SteepleCats' Whitney Honored as League's Top Starting Pitcher

Print Story | Email Story
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- North Adams SteepleCats hurler Blake Whitney Thursday was named the best starting pitcher in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for 2017.
 
"One of North Adams' best pitchers in franchise history led the league by a wide margin in strikeouts, totaling 80 punchouts on the season - 29 more than the next-closest pitcher," read a news release from NECBL Commissioner Sean McGrath. "Whtiney also finished with a highly respectable 2.08 ERA - the fourth-lowest in the entire NECBL - and gave up only 36 hits over a league-most 52.0 innings while posting a 0.94 WHIP. The starter for the Northern Division in the All-Star Game started nine games on the summer, as well."
 
The league passed out nine post-season honors on Thursday, ranging from most valuable player to umpire of the year.
 
The league's MVP and top pro prospect was Mystic's Tommy Jew, a student at UC-Santa Barbara, who compiled a batting average of .328 while driving in 21 runs with eight homers.

Tags: SteepleCats,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
View Full Story

More North Adams Stories