TRIBUTE TO THE� 1979 READING BASEBALL TEAM

We all started our RMHS playing or coaching careers together – Freshman Team 1976

Shirk

Ducky

Mel

Guy

Who can you spot here?�Jerry , Gregorio, Charlie, Soracco, Guy, Schellenbach and more!

Team went 8-4�Team Leaders:�At Bats: Mello�Runs: J. Smith, Collins�Hits: Collins�Doubles: LeFave, Mello, P. Smith�Triples: Shirkoff, J. Smith�Homeruns: Everybody (0)�Walks: Gregorio�Stolen Bases: Mello, P. Smith�Sac: Marlin, J. Smith�HBP: LeFave�RBI: Shirkoff�Batting Ave: Collins�Pitching Wins: LeFave��Shows how balanced the club was, even as freshmen, as 8 different players led the team in a category

This was the 1978 (junior year) team. Players don’t look too happy; maybe cuz Coach’s only season under .500. But it was a young club with Mark Angelo the only fulltime senior starter.

1979 Team’s success began with a great summer season

Paul Soracco �

Not sure who the guys are in lower photos.

Dave Costello

Ducky Turenne

Maybe

Jerry Smith?

Lots of interesting stats and interesting players’ names!

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Andy hit .522

Mel .378

Jon G. .341

Remember playoffs vs. Chelmsford. Outfielder ran up wall to make catch that should have been a ground rule double. We got hosed on that one.

These same 5 pitchers comprised our balanced staff in ‘79

Reading Baseball 1979

14-6 Eastern Mass. Division I Tournament

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Preseason: Andy hitting, Mel pitching, Ace running pitching machine

Nice preview article.� Mentions our strengths will be speed and experience. �12 returning seniors and potential for strong pitching staff. �Just need some guys to have big offensive years.

Looks like these are posed for the photographer.

Shirk, Guy, Stella play pepper. Ducky and Jerry look like an old-time photo.

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Okay once and for all – is it Ducky or Duckey? Jerry or Gerry?

The Chronicle covered our scrimmages against Austin Prep, North Reading and on the Cape vs Dennis-Yarmouth and Holliston.��Mello, Schellenbach, Michelini, LeFave, and Neufer all pitched very well.��Any Hodges had a 3-hit game and Mark O’Brien a big 2-run single in the Cape games, while Smitty smacked a homerun vs. Austin.

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Reading 9 Gloucester 3

A strong all-around opening game for the Rockets. Steve Mello pitched 6 solid innings and Penn Michelini a scoreless 7^th.

First run came on a 1^st & 3^rd play with Hodges scoring while Gregorio was in the intentional rundown.

Reading made in 3-0 when Mello singled, Hodges tripled, and Gregorio singled.

Reading broke it wide open in the 5^th when Jack Marlin’s second hit of the day scored a run, followed by RBI singles by Neufer and Paul Smith.

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Discussing Washington Park Ground Rules before Gloucester game:�“If ball goes into basketball court…”

All eyes on our hitter.

Reading 2 Lowell 1�Schellenbach gave up one run on 3 hits in the 1^st inning then pitched hitless ball the rest of the game. Reading’s 2 runs came on singles by Mello, Gregorio, Marlin, and Jerry Smith.�(this game was over very quickly – do you remember the conversation between the Lowell DPW and Dicky Doucette?��Reading 8 Winchester 7�Reading was down 7-1 in the 5th but scored 4 runs on 5 walks and RBI singles by Bosteels and Marlin.� The score remained 7-5 until the bottom of the 7^th with 2 outs and none on – then Marlin singled, Collins walked, Turenne hit and RBI single, 7-6. The Paul Smith drove a ball to right to tie the game and when the rightfielders throw went wild, pinch runner Terry Dennehy scored the walk off winner. ��

Burlington 5 Reading 4��The Rockets held a 4-2 lead in the 4^th, mostly thanks to poor Burlington defense. But the Red Devils got some big hits to overtake Reading for the win.��The Rockets record now stood at 3-1

Always hated losing to Burlington.��Note how we all drank out of the same water jug (gas can). Kids were tougher in pre-covid days!

Not sure what the complaint was here, but I don’t think the umpire changed his mind!��By the way, the ump’s name was Bob Dicey – he umpired Reading Little League games with Coach Mosc was a player.

Lexington 13 Reading 4��The Minutemen pounded 17 hits off five Reading pitchers. When I brought in Andy Hodges to pitch, I said, “I want you to put out the fire.” Andy said, “It’s more like a blaze!”��Reading 5 Melrose 4��Reading bounced back with a big win over unbeaten Melrose and their ace, Matt Bennett.��Paul Smith led off the game with a home run. Melrose tied the game in the 3^rd when a triple scored Andy Brickley.��In the 6^th, a Jerry Smith RBI single, suicide squeeze by Marlin, and 1^st & 3^rd play put Reading up 4-1. Mello was pitching great but Melrose got to him in the 6^th to tie the game. Neufer came on in relief and kept the score tied thanks to a “rough and tumble” play at the plate, Turenne tagging out Bennett.��In the 7^th Mello reached on a fielders choice, stole 2^nd and scored on Gregorio’s single. Neufer pitched a scorelss 7^th to capture the big win.

Wakefield 4 Reading 3��Reading and Wakefield played to a 4-4 tie on Wednesday, so that game had to be replayed, from the beginning, on Thursday.��Reading went up 1-0 went Collins walked, stole 2^nd, and scored on Paul Smith’s single. Wakefield tied the game 1-1 after 3 inn. Then Reading went up, 3-1, in the 4^th on RBI singles by Jerry Smith and Marlin. ��Michelini and Schellenbach limited Wakefield to 2 hits, but walks, wild pitches, and more walks in the last two innings resulted in a 4-3 Wakefield win.

�.��Reading 5 Watertown 1��Mello fired a complete game 2-hitter as Reading got back on track.�Watertown went up 1-0 but in the 3^rd Hodges and Gregorio each singled and executed a 1^st and 3^rd play. Then Collins singled to make it 2-1. Reading scored 2 more in the 4^th on a Neufer single, error , sacrifice fly by Turenne, and RBI groundout. The final run came in the 6^th on a Hodges single. �

Woburn 5 Reading 3�Woburn scored 4 runs in the 1st inning and Reading couldn’t catch up.�Had our chances though – in the 3rd inning we had three runners out at the plate!�Reading cut the lead to 4-2 on a Paul Smith RBI double in the 3rd and Gregorio double and RBI single by Marlin in the 4th. Woburn made in 5-2 before. Bosteels tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the 7th for a 5-3 final

������Frequent rainouts and weekly Chronicle writeups make it hard to follow the order of games played. �But I think after the Watertown win, Reading beat Belmont 3-2, Stoneham 26-1, Winchester 5-1 in that order.��No Chronicle stories on these games, but you guys might remember the details.�

��Reading 13 Wakefield 0��Michelini earned his first win of the season via a 3-hit, 8 K shutout.�Reading jumped ahead 3-0 on a Brian LeFave 3-run homer “out near the 420 sign in right center field.” Other key hits were 2-run singles by Mello and Hodges and an RBI double by Gregorio.��Reading 8 Burlington 7�l�Important come-from-behind wak-off win. Mel started, followed by Neufer, and then Schellenbach, who picked up the win.�Reading was down 6-3 but made in 6-5 in the 5^th.��In the bottom of the 7^th, Mello walked, advanced on an error and scored from 2^nd on Hodges’ infield hit, somehow avoiding the tag. Another walk and a HBP loaded the bases for Bosteels who also walked for the winning RBI.��

Lexington 3 Reading 2��This was a tough loss and really put our tourney chances in jeopardy.��Schellenbach and LeFave pitched great, limiting Lexington to just 2 hits.��Lexington went up 1-0 in the 1^st but Reading to 2 runs in the 5^th when Gregorio doubled home Hodges and Jory McKinley. But two walks and a triple gave Lexington a 3-2 lead in the 6^th, for the final score.��Reading’s record now stood at 10-5

Woburn 4 Reading 3�Rain and more rain made this Reading’s first game in eleven days. And it would be a heartbreaker.��Reading went up, 1-0, then down, 3-1, after 6 innings. In the top of the 7^th, Mel singled, Ducky reached by error, and Smitty bunted them up. A passed ball scored Mel and then Hodges’ single tied the game.��In the bottom of the 7^th, Woburn had a runner on 2^nd with 2 outs. We walked Chambers to face Patterson but he singled home the game winner.��Now Reading would have to win 4 in a row to qualify for the tourney.�--------------------------------------------------------------------�Must mention the only triple play in Reading Baseball history.�Bases loaded, line drive to Bo in LF (1 out). �Fires to Smitty at 2b to double off runner (2 outs). Smitty relays home to Ducky who tags out runner from 3rd (3 outs

We did it! Four wins in a row, yielding just 5 runs��Reading 3 Watertown 2�Reading 5 Melrose 1�Reading 2 Belmont 0�Reading 6 Stoneham 2��Our pitching staff’s depth and tenacity prevailed!

Reading 3 Watertown 2�Reading scored 3 runs in the top of the 1^st on RBI singles by Hodges, Gregorio, and Jerry Smith. Michelini took it from there, allowing just 4 hits and 2 unearned runs for the complete game victory.��Reading 2 Belmont 0�Again Reading scored in the 1^st inning, this time on 3 walks, an error, and a double play ball. That was all Brian LeFave needed as he was masterful in his 3-hit shutout.

Reading 5 Melrose 1��Reading played one of its best games of the year as Schellenbach (3.2 inn) and Mello (3.1 inn) shut down the powerful Melrose offense. For the third game in a row, Reading scored all the runs they would need in the 1^st inning – on a 1^st and 3^rd play by Paul Smith and Hodges and an RBI single by Jerry.�f�The additional three runs came on a squeeze bunt by Smitty, another 1^st and 3^rd play with Collins scoring, and then a squeeze again. by Marlin. Talk about manufacturing runs!�f�Reading 6 Stoneham 2�f�Reading wrote its ticket to the tournament with a solid win at Stoneham. Penn was dominant again, allowing just 3 hits and 0 earned runs�.�In the 3^rd inning Gregorio tripled and LeFave single him home. Then Guy stole 2^nd and scored on Jerry’s base hit. In the 4^th, Hodges scored on an error, Jerry Smith drove home Gregorio, and Marlin singled home two more.�c�The Rocket defense turned two double plays, the second one ending the game.

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