January
2, 2001 (518)
357-4250 (H)
(518)
283-1838 (W)
TWILIGHT
LEAGUE TO HONOR 2001 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES; SPECIAL GUEST MAYOR JERRY
JENNINGS TO ALSO PRESENT LEAGUE’S
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Saturday,
January 6, 2001 at Shaker Ridge Country Club
ALBANY, NY – This weekend, the Albany Twilight
League will honor its 2001 Hall of Fame Inductees and President’s Award
recipient, Bob Bellizzi of The College of Saint Rose, at its annual awards
banquet. Special guest, Mayor Jerry Jennings will present Bellizzi, a long time
friend, the award at the banquet, which will be held at Shaker Ridge Country
Club on Saturday, January 6th at 6:30 pm. The event will also honor
the league’s All-Star team, Most Valuable Player, Most Valuable Pitcher, Rookie
of the Year, League Champion (All-Stars Academy) and New York State Champion
(Albany Senators).
This year’s Hall of Famers, selected by a
committee of league officers, coaches and former players, are outfielder George
Perry, first baseman Frank Potochney, infielder Pierce Mahar, and
infielder/catcher Curt Coons.
Perry, who played from 1955-59, was part of three
Twilight League Championships with Roxy’s Cleaners. He was also the league’s
Rookie of the Year in 1955 and won the batting title in 1956 with a .471
average.
Potochney, who played in the league from 1980-95,
was an intrical part of seven Twilight League titles; four with Sons of Italy,
three with Apex Printing. In 1989, he played for an Apex team that won the
Upper New York State Championship as well as the North Atlantic Regional
Championship and went on to the Stan Musial World Series. Potochney won the
batting title in 1982 with a .443 average.
He accumulated 863 at bats, 282 hits, 193 runs, 222 RBI’s, 36 home runs
and held a .327 career average.
Coons, who played from 1985-94, was teammates with
Potochney on the 1989 World Series team. He was named North Atlantic Regional
MVP that year and played in two Twilight League Championships with Anaconda Sports.
Coons was also a five-time All-Star and compiled 502 at bats, 174 hits, 117
runs, 131 RBI’s, 41 home runs and a .347 average.
Mahar, who played from 1973-87, was the Twilight
League’s Most Valuable Player in 1984 when he wore a Zaloga Post uniform. He also garnered All-Star honors and
collected 536 at bats, 164 hits, 139 runs, 87 RBI’s, 12 homers and a .306
average.
The Albany Twilight League will also honor The
College of Saint Rose Head Baseball Coach, Bob Bellizzi as the President’s
Award winner at the dinner for his support and contributions to the league over
the past decade. Along with his
contributions to the league, Bellizzi, who is the principal owner of the
Twilight League’s Albany Senators, saw his Senators win the Upper New York
State Championship this past summer, giving he and his franchise two State
titles in the last three years.
The State Champion Senators will be honored at the
dinner as well as League Champion, All-Stars Academy for winning its second
straight Twilight League title.
The Twilight League will also acknowledge its
award winners from the 2000 season including league Most Valuable Player, Paul
Reinisch of All-Stars Academy. Reinisch
hit .403 (2nd in the league), had six homers (led league), and drove
in 25 runs (led league). John Venditte
of Colonie won the batting title with a .441 mark. The league’s Most Valuable
Pitcher went to Kevin Cole of the Troy Haymakers who posted a 6-2 record (led
league), 1.81 ERA (3rd in league) and 34 strikeouts in 58 innings
(led league). Rookie of the Year honors
were taken by Jason Trufant of the Albany Senators who posted a 4-0 record (2nd
in league), 0.74 ERA (2nd in league), and 41 strikeouts (5th
in league) in 38 innings.
The 2000 All-Star Team will be comprised of Mike Serbalik (2B), Joe Mariano (SS), Paul Reinisch (3B) and Matt Hallock (OF) all of All-Stars Academy as well as Jim Robare (1B) of Mama’s, John Venditte (OF) of Colonie, Gary Mongiardo (OF) of Rensselaer Honda, Jason Warzala (OF) and Mike DiPiazza (DH) of Davies AC, Dave Tallman (C) of Troy Haymakers, Jason Trufant (P) of the Senators, Kevin Cole (P) of the Haymakers, and Adam Rogowski (P) of Rensselaer Honda.
The awards dinner, celebrating the league’s 70th
season, is open to the public. Anyone interested in attending the dinner,
please contact league president Bill Miles at (518) 459-6534.