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| Ron Leib's team is headed to Louisville. |
By TOM BORRELLI
News Sports Reporter
8/15/01
Ron Leib has well over 1,000 victories during his 31 seasons coaching amateur baseball,
but this week he gets a chance to pursue his first-ever national Major Division title.
His Leib's team of the Buffalo Muny AAA League is one of 10 squads from around the
country that will participate in the National Amateur Baseball Federation's Major Division
(no age limits) World Series in Louisville.
"It's been a joy to see our kids play with the immense amount of heart they've
shown this year," said Leib, who serves as president of the Buffalo Muny AAA League.
"They've done everything in their power to win. If we continue to play the way we
have been lately, we'll be a very tough team for anybody to beat."
It hasn't been a breeze.
Leib's was 21-9 in the regular season and tied for third place with Tonawanda AC.
Leib's beat Tonawanda, 6-0, in a playoff for third, which allowed it to stay in Western
New York for last weekend's Eastern Regional, which it won by taking five of six games and
beating the 1999 national champions - the Long Island Storm - twice.
"When you get to this caliber of baseball in a national tournament, you're going
to face nothing but good teams," Leib said. "But it's been funny the way things
have turned out for us this year. We almost didn't get to play in our own regional
(Tonawanda AC had to travel to Youngstown, Ohio) and now we're headed for the
nationals."
A Leib's team won the 1992 College Division (22-and-under) national championship, but
it's been 26 years since the Buffalo Voyageurs brought home an NABF Major Division crown.
The Buffalo Muny AAA League has been well-represented in recent years with the Lakeview
Sox participating last summer and West Herr getting to the championship game in 1999.
Leib's (27-10) is a team without one dominating player. Center fielder Kevin Glover
(Turner/Carroll and Canisius College), third baseman Pat Huntington (Kenmore East and Palm
Beach, Fla., College), shortstop Dale Podlas (Canisius High and College), 6-foot-7
flame-thrower Joe Hill (Lake Shore and Niagara University) and first baseman Rick Ruggerio
(St. Joe's and Niagara) all had outstanding performances in the regional.
High school-age players like outfielder Andy Carter (Williamsville South), the Western
New York Player of the Year last spring, have made big contributions as well. Leib's
players range in age from 16 (utility man Adam Freeman) to 37 (pitcher Pete LaCongo).
"The older guys have been helping the younger guys along and that's the way it
should be," Leib said. "Many of our guys are getting older and they know there
may not be many more chances to win a national championship."
The double-elimination World Series starts Thursday. Leib's is in Pool B, along with
defending national champion Star Drywall of Louisville, whom it will meet at 8 p.m.
Thursday. Pool play continues Friday and Saturday with the semifinals set for 4 p.m. and 8
p.m. Saturday, and the finals for noon Sunday.
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