Atlantic League

America's youngest baseball league, the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Inc., officially debuted yesterday - unsung, unknown, undaunted. It has no teams, no players and no uniforms. Its six clubs, which will be based in cities scattered across the Northeast - two cities, perhaps, in New Jersey - don't even have names. They won't be officially affiliated with Major League Baseball, either. No matter. The league, which bowed before about 50 enthusiastic supporters at a Boardwalk pier yesterday morning, was a hit as organizers promised to bring big-league-class baseball by 1996 to cities hungry for America's favorite pastime.

When the decade began, Ruben Sierra was one of baseball's rising young stars. He finished second in the American League MVP voting in 1989 as a Texas Ranger and had already led the league in RBIs, triples, total bases and outfield assists. Comparisons to another star from Puerto Rico - the late, great Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente - did not seem misplaced. As the decade disappears, Sierra is playing for the Atlantic City Surf, an independent team that features mostly minor-league retreads and major-league rejects in a league that is arguably a step below double-A caliber.

The agent for idled baseball great Rickey Henderson said yesterday that his client would sign a contract with a team from the independent Atlantic League in the coming days. "He's going to play in the Atlantic League," Jeff Borris said of Henderson, 44, the veteran of 24 major-league seasons who is widely considered the greatest leadoff man ever. Could that team be the Camden Riversharks, who play home games against the backdrop of the Ben Franklin Bridge at Campbell's Field?

AFTER EIGHT seasons in the minor leagues with three organizations and a stint in the Atlantic League, Mike Costanzo has finally made it to the major leagues. Costanzo, an Archbishop Carroll product from Glen Mills and former Phillies second-round pick, was called up by the Cincinnati Reds from Triple A Louisville on Saturday and added to the active roster when Scott Rolen was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Costanzo, 28, had never played in a big-league game before Sunday.

CAMDEN - The South Division-leading Camden Riversharks finished their home season yesterday with a 5-2 Atlantic League win over the Nashua Pride at Campbell's Field. Somerset 2, Atlantic City 0 BRIDGEWATER, N.J. - The Patriots beat the Surf in the Atlantic League.

The crack of wooden bats and the thwock of leather gloves sounded early on Saturday at Campbell's Field, home of the Camden Riversharks. The team's 12th annual open tryout brought more than 100 hopefuls to the diamond under the Ben Franklin Bridge before 8 a.m. Everyone was there to have a good time, but some took the event more seriously than others. Zeke Boren, 29, stood to the side of the infield and sized up his competition with quiet confidence. The Moorestown native has played the game nearly his entire life.

Chris Maples' two-run homer in the fourth snapped a 3-3 tie and sent the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs to a 6-4 Atlantic League win over the Camden Riversharks last night at Campbell's Field.

Gary Harris broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run triple in the top of the ninth, and the Lancaster Barnstormers went on to score seven more in an 11-2 rout of the Camden Riversharks last night at Campbell's Field. Lancaster won its fourth straight Atlantic League game.

Gary Cates drove home two runs with a double in the bottom of the sixth and Brett Bonvechio added an RBI-double last night to propel the Camden Riversharks to a 10-8 win over the Newark Bears in an Atlantic League game at Campbell's Field.

The Camden Riversharks produced their highest run total of the season yesterday in an 18-4 Atlantic League win over the Newark Bears. The winners scored nine runs in the seventh inning, sparked by Wayne Lydon's grand slam. Camden's Brian Burgamy drove in three runs with a single and a double.

AFTER EIGHT seasons in the minor leagues with three organizations and a stint in the Atlantic League, Mike Costanzo has finally made it to the major leagues. Costanzo, an Archbishop Carroll product from Glen Mills and former Phillies second-round pick, was called up by the Cincinnati Reds from Triple A Louisville on Saturday and added to the active roster when Scott Rolen was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Costanzo, 28, had never played in a big-league game before Sunday.

The crack of wooden bats and the thwock of leather gloves sounded early on Saturday at Campbell's Field, home of the Camden Riversharks. The team's 12th annual open tryout brought more than 100 hopefuls to the diamond under the Ben Franklin Bridge before 8 a.m. Everyone was there to have a good time, but some took the event more seriously than others. Zeke Boren, 29, stood to the side of the infield and sized up his competition with quiet confidence. The Moorestown native has played the game nearly his entire life.

There's a lot of talent in the three-division Cape-Atlantic League, especially at Holy Spirit and St. Joseph. Here's a peek at the top teams. In the American Division, Millville, Absegami, and St. Augustine are the teams to watch. At Millville (6-4, 3-2 last fall), the Thunderbolts will make noise with Shaquille Lee, a 6-foot, 175-pound senior, at the controls. He completed 68 of 120 passes for 1,065 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. Alquann Jones, a senior who rushed for 861 yards and 11 touchdowns, is in the backfield.

ATLANTA - Pedro Feliz, whose most memorable moment with the Phillies was driving in the winning run in clinching Game 5 of the 2008 World Series, has been signed by the Camden Riversharks, of the independent Atlantic League. Feliz, 36, was a non-roster invitee to spring training with the Kansas City Royals this year, but was released March 28. After spending his entire big-league career with the Giants, Feliz signed a 2-year free agent contract with the Phillies before the 2008 season to upgrade the team's defense at third base.

There are longshots. There are loooongshots . And then there is Matt Anderson. News broke yesterday that the Phillies have signed the 34-year-old righthander to a minor league contract, even though he hasn't pitched in the major leagues since 2005 and hasn't pitched professionally since being released by the White Sox organization in July, 2008. Why? Apparently the Phillies figured, why not? It seems that Anderson has been working out at a rehab facility in Arizona frequented by major leaguers and former major leaguers hoping to make comebacks.

CAMDEN - The Riversharks went out a winner in their last game of the season, beating their Atlantic League rival Newark Bears, 8-4, Sunday at Campbell's Field. They did it behind solid pitching from Ben Davis, who went six innings without giving up a run to improve his record to 5-11. The bulk of the scoring came from rightfielder Richie Robnett, who was 3 for 4 with three RBIs, and third baseman Chris Malec, who had three hits and two RBIs. Camden finished with a 62-77 record, last in the Liberty Division.

ALTOONA - A pair of home runs by Jordy Mercer led the Altoona Curve to a 6-4 victory over the Trenton Thunder on Wednesday night to tie the Eastern League championship series at one game each. The series resumes in Trenton at 7:05 Thursday. Dan Brewer and Austin Romine hit back-to-back homers for Trenton in the eighth to pull to within one, at 5-4, but the offense stalled with the potential tying and go-ahead runs aboard. Raul Padron drove in four runs to lead the Riversharks to the Atlantic League win at Campbell's Field.

FREDERICK, Md. - Christian Colon doubled to break an eighth-inning tie, William Meyers added an RBI single, and the Wilmington Blue Rocks withstood a rally in the ninth to defeat the Frederick Keys, 6-5, Thursday night in the Carolina League. PAWTUCKET, R.I. - Neil Sellers and Andy Tracy each hit a two-run homer for the IronPigs in the International League. YORK, Pa. - Ben Davis, the former catcher who converted to a pitcher two years ago because of hitting struggles, came within two outs of his first shutout in the Atlantic League game.