FirstEnergy Park will play host to a very special baseball doubleheader
Wednesday night and neither game will involve the BlueClaws, who are currently on the road. Fans from the shore area will get to see a host of high school seniors play their final high school game as well as some other players who used to shine return to the diamond. What’s most important about the doubleheader is all proceeds will benefit “Going to Bat for Brian” and the “Light Up Manchester Fund Drive.”
Brian Malast is a former star athlete at Manchester Township High School
who later played football at Virginia Military Institute. He was a rookie New Jersey State Trooper who was involved in an auto accident while working in September of 2005…that accident left him paralyzed. Just a year ago a baseball game at FirstEnergy Park raised thousands of dollars to help with his long-term recovery and care. The other beneficiary of the game is to complete the lighting project on the football field at Manchester, a grass-roots effort that started because of Craig Leppert, a soon-to-be junior. The Hawks linebacker has a very rare disease that makes it difficult and dangerous for him to be exposed to sunlight and with lights he’ll be able to enjoy mostly night games. The community has rallied behind the project and Manchester will play its first night game to open the season on September 7th against Wall.
Back to the baseball doubleheader. The Shore Baseball Coaches Association will play their annual Ocean versus Monmouth County game beginning at 5pm. This game features top seniors, including Pat Biserta (Point Boro), Joe Talerico (TR South), Keith Weinkofsky (Ocean) and Anthony Ranaudo (St. Rose)…all of whom are on the Jersey Shore team now competing in the Carpenter Cup at the University of Pennsylvania.
Wednesday’s second game (7:30) will match former shore players like Charlie Frazier, JM Gold, Marc Fink and Travis Musolf against a group of State Troopers.
Tickets cost $10, although kids 12 and under wearing a Little League shirt will be admitted free. This is certainly an event in which the final score will not be what’s shown on the scoreboard but rather the impact it has on the lives of others.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sopranos: Love It Or Hate It?
It was a battle of the Tony’s Sunday night:
I had no interest in the Tony Awards and very little in Tony Parker leading San Antonio to an easy win over Cleveland in the NBA Finals. However like millions of others I was glued to my chair until 10:03 to learn the fate of Tony Soprano.
Now I know many are already ripping the finale of The Sopranos…my wife and son both were disappointed in the ending which left it up to your imagination. However I think it was very well done and most of the viewers who are upset are those who wanted a blood bath with a clear picture of who, if anyone was left standing. The only significant whacking in the 86th and final episode saw rival mob boss Phil Leotardo crushed and that’s an understatement.
However while series creator David Chase leaves it up to us to draw our own conclusions he did give us final images of the main characters, who all appear to be heading in a good direction. Tony has legal issues to deal with but not Phil any longer and he’s made some peace with Uncle Junior while insuring his sister is taken care of. Carmela stayed by Tony’s side but certainly has had enough of listening to him complain about his childhood and may continue to dabble in real estate. AJ has turned the corner and his depression seems to be over…the new girlfriend doesn’t hurt. Meadow is headed to law school, a nice job and marriage.
However where Chase was masterful was the final scene in which the family has gathered at a local diner and we viewers are thinking somebody is certainly going to be killed. Tony is the first to arrive and he’s scanning the juke box and viewing titles like “I’m Still Alive” and “Magic Man” before selecting “Don’t Stop Believing.” While waiting for the rest of the family suspicious-looking characters are shown coming in the door, which jingles every time it’s opened. Carmela arrives and moments later AJ follows and we see Meadow having trouble parking her car. Just then a man sitting at the counter heads to the bathroom and I’m thinking this is going to be like “The Godfather” and he’ll return with a gun and start firing. But that doesn’t happen…at least we don’t see it. Meadow finally gets to the door, opens it and the screen goes black. You finally realize it’s not a problem with your cable but the end of the most talked-about show in TV history.
You might be disappointed…I’m happy Tony lives on. Unless those onion rings at the diner were poisoned.
I had no interest in the Tony Awards and very little in Tony Parker leading San Antonio to an easy win over Cleveland in the NBA Finals. However like millions of others I was glued to my chair until 10:03 to learn the fate of Tony Soprano.
Now I know many are already ripping the finale of The Sopranos…my wife and son both were disappointed in the ending which left it up to your imagination. However I think it was very well done and most of the viewers who are upset are those who wanted a blood bath with a clear picture of who, if anyone was left standing. The only significant whacking in the 86th and final episode saw rival mob boss Phil Leotardo crushed and that’s an understatement.
However while series creator David Chase leaves it up to us to draw our own conclusions he did give us final images of the main characters, who all appear to be heading in a good direction. Tony has legal issues to deal with but not Phil any longer and he’s made some peace with Uncle Junior while insuring his sister is taken care of. Carmela stayed by Tony’s side but certainly has had enough of listening to him complain about his childhood and may continue to dabble in real estate. AJ has turned the corner and his depression seems to be over…the new girlfriend doesn’t hurt. Meadow is headed to law school, a nice job and marriage.
However where Chase was masterful was the final scene in which the family has gathered at a local diner and we viewers are thinking somebody is certainly going to be killed. Tony is the first to arrive and he’s scanning the juke box and viewing titles like “I’m Still Alive” and “Magic Man” before selecting “Don’t Stop Believing.” While waiting for the rest of the family suspicious-looking characters are shown coming in the door, which jingles every time it’s opened. Carmela arrives and moments later AJ follows and we see Meadow having trouble parking her car. Just then a man sitting at the counter heads to the bathroom and I’m thinking this is going to be like “The Godfather” and he’ll return with a gun and start firing. But that doesn’t happen…at least we don’t see it. Meadow finally gets to the door, opens it and the screen goes black. You finally realize it’s not a problem with your cable but the end of the most talked-about show in TV history.
You might be disappointed…I’m happy Tony lives on. Unless those onion rings at the diner were poisoned.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Friday's Thoughts
Todd Frazier is a lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox…or should I say was.
The 21-year old will still be sporting red socks but now the team he roots for and will soon work for is the Cincinnati Reds. Frazier was the 34th overall player taken in Baseball’s First-Year Player draft, a day he celebrated with family and friends at his Toms River home. His agent will likely begin contract negotiations as early as today and if things go smoothly Todd could begin his pro career in either Sarasota, Florida or Billings, Montana where the Reds rookie league teams reside and begin their seasons in less than two weeks. Frazier’s baseball talents will get him a nice contract…the 34th player taken last year received $900,000.
After much speculation Superior Court Judge Marlene Lynch Ford was nominated Thursday by Governor Corzine to become Ocean County’s first woman prosecutor. Ford will replace Thomas Kelaher whose five plus-year tenure has drawn praise from many in law enforcement. Kelaher is a hard-working, no-nonsense official who’s innovative, visible and willing to let others do their job. Ford is a former Assemblywoman and Municipal Prosecutor and appears well qualified to do an outstanding job once she takes over.
Its last call for the Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of Commerce’s 14th Annual Golf Outing. The event will be held Monday at Pine Barrens Golf Club in Jackson with a buffet luncheon before the 1pm shot gun start. I will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the dinner and awards program after golfers have finished their rounds. For last minute registration information you can call the Chamber office at (732) 349-0220.
Can you imagine the audience for Sunday’s finale of The Sopranos? Fans of the show are waiting to see how the HBO series will end and here’s one vote for Tony and his family heading into the sunset together…and alive.
Have you noticed how many of those small signs that stick in the grass are present on local roadways these days? Its bad enough you have to deal with them during election season but now it seems like many businesses and others use local, county and state property to promote their companies and events. I don’t like them, they look bad and they should be removed
The 21-year old will still be sporting red socks but now the team he roots for and will soon work for is the Cincinnati Reds. Frazier was the 34th overall player taken in Baseball’s First-Year Player draft, a day he celebrated with family and friends at his Toms River home. His agent will likely begin contract negotiations as early as today and if things go smoothly Todd could begin his pro career in either Sarasota, Florida or Billings, Montana where the Reds rookie league teams reside and begin their seasons in less than two weeks. Frazier’s baseball talents will get him a nice contract…the 34th player taken last year received $900,000.
After much speculation Superior Court Judge Marlene Lynch Ford was nominated Thursday by Governor Corzine to become Ocean County’s first woman prosecutor. Ford will replace Thomas Kelaher whose five plus-year tenure has drawn praise from many in law enforcement. Kelaher is a hard-working, no-nonsense official who’s innovative, visible and willing to let others do their job. Ford is a former Assemblywoman and Municipal Prosecutor and appears well qualified to do an outstanding job once she takes over.
Its last call for the Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of Commerce’s 14th Annual Golf Outing. The event will be held Monday at Pine Barrens Golf Club in Jackson with a buffet luncheon before the 1pm shot gun start. I will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the dinner and awards program after golfers have finished their rounds. For last minute registration information you can call the Chamber office at (732) 349-0220.
Can you imagine the audience for Sunday’s finale of The Sopranos? Fans of the show are waiting to see how the HBO series will end and here’s one vote for Tony and his family heading into the sunset together…and alive.
Have you noticed how many of those small signs that stick in the grass are present on local roadways these days? Its bad enough you have to deal with them during election season but now it seems like many businesses and others use local, county and state property to promote their companies and events. I don’t like them, they look bad and they should be removed
Friday's Thoughts
Todd Frazier is a lifelong fan of the Boston Red Sox…or should I say was.
The 21-year old will still be sporting red socks but now the team he roots for and will soon work for is the Cincinnati Reds. Frazier was the 34th overall player taken in Baseball’s First-Year Player draft, a day he celebrated with family and friends at his Toms River home. His agent will likely begin contract negotiations as early as today and if things go smoothly Todd could begin his pro career in either Sarasota, Florida or Billings, Montana where the Reds rookie league teams reside and begin their seasons in less than two weeks. Frazier’s baseball talents will get him a nice contract…the 34th player taken last year received $900,000.
After much speculation Superior Court Judge Marlene Lynch Ford was nominated Thursday by Governor Corzine to become Ocean County’s first woman prosecutor. Ford will replace Thomas Kelaher whose five plus-year tenure has drawn praise from many in law enforcement. Kelaher is a hard-working, no-nonsense official who’s innovative, visible and willing to let others do their job. Ford is a former Assemblywoman and Municipal Prosecutor and appears well qualified to do an outstanding job once she takes over.
Its last call for the Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of Commerce’s 14th Annual Golf Outing. The event will be held Monday at Pine Barrens Golf Club in Jackson with a buffet luncheon before the 1pm shot gun start. I will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the dinner and awards program after golfers have finished their rounds. For last minute registration information you can call the Chamber office at (732) 349-0220.
Can you imagine the audience for Sunday’s finale of The Sopranos? Fans of the show are waiting to see how the HBO series will end and here’s one vote for Tony and his family heading into the sunset together…and alive.
Have you noticed how many of those small signs that stick in the grass are present on local roadways these days? Its bad enough you have to deal with them during election season but now it seems like many businesses and others use local, county and state property to promote their companies and events. I don’t like them, they look bad and they should be removed
The 21-year old will still be sporting red socks but now the team he roots for and will soon work for is the Cincinnati Reds. Frazier was the 34th overall player taken in Baseball’s First-Year Player draft, a day he celebrated with family and friends at his Toms River home. His agent will likely begin contract negotiations as early as today and if things go smoothly Todd could begin his pro career in either Sarasota, Florida or Billings, Montana where the Reds rookie league teams reside and begin their seasons in less than two weeks. Frazier’s baseball talents will get him a nice contract…the 34th player taken last year received $900,000.
After much speculation Superior Court Judge Marlene Lynch Ford was nominated Thursday by Governor Corzine to become Ocean County’s first woman prosecutor. Ford will replace Thomas Kelaher whose five plus-year tenure has drawn praise from many in law enforcement. Kelaher is a hard-working, no-nonsense official who’s innovative, visible and willing to let others do their job. Ford is a former Assemblywoman and Municipal Prosecutor and appears well qualified to do an outstanding job once she takes over.
Its last call for the Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of Commerce’s 14th Annual Golf Outing. The event will be held Monday at Pine Barrens Golf Club in Jackson with a buffet luncheon before the 1pm shot gun start. I will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the dinner and awards program after golfers have finished their rounds. For last minute registration information you can call the Chamber office at (732) 349-0220.
Can you imagine the audience for Sunday’s finale of The Sopranos? Fans of the show are waiting to see how the HBO series will end and here’s one vote for Tony and his family heading into the sunset together…and alive.
Have you noticed how many of those small signs that stick in the grass are present on local roadways these days? Its bad enough you have to deal with them during election season but now it seems like many businesses and others use local, county and state property to promote their companies and events. I don’t like them, they look bad and they should be removed
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Toms River East Little Leaguer Makes Good
I first met Todd Frazier in the summer of 1995 when I followed the Toms River East American All-Stars to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where his brother Jeff was one of the stars of that team. Todd was 9 and already making a name for himself in a family of three boys who would all have storied athletic careers. He looked a bit like Huck Finn and what I remember most about him that August was how he and my son would slide down the hills in the outfield on cardboard boxes…a Williamsport tradition. Ironically that also began a friendship between the two which continues today…a day that’s been circled on the calendar for some time in the Frazier home.
Baseball will hold its First-Year Player Draft at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex in Florida with the first round to be televised live on ESPN2 at 2pm. It’s possible that before the opening round is concluded Todd Frazier’s name will be called but if not…it won’t be too long after that.
That 9-year old with the toothy grin has grown into one of the nation’s best players and he told me yesterday he’s excited about beginning his pro career. This is nothing new to the Frazier Family as oldest son Charlie was drafted by the Marlins organization out of high school and Jeff was taken by the Tigers following his junior year at Rutgers. Charlie is now out of baseball and working and coaching in the Toms River School district while Jeff is playing Double-A for the Seattle Mariners.
However many felt all along that Todd was the one with the greatest major league potential and his path to today has been littered with gold. By the time he was 12 he had already led his Toms River East American All-Stars to the Little League World Series Championship with a win over Japan which set off a wild celebration in Ocean County. But that was not as he quarterbacked his Pop Warner team to a national championship, won the national Punt, Pass and Kick Competition in his age group and was a standout basketball player.
Success continued at Toms River South where he helped the Indians win a pair of State Baseball Championships and scored over a 1,000 points on the basketball court. Three great seasons followed at Rutgers where he was an All-American shortstop this spring, the Big East Player of the Year and among 20 finalists for the National Player of the Year.
That leads us to today where Todd is likely to be taken in what’s called the Supplemental First Round. A lifelong Red Sox fan he told me his agent has heard quite a bit from both San Diego and Cincinnati….the Reds have the 34th and 53rd overall picks while the Padres have 5 picks between 40-64.
Most of the players drafted today will never make it out of the minor leagues. However don’t bet against Todd Frazier unless you don’t mind paying up in a few years.
Baseball will hold its First-Year Player Draft at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex in Florida with the first round to be televised live on ESPN2 at 2pm. It’s possible that before the opening round is concluded Todd Frazier’s name will be called but if not…it won’t be too long after that.
That 9-year old with the toothy grin has grown into one of the nation’s best players and he told me yesterday he’s excited about beginning his pro career. This is nothing new to the Frazier Family as oldest son Charlie was drafted by the Marlins organization out of high school and Jeff was taken by the Tigers following his junior year at Rutgers. Charlie is now out of baseball and working and coaching in the Toms River School district while Jeff is playing Double-A for the Seattle Mariners.
However many felt all along that Todd was the one with the greatest major league potential and his path to today has been littered with gold. By the time he was 12 he had already led his Toms River East American All-Stars to the Little League World Series Championship with a win over Japan which set off a wild celebration in Ocean County. But that was not as he quarterbacked his Pop Warner team to a national championship, won the national Punt, Pass and Kick Competition in his age group and was a standout basketball player.
Success continued at Toms River South where he helped the Indians win a pair of State Baseball Championships and scored over a 1,000 points on the basketball court. Three great seasons followed at Rutgers where he was an All-American shortstop this spring, the Big East Player of the Year and among 20 finalists for the National Player of the Year.
That leads us to today where Todd is likely to be taken in what’s called the Supplemental First Round. A lifelong Red Sox fan he told me his agent has heard quite a bit from both San Diego and Cincinnati….the Reds have the 34th and 53rd overall picks while the Padres have 5 picks between 40-64.
Most of the players drafted today will never make it out of the minor leagues. However don’t bet against Todd Frazier unless you don’t mind paying up in a few years.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Wednesday Randomness
A few random notes and thoughts to pass along after missing a day to attend the New Jersey Broadcasters Association Convention in Atlantic City.
As expected the turnout for yesterday’s Primary Election was light with just over 7% of Ocean County’s more than 346,000 registered voters heading to the polls. There were only a few contested races, including a bitter Republican Primary in Toms River that garnered a lot of media attention but not a lot of voter interest. Mayoral candidate Greg McGuckin, the current Council President and his running mates endorsed by the Regular Republican Organization, turned back the challenge of Robert Silva and his group. That sets up an intriguing race in November to succeed Paul Brush as Mayor of Ocean County’s largest municipality. McGuckin not only has to battle Democrat Richard Strada but take on current GOP councilman Carmine Inteso, who is running as part of an Independent ticket.
For all the attention Toms River politics has received only about 4200 people voted in Tuesday’s primary.
The Toms River East Softball team can complete a dream season with two more wins. The Raiders of Coach Debbie Schwartz have reached the State Group 4 Championship game after beating Rancocas Valley Tuesday and they won’t have to travel far when they play Clifton Saturday. The game will be played at Toms River North, as the Toms River Schools once again host NJSIAA Baseball and Softball Championship games. The 31-1 Raiders meet St. John Vianney this afternoon in the Shore Conference Tournament Finals at Wall High School.
The Southern Regional Boys Volleyball team puts its perfect 40-0 record on the line tonight when the Rams battle East Brunswick in the finals of the NJSIAA South Sectional Tournament. Southern has handed the Bears their only two losses of the season and these teams seem to be the best two in the state. Coach Eric Maxwell has helped build Southern into a powerhouse and they are the first school in New Jersey to win 40 matches in a season.
Point Pleasant Borough High School held its 27th Annual Senior Awards program last night and I presented a $1000 check to Christopher Matter as the winner of this year’s scholarship from the WOBM/Gateway Toyota Student of the Week program. Chris will pursue at Doctorate of Pharmacy at Rutgers University and I’m sure the $1000 will come in handy. More than $180,000 in scholarships were handed out to the soon to be graduates.
As expected the turnout for yesterday’s Primary Election was light with just over 7% of Ocean County’s more than 346,000 registered voters heading to the polls. There were only a few contested races, including a bitter Republican Primary in Toms River that garnered a lot of media attention but not a lot of voter interest. Mayoral candidate Greg McGuckin, the current Council President and his running mates endorsed by the Regular Republican Organization, turned back the challenge of Robert Silva and his group. That sets up an intriguing race in November to succeed Paul Brush as Mayor of Ocean County’s largest municipality. McGuckin not only has to battle Democrat Richard Strada but take on current GOP councilman Carmine Inteso, who is running as part of an Independent ticket.
For all the attention Toms River politics has received only about 4200 people voted in Tuesday’s primary.
The Toms River East Softball team can complete a dream season with two more wins. The Raiders of Coach Debbie Schwartz have reached the State Group 4 Championship game after beating Rancocas Valley Tuesday and they won’t have to travel far when they play Clifton Saturday. The game will be played at Toms River North, as the Toms River Schools once again host NJSIAA Baseball and Softball Championship games. The 31-1 Raiders meet St. John Vianney this afternoon in the Shore Conference Tournament Finals at Wall High School.
The Southern Regional Boys Volleyball team puts its perfect 40-0 record on the line tonight when the Rams battle East Brunswick in the finals of the NJSIAA South Sectional Tournament. Southern has handed the Bears their only two losses of the season and these teams seem to be the best two in the state. Coach Eric Maxwell has helped build Southern into a powerhouse and they are the first school in New Jersey to win 40 matches in a season.
Point Pleasant Borough High School held its 27th Annual Senior Awards program last night and I presented a $1000 check to Christopher Matter as the winner of this year’s scholarship from the WOBM/Gateway Toyota Student of the Week program. Chris will pursue at Doctorate of Pharmacy at Rutgers University and I’m sure the $1000 will come in handy. More than $180,000 in scholarships were handed out to the soon to be graduates.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Sportsmanship Awards Breakfast
The Ocean County Directors of Athletics held their 15th Annual Sportsmanship Awards Breakfast Sunday at the Quality Inn of Toms River, an event that saw 32 student-athletes saluted for the quality of their character every bit as much as their ability to perform on the field. As I have every year but one, I had the distinct pleasure of serving as Master of Ceremonies for the breakfast, which brought together 30 soon-to-be graduated seniors as well as a pair of juniors from Barnegat High School.
The honored athletes were selected by their schools and all 32 were on hand Sunday with their families and in some cases high school coaches. Sponsored in part by the Pine Belt Auto Group, the recipients posses the qualities of sportsmanship and fair play that make them ambassadors for their sport and school. Among those saluted was Lakewood’s Shavon Greaves, who had quite a weekend at the NJSIAA Group 3 Track championships. The senior sprinter won the 100, 200 and 400 and set a total of three records in the process. However like the others honored she is a shining example of what a student-athlete is all about. Shavon is ranked in the top 10% of her class, a member of the National Honor Society, a lieutenant in the Junior ROTC and captain of the track team. Headed to Penn State on a full scholarship, she hopes to become a physical therapist. Greaves said to her sportsmanship is “always doing the right thing, even when the chance to do the wrong thing is always open and staring you dead in the face.”
Will Sunderman of Pinelands Regional is the President of the County AD’s group and helped present awards to Nancy Sweeney of Lakewood and Jim Christiano of Toms River South as the Ocean County Athletic Directors of the Year. Both longtime educations are retiring after each served their districts for more than 30 years.
Four of this years honorees were randomly selected to receive $500 scholarships courtesy of the Athletic Directors group and they were Stephanie Kissam of Brick Township High School, Kelsey Bongiovanni of Manchester, James D’Aloia of Lakewood and John Gray of Southern Regional.
The Sportsmanship Awards program is one I enthusiastically support and I hope continues for many years.
The honored athletes were selected by their schools and all 32 were on hand Sunday with their families and in some cases high school coaches. Sponsored in part by the Pine Belt Auto Group, the recipients posses the qualities of sportsmanship and fair play that make them ambassadors for their sport and school. Among those saluted was Lakewood’s Shavon Greaves, who had quite a weekend at the NJSIAA Group 3 Track championships. The senior sprinter won the 100, 200 and 400 and set a total of three records in the process. However like the others honored she is a shining example of what a student-athlete is all about. Shavon is ranked in the top 10% of her class, a member of the National Honor Society, a lieutenant in the Junior ROTC and captain of the track team. Headed to Penn State on a full scholarship, she hopes to become a physical therapist. Greaves said to her sportsmanship is “always doing the right thing, even when the chance to do the wrong thing is always open and staring you dead in the face.”
Will Sunderman of Pinelands Regional is the President of the County AD’s group and helped present awards to Nancy Sweeney of Lakewood and Jim Christiano of Toms River South as the Ocean County Athletic Directors of the Year. Both longtime educations are retiring after each served their districts for more than 30 years.
Four of this years honorees were randomly selected to receive $500 scholarships courtesy of the Athletic Directors group and they were Stephanie Kissam of Brick Township High School, Kelsey Bongiovanni of Manchester, James D’Aloia of Lakewood and John Gray of Southern Regional.
The Sportsmanship Awards program is one I enthusiastically support and I hope continues for many years.
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