Peter's Summer Sports

The best kept winning baseball secret in the South County sports scene is the Brindley Foundation Baseball program.Playing out of Oxford and using Oxford High School as their home field, Brindley Foundation has amassed an incredible 160-48 record over their nine year existence. Playing in the Paul N. Johnson Senior Babe Ruth League for ages 15-19, Brindley has earned respect over the years and has outlasted all of the South County American Legion baseball teams. In fact, Brindley has put legion baseball out of commission in the South County area, aka Webster-Dudley, Oxford, and Charlton. Auburn has attempted to make Legion baseball respectable in recent years, but they are still a work in progress. There are 15 American Legion teams in Central Mass. and 14 of them are north of Auburn. The Sturbridge Legion team is the only Legion team south of Route 20.

Brindley Foundation plays with 13 other Senior Babe Ruth teams in Central Mass. If you are counting, that’s 29 summer baseball teams in Central Mass. for ages 15-19. Realistically, there are 7 good to average Legion teams and 3 good to average Senior Babe Ruth teams.

Brindley is a top four team if Legion and Senior Babe Ruth were combined this year and could more than hold their own in the Legion ranks. They have pitching and savvy. The reason for Brindley’s success starts at the top and team manager Steve "Red" Paquette’s organizational skills have made Brindley the place to play summer baseball in the South County. Word travels fast in these parts and Paquette’s reputation over the last 9 years speaks for itself. Kids want to play for Brindley and they know they are going to have fun and win. Brindley Foundation baseball is a committed organization to summer baseball for high school players and college freshman players.

South County hasn’t had a summer baseball team in the winner’s column since the Webster-Dudley American Legion team of the late 70s dominated the action under coach Francis X. Kasheta. Sponsorship is the other key to success and Brindley Foundation of Oxford has been great to the kids. Their baseball website is second to nobody. You can visit them at www.brindleyfoundationbaseball.com Fran and Debbie Brindley have been great sponsors over the last nine years and have been great community youth boosters as well. Right now, Brindley has received an opening round bye in the playoffs for coming in 1st place in their division.The roster has South County all over it. Players from Shepherd Hill, Bartlett, and Oxford are having a great summer so far.

Indian Ranch Spring Athletes to be honored

The 2012 Indian Ranch Spring Athletes of the week will be honored as guests with their families at Indian Ranch during the Gavin Degraw show on July 27th. The 2012 Indian Ranch spring athletes of the week are Nicole Mangaudis, Emily Dawidczyk, Nick Lemay, Josh St.Laurent, Molly Covill, Louis Caro, Lindsay Bond, Nick Cardoni. Details for the athletes will be forthcoming for this enjoyable day to spend at Indian ranch with their families. Happy 4th of July everybody!