JULY 31, 2004
Baseball returns to G.F., just in time
By MICHAEL LEWIS - COMMENTARY

NATHAN PALLACE - THE POST-STAR The Glens Falls Golden Eagles had a lot to celebrate during their inaugural season in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.

In May, we would have been happy with anything.

Just the mere fact that baseball was returning to Glens Falls after a 20-year (OK, one year) absence was reason enough to celebrate.

So if the quality wasn't that great, or if the field wasn't in terrific condition, hey, at least it's baseball.

But the two months of diamond action the Glens Falls Golden Eagles and Saratoga Phillies have just completed went way beyond expectations.

Not just my expectations, but the dozens of fans I spoke with in June and July, fans who missed the greatest game ever invented and were happy to see it back.

The most common refrain was "Man, these guys are really good." Quality baseball is appreciated by all fans, and even if there was no real attachment to these players who were here for just two months, there was still a small feeling of rooting for "our guys."

In Glens Falls, the Golden Eagles were a tremendous success on the field. They were led by a grizzled old manager who had a little spunk in his step this summer.

A local Hudson Falls hero who thought his career might be over two years ago, but who was revitalized by coming home.

John Mayotte may or may not be back next year; he said after Thursday's season-ending loss that he'll "talk to my wife and think about if we want to do this again.

"But no matter what," Mayotte added, "this has been an incredible experience."

Mayotte's product on the field was terrific. Glens Falls was in first place in its division for the entire season, and had no shortage of great players to watch.

Perhaps the most electrifying was center fielder Terry Blunt.

If water covers two-thirds of the earth, then Blunt covers the rest. He ran down ball after ball in the East Field grass, and won at least a half-dozen games by starting or finishing rallies.

Besides Blunt, there were great moments from first baseman Chris Carlson, who got hot the last two weeks of the season and wishes there were at least a few more weeks to play.

On the mound Glens Falls was dominant, led by Brett Zamzow and Jeremy Hall. Go figure that the two aces would be the ones who came up short in the playoffs. That's the beauty of baseball.

The Golden Eagles' presence didn't just enrich the community; it led to the revitalization of East Field. Until recently a shoddy excuse for even a high school field, the improvements made for baseball's return made the old ballpark sparkle.

New York Collegiate Baseball League commissioner David Chamberlain called East Field "the best diamond in the league."

For the Phillies, the season didn't go quite as well.

Saratoga coach Matt Mueller recruited players from big-time college programs, which is great, except that several of those teams were still playing when the NYCBL season started. Saratoga got off to a poor start thanks to being short some players, but rallied toward the end of the season and nearly made the playoffs.

Local kids like Casper Wells and Leo Corvino gave fans a rooting interest, and Phillies co-owners Dan Scaring and Keith Rogers should be commended for making admission at East Side Rec free.

A natural question after the success of the Golden Eagles will be if this city can attract a minor league team again.

It certainly is unlikely, since there doesn't seem to be a clamor for one.

But today there's no reason to be cynical. The Golden Eagles and Phillies did what they promised, bringing high-quality baseball to our area this summer.

Bats cracked, mitts thumped, and fans cheered.

Delicious sounds to welcome baseball back.