Courtesy of the Niagara Gazette
By Doug Smith
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The crackling-hot Niagara Power greet the Olean Oilers Friday night in game one of the New York Collegiate Baseball League playoffs. Not since September of 1993 has Sal Maglie Stadium played host to a summer baseball game of this import.
While the NYCBL makes no claim to professional status, most nights, except for the minimal admission charges, huge post-game on-field meet-and-greets and the absence of beer sales, the casual observer couldn’t tell it from a minor league such as the New York-Penn.
And it was the NY-Penn, in 1993, which gave Niagara Falls its last professional hurrah. Owned by the Rich family’s Buffalo Bisons, affiliated with the Detroit Tigers and managed by major league great Larry Parrish, the Niagara Rapids knocked off the Pittsfield Mets in the best-of-three opener, then went on the road and won 1-0 in 10 innings in Massachusetts to win the title.
They never came home. Unable to get Niagara Falls officials to even return their phone calls about beautifying “The Barber Shop,” the Riches moved the team to Jamestown for 1994. Another club, the independent Niagara Falls Mallards, played one year, 1996, finishing first in attendance and last in the standings.
And now come the Power, flying the banner of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, in their sixth year, first four of which took “love thy neighbor” to the extremes of last-place finishes. The team tiptoed in and out of the playoffs 2011 and this year, staffed with several Big Ten and other Division I athletes, finished one game behind Western Division leader Hornell.
Standing at 13-15 July 9, the team then won a game every day that it played (splitting a couple of double-headers). Winning nine of its last 10, the Power (25=15) clinched second Wednesday night as manager Garret Shivley worked at setting up his pitching rotation.
Steve Beckham (4-0, 1.84 ERA), the only hurler who didn’t get a few live throws at Olean, gets the ball tonight. Once virtually out of pitching, the Power went into its own arms race and assembled a fearsome staff, with Scott Voyles (0.47 ERA, seven saves) cooling his heels ‘til the close.
The Power has eight .300-plus hitters, led by Shakeel Newton (.370) and Chane Lynch (.367), and 15 homers, more than all previous Power teams combined.
But the team’s signature has been the stolen bases, 118 including the Olean game. It should make for a larcenous evening, as the Oilers have pilfered 82.
Although the Oilers thinned out after leading the league, they field the league’s home run king, Jon Kemmer, whose .442 average includes nine round-trippers.
Niagara will play without infielder Malachi Melton, who discovered Sunday, after hitting one of the longest home runs in Geneva McDonough Park history, that he has four broken bones in his left hand. Also sidelined: Catcher Frank Polino, racked up in a home-plate collision earlier this season.
Both have stayed with the club. “OK if I just hang out for a while?” Melton asked team president Cal Kern at Monday’s team banquet. Polino remains on board, too, the team rallying around him.
The best-of-three series continues Satruday at 5 in unlit Olean. A third game would begin at 7 Sunday at Sal Maglie.
Just wanted to clear up that Hornell was not the team involved in the collision at home plate that injured the Niagara catcher. That injury occured the day before the teams played each other on the 2nd.
Paul,
Thank you for the read and clarification. The edit has been made.
Paul