Thanks, 2019 12D and Well Done!

Thanks to Stacey Scruggs for the t-shirt. 

The season for the Fairfield American 12 district team came to an end on Sunday in the semifinals of the Section 1 tournament.

After not getting out of the pool play portion of the district tournament a year ago, I don't think it is an overstatement to call this a successful season. They have a district championship out of it.

It was a pleasure to be part of the broadcast on Robcasting Radio as Rob Adams was asked to call the game and brought me along for a bunch of the games. We also had Westport coach David Goldshore along for the sectionals. I love helping Rob out and doing it for baseball in Fairfield is special. If I have not mentioned (I know I have, like 100 times), I love this town!

The baseball was great. From Kieran Scruggs pitching, to Cooper Seek's power, to the clutch hits from Carson Dodder, to the defense of Will Kane at third base and so much more. Sorry I can't include everyone, it was truly a team effort and I love that about this team (we might have more for this....stay tuned). I can't wait to coach these kids in a few years when they get to Ludlowe (If they all go there).  

It was great to get the coaches, players and families. I knew a couple and knew a few names for various reasons. Between having them as campers or knowing their siblings through Ludlowe. But it was great to get to know a bunch more of the players and know many of the families. I even got "yelled at" by a couple of the players prior to today's game for not being on the air for Friday's game when they lost, due to a prior commitment I had. It was all in good fun and I really enjoyed the comradery. Coaches Dan Seek, Phil Veas and Marshall McIntosh were phenomenal to work with and I feel like we got to know them. As I said to Phil, after the game, I hope we keep in touch.

Big thank you to Stacey and Josh Scruggs for promoting us via the FALL social media, getting us anything we needed, and supplying us with water, Gatorade and a tent when needed. So many other parents we got to know and there would be too many to name without forgetting someone so I am not going to try to do that.

Below are some highlights that Rob put his audio to video, either taken by me or Stacey. Head to the Robcasting MixCloud page or the Archive page for audio from the entire tournament.

Great Night At The Stadium

Me, Seth, and Todd in the Pepsi Lounge at Yankee Stadium

I had a great night at Yankee Stadium with Todd Parness and Seth Fry, my two bosses, on Tuesday night.

They told me around the holidays that my gift was a Yankee Game and we were trying to find a date all season. Between them having games to be at, plus their personal lives, plus me coaching baseball, it didn't really work during the school year. Then we decided on Tuesday.

The game was one of the most entertaining games I have been at. There were six home runs hit, four by the Yankees. The Yankees defeated the Rays 8-3.

When they are down 3-1, I was thinking this would be another tough loss. Then after cutting the deficit to 3-2, Aaron Judge hit a go-ahead two run HR. The home run was awesome to put them up but what was more impressive is that a pitch earlier he hit a ball right down the right-field line that we all thought was out of the park, but it was foul. Then Didi Gregorius added insurance with a grand slam.

There was a benches-clearing brawl after CC Sabathia and Avasail Garcia exchanged words following the top of the sixth. The dugouts and bullpens emptied. You never want to see fights (unless it's hockey, I guess) but it did bring excitement and was sort of cool to see in person.

We also saw Brett Gardner take away a homerun, leaping and reaching over the left field wall. That happened right below us so that was very cool to see.

Our seats were awesome as well, down the left field line. They also gave us access to both the Pepsi Lounge and the Audi Club. The cool part of the Pepsi Lounge is we were in center field, right above Monument Park. It kind of left like looking at an aquarium though the glass.

Oh yeah, good Chicken Tenders too! And great company! Had a blast chatting sports and whatever else we chatted about all night.

For Seth, it was his first time at the new stadium and I know he enjoyed seeing it. I had fun answering the questions he asked me. I love talking baseball, Yankees, and sports history!

Thank you both for a great night!

Dodder's Walk-Off Single Lifts Fairfield American Past Westport in Nine Innings and into District Championship

The Final Score (My photo)

If you like drama, you got it at Unity Park in Trumbull between Fairfield American Little League and Westport on Tuesday night at Unity Park in Trumbull.

After cutting the deficit to 3-2, Carson Dodder's bases loaded, two out, two-run walk-off single lifted Fairfield American Little League to a 4-3 nine-inning win over Westport in District 2 double elimination.

The win propels FALL into the District 2 Championship on Saturday. The will face the winner of Thursday's Fairfield National matchup with Westport.

Fairfield American got on the board in the third on a solo home run by Cooper Seek. The game remained that way until the sixth as Seek was dealing on the mound. Seek threw 4.2 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just three hits, walking just one, while striking out six.

In the sixth, Jared Lessing led off with a walk, and a single but two on. Matteo Lombardo then singled to right to bring home Lessing and tie the game at one.

The game would remain tied and go to extras. It would remain knotted at one until the ninth. That is when Westport would strike.

Starting in 8th inning, teams start with a runner at second. The runner is the player who made the last out of the previous inning. Ben Cukier would be that runner at second. The inning's leadoff batter, Jake Goldshore drove a ball down the right field line just out of the reach of a diving Luke McIntosh. Cukier would come around and score and Goldshore would end up at third base with a triple. The next batter, Rhys Jamali would hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Westport would take a three to one lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Will Redgate began the inning at second base. Will Kane then reached on an error. After a pop-out, Jack Veas singled to right field to bring home Redgate. A walk to Ryan McIntosh loaded the bases. After a fielders choice, Dodder stepped up the plate and lined a two-strike pitch to left-center field to bring home Collin Kallagher, who pinch ran for Veas, with the tying run and McIntosh with the winning run.

Will Kane picks up the win in relief for FALL, allowing three runs in 4.1 innings.

You can listen to the broadcast below.





With the Robcasting audio and a video by Stacey Scruggs, Rob Adams linked them both up and put together this.

Battle of Fairfield: Little League Edition

FALL 12's watching FALL/FNLL 11's (My photo)

Fairfield American (FALL) and Fairfield National Little League (FNLL) squared off for the second time this summer (at the 12-year old level) on Sunday afternoon. It was the first game of the double-elimination part of the tournament.

When the two teams met during pool play, FNLL came from behind to pick up a 5-3 win. It's the lone loss FALL has suffered this summer. Both teams went 4-1 during pool play, as FNLL fell to Westport.

Take a listen to the broadcast with Rob Adams and myself on the call. I have also recapped the game below.


FALL got off to a quick start in the second inning and did not look back en-route to an 8-0 win.. After they loaded the bases with one out in the second, Carson Dodder and Cooper Seek delivered back-to-back two-run doubles to put Fairfield American up 4-0.

In the fourth, they once again loaded the bases. FALL brought in two more runs on a slow roller in front of the plate that was thrown wide of first base and down the right field line.

The capped their scoring with two runs in the sixth. With two on, Will Redgate doubled to right-center field to bring home Colin Kalagher, who had pinch-ran for Seek, and Jake Palladino.

On the mound for FALL, Kieran Scruggs got the start and he was terrific once again in this tournament. He threw 5.1 innings, scattering five hits, walking just one and striking out two. Will Kane came on to pitch the final inning and a third, striking out two.

FNLL had opportunities as they left nine men on base, but couldn't push any runs across.

Westport defeated Trumbull National 3-2 on a bases loaded walk-off single. That means FNLL will face Trumbull National in an elimination game on Monday at 7:30 while Fairfield American will play Westport on Tuesday at 5:30. All games at Unity Park in Trumbull.

Westport walked off on Trumbull National. FNLL will play Trumbull on Monday in an elimination game. @ffall_news will play Westport on Tuesday. #ctll pic.twitter.com/y2RXWdzxK2

— Shawn Sailer (@ShawnSailer) July 7, 2019

We will see you Tuesday on Robcasting Radio.

Personal note: I love and hate these games. Obviously, I love this town so it's tough to see anyone have to lose. Especially since I know players on both teams that I have had as campers. We have also gotten to know many of the parents. I hope they meet again later in the tournament.  

July 4th - Yankees Edition

(Yankee Stadium Twitter Account)

July 4th is an important date in our country's history. It is also an important date in the history of the New York Yankees.

Former owner, the late George M Steinbrenner III, was born on this date in 1930.



Yankees radio play-by-play broadcaster John Sterling* was also born on this date, in 1938.

*Sterling will miss his first broadcast since 1989 today, as he takes the weekend off, to deal with health issues. Best of luck to John.



A year after Sterling was born, in 1939, Lou Gehrig gave his famous "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech. Head to Rob Adam's blog post from this morning to read more on that.

And finally, on July 4th, 1983, Dave Righetti threw a no-hitter against the Red Sox. Righetti struck on nine batters and walked four. The final out was a strike-out of then-future Yankee Wade Boggs.