By John Connolly/Amateur Baseball
Boston Herald Sports
Sunday August 2, 2009

With the final days of the regular season approaching for the area’s various amateur baseball leagues and the jockeying for playoff position in full swing, one recent game could prove to have a large impact when the Boston Park League final standings are tallied. A daring steal of home by Hines/ADSL center fielder Jared Blandino(Suffolk '06) gave the hosts a 1-0 victory over the Padres last Sunday in their quest to unseat Palmer at the top of the Park League standings.

The 26-year-old Blandino, who oversees the nonprofit All Dorchester Sports League (ADSL),
apparently caught the Padres by surprise. As a team, Hines/ADSL had stolen just 16 bases all season (paced by five each by Blandino and Bobby Barrett) - 37 fewer than BPL leader Stockyard’s 53 and the fewest of any Park League team except cellar-dwelling Grossman Marketing.

“It seemed like it was kind of the only way we’d score (that night). I had just stolen third and we had someone on first who got caught in a rundown,” said Blandino, a former Suffolk University star. “I pretty much went for home. “Instead of throwing home, the pitcher threw to third. As soon as he did that, I was already halfway down the line. I was already there and the ball was in the dirt when the third baseman threw to home.”

Heading into Friday’s action, second-place Hines/ADSL (18-6-2) was just two points behind Palmer (20-5) with six and five games remaining, respectively. Hines/ADSL has been the league’s hottest team, riding a 13-game (12-0-1) unbeaten streak. Its last defeat was a 5-3 loss to Palmer on June 25. “We’ve actually been playing great as a team,” said Blandino, who recalls stealing home in a game while playing for Suffolk. “We’ve turned it up.”

(Photo Courtesy of Boston Herald/John Connolly)