Week Two: Comets split with Expansion Generals

GAME ONE:  Generals 15, Comets 14
WP - Randy Schwaeble
LP - Clancy Philbrick

The Comets never say die attitude was on display again this Sunday at Boyce Field in Roxborough. The Comets scored six runs in the sixth inning an four more runs in the seventh inning to keep the Generals nervous.

Behind those rallies were a two-run double from Andrew Dean and a pinch-hit RBI single from Brian Chernuta. Gavin White had three hits and 4 RBIs in the loss as Comets defense and pitching could not hold of the Generals in the bottom of the seventh inning.

While the Comets will rebound from the loss, they will miss center fielder Dennis Rudzinski, who was injured in the sixth inning of the contest. They Comets cannot wait to have the rookie back healthy to be a spark to the squad in the playoffs.

GAME TWO: Comets 11, Generals 5

Jason Rompola was back to the mound again to help the Comets rebound from a toss Game One loss. Rompola allowed five unearned runs in the third inning, while the other six frames were scoreless. Rompola struck out seven Generals. He also had two hits in the win.

Matt Allen drove in three runs and JR Llanot made his 2016 debut with a pair of hits of his own, including a nice grab in right field.

The Comets host the Muckdogs this week, who enter Week Three sporting a 4-0 record.

Week One: Romp fans 14, Comets split with Irish

GAME ONE: Irish 7, Comets 4 (8 innings)
WP - Jason Aikens
LP - John Estok

The Comets rallied to force extra innings in the season opener, but failed to come through in the extra frame. The 40-year old rookie Peter Harper poked a double down the right field line to tie the contest in the sixth inning.

Another newcomer John Estok made quick work of the Irish in the seventh inning to force free baseball. Andrew Napoli drove in two runs in the first inning and rookie Dennis "D-Ski" Rudzinski recorded his first two GPMABL hits in the loss.

Manager Andrew Marcus set the new GPMABL record with his second steal of the afternoon, surpassing Ryan Golderer's 82 mark. Marcus now has 85 career steals.

GAME TWO: Comets 8, Irish 0
WP - Jason Rompola
LP - Christian Rahman

Jason "J-Romp" Rompola cruised through the Irish order, scattering three hits over a complete game shutout. He fanned 14 batters and added two hits, including a two-run triple.

His battery-mate Andrew Dean had three hits and three RBIs in the first win of the young season. Matt Allen and Rudzinski also had multiple hits in the win.

The Comets will take on the expansion team Germantown Generals next week at Boyce Field in Roxborough.

Milestones for the Comet Cornerstones

Now that GPMABL commissioner Brett Mandel is playing in the "GPMABL Classic League" and the longtime Comet has records left to be broken. Several of them could fall during the 2016 season. As several of the longtime Comets are coming up on special milestone numbers.

While the humble Gavin White thinks nothing of his excellent 7 seasons, stating "it's just longevity", he is about to hit historic league standards because he has put up MVP numbers for almost a decade. These Comets certainly have earned all the stats they have accrued and they should all be very proud of their accomplishments.

White, the 28 year-old first basemen, sits at 161 hits entering his 8th season. His 10th hit will make him the Comets All-Time Hits Leader surpassing Mandel (170) and his 27th hit will make him the GPMABL All-Time Hit King surpassing the A's Billy Mason (187).

Former GPMABL MVP Jason Rompola enters his sixth season with 106 hits. A 24-hit season would make "Romp" the 10th player in GPMABL history to record 130 hits. Considering the infielder/pitcher had 42 hits in 2014, he should be able to reach that mark in 2016.

The current manager Andrew Marcus enters his 9th season with a chance to be the GPMABL's version of Rickey Henderson. Sitting at 81 steals the infielder will tie former Montco Phillie Ryan Golderer (82) with his first bag of the season and be alone at the top of the list with his second steal of the season.

Middle-of-the-order bats Matt Allen and Kyle Riley should both record their 50th career RBIs this season. Riley has 48 steaks and Allen has 42 runs knocked in. Riley also has 87 hits and could have his 100th hit this season.

Phil Motley already the Comets all-time win leader (45) hopefully will record five more this season become the 3rd pitcher in GPMABL to have 50 career wins with Colt .45's Ian Downes and Red Sox Brett Binder.

Motley's personal catcher and longtime Comet manager Matt Gionta has built this winning culture since 2006. Already the team's winningest manager, the backstop has been a part of 133 wins and with a successful 2016 could hit an impressive 150 win.

2016 Philadelphia Comets Schedule Released

*all games start at 10 a.m.
4/10            @ Red Sox         @ Latshaw-McCarthy (Norristown)

4/17            vs. Irish               @ Germantown Academy (Fort Washington)

4/24            @ Generals         @ Boyce Field (Roxborough)

5/1              vs. Muckdogs      @ G.A. (Fort Washington)

5/8              OFF                     MOTHER'S DAY

5/15           @ Royals              @ Hunting Park (Philadelphia)

5/22           @ Irish                  @ G.A. (Fort Washington)

5/29            OFF                      MEMORIAL DAY

6/5              vs. Red Sox           @ G.A. (Fort Washington)

6/12            vs. Royals             @ G.A. (Fort Washintgon)

6/19            vs. Generals          @ G.A. (Fort Washington)      *one nine inning game

6/26            vs. Muckdogs       @ G.A (Fort Washington)

7/3              OFF                      INDEPENDENCE DAY

7/10            @ Irish                  @ Latshaw-McCarthy (Norristown)

7/17            @ Generals           @ G.A. (Fort Washintgon)

7/24            @ Irish                  @ Villanova Ballpark (Plymouth Meeting)

7/31            vs. Generals           @ G.A. (Fort Washington)

8/7             PLAYOFFS BEGIN

Let's Look Back before we Move Forward

It was new era of Philadelphia Comets baseball in 2015. After winning the Greater Philadelphia Mens Adult Baseball League title in 2012 and 2013, and finishing second in 2014, there was a new manager and several new players in the fold.

After seven years on the Comets, Andrew Marcus stepped up to the plate and took over a team that saw its roster total dip to a mere seven player only weeks prior to the season started in April. A relentless pursuit of players gave them enough to start the year with 19, but no one was quite sure what to expect.

Slowly former Comets got the itch to return and the likes of Matt Gionta, Adam Goldstein, and Jason Rompola gave the perennial winners a fighting chance again midseason. After an 8-16 regular season, which included eight one-run losses, the team started to gel just in time for the playoffs.

The Comets clicked in the playoffs, knocking off the defending champion Philadelphia Muckdogs and the Kensington Royals behind the pitching of Jason Rompola. With team MVP Phil Motley absent for the week due to the birth of his first son, “Romp” threw 14 innings in one day and secured a 1-0 lead in the semifinal three game series.

Motley, who pitched 76 innings and finished with a 2.86 ERA in the regular season, came back to clinch a fourth straight trip the championship. The Comets were the sixth seed out of eight teams in the GPMABL, but no team was hotter.

The Comets eventually ran into some bad luck in the finals against the Philadelphia Colt 45s, who did all the right things when it mattered the most. Motley was one the mound with a 2-0 in Game Three before the Colts pitching cooled off the Comets. The 5-2 loss ended the Comets season one win shy of the ultimate goal.

The loss could not take away from a strong season. Comets first basemen Gavin White and manager/infielder Andrew Marcus finished second and third respectively in the league with 30 and 29 hits in the 24 game regular season. Comets outfielder Kyle Riley also earned an all-star nod for his 26 hits, 17 RBIs, and 1.006 OPS, and his gold glove play in the field.

Newcomers catcher Andrew Dean and outfielder Andrew Napoli also their mark and gave the Comets hope for another strong year next summer. Dean earned team Rookie of the Year for his .391 batting average and play behind the plate.

Comets 2016 Club Continues to Round Out

The 2016 GPMABL Draft was held on February 28th and the Philadephia Comets added two more players to an already strong roster.

PLEASE WELCOME DRAFTEES...

Peter Harper (RHP/1b) - This 40 year old showed he had a lot left in the tank on the mound and at the plate. We know he will gel with the rest of our pitching staff due to his background as an artist. Harper lengthens and already potent lineup and gives brings some much needed depth to the mound.

Brian Sogness (OF) - Sogness has all the potential roam the outfield for the Comets and use he speed on the base paths to help the team push runs across the plate. He too could take some innings on the mound, as he brings a pitching background.

ALSO WELCOME FREE AGENTS...

Dennis Rudzinski (OF)
John Estok (1B/3B)
Ali Khan (OF)

ALSO WELCOME...

New Helmets! Purchase today. I know every in Comets Land is excited about that.

Let's try not throw these too often. (Not mentioning any names)

The Comets could use two or three more players before Opening Day on April 10th, but they will continue to search for prospects an continue to practice hard for the upcoming season.

2016 season gets under way April 10th 2016

WEEK NINE: Comets drop two tough ones to Irish

GAME ONE:  The Comets spent the entire day chasing the Irish and were unable to get the clutch hits in the double header to come out victorious. Andrew Dean and Matt Allen each had a pair of hits and a RBI in the loss. Dean was on deck when the game ended in a 5-4 loss.

GAME TWO:  Andrew Dean made it a four hit day with two more in the second contest. Andrew Napoli drove in two with a RBI double in sixth inning to erase a 5-0 hole and they Comets eventually tied the game on a Matt Allen flight out that scored Adam Goldstein.
However the Irish got one run in the bottom of the seventh inning for the 6-5 win, handing Clancy Philbrick the hard luck loss. Philbrick settled in a had pitched three consecutive scoreless innings prior to the sac fly in the seventh inning.

The Comets (4-10) are at Latshaw/McCarthy in Norristown next week to face the Red Sox (6-8).

WEEK EIGHT: Comets struggle to close out Colt .45s

GAME ONE:  Veteran GPMABL pitcher has had the Comets number this season. He had held the top offense down in both games he has pitched this season. On Sunday it was to the tune of a 5-3 loss.
Jason Rompola, the defending league MVP and Single Season Hit King had one hit and two runs scored in the loss. Phil Motley again went the distance in a losing effort.

GAME TWO: The offense showed a little life as Matt Allen had two hits and Andrew Marcus had three hits in the 11-8 loss to the Colts.
The Comets had a 5-4 lead after Allen's RBI single in the fifth inning, only to see the Colts come to life once starter Clancy Philbrick exited the game.

The Comets (4-8) play the Irish (9-3) next week at Germantown Academy.

WEEK SIX: Goldy's Granny gives Comets series split with Royals

GAME ONE:  The Comets wasted little time against the Kensington Royals. They showed their Franklin Division competitors they were an offense to not be taken lightly. The fifth year man Adam Goldstein gave up baby duties for another Sunday and put the good guys out in from with his first inning Grand Slam. It was his third career home run, all leading to a 10-7 win.
Brian Chernuta drove in his first run as a Comet and the Andrews - Dean, Napoli, and Marcus - combined for five of the team's 10 hits. The run support was all in favor of ace Phil Motley, who went the distance for the third straight start, and improved his record to 3-1 on the season.

GAME TWO: The Royals pitched their ace in lefty Russel Kessinger, but the Comets battled him. He walked seven and threw well over 100 pitches. The Comets approach at the plate forced them to go to the bullpen in the seventh inning.
There the Comets crawled within one run, but the 5-4 loss made it 5 one-run losses this season. Gavin White had two hits and two RBIs in the loss. Clancy Philbrick was the hard-luck loser as the defense behind him made two untimely errors to allow the Royals a decisive four run inning.

The Comets are off for Week Seven and Memorial Day and then back in action against the Colts on May 31st at Villanova Ballpark in Plymouth.

***CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOKS
Gavin White is four hits away from 150 career hits, which would put him 5th on the GPMABL All-Time hit list.

WEEK FOUR: Comets cannot fight off the Irish

GAME ONE: Make it four losses now for the Comets this season. Besides the game when they lost their starting pitcher to an injury in the first inning they have held a lead in the late innings of every game and could make a strong case for being 5-1 this season.
But instead the new-look Comets stand at 3-5 after a 6-5 loss to the Irish as they scored two in the seventh inning to rally past Phil Motley. Motley once again was strong the mound, limiting the big inning and giving his offense every chance to capitalize.
Matt Gionta and Andrew Marcus scored on a Gavin White fielder choice in the inning and White and Matt Allen would come around in the sixth inning after Allen and Andrew Napoli doubles.

GAME TWO: Gavin White did his best to swing momentum in the Comets favor, but it just was not enough. His first inning home-run got things going and he pitched a solid last two innings in relief, but to no prevail.
Clancy Philbrick battled through five innings and gave the Comets every chance to earn the series split. Matt Gionta had a big RBI double in the sixth inning to square things up at six runs a piece before the Irish pushed one across in the seventh inning.

WEEK THREE: Comets split with Colt .45s

GAME ONE:  As we welcomed back to old faces to the fold, Phil Motley was up to same old tricks once again. Guided by his longtime catcher Matt Gionta, Motley pitched his first complete game of the season for a 5-2 win. In seven innings he allowed four hits and two unearned runs. That is now 17 innings for Motley this season without allowing an earned run.
It was a Kyle Riley triple in the third inning tat gave the Comets a two-run lead they would never relinquish. Gavin White also had a pair of RBIs in the win.

GAME TWO: Matt Allen did his best to put the team on his back after starter Angelo Capria exited the game in the first inning with an injury. However other than a red hot Kyle Riley, who added two more hits to his team high total of 11, the veteran Colts right-hander Ian Downes got the best of the Comets lineup for a 14-0  win.
Carlos Perez ripped a single down the third base line in his first at-bat and Mike Bertha extended the game with a double down the first base line in the final inning. That was it for the offense.

WEEK TWO: Comets take two tough-luck losses against Angels

GAME ONE:  Phil Motley was up to his old tricks at Germantown Academy and the Comets held a 3-1 lead after six innings. Motley scattered four hits and struck out four in the no decision. However a few balls bounced the wrong way in the seventh innings and the Angels tied the game. The Angels grabbed a 4-3 win in eight innings and as the Comets were held hitless over the last four innings by Matt Kalos. Clancy Philbrick had his first career base hit with Comets in the loss.

GAME TWO:  Philbrick took the ball in game two and was cruising through the first three innings as the Angels did not record a hit the first time around their lineup. While the Angels broke through with a nine-run fourth inning, the Comets showed they never quit with nine runs of their own in the top of fifth inning. The Comets received a two-run double from Andrew Dean in the last inning to bring the Comets within one run, but were unable to get that one more clutch hit needed and fell 13-12. Gavin White had a pair of RBIs and a pair of doubles in the loss.

The Comets will look to rebound at Germantown Academy next week against the Colt .45s.

WEEK ONE: Comets crush Brawlers on Opening Day

GAME ONE  - The Philadelphia Comets could not wait to get the season started, but by 4 p.m. on Sunday they were happy to see it end. The new look Comets were even happier to come away with the sweep of the Brawlers at Latshaw/McCarthy Field in Norristown.
Phil Motley got the nod in the opener and mowed down the Brawlers bats, leading the Comets to a 15-6 victory. The eighth-year man overcame inning blunders that allowed three runs to cross. The defense settled in and Motley went to work, striking out eight over four innings.
Angelo Capria came in relief and fanned six over his three innings to earn his first career save for the Comets.
Motley also had three hits and four runs at the plate. Veterans Gavin White and Kyle Riley each had three hits as did newcomer Andrew Napoli.
It was the first career managerial win for Andrew Marcus.

GAME TWO -  The Comets wasted little time showing they are still the franchise that has been in three-consecutive title series. They sent 19 players to the plate in the first inning, scoring 14 runs, eventually leading to a 19-8 win.
Clancy Philbrick made his Comets debut and dazzled, keeping the Brawlers off-balance. The tall righty threw one-hit ball over four innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Napoli was at it again with another three hits and Marcus helped himself get managerial win number two with three hits.

In total the Comets had 36 clean hits in the win and scored 34 runs. After a long day of baseball they will rest all week and be back in action next week at Germantown Academy against the Aston Angels.

2015 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED!

After weeks of anticipation the 2015 GPMABL schedule was announced on April 1st by commissioner Brett Mandel.The new look Comets will sorely miss LaSalle Univeristy and DeVincent Field, but as in other ways this season, the team will fight past adversity, work with what they have, and do whatever it takes to win.
Week One the defending Franklin Division champs kick off the season at Latshaw-McCarthy in Norristown against the Quad County Brawlers, who are trying to improve on their 2-23 record from 2014.
The Comets will spend the next two weeks at Germantown Academy and get their first off week for Mother's Day on May 10th.
Other games to look forward to fall on Father's Day, when the Comets play a single nine-inning game against the Philadelphia Muckdogs. After beating the Muckdogs in the GPMABL championship in 2012 & 2013, the Brian Smith-led squad got the best of the Comets last season.
The Comets sandwich the regular season with the Brawlers again in the last week before starting the playoffs on April 9th.
The All-Star game will once again be at Frawley Stadium, the home of the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
GET THE FULL SCHEDULE HERE!

APRIL MATCHUPS
VS. 
Philadelphia Comets (0-0) vs. Quad County Brawlers (0-0)
@ Latshaw-McCarthy, Norristown

      VS.  

           

Philadelphia Comets (0-0) vs. Aston Angels (0-0)
@ Germantown Academy, Fort Washington

VS.

Philadelphia Comets (0-0) vs. Philadelphia Colt .45s (0-0)
@Villanova Ballpark, Plymouth-Meeting

VS.

Philadelphia Comets (0-0) vs. Mayfair Fighting Irish (0-0)
@ Hunting Park, Philadelphia

NEW HIRE: SAME FIRE - 2015 GPMABL PHILADELPHIA COMETS

After seven seasons and 161 games Andrew Marcus has taken over a the manager of the Philadelphia Comets. Marcus, has patrolled several positions over the years, with most games played at third base. He is the clubs all-time leader in steals with 62.

Marcus replaces Matt Gionta, who took the team to three straight GPMABL Championship Series winning in 2012 and 2013. Last year he surpassed legend Joe Collins as the clubs' all-time winningest manager.

With the likes of former MVP Gavin White, perennial all-stars Matt Allen and Phil Motley back in the fold, the Comets look to continue its winning ways in the summer of 2015.