By Vince Vosti, Neighbors sports writer

Sacramento’s Sox and Bases Loaded Cardinals know how to finish a season. The teams won their respective National Adult Baseball Association national championships at open tournaments October 20 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Both finished the tournament in convincing fashion. The Sox won the championship in the top-flight of 18-and-older teams, defeating the Colorado Reds 19-1. The Cardinals were just as dominating in the championship of the 40-and-older tournament, downing the Los Angeles Angels 11-0.

Last year, the Sacrament Sox and the Sacramento Astros combined teams in Phoenix but lost in the championship game. This year, the teams represented themselves, with the Astros making the final four before being eliminated by their archrivals 8-0 on a three-hitter by Sox pitcher and North Sacramento resident Jim Baglin. Triggered by Tom Juelch’s bases-loaded single, the Sox scored five runs in the ninth inning to defeat the Astros 6-3 in their first encounter.

The Sox won six of seven games against opponents from as far away as Chicago and Palm Beach, Florida, on their way to the title. The Sox tied the Astros with 17-5 marks during the regular season of Sacramento’s NABA 18-and-older league. The Sox went on to win the championship against the Mountain Mike Angels.

"Playing the Astros again was a concern because they had a good tournament as well," Sox manager Dave D’Ambrosio said. "They had a good pitching staff, and their only losses (in Phoenix) were to us."

In the championship game, Sacramento’s Pete Fondersmith went 3-for-3 with two walks and four RBI to pace the Sox’s blowout victory against Colorado. Kennedy High School graduate Mike Spradley picked up the victory. The Most Valuable Player of the tournament, Spradley gave up two runs in 14 innings.

"It just seemed to all come together for us," D’Ambrosio said. "This is what we have been playing for since team meetings in February, and it all just kind of fell together for us."

The Cardinals captured the 40-and-older championship in just its second year of existence. Like many teams, the players who comprise the Cardinals also play in other adult baseball leagues locally. Nine of the players originally came from the Solons, this year’s Men’s Senior Baseball League winner.

Founded by Pocket Area resident Carl Boyer and Jim Hill of Marysville, the Cardinals won the NABA title with a 23-1 record. They won 28 of 30 NABA baseball games before playing in Phoenix. In the national tournament, the Cardinals won seven of eight games, outscoring opponents 106-28.

"When we first went there, we thought we would win it," said Boyer, who co-manages with Hill. "But we underestimated the talent. We had a tough fight all the way through."

Keyed by a pitching staff that included Lee Jackson and Jeff Chandler, who Boyer calls the best 40-plus pitcher in Sacramento, the Cardinals won four of five pool games. Chandler gave up six hits in going the distance in the championship game striking out 10.

Leadoff hitter Wiley Weiss hit .710 for the tournament, the best average on a team that averaged .414 for the tournament. Weiss had three hits in the championship game, a stolen base and two RBI. Lanny Ropke added three hits and two RBI, and cleanup hitter Tim Burkett clubbed a 410-foot home run in the fifth inning to give the Cardinals a 5-0 lead.

"I’ve never played with a better bunch of ball players," Hill said. "All 24 contributed to help us win as a team."

D’Ambrosio, who is an assistant coach at Highlands High School, has been coaching baseball at various levels since age 18. After two seasons of playing in men’s hardball leagues, he used his connections to the Sacramento baseball scene to put together the Sox in 1994. The first year in the NABA the Sox finished fourth but reached the championship game. They lost to the Astros and a rivalry was born.

From 1995 to ’97, the Sox dominated divisional play, but lost the championship each year. With interest waning after three unsuccessful trips to Phoenix, the Sox bypassed the 1996 Phoenix tournament. Last year, the team combined forces with the Astros. This year’s championship team had only three players from the original team D’Ambrosio put together in 1994.

"We were a little bit smarter this year," D’Ambrosio said. "With seven games in four days, we never seemed to take enough pitchers. Everybody tried to play every game. This year we paced ourselves better."

TOURNAMENT ROSTERS

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE CARDINALS

"CARDINALS" SACRAMENTO’S FIRST NABA OVER 40 NATIONAL BASEBALL CHAMPION

The Cardinals managed by Jim Hill and Carl Boyer travel to Phoenix, AZ to participate in the over 40 National Adult Baseball Association baseball championship. They played eight games in five days winning seven of eight. The Cardinals won the championship 11-0 behind the six hit, 10 strike out performance of Jeff Chandler. Both Wiley Weiss and Lanny Ropke had three hits with Tim Burkett hitting a 410 foot two run home run in the winning effort. Manager Hill said, "I’ve never played with a better bunch of ball players." He added, "All 24 contributed to help us win as a team."

The lead off hitter, Weiss was almost unstoppable hitting .710 for the tournament. Other great hitters over .400 were Hill, Burkett, Ropke, Ron Williams, Chris Ford, Gary Stonebrook, Don (Cowboy) McCreary, and Dennis Smith. Other hitters on the team were: Dave Muniz, Tony Jackson, Irv Scott, Lee Jackson, Jeff Chandler, Joe Carbajal, Jim Lortz, Ron Turner, Tom Bickett, Manny Alvarez, Jimmy Jack, Tommy Melendrez, Paul Louen. The team hit .414 for the tournament and scored 106 runs and only gave up 28.

"Pitching is the name of the game!" says manager Boyer. "We came with nine pitchers and we used them all." The Cardinal staff consisted of: Jeff Chandler, Carl Boyer, Lee Jackson, Gary Stonebrook, Tim Burkett, Ron Turner, Wiley Weiss, Jim Hill and Irv Scott. Except for one game the Cardinals gave up an average of only two runs per game while scoring an average of over 13 runs per game.

Both managers were ecstatic stating, "The Cardinals had a great year going 28-2 this year, winning the National Championship, but most of all being able to play with a great bunch of ball players." They concluded by saying, "It just doesn’t get any better than this!