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July 31, 2012 – The Menlo Park Legends finished their 2012 regular season taking 2 of 3 games from the Neptune Beach Pearl on their way to a second place finish in the Far West Baseball League. The Legends (31 – 13) prepare this week for a rematch against the Pearl to start the league playoffs August 3rd at Arcata Ballpark in Humboldt.
Manager David Klein had to be happy with the results of 2012. He kept a strong nucleus of players from 2011 and added several talented newcomers to his roster. The two summer months of baseball had many ups and downs, but had to be judged an overall very positive success. Brian Haggett and Jason Merjano were expected to be regulars when the season began, but injuries forced Manager Klein to juggle his lineup with outstanding results.
Taking 2 of 3 games at always tough Atwater started the team on an eight game season opening road trip that finished a respectable 4 and 4. A home loss to the Nor Cal Longhorns was followed by a six game win streak. After two frustrating home losses to the Redding Colt 45’s, the Legends won 15 of their next 19 games. Another six game win streak capped the end of the regular season before a final game loss to the Pearl.
Andrew Castendeda made several outstanding catches in centerfield before battling with leg injuries. He lead the team with a .422 average and swiped an impressive 16 bases. Even while injured he managed a walk-off single against the Southern Oregon Riverdawgs. Jeff Keller (Dartmouth) was superb at any position (.394, 6 hr, 30 rbi, 16 sb). He had an ESPN highlight catch to end a game falling over the rightfield wall at Canada.
Pierson Jeremiah (Chico State) was asked to move to shortshop with the Merjano injury and did a great job being to glue holding the infield together. Jeremiah’s offensive stats nearly matched Keller (.355, 17 2b’s, 30 rbi’s, 7 sb). Tyger Pederson (UOP) was the catalyst out of the leadoff spot (.304, 19 rbi’s, 17 sb) and unselfishly moved to second base from his normal outfield position. Grant Nelson (.319, 25 rbi), Chris Freeman (.308), Abi Arias (.288) Peter Woodall (.281), Mike Marcoux (.280, 20 rbi, 12 sb) were all solid contributors. Joe Goldenberg (.270, 5 hr, 26 rbi) and JT Greenhood (.270, 2 hr, 20 rbi) helped supply power in various spots in the order.
The pitching staff was anchored by Ray Torres (UNHM) who threw the game of the year in a 1 -0 masterpiece against the Palo Alto Oaks. He threw 47 innings with a 3.06 era and 5 wins. Alon Leichman (1.48, 5 win), DJ Sharabi (2.72, 4 win), Eric Davila (3.88, 2 win) and Jacob Eichhorn (3 wins) were all solid starters. Joe Goldenberg (U of Hawaii) was nearly unhittable with 18 k’s in 10 innings (4 saves). Darren Gidley (2.31, 1 win, 2 saves) and CJ Jacobe (1.38, 4 wins, 1 save) were also solid in the bullpen.
Manager Klein continued to seek games against the best competition in the area and the Legends responded by taking series from the San Luis Obispo Blues (2-1), North County Indians (2-0), Bakersfield Braves (3 -0) and San Francisco Seals (3-0). The Humboldt Crabs and Redding Colt 45’s were the only teams to capture a series against the Legends.
Two impressive additions to the 2012 Legends staff contributed greatly. Ali Recht, Assistant General Manager, handled most of the game day details and did an outstanding job. Her prior experience with the Washington Nationals and Hagerstown Suns helped great a minor league like environment at the Canada games and the Legends fundraiser. Pitching coach Bill Ryan added his vast experience to the mound staff. His patience and sense of humor was greatly appreciated by the pitchers and catchers.
Thank you to all the fans and parents who came out to support the Legends. Your attendance was greatly appreciated. The playoffs are expected to be exciting Crabs, Pearl and Riverdawgs providing touch competition with many D-1 players. The games will be available on the Legends website (menloparklegends.com) for twitter updates and gamechanger for play-by-play.
-Michael Simon, for the Menlo Park Legends
July 27, 2012 – The second walk-off hit of the week by the Menlo Park Legends intercollegiate baseball team gave the Legends a 3-2 victory over the visiting Neptune Beach Pearl yesterday at Cañada College in Redwood City.
“We’ve been battling to the end of the game,” manager David Klein said. “If we get behind, it doesn’t matter. We don’t press and stay confident and get the clutch base knocks when we need them.”
Utility player Brent McMinn led off the bottom of the 9th inning with a pinch-hit double down the right field line. Then on a hard hit grounder by second baseman Tyger Pederson, McMinn advanced to third base, rounded the bag with no hesitation and made a sprint towards home plate, where he would slide right under the tag to win the ball game.
“I wanted to be aggressive and it was a good time to be aggressive,” McMinn said. “I saw the ball get past the defender and I decided to take a risk and make them make a play and put it on them.”
Starting pitcher Eric Davila struggled in the opening innings of the game, but managed to turn it around and throw a very efficient game after the first three innings, striking out four batters. CJ Jacobe came in relief in the 8th inning, striking out two batters and allowing only two hits.
Pederson and shortstop Pierson Jeremiah supplied five of the Legend’s seven hits of the night. Outfielder Abi Arias came in as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning in the midst of the team’s first rally of the day, where he hit a triple up the right field line.
The Legends play their final two games of the regular season at the College of Alameda against the Pearl, today at 2:00pm and tomorrow at 2:00pm.
-Max Darrow, Legends Sportswriter
July 22, 2012 – A pinch-hit walk-off single by Andrew Castañeda gave the Menlo Park Legends a 3-2 victory over the visiting Southern Oregon Riverdawgs in the teams’ rubber match yesterday at Cañada College in Redwood City.
With a 2-2 tie ball game, the bases loaded and slugger CJ Jacobe at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, Legends’ manager David Klein decided pinch hit Castañeda, who hadn’t taken an at-bat in two weeks. And his decision paid off.
“Andrew is a contact hitter who doesn’t strike out a lot,” he said. “My gut feeling was to put him in there. I knew he’d give us a competitive at bat, and he did.”
Castañeda walked up to the plate with the same approach as he always takes, see the ball, hit the ball, and delivered on the second pitch.“I went up there and thought see ball, hit ball,” Castañeda said. “I mean, to me, it’s not about thinking about the moment—it’s the same, regular at bat. But oh man it felt good.”
Legends starting pitcher Alon Leichman threw seven solid innings, fanning five Riverdawgs and allowing a single run off of four hits. The Riverdawgs were able to attack Legends reliever Ryan Reese in the eighth inning and add another run. Ricky Guerrero then came in and struck out a batter and with men in scoring position and a tie game in the top of the ninth, Joe Goldenberg struck out the one batter he faced.
Pete Woodall and Tyger Pederson each had two hits apiece, but other than for them and Castañeda, the Legends’ bats were fairly quiet.
Looking down the road, the Legends have a tough stretch of games prior to the Far West League Playoffs. The team has a two game series versus the league rival Nor Cal Longhorns and then take on the Neptune Beach Pearl, one of the top teams in the Far West League.
“The competition from here on out is only going to get better and stronger, and we just need to keep on coming out and giving our best effort,” Klein said. “We’re winning lots of games—we’re winning tight games, and all the guys are playing well together. As long as we keep winning we will be locked in the playoffs.”
The Legends (27-12) host the Nor Cal Longhorns tomorrow at 5:00pm at Cañada College.
-Max Darrow, Legends Sportswriter
July 7, 2012 – The Menlo Park Legends are hosting their first ever fundraiser and we would like to have a silent auction /raffle at the event, but we need your help. The Legends are asking local businesses to donate a prize to the raffle and are still looking for donations!!
The Menlo Park Legends are a non-profit, community-based organization. They are also a nationally known semi-pro collegiate baseball program. The idea behind a program such as the Legends is to reach out to home-grown talent and provide a local team for collegiate athletes to play for when they come home for the summer. In addition to the Legends providing an opportunity for collegiate athletes, the Legends also have summer camp for kids. During camp kids interact with the Legends players and the players become positive influences and role models for them. One of The Legends goals is to support and give back to the community in every way possible.
July 1, 2012 – The Menlo Park Legends intercollegiate baseball team won three of four games down in San Luis Obispo this past weekend. In the four games, the Legends outscored both of their opponents, the San Luis Obispo Blues and North County Indians 52 runs to 24 runs.
Menlo Park’s hitting continued to stay hot, hitting a team total of seven home runs in the four games. Two of the home runs came from Skylar Brewer, one being a grand slam. The other five came from Joe Goldenberg, Mike Marcoux, JT Greenhood, Jeff Keller and Grant Nelson. Andrew Castañeda and Tyger Pederson both saw the ball very well this weekend, amassing many hits each in all of the games.
The Legends pitching staff had a strong weekend as well. CJ Jacobe got his first appearance on the mound this summer and earned his first win. Alon Leichman went four scoreless innings in the second game of the doubleheader versus the Indians (7 innings) and Darren Gidley came in and finished the shutout. Manager David Klein got his first appearance of the season in the game two shutout at catcher and threw a runner out in his debut. Ray Torres and DJ Sharabi both started games as well and each performed very well.
The Legends face the Fontanetti’s Athletics on July 3 at 5:00pm at San Jose Academy and then travel back to San Luis Obispo to compete in the 2012 Rawlings California Cup Tournament.
-Max Darrow, Legend Sportswriter
June 30, 2012 – The Legends once again will be participating in the Rawlings California Cup Tournament in Southern California. The winner of the tournament gets an automatic bid for the National Baseball Congress Tournament in Wichita, Kansas at the end of the summer. The Legends first game is on July 5th versus the Santa Maria Valley Packers. The second game will be on July 6th versus the Bercovich Gold. The third game will be played on July 7th versus the San Luis Obispo Blues. If the Legends manage to win all three games, they will advance to the championship to play the winner of the Santa Barbara Bracket. For more information, click here: 2012 Rawlings California Cup Information.
June 27, 2012 – Things looked bleak for Legends when they trailed the Walnut Creek Crawdads in the ninth inning at Laney JC, but managed to tie the game on a Jeff Keller fielder’s choice grounder, sending it to extra innings. The Legends received three walks in the 12th before Joe Goldenberg’s RBI ground out to pull out a 5-4 win in 12 innings over the Crawdads in one of the longest games in Legends history. All three games between the Legends and Crawdads have been decided by one run, with the Legends taking the series 2 games to 1.
The top of the first saw Legends take an early lead, 1-0. The Legends’ offense woke up as Pierson Jeremiah doubled before Keller doubled, scoring Jeremiah. The Crawdads answered immediately as it scored one run of its own in the first – an RBI double by Christiaan Durdaller.
Legends got one-run boosts in each of the second on a solo home run by Goldenberg, and in the sixth on a Peter Woodall sacrifice fly. The Crawdads rallied for three in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Ryan Reese – a walk to Colick, a single by Chad Highberger and a three run homer from Austin Allison.
Relievers DJ Sharabi and Jacob Eichhorn shut out the Crawdads over the final five innings until the Legends would tie the game and then take the lead. Starting pitcher Michael Olmstead had five solid innings, allowing only a single run.
The Legends head to southern California this weekend to battle the San Luis Obispo Blues and the North County Indians.
-Michael Simon, For the Menlo Park Legends
June 24, 2012 – The Menlo Park Legends intercollegiate baseball team managed to avoid getting swept by the visiting Redding Colt 45’s by winning one of two games in yesterday’s doubleheader at Cañada College. The Colt 45’s won the first game 5-4 and the Legends won the second 8-2.
In the first game, Legends out-hit the Colt 45’s 10-to-4 and out-pitched (11 strikeouts-2 strikeouts) them, yet could not manage to come through with the win. The Colt 45’s got their runs in by hitting with men in scoring position and capitalized on every mistake made by the Legends.
Legends Starter Ray Torres found his groove early and struck out seven batters and allowed four hits, but gave up five runs. However, only two of those were earned runs. Ryan Reese and Joe Goldenberg pitched the final three innings, striking out four batters and allowing only one baserunner.
Three solo home runs by outfielder JT Greenhood, first baseman Skylar Brewer and third baseman Grant Nelson provided three runs for the Legends, but the team was only able to put one more run on the board.
Following the game one loss, the Legends appeared to be fired-up and had a must-win attitude. Though the Colt 45’s jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, the Legends managed to bounce back quickly and tie the game off of a two-run single by shortstop Pierson Jeremiah, who had five hits in the two games. The attack continued in the fifth inning when Goldenberg hit a three-run home run breaking the tie, giving the Legends a 5-2 lead.
“Coach Dave was working with me before the game, so a lot of my game at the plate today can be attributed to what he told me,” Goldenberg said. “Honestly, I was trying to hit a home run, and I came through.”
The Legends won’t be have another home game until July 11, as they prepare to travel to southern California to face the formidable Santa Barbara Foresters, San Luis Obispo Blues, and many other teams down there as well.
“We’ll find out if we’re ready for the level of competition we will face down there,” Manager David Klein said. “I’m very confident in the way we’ve been playing. We’re solid across the board. As long as we stay healthy throughout the entire thing and stay competitive on the bump, we should be just fine.”
The Legends face the Walnut Creek Crawdads tomorrow at Laney Junior College at 7pm.
-Max Darrow, Legends Sportswriter
June 22, 2012 – Menlo-Atherton alumni Jeff Keller’s 5-for-5 night led the Menlo Park Legends intercollegiate baseball team to a 9-8 victory over Pro Player Baseball yesterday at Cañada College in Redwood City. The Legends, now 10-5, have won six games in a row.
The Legends quickly put seven runs on the board in the first two innings, due to a flurry of singles in the gaps and a double with the bases loaded by catcher Peter Woodall. A home run by Keller in the fourth inning would put the Legends up 8-2.
The Legends starting pitcher DJ Sharabi gave a strong effort on the hill, striking out seven batters and allowing two runs through five innings. However, once Sharabi was taken out of the game, Pro Player Baseball began to chip away at the lead.
Pro Player Baseball was able to figure out the Legends’ bullpen after being stumped by Sharabi and added on three more runs in the sixth inning, two more in the seventh and one more in the eighth. Due to a double by third baseman Grant Nelson that knocked in Keller in the sixth, Pro Player Baseball was unable to take a lead in the ballgame.
With a two-run lead in the midst of a Pro Player Baseball rally, Alon Leichman came in to pitch for the Legends. Despite giving up a run, he was able to get the save with the help of two stellar defensive plays by second baseman Abi Arias and right fielder CJ Jacobe.
“I just had to stop them,” Leichman said. “Abi’s play was amazing and CJ’s throw was even better.”
Keller, the most recent addition to the team, had five hits, two stolen bases, two runs batted in, a home run and four runs, accounting for a third of the team’s total hits and nearly half the team’s runs.
“I let the ball travel deep in the zone and I felt comfortable swinging with two strikes,” Keller said. “This is a great group of guys and it’s a ton of fun—I love being a part of this team. Looking forward, some of the team’s down in San Luis Obispo are very legitimate squads and I think they will provide some great competition. I believe that we can definitely play with them.”
The Legends host the Redding Colt 45’s today at 4pm at Cañada College.
-Max Darrow, Legends Sportswriter
June 20, 2012 – Strong pitching, smart at-bats and tough defense earned the Menlo Park Legends intercollegiate baseball team a 6-2 victory over the visiting Alameda Merchants, being the fifth consecutive win for the ball club.
Michael Olmstead started the game, striking out two batters and allowing no runs. Darren Gidley came in to pitch and struck out three more, allowing two runs, only one earned. Alon Leichman came in to close the game in the ninth, striking out one of the three batters he faced.
“We’ve shown a much better approach at the plate, we’re getting runners in from third base with less than two outs, and our pitching has been stellar to say the least,” manager David Klein said.
The team’s defense has been on the ball recently, with a few game saving catches made in the outfield and inning-ending plays by middle infielders Pierson Jeremiah and Tyger Pederson.
“We’ve given up I think four runs in the last five games. Whatever we’re doing on the hill, we’re doing it right. We haven’t thrown the ball around at all,” Klein said. “Despite all of the injuries, we’ve been very competitive defensively because people are stepping up and making plays.”
The Legends host Pro Player Baseball tomorrow at 5:00pm at Cañada College in Redwood City.
-Max Darrow, Legends Sportswriter
June 16, 2012 – A four hit shutout from Ray Torres gave the Menlo Park Legends a 1-0 victory over the cross-town rival Palo Alto Oaks yesterday at Cañada College in Redwood City. Torres struck out six batters in his very efficient performance, averaging around 11 pitches per inning.
“Besides one pitch, I felt like I had three strong ones working,” Torres said. “A great defense behind me and a good offense made me work hard, and I just couldn’t let up.”
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth, where shortstop Pierson Jeremiah knocked in second baseman Tyger Pederson with a single to right-center. In the seventh, the Legends attempted to play some small ball by bunting three times in a row to give Torres some extra support, but were unable to get a run in.
“Honestly, I didn’t think that they would let me go past seven innings,” he said. “But then they told me if you want to go, you’ve got it, so I took advantage of that and finished the game.”
With only one out standing in the way of Torres’ shutout, with a man on second, the Oaks hit a shallow fly ball to right in between Pederson and right fielder CJ Jacobe that looked like it would ruin the shutout. But Jacobe, going face-first into the grass caught the ball and preserved the shutout.
“I was speechless. That would have been my outing. They would have tied the game. To have him [Jacobe] out there making that catch was unbelievable,” Torres said.
Prior to the game, manager David Klein was confident that Torres was the deserving man for the bump against the Oaks, and this performance only bolstered his confidence.
“Ray has earned his spot as being our number one guy as of right now,” Klein said. “He’s given us three extremely competitive starts. He isn’t going to overpower guys, but he comes in and wills himself to victory with his fastball, curveball, change-up three-pitch mix. He’s always in the zone.”
The Legends host the league rival Walnut Creek Crawdads today at 2:00pm at Cañada College.
-Max Darrow, Legends Sportswriter
May 2, 2012 – Ali Recht joins the Legends administrative staff as the Assistant General Manager for the 2012 summer! The Legends are extremely excited for Ali’s arrival as she has vast experience working with both major league and minor league programs. After working for both the Washington Nationals and Hagerstown Suns (Nationals Single A affiliate), Ali is going to be managing the Legends interns and assisting with a plethora of other administrative duties. Ali, whom General Manager David Klein met while volunteering in Israel is organized, enthusiastic and ready to help the Legends have another successful summer season! Welcome Ali!
April 24, 2012 – Legends General Manager, David Klein is featured on the front page of the weekly Almanac. Click here to check out the article!
April 20, 2012 – The Legends’ current needs for the upcoming 2012 summer:
Collegiate Players: Catcher (1), Bullpen catcher (1), Pitchers (3) All other roster spots are currently filled
Legends Coaches: Pitching coach, Assistant coach The Legends are looking for enthusiastic coaches who are looking to gain experience and have a Legendary summer
Legends Interns: Marketing coordinator, Event Coordinator, Statistician, Videographer The Legends are always looking to increase their staff. Click here to learn more about our internship program
Host Families: OUR BIGGEST NEED! Fantastic for families with young children! Host a collegiate athlete for the summer. The Legends current have 2 future Legends who are looking for a summer home. Click here to learn more about this exciting opportunity!
March 31, 2012 – The Menlo Park Legends are back for the 2012 summer! With opening day only 2 months away, the Legends lineup will feature a handful big name returners as well as an influx of new and talented college ballplayers. With a 50-game schedule set to kick off on June 1st against the Atwater Aviators, Menlo Park is looking to solidify their spot atop the Far West League in 2012.
Headlining the Legends season will be road trips to Humboldt, San Diego, and San Luis Obispo, as well key home matchups against Southern Oregon, Bakersfield, and Neptune Beach. “Our 2012 schedule is very competitive,” says manager Dave Klein, and with the Legends opening the season on the road against rival Atwater, followed by a road trip to face the 22nd nationally ranked Humboldt Crabs, Menlo Park will have its hands full early in the season. “We have some of our biggest road trips at the very beginning of the summer, this should set the bar for a consistent high level of play throughout the summer months,” Klein added.
When not on the road, the Legends will be playing home games at Canada College, a top notch facility featuring an all turf surface, clean bathrooms, press box, and an excellent fan viewing experience. The team is looking strong with a bolstered lineup heading in to 2012. Some key players returning to the lineup for Menlo Park are Grant Nelson (St. Louis), Joe Goldenberg (Hawaii), Brian Hagget (CSU Monterey Bay), Tyger Pederson (Univ. of Pacific), Corey Zirbes (Sterling). and Michael Olmstead (Whitter). Stay tuned and Stay Legendary! More coming soon!
The Legends are in need of Host Families for this summer!
Do you have children who love baseball? Do you local support non-profits? If so, maybe you have room for a Menlo Park Legend to call home this summer!
The Legends Host Family program involves providing a college baseball player with lodging for 2 months during the summer! Playing summer baseball is very important for a college baseball player’s development as they must continue gain experience and improve while in the off-season. We currently have multiple players from all over the country who wish to come to the Bay Area and play for the 2012 Menlo Park Legends!
Being a Host Family for a player at this level can be a very unique and rewarding experience. You will forever have the knowledge that you:
– Assisted a young baseball player pursue his dream of playing Major League Baseball
– Provided a summer home for a Collegiate Athlete.
– Helped the Menlo Park Legends organization with its most pressing, and much appreciated need……… A HOST FAMILY!
Our schedule runs from June until early August. Tentatively our schedule has 44 games not including playoffs. We will be playing about 20 home games at Canada College and are traveling out of town on many weekends. We currently have 12 overnights planned for this coming summer. Your host player will also be working the Legends Youth Summer Baseball camp. The reason I am telling you this is because your hosted player will be very busy. However when he is not busy and at the house he will act as part of the family. He will abide by all household rules, have his own chores and will overall be a fantastic addition to the family!
All players who we place with families are given intense background checks. This includes talking to his college coach, his family and obviously the player himself. Before deciding if he is a perfect fit for your family you can chat with the player on the phone, talk to him on Skype or even meet him in person! You can also speak with past host families to learn about their experience.
We have placed players with host families in the past and the best matches are for families who have young children. College baseball players are fantastic role models and your children can get free baseball instruction whenever they want! Not to mention you will receive free admission to all Legends home games and can send your children to Legends Baseball Camps FOR FREE! Yes that’s right, FREE SUMMER BASEBALL CAMP!!!
This is truly an incredible experience, so if you have an extra bed in your house and are interested please contact us as soon as possible!
Contact David by email at david@menloparklegends.com or callat 650-387-4427
Michael Olmstead gets the win for the Legends on Thursday
June 30, 2011 – MP Legends 9, Humboldt Steelheads 2
June 29, 2011 – MP Legends 0, Humboldt Crabs 5
June 29, 2011 – MP Legends 0, Humboldt Crabs 1
June 26, 2011 – MP Legends 3, Seattle Studs 1
June 26, 2011 – MP Legends 7, Seattle Studs 6
June 25, 2011 – Auburn Mudcats 9, MP Legends 7
June 24, 2011 – MP Legends 6, Pro Player Baseball 1
Monday, June 27th – Over the weekend, the Menlo Park Legends semipro baseball team improved its record to 14-5 after winning three of four games at the McAuliffe Sports Complex in Sacramento. In their first game, the Legends won a solid victory over Pro Player Baseball, 6-1.
However, the team’s momentum was threatened after losing its second game against the Auburn Hills Mudcats in the final innings of the contest. The Legends opened the game out very strong, but could not preserve a lead for the entire game. Sacred Heart grad Michael Olmstead was on the hill for Menlo Park and had a strong outing through six innings, striking out six and allowing one run and two hits.
The Legends began their attack in the second inning, scoring five runs. First baseman Brian Haggett drilled a solo home run to start off the rally. Michael Hoo scored on a past ball, and an error by the Mudcats catcher allowed outfielder Dan Brown to score. Tiger Pederson continued the rally by knocking in Johnny Donati after he stole second. In the sixth inning, the team tacked on two more runs by an error and a RBI double by Hoo, giving them a 7-1 lead going into the seventh inning.
But the Mudcats came back and scored two runs in the seventh, four in the eighth, and two more in the ninth, giving them a 9-7 win.
The next day, the Legends played the runner up of last year’s National Baseball Congress World Series, the Seattle Studs, in a doubleheader. Second baseman Pierson Jeremiah batted in the three hold, a new spot for him, and went 4-for-7 in the two games with a double and two RBI’s. In the first game, outfielder Cody Larson capped a four run fourth inning with a two run double, putting the Legends up 7-0.
The Studs made it interesting by scoring a run in the sixth and five in the seventh, but the Legends held on for a win.
Rich McCaffrey started game two and went a solid five innings, allowing three hits and striking out four batters.
Luke McCreesh came in and threw a perfect inning, and Corey Zirbes came in for the save threw another flawless inning. The Legends pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts in the doubleheader.
“It was very satisfying for me to beat the Studs this year,” manager David Klein said. “This weekend marked the start of a very competitive stretch of games, and this was a great sign for us to take two games from the Studs, a really prestigious competitor. We always seem to bring our A game versus quality competitors. I’m really optimistic as we go against the nationally recognized teams from Southern California in the near future.”
The Legends travel to Humboldt today to face the Steelheads at Arcata Ballpark at 7 p.m.
June 18, 2011 – MP Legends 7, SF Seagulls 4
Sidewinder Mike Couch gets his first save of the season!
June 18, 2011 – MP Legends 7, SF Seagulls 2
THATS DAN BROWN! Inside the park HR!
June 15, 2011 – MP Legends 8, SF Seagulls 7
Tiger Pederson’s sacrifice fly scored Michael Hoo (shown left) in the seventh inning, giving the Menlo Park Legends an 8-7 win over the visiting San Francisco Seagulls on Wednesday at Canada College in Redwood City.
“I’ve been out here two games, leading off and playing center field,” Pederson said. “I’m just trying to be a productive factor in the offense.”
The Seagulls tried to mount a rally in the eighth, Menlo Park catcher Hoo threw out a man stealing second to end the threat, then Corey Zirbes pitched the ninth inning and earned the save.
Starting pitcher Michael Olmstead had trouble finding the strike zone for the Legends. He walked in two runs in the second inning as the Seagulls took a 3-0 lead.
The Legends struck back with a three runs in the bottom of the third. First baseman Brian Haggett drilled a line drive to right field that knocked in two runs. Slugger Cody Larson drove in second baseman Pierson Jeremiah with a single.
The Seagulls fought back in the fourth. Catcher Nikolas Fangonilo hit a grand slam way over the left-field fence for a 7-3 lead. Tommy Pluschkell’s single knocked in a run in the bottom of the fourth, but the Legends’ dugout remained quiet until the sixth inning.
After Curtis Camilli came in to pitch in the sixth and struck out the side, the Legends were back in the game.
“Everything was working very well,” he said. “I mixed it up pretty well. All five of my strikeouts were on different pitches.”
With the bases loaded, third baseman Grant Nelson scored off an error. Larson drove in Pederson with a sacrifice fly.
In the seventh inning, Pluschkell hit another RBI single, scoring St. Francis-Mountain View alum Chris Hoo.
The Legends look to improve their 8-4 record Saturday in a doubleheader against the Seagulls at Fairmont Field starting at noon.
June 14, 2011 – MP Legends 8, SJ Baysox 0 (click for Almanac Article)
Yesterday, the Menlo Park Legends semipro baseball team defeated the San Jose Baysox 8-0, improving their record to 7-4.
Richard McCaffery started the game for the Legends. Through five innings, McCaffery allowed one base runner off of a walk and struck out five batters.
“I just came out there trying to throw strikes and get ahead in the counts,” he said. “They were having trouble with my fastball, so I decided to go right after them with that. Chris did a great job behind the plate—he was my catcher in high school, so the chemistry was great.”
In the third inning, Legends outfielder Cody Larson opened the game up with a two-run triple to deep center field, scoring centerfielder Tiger Peterson and second baseman Pierson Jeremiah. The Legends offense continued to shake the Baysox in the fourth inning, with infielder Tommy Pluschkell hitting a two-run single.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, a wild pitch scored Michael Hoo, and Peterson hit a RBI single, giving the Legends a 8-0 lead.
In his first Legends appearance, catcher Chris Hoo caught a shutout, scored two runs, and went 2-3 on the night.
“It was a great feeling,” he said. “I didn’t know what to expect, and the team played great. McCreesh threw well, Rich threw well. It was fun.”
The Legends play the San Francisco Seagulls today at Cañada College at 5 p.m.
June 13, 2011 – Over the weekend, the Legends ventured to Atwater to face the Aviators in a three game series. In the first game, after returning from Lee University competing in the NAIA World Series, Curtis Camilli (show left) pitched for the Legends. Despite his strong performance, the Legends could not seem to get any clutch hits and lost the game 4-1.
As they did earlier in the season, errors plagued the Legends in game two of the series. Going into the seventh inning after Don Medlinger’s solid six innings, the Legends were up 2-1. And that’s when then errors began. Off of two major errors, the Aviators scored six runs in the seventh, giving them the lead 7-2. From that point on, the Aviators held on to their lead and won game two, 7-2.
But the Legends bounced back with a whopping 17-1 victory in game three. The team also got 17 hits in the game. Once again, Corey Zirbes had an incredible outing on the mound. He pitched seven innings strong, allowed four hits, zero runs, and struck out five batters. Third baseman Grant Nelson led the attack going 4-5 in the game. First baseman Brian Haggett went 2-3, and outfielder Joe Goldenberg continued the surge by hitting a three-run home run. Nearly every player contributed to the Legends’ seventeen hits of the game.
“The team got really fired up after losing the first two games, and we wanted to come out swinging the bats hard,” catcher and manager David Klein said. “That’s exactly what we did.”
The Legends look to improve their 6-4 record today against the California Glory at Cañada College at 5 p.m. – Max Darrow
June 12, 2011 – MP Legends 17 – Atwater Aviators 1
June 11, 2011 – MP Legends 2 – Atwater Aviators 7
June 10, 2011 – MP Legends 1 – Atwater Aviators 4
June 8, 2011 – MP Legends 8 – Walnut Creek Crawdads 6
The Menlo Park Legends defeated the Walnut Creek Crawdads 8-6 at Menlo College, improving their record to 5-2.
By the middle of the fourth inning, the Crawdads were up four runs. Starting pitcher Michael Olmstead was throwing the ball well, but the Legends defense was not on the ball. The majority of the Crawdads’ runs were off of the Legends six errors.
But the Legends immediately struck back. To start the rally, manager and catcher David Klein hit a two run single, and would go on to score off of second baseman Pierson Jeremiah’s two run double. Third baseman Grant Nelson hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field, scoring Jeremiah. Off of four hits, the Legends took a 5-4 lead.
Despite the offensive surge, the defense was still in a funk, until the top of the sixth inning when Greg Pillicci came in to pitch.
Pillicci earned the win by pitching three innings, striking out three batters and only allowing one base runner off of a walk.
“I just wanted to throw strikes and command the zone,” he said. “I threw my curveball for strikes, backed it up with my fastball.”
Pillicci’s strong outing was backed by shortstop Jon Donati’s hits in the late innings of the game. In the sixth, he hit a double, and in the bottom of the seventh, he hit the single that knocked in designated hitter Skylar Brewer, the go-ahead run.
“I wanted to put the ball in play,” Donati said. “Make the defense work and put the pressure on them.”
Even with a late home run by the Crawdads, pitcher Rich McCaffrey closed out the game for the Legends.
The Legends travel down to Atwater tomorrow for a well-anticipated series against the Aviators. The first game is on June 10 at 7 p.m, at the Atwater Memorial Ballpark.
—Max Darrow
June 7, 2011 – MP Legends 5 – NB Pearl 3
Legends knock off Neptune Beach!
The Menlo Park Legends defeated the Neptune Beach Pearl 5-3 at Menlo College, improving their record to 4-2.
Corey Zirbes started for the Legends and had another stellar performance, earning his second win of the season. Through seven innings, he struck out nine and allowed three hits.
“I haven’t thrown in a year,” Zirbes said. “I was getting tired at the end and was leaving the ball up, but I only gave up three hits.”
The Legends came up big in the second inning, scoring four runs on five hits. Third baseman Joe Goldenberg started the rally with a triple to right-center field and scored on a double by Skylar Brewer (Menlo-Atherton). Dan Brown’s two-out single drove in two more runs.
In the sixth inning, Brewer gave the Legends a 5-0 lead with a solo home run over the left-field fence, his third of the season. He hit five last year.
“I’m seeing the ball great right now, my swing is just falling into place,” he said. “I’m just happy I could start off this hot.”
The Pearl managed three runs combined in the eighth and ninth innings, but pitcher Luke McCreesh came in and earned the save.
The Legends play the Walnut Creek Crawdads tomorrow at Menlo College at 4:30 p.m.
— Max Darrow
June 6, 2011 – Over the wet and cloudy weekend, the Menlo Park Legends traveled down to Santa Maria to take on the Packers in a three game series. The Legends dropped the first two games to the Packers earning the team’s first two losses of the year, but still managed to bring home a win, improving their record to 3-2.
Only fourteen Legends players were able to make the trip to Santa Maria. Of those fourteen, only a third of the pitching staff made it.
“We went down there with four pitchers,” manager and catcher David Klein said. “We are still waiting on two-thirds of our staff.”
Richard McCaffery started his third game of the season over the weekend as the Legends played their fifth game. Because the team was short staffed, Donny Medlinger drove down from Cal Poly during finals to help out and pitch.
Through the three games over the weekend, the Legends brought in position players to pitch. Third baseman Grant Nelson managed to earn the save in the final game of the series, where the Legends won 8-6.
Despite losing two games, Legends first baseman and designated hitter Skylar Brewer had a monstrous weekend, hitting two two-run homeruns. Brewer also came in to pitch during one of the games as well.
Second baseman Abi Arias rolled his ankle over the weekend and will be out for the next few games.
The Legends are set to play Neptune Beach on Tuesday and the Walnut Creek Crawdads on Wednesday.
June 5, 2011 – MP Legends 8, SM Packers 6
June 4, 2011 – MP Legends 2, SM Packers 3
June 3, 2011 – MP Legends 5, SM Packers 10 (click for article)
June 2, 2011 – MP Legends 4, Fontanetti’s 3 Entering it’s third season, the Menlo Park Legends baseball team started the season strong with a 4-3 win against the Fontanetti’s Athletics of San Jose in their home opener at Menlo College.
With a one run lead going into the bottom of the third inning, outfielder Cody Larson (shown right) tore the game open with a two-run homerun over the left field fence, giving the legends a three-run lead.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit. I got that pitch and put a good swing on it,” Larson said.
Larson went 1-2 in the game, drawing a walk and driving in another run, giving him a total of three RBI’s for the afternoon.
Despite trailing three runs the Athletics did not go down easily. But with men on first and third, Legends pitcher Corey Zirbes came through and kept the lead. He walked the first batter, loading the bases, but went on to retire the following three batters.
“To be honest, I’m left handed—I don’t really think too much. I just go out there and throw, and I happened to get out of it [the inning], which was nice,” he said.
Zirbes finished the game and earned the Legends first win of the season.
The Legends travel to Santa Maria this weekend for a four game road trip against the Santa Maria Packers. -Max Darrow (Legends Sportswriter)
May 29, 2011 – MPLegends 3, SF Seagulls 1 – The Menlo Park Legends win the their first game of the season 3-1 over the San Francisco Seagulls! Richard McCaffrey (shown left) pitched 5 innings giving up no earned runs and receiving the win.
Corey Zirbes pitched 2 scoreless innings in middle relief while Greg Pillicci shut the door in the last 2 innings to earn the Legends first save of season. Cody Larson led the charge offensively going 2-4 with a single, double and a stolen base.
The Legends are back in action this Wednesday at Menlo College (4:30) as they take on Fontanetti’s from San Jose in their home opener! See you at the ballpark! (click here for box score)
May 29, 2011- Home opener is this Wednesday at Menlo College at 4:30 versus Fontanetti’s!!!!
May 29, 2011- Legends win first game of the season 3-1 over the San Francisco Seagulls. Richard McCaffrey got the win after pitching 5 innings of scoreless baseball.
April 25, 2011 – Early bird discount for Legends Youth summer baseball camp ends THIS SATURDAY! Dont miss your opportunity!
April 20, 2011 – Opening day is only 6 weeks away!
February 1, 2011 – Legends look to add depth to roster as junior college recruiting begins this week!
January 29, 2011 – Legends release tentative 2011 Summer Game schedule! 2011 Youth Summer camp information released as well!
THANKS FOR A GREAT 2010 SEASON!
The 2010 Menlo Park Legends would like to thank all fans, followers and supporters for being part of the Legends baseball journey this summer. In only our sophomore seasons the Legends achieved one of the top records in California with an overall record of 37-10 and a league record of 19-5!Carried by solid pitching and consistant production at the plate, the 2010 Legends finished the regular season in 1st place in the Pacific West Baseball League! In addition, the 2010 summer marked the Legends first tournament championship as they won the 4th of July Tournament at Diablo Valley College. Our playoff run took us all the way into the last out of the championship game and although we came up short, the conclusion was memorable to say the least.
The strides from last year to this year will hopefully be matched next season. We expect to place in some top tournaments throughout California, and the Pacific West Baseball League is in the process of some exciting expansions. Stay tuned in the off-season and BE LEGENDARY!
Playoff recap: Read article here
In the double-elimination tournament in Atwater, the Legends dropped their opening game against the Atwater Aviators 3-2. Curtis Camilli (West Valley/Lee Univ) pitched seven strong innings allowing only two earned runs. The Legends got a leadoff homer in the sixth by Skylar Brewer (Menlo Atherton HS) and rallied in the ninth but left the bases loaded.
The Legends bounced back to pound the Fresno Cardinals 10-2. Corey Zirbes (5 1-3 innings) and Jeffrey Clegg (Skyline/SF State) limited to Cardinals to eight hits and no walks. The big blow from the Legends was a fourth-inning grand slam over the left-field wall by Ben Clowe (Stanford).
The Legends earned a spot in the championship game with a 6-4 win against the California Seals, also on Saturday. Danny Chavez (Serra/San Mateo) got the start, Kyle Tachibana (Los Altos) pitched in relief and Howard Zosel picked up the final six outs.
The Legends (37-10) scored runs in each of the first two innings, with Jack Mosbacher (Menlo School-Atherton / Stanford) making it 2-0 with an RBI single in the top of the second. The Aviators answered with a two-run homer only to see the Legends tally three more runs, the big hit a Leo Ortiz (Woodside) two-RBI single.
Host Atwater tied the game at 5-all with three runs in the fifth and opened up an 8-5 lead with runs in the
The Legends made it interesting as Johnny Donati (Canada College) doubled to start the ninth, Klein walked and Skylar Brewer (M-A) singled to load the bases. Steve Cook (UCSB) doubled to deep left-center with one out for two RBIs, but Brewer was thrown out after he had slid across the plate — just the beginning of the game-ending controversy.
August 3rd – CONTROVERSIAL CALL ENDS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
The 2010 PWBL Championship game was called in the top of the ninth with 2 outs. Losing 8-5, the visiting Legends loaded the bases in the top of the ninth. With one out, Steve Cook doubled in John Donati and David Klein however Skyler Brewer was called out after sliding across the plate. After the controversial call at home plate the Legends were losing 8-7 to the hosting Atwater Aviators and had a runner on second base with 2 outs and Cody Larson at the plate. The final decision regarding the conclusion of the 2010 PWBL Championship game has gone to the board of the PWBL and is currently pending…
2010 Overall Record: 37-10
2010 League Record: 19-5
Playoff Schedule: (July 30th – August 1st) Atwater Memorial Stadium in Atwater
Friday – Game 1: 4:00pm #3 Fresno Cardinals Vs. #2 California Seals
Friday – Game 2: 7:30pm #1 Menlo Park Legends Vs. #4 Atwater Aviators Saturday – Game 3: 10am Loser of game 1 & 2 (Losers Bracket)
Saturday – Game 4: 2:30pm Winner of Games 1 & 2 (Winners Bracket)
Saturday – Game 5 : 7:00pm Winner of Game 3 and Loser of Game 4
Sunday – Game 6: 11:00am Winner of Game 5 & 4 (Championship) Sunday – Game 7: 1/2 after 1st game Rematch of game 6 if necessary
Final Season Standings:
Menlo Park Legends (19-5) ***Play-Offs***
California Seals (16-8) ***Play-Offs***
Fresno Cardinals (15-9) ***Play-Offs***
Atwater Aviators (14-10) ***Play-Offs***
S.F. Seagulls (11-13)
California Glory (11-13)
Sunday, July 25th – The Legends split with Atwater Aviators in a 2 game series. The Legends took the loss in game 1 with an 4-3 loss in extra innings. They followed up with an offensive explosion with a 9-2 victory to end the league regular season in 1st place with a 19-5 record.
Saturday, July 24th – We apologize as we have been having some website difficulties. The site should be fully updated by the end of the weekend. Stay tuned and stay Legendary!
Friday, July 23rd – Legends are PWBL Regular Season champions!! With a 6-4 victory on Friday the Legends clinched the #1 seed in the PWBL playoffs which begin next Friday evening in Atwater.
Legends clinch first place in league Pacific West Baseball League play! They will be the number one seed in the PWBL Playoffs beginning next Friday in Atwater
Saturday, August 7th – Lost Appeal Ends Legends’ Year
Tuesday, August 3rd – Legends Lose Controversial Championship
Friday, July 16th – Legends featured at San Francisco Giants game!
Thursday, July 15th – The Menlo Park Legends are 25-7 overall and 16-4 in league. Next game is 6:30pm this Friday evening at Baylands in Palo Alto versus the SF Seals! Dont miss it! Click here for directions:
The Menlo Park Legends got outstanding pitching again in downing the San Francisco Seagulls 5 to 1. Four Legends pitchers scattered twelve base-runners over nine innings, (7 hits and 5 walks) and only allowing the Seagulls a single tally. Kyle Tachibana, Darren Iseri, Corey Zirbes and Harold Zosel also combined to fan 8 hitters. The Legends offense was keyed throughout the game by the top three in the order. Johnny Donati opened the Legends first with a walk, Steve Cook walked and Sean Yoshikawa continued his hot hitting with an rbi single. Ryan Sakowski singled, Donati and Cook singled and Yoshikawa double to produce two more runs in the second. Donati and Cook singled and Yoshikawa walked in the fourth but the Legends could not produce a run. Yoshikawa singled in the 6th and scored on a Christian Weeber rbi double. The Legends plated their final run in the 8th on a single by Cook and double by Kellen McColl. The Legends battle the San Francisco Seals at Baylands on Friday July 16th at 7 pm.
Wednesday, July 7th – Legends improve to 10-3 in PWBL with 7-4 win over the San Francisco Seagulls!
