Saturday’s National League All Star Game

Submitted by Peter Ricci

Bedford Babe Ruth National League level players met on Saturday May 30^th for an All Star game, which was part of the annual player Appreciation Day for Babe Ruth players of all levels.

Four players from each of the seven National League teams were voted to participate and assigned to a squad, with the seventh team having two players on each squad.

The sunny weather made for a great day for spectators who ambled to the town center C field to watch this first event of Appreciation Day. Players from the American League level who came out to see the game greeted their friends on the National League teams. The many colors of the youth baseball uniforms looked almost like flags against the blue sky of the day.

National League Commissioner/Coach “V” (Virendar Kaushik) welcomed the crowd and introduced the two teams, naming each player and regular season team for which they played. The Home team was made up of players from the Nationals, Cubs, Rays and 2 players from the Diamondbacks. The Visitor team was composed of players from the Mets, Giants, Dodgers and 2 players from the Diamondbacks.

Parents and other family members took a moment to snap a picture of this year’s entire All Star lineup …and then it was “Play ball!”

The 3^rd through 5^th graders participating know each other from both school and baseball, and while this was a competition game, there were many friendly interactions. Overheard on the visitor bench, players commented on a Ray player’s fast pitching in more of a sense of appreciation than friction. Cubs Player Blake Stuzynski from the home team greeted a Mets coach from the visitor side with a fist bump.

There were several highlights of play during this year’s game. Visiting team and Mets player Will Taft hit to a triple, and managed to steal home. Diamondback teammates playing for the Home team managed to outwit the visitors by advancing to second and third after a tough fielding decision.

At the end of the game the Visitor All Stars triumphed with a score of 11 to 3 . After congratulating each other on a game well played, boys quickly ran off the field to enjoy the rest of Appreciation Day: watching the other games, and trying their hand at the dunk tank, grabbing a hotdog, and the like.