Date: Fri 18-Aug-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Mendelsohn's-Softball

Full Text:

Mendelsohn's Top Team In B Division

When Mendelsohn's Video Memories tapes a wedding, everything has to be

perfect. The two-person team of Mike and Lenore Mendelsohn have fun with what

they do as they carry out their game plan, are careful not to make any errors,

and produce a winning effort.

When work is over and it's time to play - in the Newtown Weeknite Slo-Pitch

League - Mendelsohn's Video Memories' softball team approaches its task with

the same enthusiasm. The result has been a 1994 league championship and a

first-place standing in 1995.

With a record of 18-3-1 and only three games remaining, Mendelsohn's seems to

have a lock on a second-straight regular-season championship. Their secret,

chemistry. " The team is made up of a bunch of scrappy ball players, not a

bunch of superstars, " said MVM's coach/outfielder, John Grimardi. " Last

year, all of a sudden, everybody just started having a good time and started

to play well together and it has carried over to this year. Our chemistry

seems to give us an edge. There isn't as much pressure here as there is in the

Sunday league, because the talent is a little more diluted. So everybody feels

a little bit more confident in their ability. Everybody hits and it has been

contagious. "

The relaxed team atmosphere, and subsequent lack of pressure, has enabled

Mendelsohn's to reel off one win after another, even when forced to come from

behind. In its latest pair of wins, on Tuesday night, August 15, MVM rallied

from a 3-0 first-inning deficit to beat Mauro's Restaurant, 17-4. In the

second game of its double header the team spotted Gastop four runs in the

first inning and won 14-6.

After having won its first 14 games at the start of this season, Mendelsohn's

has dropped three of its last eight. But despite coming back to Earth, MVM has

been able to keep second-place 100 Church Hill at bay.

" Church Hill is just stacked with superstars from top to bottom, " Grimardi

said. " Talent-wise they might have a better team than we do, but the fact

that we've been playing together for a few years now seems to give us a slight

edge. "

With the league playing its games on the open field at Treadwell Park, home

run hitters don't necessarily decide the fate of games. Instead, teams have to

rely more on speed and defense.

Case in point, Mendelsohn's is being led in the power department by Tim Zeno

(6 HR, 38 RBI) and Kevin Booker (6 2B, 5 HR, 20 RBI), both of whom can hit the

ball to the opposite field and have outstanding speed.

Rounding out the nucleus for MVM are starting outfielders Rick Kasbarian

(.615, 21 RBI), Brian Leavitt (.508, 23 RBI), Grimardi (.482, 3 HR), and Dave

Samoskevich (.450, 5 2B), and infielders Jim McHatten (.500) at first base,

Booker at second, Ed Marks (.449) at shortstop, Greg Schultz (6 2B, 14 RBI) at

third base, Mike Mendelsohn (.472) behind the plate, and Zeno on the mound.

Other players who contribute to the success of the team and see ample playing

time are Mark Burroughs (.529), Rich Guman, Frank Pitrone, Don Hammond, Bob

Hickson, and Tim Whelan.

" Every single guy on this team is dedicated and steps up and performs when

called upon, " Grimardi said. " What I like is that I get to coach these guys.

To take a team with a majority of guys who have never won, keep them focussed,

get the proper chemistry, and help them to succeed - and I'm not taking all

the credit for it - is a big satisfaction for me. And I love playing with

these guys. "

And the Mendelsohn's love sponsoring them. " When the team got together they

were going to try to get People's Bank to sponsor, " said Lenore Mendelsohn. "

I said that I really wanted to do it. I would like to sponsor football too.

It's a great thing to be a part of whether they have your name on the jerseys

or not. "

Incidentally, Mendelsohn's Video Memories does happen to have its name on

their jerseys. And its a name that opposing teams in the Newtown Weeknite

Slo-Pitch League don't look forward to reading.