COOPERSTOWN
— When long-time co-coaches Steve “Sharky” Nagelschmitt and Jack
Vineyard instructed this season’s Cooperstown Post 579 players to run
out onto the field and assume their usual spots during the team’s third
practice early last Friday evening, nearly half of them wound up
occupying the same space on the left side of the infield.
“A few of these kids have never come out for Cooperstown, so we’re
not really sure what we have at the moment,” offered Sharky as the
players began to disperse towards different positions throughout the
diamond. “But most come here and can usually play anywhere on the
field, though.”
Annually comprised of players primarily from Cooperstown, Cherry
Valley-Springfield, Stamford, Milford, Schenevus, Otego Valley and
South Kortright, this year’s Cooperstown Post American Legion baseball
team currently has 19 interested participants, one more than the
allotted 18-member roster limit. So while at least one player will not
suit up for the team’s season opener Sunday, June 12, at Double Day
Field, there’s also a handful of familiar faces who definitely will.
Cherry Valley-Springfield senior Scott Dubben returns for a third
season on the team, and is expected to be the staff ace of a rotation
that will also include Richfield Springs all-star Shawn Connolly and
Cooperstown starter Ian McGillivray.
Said Sharky of the two local veterans, “Scott’s probably our No. 1
pitcher. This is his third year with the program, so we’ll depend a lot
on his leadership. ...him and Connolly.”
Joining Dubben on Cooperstown Post’s 2005 roster will be fellow
Patriots Hyde Clarke, Steve Herringshaw, and Ben Halay. Clarke,
Dubben’s cousin and personal catcher during the high school season, was
one of only two players during last Friday’s practice to participate
behind the plate, and may end up having a vital role on this summer’s
team.
“We haven’t always been strong at catcher,” continued Sharky in his
pre-season assessment of the club. “But if we get a solid catcher
behind the plate, and are solid on the mound, we’ll be all right. And I
think we’ll be very, very good defensively.”
Offensively, however, Sharky believes the Cooperstown Post team is
actually hindered as a result of playing its home games at the
legendary Double Day Field.
“We’re not allowed to practice on it,” he said, “so once the season
starts, we don’t get much batting practice. It’s great to have the
field, and it does bring in some good non-league teams that like to
play there, but there are some negative things attached to being able
to use it.”
As for improving on last year’s record of around .500 and possibly
beating out fellow Otsego County American Legion rival Oneonta for the
right to represent the county, Sharky believes only time will tell.
“It’s hard to run a summer program, because sometimes you’re only as
good as what shows up that night. But what I like about it is when they
all come together. This is a group that battled each other all year
long on different fields, and this is what brings them together. Most
of the kids have been done for about three weeks now, and they’re all
coming off being coached in different ways. So it may take a few games
for everyone to get comfortable with each other, but eventually they’ll
click. Just really knowing each other is the big thing.”
2005 Cooperstown Post 579 Roster:
Shawn Connolly
(Richfield Springs)
Scott Dubben
(CV-S)
Hyde Clarke
(CV-S)
Steve Herringshaw
(CV-S)
Ben Halay
(CV-S)
Tyler Spofford
(Mass./CV-S)
Brett Liable
(Milford)
Arek Robinson
(Milford)
Jared Hubbard
(Schenevus)
Cory Hubbard
(Schenevus)
Andre Fiel
(Schenevus)
Eddie Bauer
(Cooperstown)
Ian McGillivray
(Cooperstown)
Colin Weeks
(Cooperstown)
Peter Green
(Cooperstown)
Brad Kukenburger
(Cooperstown)
Jon Kenchen
(South Kortright)
James Simonds
(Otego Valley)
Kevin Campbell
(Otego Valley)
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