The best of all time JUCO Commissioners select their favorite tourney stars ARNOLD Walt Bergman and Darren Starr were By PATTI The Daily Sentinel also on the selection committee and quickly agreed that any two-time all-tournwatch every game from field level, ament selection makes the list. They behind home plate. Bergman, whose father, Bus, coached at right The tournament directors, otherwise Mesa College in Grand Junction, wanted known as "The Commissioners,' spend to know about the players with local ties the long hours of the Alpine Bank Junior former Mavericks, Western Slope playCollege Baseball World Series swapping ers who played at other schools, even playbaseball stories and critiquing players, ers from other schools who eventually past and present. moved to the Grand Valley. And when they get together in the JU- OK, so there will be two teams, a localCO offseason, they still swap baseball sto- ties team and an overall team. ries and critique players, past and present. How many on each team? About a month before the 10 teams in They determined to shoot for the same this year's tournament began their quali- number as placed on current teams: three fying games, the commissioners got to- pitchers, five infielders, four outfielders, gether with a mission: pick their all-time two catchers and a utility/designated favorite all-tournament team. Going in, the ground rules were simple: Armed with a list of every allhitter. Any player on a previous tournament team since the JUCO World all-tournament team was eligible Series started its run in Grand Junction in for their list. During the two-hour discussion, howev- full of statistics compiled over be made. 1959, a box er, one said Jamie the years and some snacks, the commisrule had to "Two-timers have to be on," of the three commissioners sioners went to work. Every all-time list always starts with Hamilton, one commissioned for the assignment. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PUCKETT PLAYED FOR TRITON COLLEGE IN THE 1982 Junior College World Series. KIRBY member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, was at the top of the list of the JUCO Puckett, a Commissioners' all-time favorite team. the same name: Kirby Puckett. The out- record)." (Ill.) College is regarded So the designated hitter from San Jacinfielder for Triton JUCO of all time, to College-North, who hit .688 in 1987, as the premier player with Bill Before they got caught up in the overall hitting .688 in 1982. made the list. "But then you've got to go Losa," Hamilton said. "He did the same See 22 (tying Puckett's tournament hitting BEST, page thing