Registration will be held Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18, and Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Feb. 9, Feb. 16. and Feb. 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Peter J. Foley Clubhouse, 299 Scott St.

Registration is open to all boys and girls ages 5 to 12 as of April 30, 2012. First time players need to bring a copy of their birth certificate and proof of residency on the west side of Naugatuck. The registration fee is $85 per player for minor and major divisions of baseball, and $60 for the Junior and Farm Divisions. The family maximum registration fee is $125, and all players have a mandatory fundraiser as well.

Girls between the ages 7 and 12 as of April 30, 2012 who want to play softball should register with Union City Little League.

For more information, call at (203) 729-1002 or visit www.peterjfoley.com.

The sessions will be held at the Union City Clubhouse on Morris Street and are scheduled for Jan. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Feb. 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Feb. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Baseball registration is open for children ages 5 to 12. Boys born between May 1, 1999 and April 30, 2007 are eligible to play. Girls born between Jan 1, 2005 and April 30, 2007 are eligible to play.

Softball registration is open for girls between the ages of 7 and 16. Girls born between Jan. 1, 1995 and Dec 31, 2004 are eligible to play.

Players must reside within Union City Little League boundaries, with the exception that all girls between the ages of 7 and 16 who live in Naugatuck are eligible to play softball at Union City Little League.

Parents or guardians of new players must provide a legal driver’s license, an original or state certified copy of the child’s birth certificate and two additional proofs of residence.

For more information, visit www.eteamz.com/unioncityll.

Registration dates are Jan. 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Laurel Ledge Elementary School gym lobby. This night is the “early bird” registration with $10 off each registration.

Other registration dates are Jan. 31, and Feb. 2 also from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Laurel Ledge Elementary School gym lobby. The final registration night is Feb. 13 from 6 pm – 8 pm in the Laurel Ledge Elementary School gym lobby. There will be a late fee of $25 for any signups on Feb. 13. No more registrations will be after Feb. 13. Any child wishing to signup following Feb. 13 will be put on a waiting list.

The Majors division is for children ages 11 and 12 and costs $80. The Minors division is for children ages 9 and 10 and costs $80. Coach Pitch division is for children ages 7 and 8 and costs $60. TBall Division is for children ages 5 and 6 and costs $60.

All age groups are determined by child’s age on May 1, 2012.

For more information and registration forms, e-mail President Scott Szturma at szt23bon@sbcglobal.net or visit www.racbl.org.

Registration dates are Jan. 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Laurel Ledge Elementary School gym lobby.  This night is the “early bird” registration with $10 off each registration.

Other registration dates are Jan. 31, and Feb. 2 also from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Laurel Ledge Elementary School gym lobby. The final registration night is Feb. 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Laurel Ledge Elementary School gym lobby.  There will be a late fee of $25 for any signups on Feb. 13. No more registrations will be after Feb. 13. Any child wishing to signup following Feb. 13 will be put on a waiting list.

The Majors division is for children ages 11 and 12 and costs $80. The Minors division is for children ages 9 and 10 and costs $80. Coach Pitch division is for children ages 7 and 8 and costs $60. TBall Division is for children ages 5 and 6 and costs $60.

All age groups are determined by child’s age on May 1, 2012.

For more information and registration forms, e-mail President Scott Szturma at szt23bon@sbcglobal.net or visit www.racbl.org.

General Manager Larry Renna and head coach Jim Augelli Sr. retired this year. Jeff Clarke of Prospect is the team’s new general manager and Dave Langdon of Beacon Falls is the new head coach. Don Ensero will remain as bench coach and advisor.

The posts thanked Renna and Augelli for their help in starting the baseball program seven years and their dedication to the program.

With the retirement of Renna and Augelli, the team is seeking two new assistant coaches. For more information on the coaching positions, call (203) 575-1511.

RA ARCHIVE Naugatuck native Pat Dean delivers a pitch during his Double-A debut for the New Britain Rock Cats last Friday night. RA ARCHIVE

Fans began arriving two hours before game time and at 5 p.m.—30 minutes before the gates opened—there were an estimated 300 lined up anxious to see the former Naugatuck Greyhound and 2010 third-round draft pick make his Rock Cats debut.

The announced attendance of 8,214 was the second-highest single-game total of the season and a lot of that was attributed to the Naugatuck fans that came out in droves to support one of their own.

Dean, pitching in front of his hometown fans and with the added pressure of pitching in a pennant race, struggled in the first inning, allowing five hits and three runs to the Trenton Thunder, the New York Yankees affiliate.

But Dean wasn’t pitching for his fifth team in two years of professional baseball—each higher than the last—by accident. The Twins are quite high on Dean and for good reason.

After that first inning Dean went on to throw five more innings of four-hit shutout baseball, much to the delight of the overflowing crowd.

Trenton went on to post a 4-1 win as Jeff Marquez handcuffed the Rock Cats, throwing eight innings of one-hit ball. Evan Bigley had the only hit for New Britain—a solo home run to center field—in the fifth.

In the first inning, Dean threw first-pitch strikes to just three of eight batters. Once he settled in, he threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of the final 19 batters he faced getting 10 of 11 batters out during a stretch from the second inning through the fifth.

His final line of six innings, nine hits, three runs, and three strikeouts doesn’t jump off the page but what he did to overcome the first inning didn’t go unnoticed by the team.

“I was definitely nervous in that first inning,” admitted Dean. “My manager came up to me after the inning was over and told me to just keep throwing strikes, the team’s got your back. That gave me confidence and I just went out there and slowed things down and started to mix in all of my pitches.

“At this level and higher it’s 99 percent a mental game,” Dean continued. “Once you take yourself out of that mental game you are done. My teammates made some great plays behind me and I just bore down and focused on each and every batter.”

Dean is living the boyhood dream of every kid that ever put on a uniform. He started to get noticed back at St. Francis Elementary School when he pitched a perfect game, striking out all 21 batters he faced.

At Naugatuck High, Dean showed he was a definite Division I prospect as he concluded his high school career by throwing back-to-back no-hitters before moving on to a stellar career at Boston College.

In his first stop this season in Beloit, Wis., Dean threw seven innings of no-hit ball with his dad Greg in the stands. After that game, he was promoted to the Florida State League pitching for the Fort Myers Miracle. Dean pitched for the Miracle throughout most of the summer before being called up to New Britain last week.

Dean’s latest stop on his climb to the Majors brings the former Greyhound to within 30 miles of his hometown, and his hometown fans did not disappoint.

“My wife and I were so excited to see all the people from Naugatuck come out and support Pat,” said Pat’s father, Greg Dean. “I think everyone we have ever known in town came out. Naugatuck is a great town and it was a great place for Pat to grow up and I thank all his coaches and teachers for helping him to become who he is.”

The effort of friends and family from Naugatuck didn’t go unnoticed by the lefty, either.

“It was awesome to see so many people from Naugatuck come out and support me like that,” Pat Dean said.

Former Greyhound Pat Dean, seen here pitching in 2007 for Naugy, was promoted for the second time this season within the Minnesota Twins’ minor league system. He will pitch with the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats. RA ARCHIVE

“Absolutely,” Dean said. “My arm feels great. My body is in great shape and has held up pretty well for it being the end of August so I am really happy with that. I am definitely excited to be given this opportunity, and I plan on taking advantage of it.”

The opportunity is a chance to pitch in a Double-A pennant race 30 minutes from his home after receiving his second pro¬motion of the season within the Minnesota Twins’ minor league system.

The 22-year-old left-hander started the season on the disabled list with tendonitis in his elbow, and he wasn’t sure what to expect in only his second sea¬son since being selected in the third round of the Major League draft out of Boston College.

By his own admission, it has been an up-and-down year. He was good enough to earn a promotion from the Twins’ Midwest League Single-A team in Beloit, Wis., to a higher Single-A team in Fort Myers, Fla. While he struggled there for a month, he grew enough from that adversity to earn a second promotion, this time to the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats.

He’s ecstatic that he’s a little ahead of even where he expected to be.

“To be honest with you, I figured I was going to finish the year with Fort Myers,” Dean said. “I don’t want to say I would have been OK with that, but knowing that the Twins don’t typically move players too fast through their system I definitely would have understood. This was definitely a nice little bonus.”

Dean said the Twins told him that the Rock Cats needed another quality left-handed pitcher to make their push toward the Eastern League playoffs.

He said he is scheduled to join the team Thursday and would be the Rock Cats’ starting pitcher Friday in New Britain.

“It reassures me that they have a lot of confidence in me,” Dean said. “It is definitely a great feeling to have.”
This season hasn’t been all good feelings. In fact, there have been quite a few rocky, frustrating moments the last month.

Despite spending time on the disabled list for the second-straight season with the elbow tendonitis, his arm feels great now.

He is still throwing consistently around 88-89 mph and occasionally touching 90-91.

He said his struggles weren’t so much due to the tendonitis, but because he is still learning how to pitch given his physical limitations. From youth baseball through lower Single-A pro ball, he was able to overmatch hitters with a quality fastball that he spotted pretty well.

Even this year at Beloit, he was 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA and 37 strikeouts with only nine walks. Once he was promoted to Fort Myers, however, it became obvious he needed more than fastball to succeed. He was 3-6 with a 6.67 ERA and gave up 83 hits in 58 innings.

“Facing all these new challenges, I am willing to do anything I can to overcome everything thrown at me,” Dean said. “If it was extremely easy without these challenges, it wouldn’t be any fun. I feel like as the season has progressed I definitely have gotten a lot smarter.”

He said the biggest improvements have been developing his changeup and learning to mix it in with his slider and curve to make his fastball appear to be faster.

After going through a span of yielding five or more runs in five of six starts between July 23 and Aug. 20, Dean pitched seven strong innings last Friday, allowing just two runs and striking out five with no walks against Charlotte.

“I was working with my pitching coach (Steve Mintz), and he helped me figure out a few things and keep my confidence up,” Dean said. “It definitely went a long way toward getting me back where I want to be, especially after that last outing. I feel like I am back on track. The Twins feel the same way, and that is why they are giving me a shot to pitch with the Rock Cats.”

Despite the uncertain nature of the season overall, Dean said he believes more than ever that he is track to make it to the major leagues.

“I have always thought that I had an opportunity to do it,” Dean said. “So far I have been given a lot of opportunities to make this dream come true, and I plan on taking advantage of them. There have definitely been a lot of hard times because it is a long season and a tough grind, but just getting through it will make the outcome that much sweeter in the end.”

Citizen’s News contributing sports writer Ernie Bertothy at the Rogers Centre, the home of the Toronto Blue Jays, earlier this summer. CONTRIBUTED

Detroit and Toronto are two of them. I found this out earlier this summer.

Despite all the bad press that Detroit gets, there’s at least one reason to go there: Comerica Park. Once inside the gates, baseball fans are treated to an iconic structure that breathes life into a city that desperately needs it.

I was fortunate to go on a Friday night and see the Tigers’ Justin Verlander—perhaps the best pitcher in baseball. It was a standing-room-only crowd.

But the players and the crowd are only part of the show. The park does an extraordinary job of honoring a franchise that’s rich in baseball history and showcasing some unique architecture.

Upon entering the park’s front gate, you are greeted by a 20-foot tiger ready to pounce. The stadium itself embraces the tiger and can be found everywhere you turn in some way, shape or form.

For the fan who appreciates history, you’re in luck. Comerica Park features six statues that line the centerfield area.

Perhaps you know some of the names on these statues—Cobb, Greenberg or Kaline? The park also sports a team Walk of Fame on the lower level concourse.

If you’re a casual fan, there are other things to draw your attention. Like many other newer ballparks, there are numerous food and beverage options.

For younger fans, there’s even a mini Ferris wheel and a carousel.

Those same younger fans might not remember when the Sky Dome opened. Twenty years later, it’s called the Rogers Centre.

It will always be the Sky Dome to me. It was the first park to have a fully retractable roof. There was a hotel attached to it.

On this day, the roof was closed for batting practice and opened for the game. It was about 90 degrees and sunny.
While the artificial turf is as anti-baseball as it gets, the park had a unique positive—sound.

The completely enclosed park with a partial roof—even with it open—keeps sound in the park.

The crack of the bat and the pop of the ball hitting the glove are all heard around the lower level of the park. And while they don’t have the history to flaunt like the Tigers, the Blue Jays have some recent names to boast—namely Roberto Alomar, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

The weekend trip had two unique parks: A brand new park full of history and an older park that ushered in the modern era.

If you’re a baseball fan, both are worth your time.

Any player age 12 to 15 can sign-up and tryout. For more information, call Butch Ouellette at (203) 723-0636.

Former Greyhound Pat Dean, seen here pitching in 2007 for Naugy, is in his first full season as a pro with the Fort Myers Miracle, the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. RA ARCHIVE

Dean plans to make three or four more starts for the Fort Myers Miracle, the Single-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins in the highly regarded Florida State League. His next start is scheduled for Friday and comes after two tough outings.

“I’ve had a couple bad outings and I’d like to end the season on a good note,” said Dean, a left-handed pitcher.

The Naugatuck native began the season in Beloit, Wis., and made a quick impression. In eight starts, he had a 2.86 ERA and a 2-0 record.

After being promoted to Fort Myers, Dean has had ups and downs. His upbeat demeanor and big-picture perspective continue to be assets.

“I’m on my way to living my dream,” Dean said. “But there’s a reason why I’m in high-A ball and not the big leagues.”

Dean, a third-round pick in last year’s draft, spoke about the series of adjustments he continues to make seemingly each day. The length of the season has been a constant challenge.

Rookie-level ball is a shorter season and typically there’s extra rest between starts and appearances. Dean is in the midst of a 144-game season, a significant difference from last year.

“My body is definitely feeling the difference of pitching once every five days,” Dean said.

Another change is the level of competition. The Florida State League offers many top prospects on each roster.

“I’m seeing a lot of players you’re going to see in the big leagues,” Dean said.

Facing that talent is a challenge. It requires Dean to mix his pitches and speed with precision.

He has a 2-5 record and a 6.70 ERA in nine starts in Fort Myers. In his first four starts, he gave up three earned runs or less.

The last five starts have been more difficult, and Dean is learning each time out what he needs to do going forward.

“I’m learning the hard way to call pitches and set up hitters,” Dean said. “Everybody here throws as hard as me or harder. I have to figure out new ways to get these guys out. I’m still working on it.”

Dean says he’s improving. He said his off-speed pitches have gotten better.

“My slider is becoming stronger,” Dean said. “I’m happy with my off-speed pitches.”

The season has also provided Dean with some unique experiences. He’s had the opportunity to interact with major leaguers Jim Thome, who hit his 600th big league home run this week, and Delmon Young.

And he also had a more personal experience earlier in the year when he faced his former Naugatuck Greyhound teammate Stephen Hiscock’s team, the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League.

“It was great to see Steve and we were able to go out to dinner,” Dean said.

Dean’s outlook remains optimistic. As his second season in professional comes to a close, Dean believes he’s in a good position.

“I want to be able to look back on this season and take away all the good things and work on the other things,” Dean said.