2014 New York Giants Win Capital District 45+ Division
Capital District (NY) 45+ Division
New York Giants 6, Bombers 1
Bottom Row L-R: Joe Burns, Mike Kane, Bobby Bolt, Steve Lounello, Jim Konstantakis, Jan Friedman, Tony Nardacci, Mario Arduini. Top Row L-R: Mike Labanowski, Mark Dabney, Wayne Phillips, Doug Reisinger, Ron Smaka, Carlos Llera and Pete Geannelis
Provided by Jim Konstantakis, New York Giants
The motivations were many; the goals lofty. And in the end, those incentives proved to be the driving force that willed the Giants to retain their 45+ Division championship in ‘repeat’ fashion. The Giants finished the regular season 12-3 and with their 5-1 playoff run, their 2014 record stood tall at 17-4.
Only the Marlins have ever won back-to-back championships in the 45 Division. “Rookie” Joe Burns had never won a 45 title; but mostly, when a team’s leader and catalyst announces his retirement, the adrenalin pumps – and goals are achieved.
When “Captain” Bobby Bolt told us before the Marlins semifinals series that this was his swan song, there was a deadening silence. But after nearly 20 years in the league, Captain Bolt, who pilots airplanes and has piloted the Giants since their inception in 2009, decided to focus his Sundays on family and other activities.
“It was a great run boys; I’m gonna miss you guys for sure,” Bolt said after the Giants clinched the title with a 6-1 victory over the Bombers in Game 4 of the best-of-5 finals Sunday at New Scotland Town Park.
As in 2013, the Giants lost the opening game of the finals. Last year, the Giants fell to the Yankees in the opener before winning the next two to clinch it. This year, however, the series moved to a best-of-5. After dropping the opener, 4-3, the Giants came back with 3-2, 13-8 and 6-1 victories. And along the way, Bolt was right in the thick of those victories.
“Bobby is one of the great team leaders and spirited players I have ever played with,” Giants manager and former minor league player Steve Lounello said during the post-game celebration. “He’s a leader and a winner.”
So are the Giants, who formed in 2006 and went right to the quarterfinals of the then 38 Division. In 2007, they went to the semis and in 2008, advanced to the finals before losing to the Jim McQuade-led Cubs in one of the more memorable finals series. But that’s where that Giants franchise ended. Also in 2008, the then 48+ Division Hornets lost its leader when Don “Hondo” Hudson took off for Washington D.C. to join a nation’s task force that protects our nation’s Commander-in-Chief.
That franchise continued and was changed to the Giants in 2010 – after the Hornets won the 2009 title. In 2010, the Hornets changed names to the Giants and have never looked back. Along the way, the divisions were realigned to the current 45 Division, but the winning continued. The Hornets-turned-Giants have now won 4 titles in the past six years.
“Things go in cycles,” Giants founder and co-GM Jim Konstantakis said after Sunday’s 6-1 title clincher. “The Marlins ruled for so many years and I doubt any team ever will win four straight titles like they did just about a decade ago. The competition will get stiffer, we’ll get older and some day there will be a new sheriff in town.”
For now, however, the Giants aren’t quite ready to reminisce how it once was, but how it came to be a repeat title in 2014.
Sunday’s game started out as the pitcher’s dual that was expected despite the potent lineups of both the Giants and Bombers. Joe Burns got the nod for the Giants; lefty Darrin Ambridge for the Bombers.
Through the first three innings, both pitchers put up goose eggs – Ambridge allowing just two hits and Burns one.
As the visiting team, the Giants then broke out – and in a big way. Mike Kaneopened the 4th with a crushing single to center for his second hit of the game. After a walk to Jan Friedman, Doug Reisinger hit behind the runners and lined a single to right-center to score Kane and break the ice. Steve Lounello followed with a sharply hit RBI single and Pete Geannelis singled to put Giants on first and third with a 2-0 lead an still no outs.
Wayne Phillips followed with a sharply hit grounder that was booted into short center field allowing another run to score. After one out, Ron Smaka and Carlos Llera followed with singles and the Giants lead ballooned to 6-0. And that’s all “Burnsie” and the Giants would need. The Bombers answered with a run in their half of the fourth when Ryan Johnson, a.k.a. “Rhino,” reached out and with one hand lined a drive over the fence in left-center. He actually stopped at first base thinking it was caught by Mark Dabney in center before the umpire alerted him that it indeed had cleared the fence just to the left of the 350-foot sign in center field.
It was just a brief shining moment for the Bombers who would just muster two more singles the rest of the way before the final out fell into the glove of Reisinger in left field and the celebration began, the cameras clicking.
“This never gets old,” Bolt said smiling ear-to-ear among the chants and cheers. “I’m really gonna miss this.”
Bolt didn’t miss much as he willed the Giants to a 13-8 win in Game 3 on Saturday at NSTP. Bobby gutted out the complete game victory on the bump, allowing 6 earned runs. While the Bombers bats were booming as they had all season long, so was Bolt’s. Affectionately known as “lightning,” Bolt went 3-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base for good measure – all out of the lead-off spot as he has been his entire CDMSBL career.
Ryan Johnson and Tony Parella pretty much had their way with Bolt all game, going a combined 4-for-7 with a homer run (Parella) and five RBIs. But in the seventh inning, with the bullpen heated up, those two reached on an error and HBP before Bobby showed the heart of a champion and got the next three in order to end it.
In addition to Bolt’s offensive prowess, the Giants pounded out 20 hits, including four doubles and two home runs. Jan Friedman’s 2-run blast staked the Giants to a 2-0 lead in the first – a lead the Giants would never relinquish.Mark Dabney’s sac fly to deep center made it 3-0 in the second, but the Bombers answered right back with a 3-spot in the third to tie it. The Giants countered with two runs in the third on RBI singles by Burns and Bolt, then added two more in the fourth on Lounello’s towering blast to left-center to make it 7-3.
The Bombers answered with three more in the top of the fifth – the big blows by Rhino (RBI double) and Parella (2-run single).
And just like an Ali-Frazier title match, the Giants answered with even more blows to the pitches of Bombers starter Lex Herlett. Mike Labanowski, who had three singles on the day, and Smaka singled with one out. After Burns popped to second, “Lightening” doubled in a run with a shot to the gap in left-center and Carlos Llera lined a 2-run double to left-center to drive in two more taking a 10-6 lead to the bottom of the sixth.
Would it be enough? Damn, those Bombers lived up to their team moniker this day. The sixth opened with an error and up came Ambridge, who was batting 9th in the 10-man lineup for the Bombers. Darrin, the ace of the Bombers pitching staff who also made a game-saving catch in left-field in the Bombers Game 1 victory the week before, got into a pitch and lofted it over the fence in left to make it 10-8.
“At that point,” Loundllo said, “I was about to take him out. It was a tough decision, but I wanted him to go out on his own terms.” And those terms did not include him heading to the bench. After a brief trip to the mound by acting bench manager Jimmy K., Bolt retired the next three in order heading to the seventh.
“What did you and Bolt say,” when Jim K was asked about the trip to the mound. “I asked if he wanted me to finish this up and he told me to just be sure the beer was cold after the game. He said that was their last runs.”
And they were. But for good measure and a little insurance, the Giants put the exclamation point on this slugfest with three more in the top of the seventh.Phillips singled for his third hit of the game and stole second. With one out, Dabney walked then Tony Nardacci’s sharply hit single to right plated a run before Mario Arduini got perhaps the most deflating hit to the Bombers with a booming double to the fence in right-center to drive in Dabney and Nardacci to make it 13-8.
That 3-run outburst gave Bolt some needed rest and the southpaw then came out for the seventh. With two on via an error and HBP, Bolt induced a grounder, strikeout and fly to left to give the Giants a 2-1 lead in games.
The Giants also won Game 2 on Joe Burns complete-game 5-hitter, including a solo HR by Parella. A three-run fourth was enough for Burns and the Giants.Friedman led off the inning with a home run. Phillips doubled and Lounello singled him home for the second run. Lounello ultimately scored on an error.
Bolt was voted co-MVP of the series along with Joe Burns. Bolt is a three-time winner of that award and is now sharing a fourth. Bolt was 5-for-10 with two doubles, three runs scored, two RBI, two stolen bases and a victory on the bump.
“It’s not just what Bobby brings to the table physically,” said teammate Mike Labanowski, “There’s something about him that makes us all play better, compete harder. He’s a great player, but also a tremendous leader. The intangibles he brings are indescribable.”