no contests’ in the eyes of the NCAA.**

Of course, it may not come down to these games, so we'll wait to see after these next two days.

Playoff Update, 3 Days Left!

Some major changes last night!

North Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Front Royal	26	15	-
2	Winchester	23	19	3.5
3	Fauquier	21	21	5.5
4	Haymarket	20	22	6.5

Front Royal has clinched the #1 seed from the North. Winchester clinches #2 with a win or Fauquier loss.

Central Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Luray	24	17
2	Woodstock	23	20	2
3	New Market	21	19	2.5
4	Harrisonburg	20	22	4.5

Woodstock leapfrogged New Market last night! Luray almost clinches first with a win or Woodstock loss. But New Market still has 4 games left- Luray will need to win twice to clinch over the Rebels.

South Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Staunton	25	15
2	Covington	21	21	5
3	Waynesboro	16	26	10
4	Rockbridge	9	32	16.5

No games were played in this division last night! Will the league make Staunton play twice at Rockbridge?

Wild Card Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	New Market	21	19
2	Fauquier	21	21	1
3	Harrisonburg	20	22	2
4	Haymarket	20	22	2

New Market, as I mentioned already, still has 4 games. Fauquier, Harrisonburg, and Haymarket have 2 each. So if New Market wins once, they clinch a tie for a playoff spot. Win twice, and they will win a wild card spot (assuming they don't catch Woodstock for 2nd in the Central). The remaining three will battle it out for the final playoff spot.

Seeds, If the season ended today...

1. Front Royal
2. Staunton
3. Luray
4. Winchester
5. Woodstock
6. New Market
7. Covington (wins tiebreaker with better division record- the Jacks and Gators split season series)
8. Fauquier

Tonight's Games

Covington vs Waynesboro 2:30 PM     
Rockbridge vs Waynesboro 7:00 PM    
Front Royal vs Fauquier 7:30 PM    
Haymarket vs Winchester 7:30 PM    
Harrisonburg vs Luray 7:30 PM    
Woodstock vs New Market 7:30 PM    
Covington vs Staunton 7:30 PM

Playoff Update, 4 Days Left!

Eight games last night. The playoff picture is becoming more and more clear each day....

The preamble: The format: the first and second place teams in each division will make the playoffs, then the next two teams with the best records will make the playoffs as wild cards. The division winners will be seeded #1, 2, and 3, and 4-8 by record. Teams will be reseeded after each round of the playoffs. (The tie-breaker within divisions starts with head-to-head record, then inter-division record. However, tie-breakers will not be used for championships or eliminations from the playoffs. If two teams tie for first place in a division, or for the last playoff spot, a playoff game will be played.)

North Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Front Royal	26	14	-
2	Winchester	22	18	4
3	Fauquier	20	20	6
4	Haymarket	19	22	7.5

Front Royal has clinched a tie for first place, and has clinched a playoff spot. Winchester is closing in on clinching the #2 spot.

Central Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Luray	24	16
2	New Market	21	18	2.5
3	Woodstock	22	20	3
4	Harrisonburg	19	22	5.5

Luray's sweep of New Market last night was huge, as the Wranglers are now close to clinching first place. Woodstock and New Market are only a half game apart for that coveted #2 position. The Turks aren't out of it, either!

South Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Staunton	25	15
2	Covington	21	21	5
3	Waynesboro	16	26	10
4	Rockbridge	9	32	16.5

Staunton and Covington have clinched playoff spots as #1 and #2 in the South. Waynesboro and Rockbridge are eliminated. Staunton is one game behind Front Royal for the #1 overall seed.

Wild Card Standings
		Wins	Losses	GB
1	Woodstock	22	20
2	Fauquier	20	20	1
3	Harrisonburg	19	22	2.5
4	Haymarket	19	22	2.5

Woodstock and Fauquier control their own destiny. Harrisonburg and Haymarket need a few wins...

Tonight's Schedule

Staunton vs Rockbridge DH 4:00, 7:00 (Staunton playing for seed)
New Market vs Harrisonburg ('Burg 3 games behind Rebels)
Fauquier vs Winchester DH 5:00, 7:30 (Gators 2 games behind the Royals)
Covington vs Waynesboro (Jacks playing for seed)
Front Royal vs Haymarket (Cards clinging to #1 overall seed, Sens are fighting for a spot)
Luray vs Woodstock (Stock leading wild card, 3 games behind Luray)