News & notes

Earlier this week, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that practices for high school sports would begin on September 21, with low-risk sports such as tennis and golf eligible to begin league play soon after. Higher risk sports, such as football, would also have practices, but no games until further notice.

However, advocates for a number of district superintendents in the state are saying, not so fast.

They want the sports season delayed until January, believing that creating a safer learning environment needs to be a priority.

And while that is true, you have alumni and casual fans starved for live activities to attend. Not all schools have the capacity to live-stream games, which creates a problem for those fans.

Stay tuned.
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Four months ago, Jackson Brown, son of UAlbany basketball coach Will Brown, had committed to Castleton College in Vermont.

However, after graduating from Catholic Central two months later, the younger Brown had time to reflect on that decision, and on Tuesday, to the surprise of no one, really, Brown decided to reverse course, and join his father at UAlbany. I guess now WNYT's Rodger Wyland, the voice of UAlbany basketball & football, will have to refer to going down the lane for a score as driving down the boulevard.

Hey, I've got four years worth of jokes to use......

Law of The Plainsman (Yankees @ Braves, game 1, 8/26/20)

Shenendehowa graduate Ian Anderson may have needed to wait an extra 21 hours before taking the mound at Truist Park, outside Atlanta, to face the Yankees today, but the wait in this case was worth it.

Matched up against Yankee ace Gerrit Cole, who had won 20 straight decisions dating back to last season with Houston, Anderson didn't sweat the Bombers' lineup one iota in the first inning. History will record that his first strikeout came at the expense of Aaron Hicks to end the frame. And, oh, by the way, Yankee announcers Michael Kay & David Cone made with the Jethro Tull references before I could even think of something besides "Aqualung".

In the home half, Ronald Acuna, Jr. took Cole out of the yard to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. Cole went on to strike out the next three batters, and a pitchers' duel was beginning to take shape. However, it wouldn't stay that way for very long.

In the Atlanta 3rd, Acuna walked, and Dansby Swanson turned a Cole breaking ball into a microwave dinner over the right field fence to make it 3-0. One out later, Marcell Ozuna blasted a solo homer that went almost as far as Acuna's shot two innings prior. It was 4-0 after three, and Cole's back was against the wall.

Anderson had only allowed a walk, a hit batsman, and had another runner reach on an error by Austin (Bus) Riley through five. In the Yankee 6th, Luke (AMF) Voit ended any hope of a no-hitter for the 2nd consecutive day, following Lucas Giolito's gem for the White Sox vs. Pittsburgh last night, with a solo shot to the opposite field. Anderson came back and got Hicks on a foul pop, then struck out Mike (Orange) Ford to end the inning.

Atlanta got the run back in the home half, and chased Cole after he gave up a double to Freddie Freeman and a walk to Ozuna. Nick Markakis greeted reliever Luis Cessa with a double, plating Freeman with the final run of the game.

Ex-Yankee Shane Greene pitched the 7th for Atlanta (doubleheaders are 7 innings each this year, a condition Anderson is familiar with), with Brett Gardner reaching on an error by Freeman, to secure the win, ending Cole's winning streak at 20 decisions, undefeated, with 8 no decisions tacked on, over the course of a year and change, 5-1.

Anderson went six innings, giving up just the one earned run and one hit, with a hit batsman, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts. Cole went 5, charged with all 5 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 9 strikeouts.

Mets fans, if Anderson gets to pitch in the final Mets-Braves series next month, be very afraid.

News & notes

The waiting is almost over in Section II.

On Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that some low-risk sports, such as golf, swimming, cross country track, soccer, & tennis, would begin practice on September 21, with games to follow soon after.

Football & volleyball would also begin practice that same date, but because they're considered high-risk sports, a start to the season will be determined at a later date. Regional & state championships for fall sports were already cancelled as a precaution, so there will certainly be shorter seasons.

A winter sport such as hockey is also considered high risk, so there's a question of whether or not they'll be able to start on time.

Stay tuned
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Shenendehowa graduate Ian Anderson could possibly make his major league debut tonight for Atlanta. That's the good news. The bad news? They're hosting the Yankees, who are a bit cranky after getting swept by Tampa Bay last week before the Subway Series vs. the Mets was postponed due to a pair of COVID-19 cases among the Mets.

I can imagine more people than usual will tune to the Yes network (Spectrum digital channel 321) for the game, just to see Anderson.

Look at it this way. It's a good alternative to the Republican Genuflection Party......

News & notes

The NY Racing Association (NYRA) has delayed the start of today's Saratoga card to 2:10 pm due to some technical issue related to their tote boards, operated by AmTote. This is rare, but if you're tuning in to OTB-TV (Spectrum cable channel 1250), you can see the time remaining before the first race on the screen.
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A possibly positive sign that the fall sports season could start come September 21 is that the NY Public High School Athletic Association has confirmed that student-athletes who are using remote learning are in fact eligible to play this season.

We'll see where it goes from here.
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Speaking of Saratoga, jockey Luis Saez had a day to remember Thursday, with 5 winners on the card, including the feature race. Still has to make up some ground in the jockey standings with 2 1/2 weeks left in the season.
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Bowlers across the 518 are rejoicing this week with news that bowling centers are now reopening completely with appropriate social distancing guidelines in place, just in time for the start of the fall league season, which begins September 8. Some centers, such as Troy's Uncle Sam Lanes, have been open on a limited basis while hosting OTB kiosks. Uncle Sam, for example, has been open 4 days a week, and will likely be back to 7 days a week by the time you read this.

And so the season ends

The Albany Athletics closed out the Independent Collegiate Baseball League season Wednesday night with a 6-4 win over the Amsterdam Mohawks. Albany (21-3-2) took the lead on a 2-run homer from Anthony Raimo (HVCC) in the 4th, and never looked back. Ex-Valleycat Chris Salamida started the game in the outfield, then was moved to the mound in the 6th, and pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless ball to pick up his 8th save.

Final standings:

Albany Athletics 21-3-2.
Albany Dutch 13-12-2.
Amsterdam 13-13.
Glens Falls 2-21.

If we're in the same condition next year where fans can't attend, the ICBL needs to do the following:

1. Add an extra umpire. One centrally placed ump in the center of the infield, behind the pitcher's mound, did have its drawbacks. Most minor leagues use as few as 2 umps, and so does Little League. It can't be that hard.

2. More teams are needed. The Athletics, coming from the Albany Twilight League with a mix of college & semi-pro players, and ex-pros (i.e. Salamida), dominated the league, and still had time to play games outside the league.

3. Greater accessibility for fans online. A common issue was that live streams didn't always start on time. Linking up with a public access channel on Spectrum Cable or landing a deal with Spectrum or one of the local TV or radio stations to expand coverage would certainly help.

Also, only the Mohawks & Independents had their rosters on their websites. The Albany teams didn't. Not good.

4. More teams means one more "bubble". I realize they didn't want to play at ancient Bleecker Stadium, the home of the Twilight League, but the ICBL would've benefited from having another ATL team, like the Troy Haymakers, in the league. If you have the Haymakers play at Knickerbocker Field, next door to Lansingburgh High.....!

Now, if the ATL could be convinced to start an online stream for next year......

News & notes

The Daily Gazette is reporting that Riley Mulvey is transferring from Albany Academy to St. Thomas More in Connecticut to play on their prep team this winter.

Mulvey, from Rotterdam, already has offers from several Division 1 colleges, even though he'll be entering his junior season. He has an older brother who coaches St. Thomas More's varsity team, and that, I suspect, influenced his decision.
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The Independent Collegiate Baseball League ends its season tonight, as the league champion Albany Athletics will take on Amsterdam at Shuttleworth Park. The Athletics were to play Glens Falls in the Independents' home finale on Monday, but they were rained out, and then cancelled last night due to another storm headed into the 518. Glens Falls finishes at 2-21 for the season.

Instead of two 7 inning games as originally planned, the Mohawks & Athletics will close the season with a 9 inning game beginning at 6:30 pm. Amsterdam has yet to beat the Athletics this season, so they do have something to play for in the finale.

News & notes

Sackatoga Stables' star 3 year old, Tiz The Law, came from behind to win the Travers on Saturday at Saratoga. Ridden by Manuel Franco, Tiz The Law paid $3 to win. His next start will be on September 5 at the Kentucky Derby.
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If/when Section II gets the green light for fall sports, one school will remain well behind the starting gate, per the Glens Falls Post-Star.

Fort Edward's school budget for 2020-21 does not include varsity sports, which is a real killer for a small town that had seen the Flying Forts win a Section II title in basketball earlier this year.

As we've noted before such a void has been felt closer to home with Lansingburgh having discontinued its school band, junior varsity football, and cheerleading two years ago due to budget issues.

In time, these things shall pass.
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The Independent Collegiate Baseball League begins a very short week six on Monday, but there's a change in the standings after Saturday's play.

The Amsterdam Mohawks swept a doubleheader in their home finale over Glens Falls, lifting the Mohawks into 2nd place behind the league champion Albany Athletics, who'll be the home team for Wednesday's finale at Shuttleworth Park. Before that, the Athletics & Independents will play on Monday.

Standings:

Athletics 20-3-2.
Mohawks 13-12.
Dutch 13-14-2.
Independents 2-21.

The Athletics are also playing other Albany Twilight League teams in exhibitions between ICBL dates, beating the Schenectady Blue Jays on Saturday. It's just too bad they're not getting the media attention they deserve.