Sports Snippets: July 12, 2023

Carl Erskine Named Buck O’Neil Award Winner

COOPERSTOWN—The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Board of Directors announced that Carl Erskine will receive the 2023 John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors an individual for extraordinary sustained efforts to enhance baseball’s positive impact on society. Erskine, 96, will be presented with the award on Saturday, July 22 as part of Hall of Fame Weekend. He is the sixth winner of the award, which was established after O’Neil’s death in 2006 to recognize individuals whose efforts broadened the game’s appeal and whose character, integrity, and dignity is comparable to the late O’Neil. David Montgomery (2020), Rachel Robinson (2017), Joe Garagiola (2014), Roland Hemond (2011) and O’Neil himself (2008) are the previous winners.

Erskine, an Indiana native, racked up a 122-78 record with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers between 1948 and 1959. He threw 14 career shutouts and two no-hitters, and appeared in 11 games in five World Series. However, it was as a Special Olympics volunteer and an activist for disabled athletes that Erskine achieved his most meaningful success.

“The National Baseball Hall of Fame is honored to present Carl Erskine with the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “For millions of fans, he was a Brooklyn Dodgers hero. But for his family and thousands of Special Olympians, Carl Erskine was someone who always believed everything was possible. His legacy is one of deep compassion, and encouragement of the human spirit.”

“I’m a little overwhelmed and this is very special to me,” Erskine said. “What an honor this is and it is really unexpected. At this point in my life, this is as big a boost as you can possibly give me.”

With more than four decades as a volunteer, he was awarded Special Olympics’ highest honor, the Spirit of the Special Olympics. Erskine was also a charter member of both the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Baseball Assistance Team. In 2010, Erskine received the State of Indiana’s highest honor, the Sachem Award, in recognition of his lifetime of excellence and moral virtue.

Lull Scholarships Honor Local Students

OTSEGO COUNTY—Sidney sports reporter Nate Lull awarded scholarships to eight Southern Tier high-school athletes during the week of June 19. Among the recipients were three Otsego County students. Kyle Ough of Edmeston, one of the top two welders in the ONC BOCES program, received a scholarship to support his education at Hobart Institute of Welding in Ohio. Makenna Ventuleth, the Worcester Central School valedictorian, will attend Hartwick College in the fall. Lincoln Waffle of Morris, who will also attend Hartwick College, received one of the $4,000.00 awards.

Schenevus Blanks Unadilla Valley in PONY League

SCHENEVUS—The Schenevus team of the Otsenango PONY baseball league rolled over Unadilla Valley 16-0 with a one-hit shutout from Brayden Poliseno on Thursday, June 29. Poliseno struck out 16 batters and scored three runs. Austin Tilley hit a triple and a double, and drove in three runs. Other PONY League games on Thursday included a 12-1 Edmeston victory over Worcester, a 4-3 defeat of Cooperstown by Richfield Springs, Oneonta’s 8-3 win against Sidney and a 12-2 game in which Unatego beat Delhi.

Seamon, Crippen Named to All-State Teams

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Central School softball won their third sectional title and earned two players honors as statewide all-stars. Pitching star Dani Seamon was named second-team all-state. Katie Crippen, a catcher who has started for the Hawkeyes since seventh grade, was named to the third team. She set program records for RBI in a season (43), doubles in a season (17) and hits in a season (48) this year. Seamon was named Center State Conference Division II Player of the Year, and set five school records: career stolen bases (64), season stolen bases (28), career doubles (21), career triples (13) and career batting average (.468). The Hawkeyes finished the season 17-3 and 9-1 in their division.

Outlwas Defeat Albany Dutchmen in Close Contest

ONEONTA—The Oneonta Outlaws eked out a 2-1 victory over the Albany Dutchmen in a home contest on Tuesday, July 4. First baseman Ethan Duda scored the tying run on a passed ball in the bottom of the fourth inning. Shortstop Ryan Leary advanced to third on a pair of errors in the bottom of the eighth inning. DH Anthony Barone drove Leary home with a single and closer Ryan Packard held the Dutchmen hitless in the top of the ninth. Starting pitcher Kyle Mahady struck out eight batters in five and two-thirds innings.

Outlaws Split Home Doubleheader

ONEONTA—The Oneonta Outlaws split a doubleheader against the Glens Falls Dragons at Damaschke Field on Saturday, July 8. Oneonta dropped the first game 8-4 after the Dragons ran away with four runs in the sixth inning. Connor Roche led the Outlaws offensively, going three-for-four with a double and scoring two runs. Jack Hopko, Logan Waldschmidt and Brody Raleigh each hit a double. Relief pitcher Christopher Ubner, of Fly Creek, took the loss after giving up four runs in four innings. Oneonta rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to eke out a 4-3 victory in the low-scoring second game. Hopko hit a double and scored a run. Christopher Baillargeon and Felix Larose each stole a base. Martin Thorsland, of the Town of Maryland, earned the win. He struck out three in four innings and held the Dragons scoreless. Oneonta moved to 11-16 for the season.

Retrievers Shut Out Hillcrest

HILLCREST—The Otego Retrievers defeated Hillcrest in a 5-0 road game on Friday, July 7. Xander Johnson pitched the complete game, striking out 14 in seven innings and allowing only four hits and one walk. He also scored a run and hit a sacrifice fly. Braeden Johnson went two-for-four, batting in two runs. Gavin Nordberg hit a double.