[Sly Fox]

Here's an excerpt from a fishwrap up in Pennsylvania (insert joke here) that references some of our guys playing up there this summer:

ACBL looking spry despite its 40 years

The college baseball league had 27 of its players drafted in 2005.
By Keith Groller
Of The Morning Call

The ACBL turns 40 years old this summer, but the amateur league for collegiate baseball players is hardly going through a mid-life crisis.

''The main purpose of the league remains to develop student-athletes into professional baseball players,'' league president Tom Bonekemper said. ''They can improve and develop during the summer by playing a high level of competition and the exposure to pro scouts remains significant. There are usually two or three scouts at each game.''

Last year, 27 ACBL players were drafted and another seven signed as free agents. The number of ACBL alumni to play in the major leagues is up to 83.

''We have a lot of parity in the league. … any team can beat any other on a given night and that's the way we like it,'' Bonekemper said. ''Kutztown, managed by former major leaguer Rich DeLucia, was a great addition to the league last season. They raised the entire league to a higher standard of play, primarily because of Rich's rapport with the kids and his knowledge of the game.''

The teams play a 40-game schedule with six of the eight advancing to the playoffs.

A special highlight will come on July 8 when the league's all-star game will be held at Lafayette College. It's the first time the mid-summer classic will be held locally since Quakertown hosted it in 1999.

Here's a look at the three local ACBL entries:

Kutztown Rockies: Abram Yeakel,the son of the team's GM and assistant coach Jon Yeakel, has begun a pipeline to Liberty University where he is junior. The Rockies feature three other Liberty players, including Phil and Tim John, the nephews of former major leaguer Tommy John.

Lehigh Valley Catz: The Catz begin their sixth season overall and fourth in the ACBL. They will play games at Lafayette in addition to Hackett's Park in Easton.

Skipper Adrian Yaguez has three returning ACBL all-stars, including two from the ACBL's Top 10 prospect list, as the Catz look to make a charge at its first title since 2003.

The list of returnees is headed by lefty pitcher Ryan Page of Liberty U., who was 6-1 with a 2.73 ERA.

http://www.mcall.com/sports/baseball/al ... sports-hed

[PAmedic]

don't be trashing one of my local 'wraps! Yours truly has been well-treated by those good folks at the Morning Call.