The Bridgeport Post from Bridgeport, Connecticut • Page 53

BRIDGEPORT SUNDAY POST, March 16, 197S E--3 Bob BK MARK CIIALBIN Dop "took, personable, young at I airfield Vho doubles as the school's "baseijall coach has a fond of an incident which Joolc a year ago during his team's disasterous five game roacf typ It Clccone, this year's captain, and it goes something like this Cicope ij seems, had been pjaymg normal centerfisld for (even innings during the Stags ojienmg day, 19 0 io Arizona University. And durljng, this embarrassing defeat-Ciecone had a shallow fly left-center jnagged away by the lettdelder Keith Garyey, who instead of throwing to the plate, to prevent the'runner at tmrd'base from scoring, fired to second Ciccone let Garvey know vhat he of th.at and the pair agreed'fo handle all those so-tailed in-Be'tweeners. happened Again So it came up again during the two second meeting the very next day in Tucson This time the through Stags were suffering another A i a -1 laughter, an eventual. 11-0 loss, when Garvey did. a repeat per- formartc6' the fifth inning- i A BASES A bearded Bob Ciccone drills an extra base hit for front of a usually large crowd at the club's home park Grosetto, only with no runners on base this time Nevertheless, Ciccone, terribly frustrated and totally demoralized by.

the numbers which stared him In th( face on the Scoreboard, had reached the end of his rope with" this play. "He took his glove, it to jhe ground and made all kin'ds offhand gestures, recalls Cook with a wide grin. "He was telling Garvey he had no business catching that ball and I wouldn't be I got here (in the fall of 1970)." That didn't last long however, as Ciccone batted .329 with a runs batted in a nation's leadership in triples (seven) in Fairfield's mediocre 11-12 season in the spring of a complete turn-aroind. went home every weekend to see my buddies because 1 thpught I was losing identity''and my city background. You might say 1 was.

in between two worlds." The pressures which began tg afflict Ciccone during the 71-72 I'm Coming Back for Sonic Unfinished Business' Ciccone knew he was hot so I got out of the dugout and called him over 16 the foul line. "I told him 'What the hell's the matter with you, doing a thing like that in front of all those people. What are you, crazy or You know what he said to me? He said, 'Coach, you know I'm just-before him to an early shower. Problems Although Ciccone was kidding and he speaks very openly about it now, there was a time in his life a little over two ago when he underwent serious emotional problems. It caused the now 23-year, old senior to interrupt his studies and a promising baseball career at the Jesuit institution, which has come to mean so much to him.

I terms of strain, Ciccone says, "The biggest thing I got were anxieties. I was afraid I "Really, I didn't know how to school year also reflected on the handle being away from name, he admits. grew up in the projects of the Bronx (after moving there from Manhattan's East side at age five) arid I went to school in Westchester at Mount St. Michael's Academy from the seventh grade on. Anyway, when I was younger and going to school in the Bronx I would play Little.League ball in Mount Vernori (N.Y.), but always, I came back to the projects until my parents moved to Mount Vernon my senior year of high school.

Hoop Manager "My freshman year I didn't have many friends and 1 was looking for things to do so I managed the basketball team in Fred Barakat's first year as coach and I never went home on weekends, only for Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations. "But my sophomore year was Name of Game for Area Fives: Winning By PETER PUTRIMAS was definitely not the name of Ihe game in area col- lege basketball circles this past winter as alt three schools made 'it. to post-season tournaments, hut the biggest loss for the Unt- versity of Bridgeport is yeti'lo come. And it won't even'come on the court. The Purple Knights 'rallied in the stretch to tie Sacred Hear.t University, for the best record in the area at but' are now facing a major setback in'the long range plans of.head coach Bruce Webster.

relishing Bridgeport's victory in the EC AC Central Division tourney, revealed that team scoring lead er'Rick- DiC.icco, wil.l lose a year of his eligibility-be: cause of his aborted eight week career at UConn last year. the Eastern Athletic'Conference the.Na tional College Athletic Association regulation concerning eligibility, Webster that, "It's pretty definite that he's a sophomore. That's what the ECAC told us verbally after inquired to the ECAC commissioner." Charged One Year Bridgeport's inquiry, which was precipitated by opposing coaches', questions concerning DiCicco, resulted in athletic coordinator Fran -Poisson '-and Webster discovering that, according to freshmen, DiCicco would -be charged-with a a of eligibility, even though he played in' no official games for the Hus kies and was only in school for two month's. "The way they interpret that is if he attends class- i i freshman year, he, uses up a year of Webster. "The purpose is to avoid having kids jump from one school to another in their freshman year and still have four years to play." "It's much the same thing that happened to Craig Moorer at Fairfield.

He went under Fairfield's five-year plan and lost a. year of eligibility because, he sat out his first year," Webster explained. Officially, the ECAC has considered DiCicco a sophomore all year, listing him as such in their 1974-75 basketball guide and referring to him as a sophomore when he was named to the ECAC weekly all-star team. Webster was not really aware of this, however, until he and Poisson got a verbal ruling over the telephone ECAC. "I had to" explain to, Ricky and his parents that he could play only two more years and it was a real blow to both him and his folks," said Webster- "They are really concerned over Ricky's education and "we are going to file an appeal, hut it doesn't look good." Encf, Strongly 1'-' TONY TRIMBOLI The loss of DiCicco for a year that Webster almost tarnished coach's --assessment of but even that.cpu|d-not)take any of campaign that saw Knights'r win 13 of their last 15 games and a seven-game, Reason-ending four-game win 'Unfortunately; the other two area, end their campaigns oh such happy notes.

Sacred although advancing to the New England re- lionals, dropped its final three sarnes, two in the tournament, while Fairfield, which ended vilh a 13-14 record, did the same hing. The Pioneers suffered losses Bridgeport in the regular season finale, then bowed to Assumption and- Hartford, but came away from the season los- ng only two seniors and looking orward to having six of their top seven players come back next year. The situation at Fairfield is similar, although the senior osses are more critical. Forward Ralph Rehn and guard Ray Kelly, bdjh scorers, are the only two casualties as Fred Barakut hits the recruiting road in search of next year's wunderkinds. The Stags, after rallying from a 5-9 mid-season mark, advanced (o the ECAC 'Upstate New York playoffs despite biing beaten by Long Island University in the last game regular They' then slipped back under .500 by losing to St.

Bonavenlure.and Niagara in the playoffs. FaJrfield might take some lessons from Bridgeport on how to win In tournaments after the Knights' success this year. Like Sacred Knights won two tourneys, but placed second in one to SHU's fourth-place finish. "As Eipected" "The season went just about as I expected, but.it was really tough at times during 1 our losing streak in Ihe assessec Webster. After sweeping 'to vie lory in the Bryant Invitational the Knights proceeded to meet Sacred Heart in the finals of the ioliday Classic.

The 10 loss to the Pioneers sent the Knights into a ive game tailspin that netted a 6 midpoint mark. wasn't hat we played so poorly, it was we were playing such good in that, stretch, we couldn't afford any letdowns or mistakes. Don't forget, we played Hartford, Sacred Heart and Siena, then and they're ough," said Webster. Post and major college be Northeastern were the other Knight conquerors during' the skid 1 before a against Juinnipiac on the road started to turn' things around. Going wjth his three-forward offense of Lee Hollerbach and Don Kissane, Webster just sat ack and watched that trio destroy opponents.

After two wins, a one-point to Bcntley in Wai- ham UB's sey- en.game win streak which was halted by Fairleigh Dickinson'. Then it was Adelphi, Sacred Heart, Lehman and Upsala all 'ailing in a. row to end' the (nights' second 20-win campaign in three years. Pleasurable Year "You can't help but base the amount of pleasure you have in a season to the number of wins and losses. That's why it was such a pleasure this year," gloated Webster.

"We had our best season record-wise, it was pleasing to end it on a winning note and it was just such a greal bunch of kids to work with thai It's gotta be one' of- my best years." That happy feeling' of Webstet's' Has to be attributed to Lhe work of his forward trio 49.3 points and 23.2 rebounds per game. DiCicco, who rebounds better than his 6-3 height would dictate, led the Knights in both departments hitting 20.3 points and pulling down 9.6 rebounds per game, smooth -shoot; ing- who went over the OCO-pointi plateau, averaged 14.4 points and 8.6 rebounds while Kis sane was good for 14.6 markers a contest. Bridgeport out scorec opponents by six points a game and shot 74'per cent as a team led by 51 per cent norms for Di Cicco a Hollerbach. Sacred Heart Strength Shooting was also a strong point for Sacred Heart as -the Pioneers managed to. run their potent fast break for' 1,003 Baskets in 2,002 attempts for a 51 per cent mark.

Unlike Bridgeport, however, Feeley did not experience as many ups and downs did. Never losing two in a row until the season's end, the Pioneers rolled a 6-0 record before bowing to Post, won the Holiday Classic before losses to Central Connecticut and Quinnipiac sandwiched the St. win. Siena-and Southern Connecticut iwere-the only two foes something that they had plenty of. Winfroe was again the lacesetter with a 21.4 average, followed closely by Trimboli, who, after an injury-plagued start, to a 20.2 average in the final three games.

Olivencia, the top marksman on the club with a 51.4 shooting percen- carried a 17.4-point load in his first year of varsity ball. Scoring Machine "We knew he was before Bridgeport to touch! SHU find as Pioneers 20 of thejrifirst 25 games. Head coach Don Feeley won't fiave to do much recruiting this season as Carl Wintree, Tony Trimboli and Ed Irwin will only be juniors'next year while Hector Olivencia, Chris Ogiste and Joe DePasqiia just finished their first HE is however, looking to benefit from what ha learned this year. two things to review for next year," he admitted, "We have to develop a new defense, create, some more turnovers and maybe dominate the. boards a little more to balance off our offense.

It all depends though on who comes back and who we get for next year." The lack of defense really caught up to the Pioneers in the regionals as they averaged 94 points a game but lost twice by an average margin of 12 points. Most of Ihe time though, the dearth of defense was balanced off by Pioneers scoring, arly as the Stags staggered to ie 5-9 mark after accepting ourth place finishes in both 'ie Lions Virginia Commen- 'eajth tournament and the Madison Square Garden Classic. Reversal Takes Place But things started meshing af- er that as Fairfield closed with a rush, winning 'eight of ten icfore the final three-game los ng string. Included in that surge vcra big victories over Boston College at am HECTOR OLIVENCIA Massachusetts at the act which brought Barak; around to pointing out the iculty of the Slags' schedule. "Eleven of our games were decided by six points or less, 18 of our 27 games wore played on he road and 13 of our vent to tournaments after the reasoned Barakat.

"We played some.great teams on the road and lost by a minimum of points," continued Sarakat, alluding to teams like Georgetown, St. Peter's twice, Joseph, Bonaventure shooter and that he good was con- XALPH REHN OWEN MAItORN sistent," said Feeley of his 6-3 forward. "We also knew thai with those three in there, we had real scoring machine," he added, heaping upon hii young stalwarts. The consistency of the Pioneers, which no doubt helped Feeley in his runner-up finish to Bentley's Al Shields as New England Coach of the Year, was something that was running a weave pattern on Barakat at Fairfield as he saw his club go through innumerable 'highs and lows during the campaign. The only thing consistenl about the Stags was their inconsistency and Barakat was fully cognizant of that.

"It was disappointing season because we had so many peaks and valleys But you got to give a lot praise to Ibis team for the way they came back 5-9," he reasoned. Rehn and Kelly, two players on Barakat countet heavily, were, bolh guilty numerous lapses throughout the year, especially at the end, bui the fifth-year coach could no blame them for anything. "Let's face it, two NITs and an ECAC tourney is somethinj to be proud of. They both ha great careers here and you can' just look at one game or one stretch of games. You have see the total picture and three tournaments in three years something that they can take lot of pride in," justified Barakat.

Their final seasons weren't ex actly picture perfect however a Rehn's inconsistent scoring am Kelly's early-season' lurnovcL troubles contributed to the slow start. Owen Mahorn, expected to handle most of the inside chores was the third leading scorer the team with a 12.S averag behind Rehn's 16.2 and Kelly' 16,0 norms, but wasn't Hie do minant factor that he was bill (o be. I Danny Odums look a while (before titling into the Fairlicld ystem and Steve Balkun, the u'sky 6-9 was injured arly in the year, a fact that indered' his freshman learning The troubles took their toll diamond as he was hit with the ophomore jinx. He batted just 189 in the Stags-fine 55-8 cam- iaign and by his own Admission ays, "There was no way. in the vorld 1 was gonna hit .200 that but somehow I came brough with some timely hits vilh men on base.

"I don't know what it was, but got mad about something be- ore the season ever'started and threw my arm out in practice, ilr. Cook knew about it, but I in- istcd he let me play and I did, every inning." The ensuing sunimer proved a ittle more fruitful for Ciccone. le hiked his batting average lack up to for the Mount Vernon in the Atlantic Coast Slimmer Baseball eague, a first place team coached by ex-New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles a others) pitcher, Jack Fisher, a nan Ciccone says "taught me vhat it was to have a professional attitude toward baseball. And during that summer "I had my greatest thrill as a ball player," Ciccohe''-reveals. "I played in the league's All-Star 'at Veterans 1 Stadium in Philadelphia.

I'll never forget it. iVe won (he game and I got three hits, including a Double and a triple with the bases load- Still, the pressures kept mounting when he came back to school for his junior year. He had broken up with a girl and he finally realized "once you hrough the good times as well bad, revealed the most onclusive evidence concerning is' staf player's recovery. "To- ward'the end of Bob's four and half to five month stay at ie hospitals, the doctors were elling us concerned that was doctor on the loor. He was talking to veryone, insisting that the doc- ors let him go out and try it." Natural High They finally did and he came Jack to hit a ton in the Stags' bbreviated fall a a.l 1 chedule.

The average was .365, ie. owned the team leadership in RBIs and only struck out once in 9 at-bats. Ciccone frequently says "just playing baseball gives me a latural high. It's an escape which need," eave, lome. you couldn't Besides, my frl back go 'riends at lome were doing what society might, call anti-social things.

1 'clt lost. It was kind of a dichotomy oh life that I was point; through." The split which was going.on in Ciccone's head finally had no Seton twice, and Texas A M. Hall, St. Manhattan All in all, the basketball (Continued on Page E-S) lly 1 more room to operate and thing, came to a boiling point at thi conclusion of the fall semester raka A 1at a those concern dif-i inc ing his parents, wb Bob says, "have been Ihe mos positive force in my life." fel professional help would be hi only recourse- Underwent Tests So Ciccone was committed to Grasslands Hospital in Valhalla N.Y. and later spent some time at New York State Mental Hos pital in nearby White A both places he went through tests, observation and interactet with other patients to the pom where he has made a complete recovery and now looks back on it as a distressing an- 1 untimely experience.

Cook, who Ciccone feels has been BOB CICCONE I think but one most people which hasn't been a means for him to avoid other facets of his total experience at Fairfield now. don't think any psychologist who talked to Bobby could nail down exactly what his emotional iroblems stemmed from," was 'ook's analysis. "I would have say multitude of variables vere involved." And just as there were any number variables which con- ributed Io Ciccone's troubled eriod, he is now also con- ending with a number of variables which have given him a new outlook on life. "Originally, I came here to lay ball," remembers Ciccone, an All City player in 1069 who urncd down offers from Arizona state and other college baseball powerhouses. "But now I can't measure how much it's meant to me going here and how much he Jesuits have helped me.

They're not only good teachers, buHtljey make you a.man." Currently, Ciccone Is pursuing he back of Ciccone's hand in a reak pickotf attempt at second 5ase, but Ciccone played anyway and wound up hitting 287. He also led (he team in hits 33), total bases (46) and out- ield assists (eight) to be one of he few bright spots in a dismal -20 year. Since Cfccone only had one Nick Testa's assistance, ie went to his family's native (aly and played about games or a team called Lubiam, one of he largest clothing manufac- urers in Europe, located in a small northwestern resort town Grasetto. The FIBA Is set up" as 'a 2-team league with 20 players each ball club. Fifteen must native born, four can be of talian American descent and one other player can come from any ethnic background.

Good "It's incredible what 'goes on over there," says Ciccone, vhose horizons have been Broadened extensively by this sociology in degree May) with career in mind. He will inish student teaching at tfadison Junior High School in frumbull in two weeks, at which ime he can devote more at- ention to baseball, still a 'orerunner in his future plans. Unfortunately, a professional laseball career in the major eagues will most likely be an mfullilled dream for Ciccone lowever. "With the history he has, he's been written off by most of the scouts," says Cook, "and his agi is also working against him." Praise From Vieira, One thing which will neve work against Ciccone is hi reputation on a -baseball dia mond. Frank "Porky" Vieira the University of New Haven coach who may be Ihe mos respected baseball man in all New England, has been quoted as saying, "Ciccone is the playc I fear the most on our scheduh in terms of what he can do on a bal! fietd and what he represents as a threat at the plate." Some big words from an ex tremely knowledgeable man, ivfio incidentally, had a role in help ing (his 5-10, ISO-pound keg dynamite explode his talents in the Federated Italian Baseball Association last summer.

After hitting .340 most of lasl season, a Boston' College pitcher left Vieira's and (this one) with Hunter College experience. Work doesn't get in the way of playing lall. Most of the guys on our cam work for Lubiam and we jet seven or 8,000 people at our games (day and "night). "I'd have to say the com- letiton is better than most col- ege baseball in the country and at times it's like Arizona State and UCLA. It's growing and the people really can't understand our philosophy here.

Over there you socialize with the other team after the game and 1 tend to like that." The set-up for ball players in Italy is on par with the way most European a a athletes are handled. They give you a place to live, board, a way to get arond town and expense money for periodic team, trips outside of Italy. This summer mien Ciccone returns to play for a club known as a a i a larger city where he will be abje to coach kids -in a comparable Pony league, it will also mean hitches to Spain for the Cup and Montreal for an appearance in the World Baseball Tournament. U.S., Colombia, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico will be among those countries represented in the latter event. "A cultural opportunity likg and playing ball at the same time has put me on such an up," Ciccone's Another is by coming back to way of saying Page E-l) in.

with Fairfiel Univ crri Bob Cjcconc (far right) has a summer mustache ort while pos- tioms oi the Bronx and coach Nick Testa of Hutitcr ColicPP In wn.iytij nv icuncr and mother ilsnkinjj Testa's mother.