Published: August 16, 2008 12:12 am      

Team pulls closer in face of adversity

Philadelphia’s triumphs in the 64th AAABA Tournament have come in the wake of tragedy.

The ABCO Phillies, who could win the franchise’s first championship today, have dedicated their performance to the memory of Bruce Wandling.

“Our general manager, who did all of our paperwork and took care of everything, passed away the night before we left,” Philadelphia manager Brian Kraus said on Thursday. “We came out here with a commitment to do it for him. It looks like he’s looking over us right now, right?”

Kraus, who had to leave before the Phillies’ game with Baltimore on Friday night, said that it was difficult at times concentrating on baseball after losing someone so close to the team.

“It has been pretty rough on the coaching staff,” Kraus said.

In tribute to Wandling, who Kraus said battled a long illness, the Phillies players wrote his initials on the sides of their hats.

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Record-setting?: Youse’s Orioles of Baltimore pounded out 19 hits with 21 RBIs in a 22-0 Friday afternoon elimination game against Zanesville at Roxbury.

Despite the high numbers, neither one was a AAABA tournament team record.

The runs batted in AAABA tournament mark of 25 was set by Baltimore in 1976, which also has the record for most runs (29 in 1976).

New Orleans holds the hitting record of 28 set in 1981.

While the team totals were not records, Baltimore center fielder Leon Landry’s 10 RBIs was an AAABA individual record that has been on the books for 30 years.

Landry bettered the nine RBIs of John Orkis of Columbus set in 1978 with two grand slams in a 3-for-4 effort.

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Faithful Pioneers: Zanesville’s loss to Baltimore had the long-time AAABA franchise exiting the 64th annual tournament with a 3-2 mark.

Manager Doug Pollock’s team featured a relatively youthful roster of Junior Pioneers.

“For the new guys it was an eye-opening experience, coming to Johnstown,” Pollock said. “We start preaching Johnstown from the time we hold tryouts. It’s the epitome of what our program is about to come here and that’s why Zanesville is so intertwined with AAABA in Johnstown.”