By ERIC AHLQVIST
Cooperstown Crier
Jeff Kent, the former major
leaguer who was often portrayed
as moody, ornery and standoffish
during his playing career, was
clearly awe struck Sunday morning.
Kent, a likely first ballot Hall
of Famer, was one of 23 former
big league players to take part in
the Baseball Hall of Fame’s inaugural
Father’s Day Classic Sunday
afternoon.
During a half-hour press conference
at the Clark Sports Center
Sunday morning, Kent said
being in Cooperstown, and talking
with the other players as well
as five Hall of Famers, was an
eye-opening experience.
``I was never much into the
history of the game before now,’’
said a smiling, affable Kent. ``But
being here and talking to these
guys really makes me want to
learn more. I listened to some of
the old-timers’ stories and it’s
just neat. I’m looking forward to
touring the Hall of Fame too. I’ve
never been inside. I’m not one to
worry about things out of my control,
but yeah, I’d like to be in
this fraternity.’’
Kent played 17 seasons and
broke Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg’s
record for home runs by a
second baseman, finishing with
351; 74 more than Sandberg. He
was the 2000 Most Valuable
Player, and drove in 100 runs or
more for six straight seasons
from 1997-2002.
``Now that the opportunity to
go into the Hall of Fame (Kent
will be eligible in 2014) presents
itself and I stop and look back,
I’m proud of the things I accomplished,’’
he said.
Kent said he was also excited
to get on the field for the Classic.
``This is a chance to bridge the
gap between the players and the
fans,’’ he said. ``Sometimes, major
league players can seem inaccessible
to the fans, but we’re going
to try and change that.’’
Later that afternoon, Kent
won the inaugural hitting contest,
besting Steve Finley in the
finals.
Christian Mass, the 12-yearold
son of Kevin Maas, a former
Yankee, walked around the Clark
Sports Center trying to get all
the players’ autographs.
``I want to get them all, but
I’m not sure if I did or not,’’ said
Maas, who like Kent, seemed to
be in awe of the players around
him.
Maas said he plays the infield
in Little League, and he received
fielding tips from former major
league second baseman Bobby
Grich during the media conference.
``I’d like to make it to the big
leagues someday,’’ Christian
said.
During the game, Christian
watched, and videotaped, as his
father, Kevin Maas, a former
New York Yankee, hit the first
home run in the history of the
Classic, a line drive over the right
field fence off Anthony Telford in
the top of the third inning.
Hall of Fame third baseman
Brooks Robinson said he was just
as excited to mingle with fans as
play in the Classic.
``I can still dive,’’ said Robinson,
famous for several outstanding
diving plays he made at third
base against the Reds in the 1970
World Series. ``The difference is
now I can’t get back up.’’
Robinson started at third base
for Team Wagner in Sunday’s exhibition,
and his team rallied for
a 5-4 victory.
Robinson received the biggest
ovation from the fans during pregame
introductions, that is until
Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller’s
name was called. Feller, 90, received
a long, standing ovation
from the roughly 7,000 fans in attendance
at Doubleday Field.
He then opened the Classic on
the mound, facing Hall of Fame
Paul Molitor, who singled to center
field.
``He called me over right before
I hit and he said there are
two rules,’’ Molitor said afterward.
``No bunting, and no hitting
up the middle.’’
Another former Yankee, Mike
Pagliarulo, had the game-winning
hit, an RBI double in the
bottom of the sixth inning of the
seven-inning exhibition.
The Classic, which took over
for the Hall of Fame Game — a
nearly 70-year tradition — went
very well, National Baseball Hall
of Fame President Jeff Idelson
said.
``The weekend was a smashing
success,’’ Idelson said. ``The
feedback we’ve gotten from players
who were here said how they
enjoyed being here and how they
were energized by the crowd. The
visitor experience, by and large,
is what we had hoped for. There’s
a good connectivity and accessibility
to the players.’’
Local Sports
Former players embrace Classic
- Local Sports
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MCS girls take advantage of Patriots’ off-night
PEGGY PAFFENROTH PULLS IN a defensive rebound during the Wildcats’ Tri-Valley League win over the Patriots on Friday.
It may have been unseasonably warm outside, but for Cherry Valley- Springfield’s girls, it was a cold night in Milford on Friday. The Patriots went on long stretches without making baskets and the Wildcats took advantage for a 55-31 victory.
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Cooperstown boys show up to play
Cooperstown’s boys scored 33 points in the second quarter and cruised to a 79-58 non-league victory over visiting Sherburne- Earlville in a matchup of Center State Conference division winners Saturday.
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Lady Redskins get non-league win
Nicole Cring had 12 points, eight blocks and seven rebounds as the Cooperstown- High girls basketball team took an early lead and beat visiting New York Mills 55-44 on Tuesday in a non-league game.
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Hall to offer tools to teach dangers of drugs
Students will be taught about the danger of performance-enhancing drugs through a national education and outreach program announced Wednesday by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown. The use of such drugs could affect upcoming balloting for several Hall of Fame candidates.
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Baseball Hall of Fame releases calendar of events
With the crack of bats and sounds of the ballpark beginning to return to Arizona and Florida this week organizers are getting geared up for another season at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Unatego wrestlers beat C’town, UV; Sidney’s Stafford among top seeds for class tourneys
Austin Ryan and Nate Wilsey won two head-tohead matches apiece last Thursday, helping host Unatego to dual-meet wrestling victories over Cooperstown and Unadilla Valley.
Continued ... - Thursday, February 2, 2012
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CCS swimmer finds diving challenging
After a day of highs and lows, Cooperstown’s Aaron Idelson finished in the middle.
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The sophomore diver scored a 285.15 and finished eighth out of 16 divers at the Frontier League Diving Championships in Carthage on Saturday. -
Brothers compete in the pool
Sometimes things are not always as they seem. Just look at Cooperstown’s varsity swimming brothers Sean and Erik Mebust.
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Volleyball team wins tournament at home
The host Cooperstown volleyball team won a six-team round robin tournament last Saturday. The Redskins tied Stockbridge with identical 7-3 records, but owned the tiebreaker by a single point in head-to-head match-ups, winning 25-22 and losing 23-25.
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Lady Redskins come out strong in second half
Nicole Cring’s double, double helped Cooperstown make a decisive second-half run and beat visiting Mohawk 45-28 in a Center State Conference game on Monday. Cring had 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots as the
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Redskins scored the first seven points of the second half, stretching a 17-14 lead to 24-14. “There wasn’t much to say.” -
CCS wrestling team competes in championships
Cooperstown teammates Michael Boyle and Jacob Miller had runner-up finishes in the Center State Conference Championships on Saturday at Adirondack.
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Niekro, Ozzie to return for Hall of Fame Classic
The Knucksies and Wizards will go at it again this June in Cooperstown. The Baseball Hall of Fame announced Monday that Hall of Famers Phil Niekro and Ozzie Smith will return as team captains for the fourth annual Hall of Fame Classic at Doubleday Field.
Continued ... - Monday, January 30, 2012
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Redskins hit century mark
If at first you do succeed, try to do even better next time. Dave Bertram led the Cooperstown boys basketball team to its highest points total in his 10 years as head coach Tuesday, when the Redskins thumped visiting Morrisville- Eaton, 106-51, in a Center State Conference Division III game.
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Davine, king of Cooperstown assists
If you need help, try calling Jay Davine. Senior point guard Davine broke Cooperstown’s all-time assists record last Thursday and scored 13 points to lead the Redskins to a 71-43 boys basketball thumping of visiting Westmoreland in a Center State Conference Division III game.
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Fox has big night for Hartwick women
Cooperstown graduate Samantha Fox scored a varsity-high 14 points Friday to lead the Hartwick College women’s basketball team to a 59-49 victory over visiting St. John Fisher in the Empire 8 Conference.
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Patriots hold off Gilbertsville-Mount Upton with score of 59-53
A varsity-high 27 points from Kyle Jaquay led host Cherry Valley- Springfield to a 59-53 Tri-Valley League boys basketball victory Monday over Gilbertsville-Mount Upton.
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CCS wrestles with the ‘Big Dogs’
Cooperstown’s wrestling revival got a reality check on Saturday in the form of visiting Dolgeville. Both teams came in undefeated in the Center State Conference, but only the Blue Devils left that way after a 64-10 win over the Redskins. “Dolgeville is definitely a tough team. Top to bottom, they really don’t have any weak spots on their roster,” Cooperstown coach Micaiah Abts said.
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Coach says he thinks his girls will return to top of their class
Close, but not there yet. That’s the story of Cooperstown’s volleyball team this season, and it played out again on Monday in a 3-1 loss to visiting Waterville in a Center State Conference match.
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Clark Sports Center hosts tournament
The Clark Sports Center recently held its eighth annual Pat Fetterman Memorial Tournament. There were six girls’ teams and six boys’ teams from as far away as West Philadelphia, according to a media release from the sports center.
Continued ... - Thursday, January 19, 2012
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Boy one step closer to seeing football dreams come true
Since Cowboy Stadium in Dallas opened in 2010, football fans have marveled at the massive, modernstadium. Over the holidays, Cooperstown Central School freshman Michael Perrino got to play two games in it himself.
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