Pennsylvania

American Legion Baseball

The West Lawn Owls will host the eight team state tournament which begins July 26th.  West Lawn will also host the final three rounds of the Berks County Playoffs.  The team has released its full schedule, which includes 21 games in the newly reformatted Berks County League.  The full schedule, as well as other information about the Owls can be found at the link below.

West Lawn Owls

In a continuing effort to serve our loyal fanbase as best as we possibly can, we've added yet another new social networking feature to the site.  As you've seen on the sidebar located on the right side of the page, we have our 'palegionball' Twitter feed streaming live.  Now, it's your turn to post information directly to our site!

Underneath the existing Twitter feed you'll now see one labeled 'PA ALB Fan News'.  Any PA ALB fan with access to a cell phone or computer can now post their scores and other news directly to the site simply by utilizing the hashtag #palegionball.  All you'll need is a Twitter account, which is easy and free to set up here https://twitter.com.  Once you get your account set up, or if you already have one, you can link your cell phone to your account through the user settings tab on their site.

Here's an example of the proper formatting for you to post a tweet to our site:  'Looking forward to the 2011 PA State Tournament in West Lawn! #palegionball'.  Please note you must include the pound sign '#' in front of palegionball in order for it to work.  It's that simple!  

Let us know if you have any questions on how you can sign up or post on the site.  Thanks!

We've added new pages under the 'articles' heading for the exclusive interviews we conducted with Boyertown coach Rick Moatz and Nor-Gwyn coach Kevin Manero.  If you haven't gotten a chance yet, please give them a read!

Region 6 will see a major overhaul in the alignment of its leagues this summer.  While the Beaver County and Fayette County leagues will remain the same as last year, the teams of the Allegheny Southern, Mon-Yough, Ohio River, and Allegheny River leagues will take part in league realignment.

The four leagues will condense into three, hereby known as the Allegheny East, South, and West.  The anticipated make-up of these leagues is as follows:

Allegheny West

CIT

Carrick

Char Valley

Houston

Keystone Oaks

Moon

Mt. Washington

Quaker Valley

Sto-Rox

West Allegheny

Allegheny East

Monroeville

Ninth Ward

Pine Richland

Plum

Riverview

Shaler

Springdale

Swissvale

West Deer

Allegheny South

Baldwin

Bethel Park

Elizabeth Forward

Lincoln Place

Mt. Lebanon

Peters Twp

Pleasant Hills

South Park

Upper St. Clair

West Mifflin

The Schuylkill-Berks League will kick off its second year on Memorial Day Weekend with sixteen teams, including a joint Oley - Topton venture.  The league's schedule is linked below.

Schuylkill-Berks League Schedule

As you probably have noticed, we have begun posting schedules from around the state.  We have more schedules already that will be posted soon.  If you have a schedule or other team information that isn't currently on the site, please pass it along to [email protected] and we'll post it.  Thanks!

The Northampton County League, in the state's Region 2, has released its league schedule for the upcoming season.  The link to the league's website is below.

Northampton County League

The 2011 PA Eastern Regional Tournaments will be held July 23rd to 27th in the following towns: Boyertown, Spring City, Wayne (at Radnor High School),  and Scranton.

The Western Regional will be held in Homer City over the same date span.

The 2011 PA Jr. Legion State Tournament will be held in Homer City between July 30th and August 3rd.  

Stay tuned for more information on the state's junior legion programs and postseason tournaments!

Hanover, of PA's Region 4 and York County League, has announced their league schedule at the following link.

Hanover's Schedule

Roslyn, of the Lower Montco League in Region 3, has posted their league schedule on their site.  The link is below.

Roslyn's Schedule

Also out of PA's Region 5, the Wyoming Valley League schedule is posted at the link below.

Wyoming Valley League

The beginning of the District 11 season schedule has been posted online.  Find it at the link below.

District 11 League

The Mid-Atlantic National Regional will again return to Boyertown's Bear Stadium this August.  The host Bears will be joined by seven other teams in the reconfigured regional, including two other Pennsylvania teams.  Boyertown's schedule has been posted on the WZAR News website.  The link to the full schedule is below.

Boyertown Bears Schedule

The Lehigh Valley Legion League in Region 2 has announced its schedule for the upcoming season.  The ten team league gets 2011 underway during Memorial Day Weekend.  Find the complete schedule on the league's official site at the link below.

Lehigh Valley League Schedule

The Chester County League will begin its league season on May 31st.  Click below to find out more information about the league and to see the full schedule for the summer.

Chester County League

This is part two of our exclusive interview with Boyertown manager Rick Moatz.

PA ALB

In years past, Boyertown has hosted teams from all over the eastern United States.  How does your team approach scheduling your non-league schedule, and do you generally have an overwhelming response to play games at Bear Stadium? 

Coach Moatz

We usually have a pretty good number of requests from teams who are either travelling and playing in the Mid-Atlantic region or teams who come and play year in and year out.  Because of our PA post-season tournament schedule and short league season it's almost impossible for us to travel and play away from home anymore.  It's good to have a facility as nice as ours and have goodt eams from out of state wanting to play here.

PA ALB

Has your strategy as a coach changed over the years?  Years ago teams seemed to be in disbelief that your clean-up hitter was willing and able to sacrifice runners over for the good of the team.  Now, it seems like many teams in Boyertown’s area have taken to this small ball approach.  Have you personally noticed a transition of this kind at all? 

Coach Moatz

My philosophies of coaching baseball have not changed very much over the years but the strategies I use year to year and with each team are probably not always the same.  I believe you have to have a base plan that everyone is keyed into.  Most times the players are already thinking what they are going to be doing when they come upon a situation in a game because it is the basis of what we are trying to do.   However, there is always the coaches discretion to alter that thinking.  When we do that we have usually worked on it and practiced with it for a particular situation or time of the game.  Many teams have tried to copy or emulate our play.  Many have used some concepts and adapted others.  Look at the college game today. Every team employs some type of small ball play even at the Division 1 level. So you ask about the four hitter bunting someone over to put them in scoring position?  Will your four hitter be a four hitter at the collegiate level or will he be 7, 8, or 9?   We teach the game and we teach our kids to put pressure on the other team.  As I watch the MLB playoffs it seems pressure even affects those guys. 

PA ALB

One question inevitably comes up when discussing Boyertown baseball and we’d like to get your take on it.  Over the years, Boyertown’s high school varsity team has enjoyed a good amount of success, but that success has hailed in comparison to that of the legion team.  Why do you think that is?  Is it simply the format of the game in which a few aces can win you a ton of high school games, while an entire pitching staff is needed for a legion title run? 

Coach Moatz

I do agree that the High School game is set up to be dominated by a team with one or two good pitchers.  It is also a 7 inning game rather than a 9 inning game which also plays into the one or two pitcher staff. Our legion team also has players from the college ranks and players that are in our school district but play elsewhere that are able to play.  Our High School program has given us a great amout of support and collaboration. They have been very successful with the players they have and we then get to add additional eligible players to enhance that roster.  Our staffs have some of the same people and work with the same philosophies.  So our kids are hearing and practicing the same way thoughout the season.  The success of either program is inherent upon the other.

PA ALB

The mindset surrounding the game as a whole has certainly changed in recent years.  As Coach Manero alluded to in his ‘Pay to Play’ article, many parents feel obligated to sign their sons up for AAU ball in hopes of getting them discovered by scouts and college coaches.  Do you think this trend is hurting legion baseball?  And as a coach that has seen many fine players move on to college ball after high school, do you think your players are at a disadvantage for getting noticed without attending showcases and the like?  

Coach Manero

I have read Coach Manero's article and feel it is right on target.  It's unfortunate that some players feel this need to be seen or they aren't going to be able to play in college.  If you're a Division 1  player they will find you!  If you're not, you need to find all the ways possible to contact and search for a Division II or III program that you're comfortable with.  We have graduated 69% of our players onto playing at the collegiate level in the past 12 years. Showcases are only one way of gettting your name and player ID out there. There are other ways that may be through a college assistance business or by developing a plan with your coaches and guidance counselors.  Most Division II or III college coaches won't come seeking you out.  You have to take the reigns and look for what you want.

PA ALB

Have any great stories to tell from your time as a manager and legion coach?  Any substance to the rumors you’re on the short list to replace Charlie Manuel when he retires? 

Coach Moatz

MOST of the stories I remembered shouldn't be told for one reason or another.  But I remember the 2007 World Series game in Bartlesville, OK when we were rain delayed for several hours.  As we started the game at 10:58pm we were not really on top of our game and went down to Eden Prairie, MN  by 7 or 8 runs in the third.  Our pitcher didn't have it and we reluctantly threw a rookie into the fire by the name of Aaron Wilkins who shutdown the Minnesotans and we made a dramatic come from behind victory in extra innings to win our second game of the series.  We pulled an all-nighter in the hospitality room!  I'm sure I'm on a lot of lists, but to replace Charlie wouldn't be one of them!

We hope you've enjoyed reading the interview and want to thank Coach Moatz again for taking the time to do this!

We're proud to present another exclusive interview to our loyal readers.  Coach Rick Moatz, manager of the Boyertown Bears, has been gracious enough to lend some of his time and insight about the game and his team.  Boyertown has amassed the most state championships in PA history, including winning four in a row between 2006 and 2009.  They will host the 2011 Mid-Atlantic National Regional Tournament this summer.

As always, please leave a comment or send us an email with any comments or questions you might have.  Thanks!

PA ALB

What was your take on the split of the Berks County League last year?  What affect did the departure of those teams have on your league, and regional play as a whole? 

Coach Moatz

The teams that left did so because they thought it was the best thing for their programs.  I'm not happy they left but I would do anything I felt was in the best interest of my program as well.  Our league became extremely competitive game in and game out.  The playoffs were a free-for-all. 

PA ALB

Much debate has taken place about the benefits of 9 inning play versus 7 inning play.  Berks County has reformatted league play this year, as each team will play every other in one full length game and a 7 inning double header.  What caused this change and how will it affect your team’s preparation for the postseason, if at all?

Coach Moatz

The format of the doubleheaders has nothing to do with a desire to go to 7 innings.  It has everything to do with being able to play more league games making it more relevant and giving the kids an opportunity to play more games.  It was the only way we could schedule more league games into the short season.  Our team will continue to play and schedule 9 inning non-league games because of the effect it has during the post-season.

PA ALB

Boyertown captured the state title four straight times from 2006 to 2009 and five of the last seven years.  As the winningest program in the history of the state, what makes the Bears a state title competitor year in and year out regardless of player turnover?

Coach Moatz

We concentrate on building knowledgeable, competitive players with a focus on continually improving our pitching staffs.  We build young pitchers and get them plenty of experience through the number of games we play and the opportunities they get in big post-season competition.  We stress execution through everything we do.

PA ALB

Do you have any advice for a program that aspires to be like Boyertown’s in the future?  How much of the effort to succeed takes place on the field, and how much takes place in the community?

Coach Moatz

I believe to have a truly successful program you need to develop an organization and run it like any other business.  You absolutely need assistance from volunteers and you need support from the community.  You also need to be engaged with your feeder systems. Our team has had a lot of support and help from the Boyertown Midget Baseball League, the Junior Legion teams and the High School teams.  My coaching staff and I spend a lot of hours and time working with the team and on team planning.  That's what a coaching staff needs to concentrate on.  The volunteers and members of your organization need to take care of all the other stuff or a coach won't last very long being a one man show. 

PA ALB

What kind of effect on your program and team does playing and practicing in Bear Stadium have?  Does hosting a postseason tournament with automatic berths change your preseason and season preparations?

Coach Moatz

Bear Stadium is a tremendous amateur facility and I thank my lucky stars that I have the opportuniy to coach there.  However, to be perfectly honest, it sometimes does not work in our favor.  It's like practicing on turf and then going to play on dirt.  You become a bit spoiled.  We take oppotunities at times to use other fields for some extra ground balls and practice on our JV field at times to prepare when going to tournaments at other places.   When we host a tournament, the approach taken in some of our play-off rounds or regionals does come into play.  It's not that we aren't playing to win, it's how or who we are playing with to win.  Example: if we're hosting the states we don't want to jeopardize our top pitchers with working on short rest just to win that tournament when we know were playing the following week.  You have to pick your goals to focus on.

We hope you've enjoyed reading part one, part two will be posted sometime soon!

The Shillington Red Sox of the Berks County League in Region 2 have announced their schedule for the upcoming season.  Of particular note is the format change we'll be seeing in the Berks County League this year.  Seven inning doubleheaders will be utilized in addition to a third full length game against each opponent in the now eight team league.

Shillington's 2011 Schedule

Region 2's Bux-Mont League has their entire schedule available for viewing at the following link.  Make sure you get out and support some of the teams this season!

Bux-Mont 2011 League Schedule

The Philadelphia County League, which competes as part of Region 3, has released its schedule for the upcoming season.  The nine team league, led by defending champion Ivy Ridge, begins its season on May 31.  Click below for the full schedule and more information about the league.

Philadelphia County League