Who needs contact? Not Post 295

Friday, June 26, 2009 by John Y. Wehmueller Staff Writer http://www.gazette.net/

Gaithersburg beats Post 171 10-1 Thursday with strikeouts, walks

When Gaithersburg Post 295 manager Rick Price told him to "get a grip," left-handed pitcher/catcher Gary Schneider listened.

At Price's suggestion, Schneider changed the grip on his two-seam fastball at the beginning of the American Legion baseball season. He used it to great effect Thursday, striking out 10 Damascus

Post 171 batters over five innings in a 10-1 win at Quince Orchard High.

"Coach Price taught it to me about two weeks ago," Schneider said. "Basically, I was holding the ball too hard, and I wasn't getting any movement on it. I loosened my grip, and obviously, it moves a lot now."

Schneider allowed a lone unearned run in the top of the second. With one in, none out and the bases loaded, he worked out of the jam, inducing a shallow pop fly to right before striking out the last two batters of the inning.

He capped his performance by striking out the side, all swinging, in the top of the fifth inning before moving behind the plate for the final two frames. His offense backed him up with patience, patience and more patience.

Post 295 worked seven walks, including the game's first three batters. Catcher John Krahling walked twice and scored twice, the second by proxy thanks to courtesy runner Kyle Skellchock.
Daniel Young reached base in each of his three plate appearances and scored twice. The second time, Spencer Pearman drove him in with a home run over the right field fence for two of his three runs batted in on the day.

Pearman's home run capped a three-run fourth inning that made it 6-1. Post 295 added two insurance runs each in the fifth and sixth frames.

Post 171 matched Gaitherburg's hit total of seven, three courtesy of catcher/pitcher Andrew Osborne. But all seven were singles. Osborne scored the run after singling to lead off the second, moving station-to-station on an Anthony Papio single, a Gary Mullings walk and an error.

Post 295 heads to New York for a tournament this weekend, still in search of its 2008 mojo. Schneider was one of many players to miss time earlier this summer — he made a pilgrimage to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. — but there is still time to come together and defend their state championship.

"That's kind of been the gist of the season; we're trying to punch it back up," Schneider said.

"Last season we got into a rhythm early. But this is still a good team."

Note: Earlier in the day, Post 295 finished a rain-delayed win over Post 171, 12-0.

Legion playoff race heats up in final week

Tuesday, July 7, 2009by James Peters Staff Writer Gazette.net

Of the seven teams that comprise the American Legion baseball Montgomery Division, only four can qualify for play in next week's double-elimination tournament.

The winner of that event will be rewarded with a trip to the Maryland State American Legion baseball tournament in College Park.

That means one of the division's better squads will be left out in the cold during the hazy, hot and humid days of summer. Five teams remain in serious contention for those four coveted spots heading into the final week of regular season play.

Gaithersburg Post 295 (16-2), the defending county and state champions, look almost assured a spot, entering this week with a 14-2 division mark. Sandy Spring Post 68, in its second year of existence, finished the week at 12-5 for a solid second place.

After that, however, the race is wide open for the final two spots. Even Post 68's postseason inclusion is not a foregone conclusion, because Sandy Spring plays a rugged schedule to close out the regular season.

Post 68 was to play six games this week, including a pseudo doubleheader with Post 295 on Wednesday. The first game is a continuation of an earlier contest that Post 68 led 2-0 in the third inning.

Below those two teams are Gaithersburg Post 104 (12-7 through Sunday), Laurel Post 60 (13-8, 12-7 Montgomery Division) and Cissel Saxon Post 41 (12-6, 10-6), who are at present vying for the final two spots.

Post 104 and Post 41 were to square off Tuesday in a crucial game for both, as they split their first two meetings. Both Post 104 and Post 41 hold the tiebreaker against Post 60.

Damascus Post 171 (9-13) and Wheaton Post 268 (2-15) reside at the bottom of the standings. Both reached postseason play a year ago.

American Legion baseball: Saratoga Stampede falls to defending Maryland state champs

By CHRIS PENNAMACOOR
The Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Three hit batters and some uncharacteristically poor defense doomed the Saratoga Stampede 19U American Legion baseball team as it fell to defending Maryland State champion Gaithersburg Post 295, 8-6, on a rainy Thursday morning at Geyser Park.

The Stampede (14-4) had cruised through the first five innings, holding a 5-3 lead before the wheels came off in the top of the sixth.

The trouble began when relief pitcher Billy McDonough hit the leadoff batter Danny Young on a two-strike pitch. Zack Skellchock entered as a pinch hitter for Post 295 (16-2) and dropped down a bunt single which was followed by McDonough hitting Gary Schneider with a pitch to load the bases with nobody out.

Mike Ryan was up next and hit what appeared to be a tailor-made double play ball to short but Mike Allen’s throw to second went into right field and allowed Young and Skellchock to head home tying the game at five while Schneider took third base to put runners on the corners for Matt Civetti. Civetti drew a walk to load the bases again. Nick Loftus then hit a chopper to first. Erich Lange went to field the ball but it tipped off his glove and rolled away from him allowing Schneider and Ryan to and give Post 295 a 7-5 lead. Civetti scampered into third on the play.

McDonough recorded the first out on a grounder back to the mound by Chris Rados but Brian Black followed by plating Civetti with Post 295’s final run on a ground out to third. After he drilled Tyler Ewing for his third hit batter of the inning, McDonough got Young to end the inning.

While most of the damage done to the Stampede was self-inflicted, Skellchock, who had two hits and stole a base after entering the game in the sixth, credited his team with putting the ball in play.

“We woke up there late in the game,” said Skellchock. “Sometimes it takes us a while to get into a game that starts as early (10 a.m.) as this one.”

Saratoga did get one back in the bottom of the seventh when Shane Matthews doubled to right centerfield scoring Mike Allen who started the inning with a double of his own. The pair combined for five of the team’s nine hits and drove in four runs.

Skellchock, Schneider stepping up for Post 295

Tuesday, June 30, 2009
by James Peters Staff Writer for GAZZETTE.NET

Gaithersburg Post 295 has played with numerous key personnel absences for most of the American Legion baseball season. There has been "Beach Week," other vacations and the inclusion of players at both the Brooks Robinson High School All-Star game and on Team Maryland.

On top of that, left-handed pitcher Mike Ryan has come down with arm troubles that will keep him off the mound for a while.

Despite those losses, Post 295 continued to collect victories and remained in first place in the Montgomery Division with a 14-2 record through the weekend.

Post 295 manager Rick Price credits his team's depth for the sustained success, including a solid performance by Zach Skellchock, who has filled in just about everywhere, including behind the plate and on the mound.

"We have a lot of good people to step in," Price said. "That's the key. I think guys like Skellchock, he's played a lot of positions and pitched for us. He's hit for us. He's thrown a runner out at the plate [from the outfield] and Gary Schneider has pitched two games for us."

Skellchock, through Sunday, had produced a 2-0 record and a 1.70 earned-run average on the mound and was batting .333 with six runs batted in. Schneider, the team's top catcher, has dominated on the mound, going 1-0 with a 0.78 ERA and 18 strikeouts in nine innings. Schneider did not pitch for Georgetown Prep this past spring.

Gaithersburg has also been helped by the play of mainstays Nick Karis (.391, 14 RBI), Spencer Pearman (.370, 14 RBI) and Matt Civetti (.333, 11 RBI).

Post 295 will make its annual trip to New York this week for three games.

- If the playoffs started this week, the other three postseason squads would be Gaithersburg Post 104 (12-4), Sandy Spring Post 68 (8-4) and Cissel Saxon Post 41 (10-4, 8-4 Montgomery Division). Sandy Spring and Post 104 did not qualify for the playoffs last summer, while Damascus Post 171 (6-10) and Wheaton Post 268 (1-10) did.

Damascus and Wheaton resided in the cellar of the league through Sunday while Laurel Post 60, which has a strong offensive crew, was three games behind Cissel Saxon and Sandy Spring in the loss column at 9-7 in league play.

08-09 End of Year Run Down

Post 295 has completed another Legion Year. We have ended the year with 553 Members in the American Legion Members and 67 Members of the Sons of the American Legion. The 2010 Membership card are in and the renewals have begun. Renew before the 28th of July for $25, after the 24th dues will be $30.

Post Commander Bob Ouellette has competed the year as County Commander. He was selected as the Southern Maryland District County Commander of the Year. Bob has also been elected 2nd Vice Commander, Southern Maryland District.

There are many programs available for Legionnaires, from the electric Coop and Sears Commercial services.

With all of these members we really could use more help. So if you are available, please consider helping out. You do not need to make a long term commitment.

Please come out to the American Legion Baseball Tournament. Post 295 is the host post. The games will begin at 9 am, on July 24th at Shipley Field, University of Maryland. We need volunteers for most games but especially the 7 pm game on the 24th, Post 295 will play our opening game against another team from Montgomery County.

See you all next year.

Continuing VA endoscope contamination problem unacceptable, says The American Legion

WASHINGTON (June 17, 2009) – The national commander of the nation’s largest veterans service organization is expressing outrage at continuing instances of VA medical personnel exposing their patients to infectious diseases.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (IG) released a report Tuesday detailing a pattern of failure to adhere to cleaning and sterilization procedures involving endoscopic equipment, despite an earlier campaign to rectify the problem. The report, entitled “Healthcare Inspection – Use and Reprocessing of Flexible Fiber optic Endoscopes at VA Medical Facilities” was aired during a House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation hearing. It documented the results of recent, unannounced inspections at 42 Veterans Health Administration facilities nationwide.

“The report is very disturbing,” said David K. Rehbein, national commander of The American Legion. “It demonstrates a pattern of failure among medical personnel within veterans health facilities to acquire simple knowledge and follow uncomplicated procedures, thus possibly exposing vulnerable veterans to serious health risks.

House Subcommittee members have directed the IG to conduct re-inspections of VA health facilities in 90 days. “But these three months should not be construed as a period of time to work on these deficiencies,” said Rehbein. “Veterans are being treated at these facilities every single hour of every single day. No matter what the reasons for this laxness in patient safety may be -- inadequate training, poor supervision or lack of accountability -- the problems must be rectified immediately – not tomorrow, but today!

“Traditionally,” he continued, “the VA’s healthcare system has been lauded as the best in the world, and I believe it still is. It is imperative that this issue not be allowed to compromise that standard,” said the commander.

The latest IG report is the result of a nationwide review requested by U.S. Representative Steve Buyer (R-IN) after he learned in March that more than three thousand veterans at the VA Medical Center in Miami, Fla. had been potentially exposed to HIV as well as Hepatitis B and C during endoscopic procedures.

Even before the Miami revelation, inspections had revealed faulty reprocessing of endoscopic equipment at VA medical centers in Murfreesboro , Tenn. and Augusta, Ga. Among the Fla. , Tenn. and Ga. Facilities, it is reported, approximately 10-thousand patients were exposed to the inadequately prepared medical implements. In February of this year, the VA instituted an education program to implement what they called “stronger procedures and better accountability at VA health care facilities.”

“Apparently, the so-called stronger procedures and better accountability were not strong and better enough,” Rehbein said.

With 2.6 million members, The American Legion is the nation’s largest veterans service organization. The Legion traditionally works hand-in-hand with members of Congress, leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs and other key stakeholders to assure appropriate funding and policy making on measures and issues affecting the military’s active duty, National Guard and Reserve personnel, veterans, and their families.

DCoE Outreach Center

Do you have questions about traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other psychological health issues involving yourself or a loved one?

Then you NEED to visit the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center.

The Outreach Center answers questions about psychological health and traumatic brain injury, 24 hours / 7 Days a week / 365 Days a year, from members of all the military services (including the National Guard and Reserve), veterans, families, healthcare providers, military leaders, and employers.

Call in your questions to the Outreach Center at 866-966-1020 toll-free or send an e-mail inquiry to resources@dcoeoutreach.org. There are more resources available at www.realwarriors.net

The Outreach Center provides valuable tools, tips, and resources. It is staffed by health consultants and nurses with advanced degrees and expertise in psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues.

In addition to answering questions, thier consultants refer callers to centers in other parts of the Department of Defense, other federal agencies and outside organizations when appropriate.
DCoE, which is part of the Department of Defense Military Health System, promotes resilience, recovery and reintegration of service members facing psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues. DCoE also works to advance research, education, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.

You’ll never find answers if you don’t ask questions. Remember, seeking support is an act of courage and strength. You are not alone.