Monmouth County all-stars rally to beat Ocean County

BY GEORGE ALBANO
Staff Writer

BY GEORGE ALBANO
Staff Writer

All-star games have a way of bringing out the best in some players. This season’s annual affair between the Monmouth County American Legion and their counterparts from Ocean County was no exception.

The fifth annual all-star game under the lights at Toms River East High School on Aug. 7 certainly brought out the best in Phil Cahill, who collected three hits and drove in three runs to lead Monmouth County to an exciting 6-4 come-from-behind win over the Ocean County all-stars. What’s more, Cahill, a standout catcher who also led the Bayshore Colts to the Monmouth County American Legion championship this season, was named the overall all-star game MVP.

Cahill wasn’t alone, however. He got some help from players such as Middletown South’s Bobby Picardo, who scored three runs, helped ignite three of Monmouth County’s four rallies, and earned team MVP honors.

In addition to the overall game MVP, officials named an MVP from each team. Ricky Maldonado of Lakewood was the Ocean County MVP, while Picardo was the Monmouth pick.

"He was a real spark plug," Ed Young, one of the coaches for Monmouth County, said of Picardo. "He got on base for us, stole some bases, and scored some big runs.

"And Phil Cahil was just dynamite," Young added. "He got some very timely hits which led to runs. He’s such a great hitter."

The all-star game was quite a thrill, not only for the players but for coaches, too. Young, who coaches the Red Bank Pirates, wasn’t even expecting to be on the all-star coaching staff, but when Chuck Senna of the Howell Rebels had to bow out with a bad back, Young agreed to fill in as an assistant.

"This is the first time I’ve been involved, and it was great," Young said. "It was a great win."

"It was a great game," agreed Tom Garretson, the Monmouth County American Legion chairman who oversees the 18-team league. "There was some real good baseball from Monmouth County as well as from Ocean County."

In fact, Ocean County had won three of the previous four all-star games, including the last two. With Saturday’s win, Monmouth County, which also won in 2001, now trails 3-2 in the series.

"It was real nice to win this year," said Frank Gualtieri of Freehold Township, one of the co-head coaches along with Bayshore’s Marty Kenney. "I got the kids together before the game and said ‘Listen, guys, we’ve lost this game the last two years and it’s time we show up.’

"I told them to just go out and do their best, but I also told them we have enough talent in this dugout to win. I said I came here to win and I hope each and every one of them did, too."

Gualtieri’s little pep talk must’ve helped. Monmouth County got on the board in the top of the first when Tom Porricelli, one of Gualtieri’s players with the Freehold Township Legion team, doubled and scored on Cahill’s RBI double.

But Ocean County came back with three runs in the last of the second to take a 3-1 lead. In the top of the third, however, Picardo struck out, but alertly raced to first on a dropped third strike. And when the throw went over the first baseman’s head, he went to second. The next batter struck out, but the ball again got by the catcher as Picardo moved to third.

Cahill then grounded out to second, driving home Picardo to cut the lead to 3-2.

The same combination produced the tying run in the fifth as Picardo walked and eventually scored on an RBI single by Cahill to make it 3-3.

Ocean County regained the lead with a run in the last of the sixth, but in the top of the seventh Picardo walked, Porricelli doubled, and Cahill singled both runners home to give Monmouth a 5-4 lead.

The locals added an insurance run in the eighth when Kevin Ruffler of St. John Vianney reached on an infield error, Picardo singled, and Chris Hecht of Marlboro delivered an RBI single to make it 6-4 and close out the scoring.

"A lot of these kids had been off for a week, a week and a half since the end of the Legion season," Gualtieri pointed out. "That might have been why we got off to a slow start. But they bounced back a couple of times and the game went our way."

"It was a great win," Young added. "Especially because Ocean County had won the last couple of games."

So what was so different this year?

"I think it was pitching," Young said. "In all-star games you have very good pitching on both teams. The game went back and forth, but in the end the pitching seemed to be the difference. We had five pitchers and all of them contributed to the win.

"We got some timely hitting, too, so it was an overall team effort. But good pitching was the difference."

That included Young’s own son, Corey Young, who hurled two innings and struck out five batters.

Then there was Keith Cantwell, who came on in the bottom of the ninth to protect Monmouth’s two-run lead.

"All the speed guns came out then," Garretson laughed. "We had college coaches there from Seton Hall, Montclair State, Rutgers, St. John’s, and they all stayed to the end to see this kid pitch."

Cantwell made them glad they did, too, as he struck out the side to end the game.

"The overall experience was great," Gualtieri said. "We got everybody in the game, which is always a big concern. All 18 teams in our league had one representative, and you want to get everybody in."

"And they all pulled together nicely," Young added.

Winning on the road was no easy task, either.

"This was the first time Ocean County hosted the game, and they did a great job," Garretson said. "The field was in excellent condition, the concession stand was well run, and the opening ceremonies were beautiful. Everything was top shelf. My hat goes off to them.

"We even had four umpires. We wanted to make it special," Garretson added.

"We had a nice size crowd, too. I would say roughly 750, and a lot of college coaches. We did a college showcase prior to the game, which Chuck Schnabel, a scout with the Phillies, ran."

Players from both teams went through infield and outfield drills as well as sprints under the watchful eye of the college coaches.

"It was just a great day and a great event," Garretson concluded.