Executive Director

KENNY JERKINS, Las Vegas, Nevada kennyjerkins@aol.com

Deputy Director
DAN CUNNINGHAM, Greencastle, Pennsylvania cunnidan@wcps.k12.md.us

April News:

   Japan-South Korea ties have long been strained, often over issues related to atrocities committed by Japan during its brutal 1910-45 occupation of Korea....

   ... now, ties are warming.... Recent polls suggest a majority of young Koreans want to improve relations with Japan. And South Korean interest in Japanese cultural productions, such as anime, and commercial products like beer, has surged....

   And Ohtani - whom Koreans refer to as "the baseball genius" - can't hurt, at least if you ask many Korean baseball fans.

   Many were impressed that during his pre-game comments to the media, Ohtani had nothing but warm words for South Korea. That is a contrast to Ichiro Suzuki, another Japanese baseball legend, who stirred resentment among many Koreans by taunting, and sometimes insulting, their country.

   "(Ohtani) just respects Korea ... that's why other people respect him too," said Seoul resident Ryoo-Sung-kyu. 

   - reported by Voice of America's Lee Juhyun and William Gallo with Kim Hyungjin after Shohei Ohtani's Los Angeles Dodgers' 2024 Major League Baseball regular-season Opening Day victory versus the San Diego Padres played in South Korea's capital city Seoul on Wednesday, March 20 - before .... 

 Voice of America is part of the United States Agency for Global Media, the government agency that oversees all non-military, United States international broadcasting. It is funded by the United States Congress - which is funded by the United States of America's taxpayers. Well: we've paid for this microphone. 

www.voanews.com 

BRAVES BLANK TWINS FOR STATE SUPREMACY

TRI-COUNTY TRIPS OAKLAND BEFORE FATE IN FINALS

HAGERSTOWN FINALLY HOISTS THE HARDWARE AGAIN

HAGERSTOWN - Cornelius McGillicuddy, the late Philadelphia Athletics' 50-year owner/manager and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer better known as Connie Mack said that "Pitching is 80 percent of baseball." Future pundits amended that adage to "Pitching is 90 percent of baseball." On Saturday, August 12, the Fayette County League's Oakland Oaks scored three runs, the Eastern Shore League Champion Tri-County Twins averaged scoring two runs per game and the South Penn League Champion Hagerstown Braves scored one run. Oakland allowed four runs, Tri-County averaged allowing two runs per game and Hagerstown allowed no runs on that same afternoon - that one-run offense won a State crown.

   State Championship Game XXVII Most Valuable Player shortstop Corey Walters had two safeties including the infield hit that plated Jarrett Biesecker with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning as the host Hagerstown Braves trimmed the Tri-County Twins 1-0 in front of 56 fans and the 2000 State titleists took the 2023 Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball State Championship trophy at North Hagerstown High School. Jace Szaflarski was the winning pitcher with two shutout innings including first walking the bases loaded and then leaving the bases loaded in the top of the seventh. Starter Zolby Martin had managed five scoreless frames for the homestanding Washington Countians. Ethan Caudo closed the contest with a six-out save. The Twins had overcome the Oaks 4-3 in the single-day/single-elimination Eyewitness News event's semifinal as Brian Laird bested Craig Bosley in their tug-of-war that had been promoted pregame for 2023 Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball Manager of the Year. Craig East's two-out hit tied the game in the top of the eighth before Evan Nibblett extended the inning with his go-ahead double for the victors. Riley Horner had two hits, scored twice and hurled four scoreless innings of relief for the win for the Dorchester Countians who avenged their 5-3 loss to the Garrett Countians in a rematch of their 2022 State semifinal showdown.

A BETTER ANSWER - WITHOUT A QUESTION

SUPPORTED SEMI-PRO BASEBALL FOR 22 SEASONS

410-879-8600 or 1-800-346-2517

BEL AIR - A Better Answer provided the Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball Information Line as a courtesy from 1991 through 2012 inclusive, helping to create the statewide semi-pro baseball network that we enjoy today. A Better Answer provides 24/7 telemessaging services for the business, commercial, industrial and medical communities. Please consider A Better Answer if in need of such services and contact A Better Answer either at 410-879-8600 or at 1-800-346-2517 or via www.a-better-answer.com - why wait when there's A Better Answer? 

RIPKEN FOUNDATION / FEEDING AMERICA

HONOR CAL BY HELPING TO STRIKE OUT HUNGER

410-952-7920

ABERDEEN - Launched by the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation www.ripkenfoundation.org , the purpose of the Strike Out Hunger campaign is to raise funds that will provide food to people in need. Together with Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Niagara Cares, Group1001 and the Kevin Harvick Foundation, the Ripken Foundation partnered with Feeding America, their 200 local food banks, 60,000 food pantries and meal programs across the country to help address the issue of food insecurity for underserved kids and families. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact Jennifer Dansicker at 410-952-7920 or jdansicker@ripkenfoundation.org  

GET A GUARANTEED MORTGAGE

50-PLUS YEARS OF FINANCIAL EXPERIENCE

REACH TO ROGER DAWSON FOR DOLLARS

BRUNSWICK - Consider the Brunswick Orioles' four-time Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball State Champion Roger Dawson for your Guaranteed Mortgage. Re-financing, purchases and consolidations all are available through Guaranteed Mortgage, a company with more than 50 years of experience. Call Frederick County-based Guaranteed Mortgage Loan Specialist Roger Dawson at 301-834-8068.

PERSONAL BEST HAS BASEBALL PRODUCTS

CUMBERLAND COMPANY CAN DELIVER STATEWIDE

RUSSELL AND RINEHART ARE READY TO SERVE

CUMBERLAND - Personal Best Athletics is offering deals on balls, bats, spikes, helmets, gloves and catchers' equipment. Custom jerseys and hats can take roughly six weeks. Contact either Ben Russell directly at 301-338-0974 or Dave Rinehart Jr. at 301-729-8711 extension 105 in Cumberland.

POINTSTREAK WORKS, YOU JUST PLAY

905-731-9867

THE LEADER IN REAL-TIME SPORTS STATISTICS

TORONTO - Pointstreak.com, the leader in real-time sports statistics offers technology and products designed to save sports organizations time, money and effort. Contact Kael Herman via either kherman@pointstreak.com or 905-731-9867.

BOARD CAN INTERACT VIA THE INTERNET

ADVISORS MAY MULL ADVICE FROM ALL

YEAR-ROUND FORUM IS OPEN AND ONGOING

BALTIMORE - Judge Kent Boles is chairing Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball Advisory Board open discussions online monitored by Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball Deputy Director Dan Cunningham. Input is to be accepted from the public. Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball Advisory Board members Judge Kent Boles's, Gary Bennett's, Steve Hastings's, Bob Schnebly's and Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball Deputy Director Dan Cunningham's respective e-mail address links
Brewer15@aol.com,
garyb320@gmail.com,

stevehast@comcast.net,
Starlyrara@aol.com,
cunnidan@wcps.k12.md.us

may be copied and pasted to contact them collectively. Consistent with Maryland State open government "sunshine" laws and transparency ideals, effective immediately, any correspondence sent to the Executive Director that is either pertinent to Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball or peripheral to Maryland Semi-Pro Baseball will be shared with the Deputy Director and there should be no expectation of confidentiality in such communications.

Sources: Internet and other media and eyewitness reports