Postgame Journal: Oldtime Baseball Game successful again

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Thursday, August 26, 2010) – The 17th annual Oldtime Baseball Game was a rousing success again as hundreds of fans packed St. Peter’s Field in Cambridge for a glimpse of local college players wearing old-fashioned woolen uniforms.

It was a great night for baseball dedicated to a worthy cause, the Marley Jaye Cherella Memorial Fund for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Proceeds from the game will be used to support the research of Dr. Hannah Kinney at Boston Children’s Hospital, while another part of the donation will go to the C2 Mission, which benefits children and families affected by cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis.

 

Fans were also treated to a pre-game ceremony celebrating the life of former Red Sox minor league pitcher Greg Montalbano, who played at Northeastern and played in the Oldtime Baseball Game in 1997 and 1998. Montalbano, a Westborough native who was named Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2001, died of cancer last summer at the age of 31.

 

The first Greg Montalbano Award was also presented prior to Thursday night’s game. The award will be given to a former player in the Oldtime Baseball Game who best exemplifies Montalbano’s spirit, competitiveness and good nature.

 

It was only fitting that one his Huskies teammates and fellow Game participants was chosen for the first award in his honor. Todd Korchin was presented with the first-ever Greg Montalbano Award by Game committee member and Northeastern alum Ben Weiss. A Stoughton native, Korchin, played with Montalbano at Northeastern for three spring seasons and played in the Oldtime Baseball Game from 1997-2001, earning MVP honors in 2000. Korchin honored his late friend by wearing the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals uniform that Montalbano wore in the 1998 game.

 

Former Major League third baseman Mike Pagliarulo and Red Sox pitcher Bill Monbouquette were guest managers for the contest, while former Oldtime Game skippers, Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky and former Cubs shortstop Lennie Merullo, a Boston native, were on hand.

 

“Framingham Lou” Merloni had two hits, including an RBI single in the fourth inning to lead the home team, sponsored by Bejoian Family Trust, to a 9-2 win over the away team, sponsored by Abbott Financial.

 

James Greeley (Mass. College of Liberal Arts) started for the home team, pitching three shutout innings and hitting a two-run single in the first inning. He became the first player in The Game’s history to win the MVP award twice as he won the award in 2006 while playing at Newton North.

 

There were two home runs hit in the game, one by each team. In the seventh inning, catcher Ben Lima (Quinsigamond C.C.) hit a two-run home run to center field as the final scoring for the home squad. Pitcher Alex Torres (Suffolk) led off the ninth inning with a solo home run to right-center field for the second away team run.

 

A little taste of the old days was on display in Cambridge and a great time was had by all. Don’t forget to mark the date on your calendars for 2011!

Oldtime Baseball Game set for tonight

Players will be wearing old-time uniforms that were donated by Rick Stoddard of Methuen's Injured Workers Pharmacy.

Tonight we will head down to Cambridge for 17th Annual Injured Workers Pharmacy Oldtime Baseball Game at St. Peter’s Field. The event is spearheaded by Boston Herald writer Steve Buckley. The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but poor weather delayed the event.

This year’s game is being played as a fundraiser for the The Marley Jaye Cherella Memorial Fund, which is dedicated to supporting research into Sudden Infant Death Syndrome being done at Boston Children’s Hospital. Marley Jaye Cherella was just five months old when she died of SIDS in 2008. The goal of the Marley Jaye Cherella Fund is to one day eliminate the tragedy of SIDS and guarantee that every baby has a chance to survive and thrive.

A pregame ceremony will be held in memory of the late Greg Montalbano, a former Red Sox minor-league pitcher who was only 31 when he died of cancer last summer. A native of Westborough and later a standout at Northeastern University, Montalbano was a participant in the Oldtime Baseball Game in 1997 and ’98. The first Greg Montalbano Alumni Award will be presented to a former participant in the Oldtime Baseball Game who best exemplifies Greg’s spirit, competiveness and good nature.

Lou Merloni, Bill Monbouquette and Mike Pagliarulo, who played a combined 31 seasons in the major leagues, will participate in the event this year. Merloni, a native of Framingham who will be playing in his third Oldtime Baseball Game, enjoyed his best season in 2000, hitting .320 in 128 at-bats. He was also Boston’s starting shortstop in Game 3 of the 1999 Division Series, going 2-for-3 and driving in a run. Monbouquette and Pagliarulo, who have been named managers of this year’s game, are natives of Medford. Monbouquette won 114 games during his 11 seasons in the majors, including a 20-10 record for the Red Sox in 1963. He also threw a no-hitter in 1962. Pagliarulo played most of his 11-year career with the New York Yankees, hitting 32 home runs in 1987, but he was a key member of the Minnesota Twins’ World Series championship team in 1991.

Most of the players are local collegians, while a few Boston sports media members will be playing to support the cause. All of the players will be wearing old-time uniforms that were donated by Rick Stoddard of Methuen’s Injured Workers Pharmacy.

Admission to the Oldtime Baseball Game at St. Peter’s Field is free. St. Peter’s Field is located on Sherman Street in North Cambridge, not far from the Fresh Pond Traffic Circle. Fans are asked to bring a beach blanket or chair and camp out along the foul lines. We hope to see you there for what will be a great night for a great cause!