Your 2016 Yawkey Baseball League Champions, Somerville Alibrandis.

By Tom Bannister

The City of Somerville once again proved itself to be a winning force in 2016 as far as sports is concerned.

Somerville Alibrandis:

The phenominal Somerville Alibrandis baseball team won its 7th consecutive title in the Yawkey League 2016 championship series, the teams 17th title in total.

On the series win, Mark Desroches reported:

The story starts with the Alibrandis pitching staff, which was asked to keep the Al Thomas Athletics’ line-up at bay. Al Thomas proved to be the most prolific offense in the history of the Yawkey League through the regular season, but the Somerville pitching staff was equal to the task holding them to 11 runs in the 4 game series. Quality starts by Sean Sullivan, Chris Foundas, Chris Costa and Jon Morse followed by bullpen help from Brian Tanguy and Lamarre Rey was a recipe for pitching success.

Somerville Alibrandis’ Bobby Barret was named 2016 Yawkey Baseball League Playoffs Most Valuable Player.

The 2016 Somerville Youth Softball Organization (SYSO) Girls Fastpitch 10U Champions, the Somerville Hurricanes.

Head Coach Bernie Driscoll had the Alibrandis offense in high gear throughout the series scoring a total of 37 runs in the 4 games. They were able to hit that stride of grinding out at-bats, being tough outs, working pitchers, taking the extra base, taking advantage of miscues and getting huge, clutch hits when the table was set. Bobby Barrett edged out Teddy Dziuba and Will Brennan to take the YBL Playoff MVP Award. Barrett led the high powered Alibrandis offense in hits, extra base hits, OBP, Slugging Percentage, OPS and Batting Average throughout the post-season.

The Somerville Hurricanes:

The younger athletes had their time in the sun this past year as well. Bob Schofield reported on the Somerville Hurricanes’ victory in the SYSO Girls Fastpitch 10U Championship:

The last softball game of the 2016 Somerville Youth Softball Organization (SYSO) Girls Fastpitch 10U Championship series was an epic battle between two great teams; Somerville Hurricanes vs. Somerville Cyclones.

Both teams, Somerville Hurricanes coached by Chris Grover and Somerville Cyclones coached by Paul French, played hard over the previous two evenings to tie the series one game apiece.

The perfect backdrop to what would ultimately become one of the best played 10U softball games in Somerville’s past. To not have been at Trum Field that evening was to have missed a game that could not have been scripted. This is what fans of softball and baseball dream about.

You had to be there to believe it. At one point there had to be nearly a hundred spectators and fans watching the conclusion of the game. Adult softball players watched on as they prepare to take the field, along with several passersby on Broadway, family and friends sitting in chairs and on benches.

It was a great atmosphere for all that witnessed an amazing game played by age 10 and under girls. Not a dry eye could be found amongst the Somerville Cyclone players – in nothing less than great sportsmanship – as the team and coaching staff stood on the third base line watching Somerville Hurricanes celebrate their win on the infield.

Our hats off to Coach Paul French and Coach John Donovan for setting the example of why great sportsmanship is so important and for proving that positive coaching makes everyone a winner. Coach Chris Grover, Coach Mark Buckley and Coach Chris Bartlett did an absolute amazing job coaching their team to a 2016 10U Championship win. Congratulations!

Congratulations indeed to all our local champions, younger and older alike, including the fabulous Somerville High School boys soccer team, who performed exceptionally well in 2016.

After all is said and done, Somerville is a city that loves to play, and plays to win.