As Jake noted, I was away for the week. Played a little golf, chauffered my brother around, hung out with the wife and went upstate to a cousin’s graduation. All in all, it was a solid break.

I hope you don’t think I forgot about you. So, to account for my absence, I hope to launch what should be one of the more spirited debates of the spring/summer.

To the right I have posted a poll with 16 candidates for our honor as the Westchester/Putnam baseball player of the year. You can vote for your choice (or add one of your own), and I encourage you to do so. Also, please write in and let us know why you chose who you chose. Next week Jake will follow with a number of candidates for the big award in Rockland, and that will lead us into July 10, when this spring’s special section drops.

One quick warning: Let’s keep it positive. A few of you used the time while I was away to criticize a few of the summer coaches in the area. 1) This is not the place to vent those frustrations, and 2) This is not the place to bash people, period.

Please keep your comments focused on baseball. Thanks.

Here are some candidates:

Joe Arena, Lakeland
Anthony Corona, Kennedy
Jon Cosenza, Lakeland
Zack Graczyk, Carmel
Sean Hagan, Mamaroneck
Matt McGovern, Mamaroneck
Mike Mercurio, Kennedy
Kenta Miyoshi, Keio
Anthony Muccio, Stepinac
Ryan Pennell, Rye Neck
T.J. Olesczuk, Hen Hud
Mike Rosenfeld, Mamaroneck
Mike Swerdloff, Ardsley
Mike Volpe, Carmel
Kyle Woltersdorf, Somers
Dan Zlotnick, Somers

Chuck Alben of Saunders is the Section 1 coach of the year, as determined by his peers. Alben made Saunders into a legit team, surprising many. It was the first Yonkers team in years to be considered a real threat outside the league.

Here is the complete list of Diamond 9 players. These are the players that best combine academics, baseball, and community service, as determined by the section.

Greg Bratone, Pelham
Matt deSilva, Hen Hud
Nick Modico, Kennedy
Taylor Mondshein, Mamaroneck
Dan Sorine, Eastchester
Mike Swerdloff, Ardsley
Eric Windsor, Mamaroneck
Dylan Marshall, Ardsley
Bobby Siciliano, North Rockland
Luke Devlin, Bronxville

Honorable mention
Timothy Orr, Briarcliff
Ryan Sullivan, Albertus Magnus
Andrew Nickoletos, Eastchester
Daniel Gillet, Briarcliff
Ian Lindsay, New Rochelle
Anthony D’Angelo, New Rochelle

There’s always a huge break in between the end of an athletic season and the publication of the All-Star team. No exception this year. The section comes out on July 10.

In the meantime you can start speculating about who is going to be on those teams. We’ll start with Rockland, since that’s my area of expertise. Josh can address Westchester/Putnam when he gets back from his break.

Let’s open the process with the infield. Four infielders make the first-team All-County. They qualify if they spent a majority of time at any infield position. Except catcher. Catcher gets its own slot. There can be multiple players at a single position (i.e. two shortstops). It’s all about who played the best combination of offense and defense.

Here are the candidates for first team.

Vincent Crotty, SS, Suffern
John Garcia, 3B, Tappan Zee
Anthony Gokey, 2B, North Rockland
Bobby Holmsen, 3B, Pearl River
J.D. Karol, 2B, Nanuet
Dean Lothrop, SS, Nyack
Nick Mart, 2B, Pearl River
Frank Salerno, SS, Clarkstown South
James Wrenn, 1B, Nanuet

Of those, which four deserve first-team consideration? Is there one or two that you think should definitely make the squad?

New York Nine’s Scout team won its third straight Battle at the Border. It defeated the Stamford Cardinals 2-0 behind a well-pitched game from Jimmy Bermubez. Not many of the local guys factored into the final.

The Nine went 6-0 for the tournament. Dan Sorine went 3 for 5 today (in three games) with a double and an RBI.

I was out at the U.S. Open today, but colleague Casey Tolfree will have a story on the tournament tomorrow.

It was probably inevitable because of the forecast, but tomorrow’s exceptional senior game at Dutchess Stadium has been called off for good.

Kennedy shortstop Mike Mercurio and Mamaroneck center fielder Matt McGovern were named 2009 Louisville Slugger All-Americans today by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

Mercurio, a senior headed to High Point, was named to the All-American team. McGovern, a senior bound for Boston College, was named an honorable mention All-American.

Mercurio led Kennedy to the top seed in the Class B tournament for a second straight year and to a final record of 21-2. He ranked tied for second in the Lower Hudson Valley in hits (38) and RBI (38) and batted .469 with four home runs.

McGovern batted .487 with 45 runs scored, 28 RBI, 11 doubles, four triples, three home runs and 29 stolen bases during Mamaroneck’s run to a second straight Class AA state title. He also pitched 14.2 innings and allowed no runs on eight hits.

In just its third year the Battle at the Border has more than tripled in size since its inception. The field has doubled since just last year, meaning 24 top programs from the northeast will clash beginning this afternoon in what has quickly become one of the region’s top events.

If you want to check out today’s story you can read it here, or for tournament locations, directions, participants and/or schedules, log on to the tournament’s website here.

Games begin today at 4:30 at eight different locations and continue through Sunday afternoon.

Section 1’s exceptional seniors game will now be played at 6 this Sunday at Dutchess Stadium. It was moved because Sunday is the last possible day high schools sports can be played, per state rules.

As I said before, all players on either the original rosters or on the wait lists are invited to attend.

Here are all the local guys who were honored by the CHSAA, A Division:

All-Archdiocese of New York —
Thomas Cardona, RHP, Mount St. Michael
Tyler Donovan, C, Iona Prep
Sal Lisanti, RHP, Fordham Prep
Anthony Muccio, 2B/3B/CF, Stepinac
Steven Rivera, RHP/SS, Mount St. Michael

All-Bronx-Westchester —
Mike Bradshaw, RHP, Stepinac
Steven Gallego, P, Salesian
Steve Martinez, SS/3B, Stepinac
Colin Moran, SS, Iona Prep

For a complete list of the teams, you can log on here and scroll down the page.

The Journal News will publish its all-star and Rockland all-county teams early next month.