Double playing

Billy Canady had hoped for much more than a 2-16 end to his final season of baseball at St. John Neumann High.

It would have been much more fitting to go to the Catholic League playoffs in Neumann’s last year as a boys’ school.

"It was frustrating because no one wants to go out with a two-win season," said Canady, who missed out on the postseason all four years with the Pirates. "I knew I was going to play again, so I had to shake it off."

The outfielder’s new focus is earning a Division I athletic scholarship. So far, that goal, too, has eluded the 5-foot-10, 160-pound athlete.

Canady, of 22nd and Jackson streets, received offers to attend Division III schools, including Widener University, but he wanted more.

He soon found he would have to call on some of his other talents — like playing football.

The 18-year-old athlete will try a roundabout route to Division I baseball by attending the Peddie School on a football scholarship. Canady said he feels at home at the independent college-preparatory school, near Princeton, N.J.

"They know my background, where I come from and where I am trying to go," said the running back, who set a Catholic League record for points in a game (38), which included four rushing touchdowns.

Marian Anderson Rec Leader Steve Bandura is coaching Canady on the Phillies Senior RBI team, now competing in the Mid-Atlantic regionals in Richmond, Va. Bandura found the Peddie School opportunity while soliciting scholarships for the athlete.

The coach believes a year at prep school will open doors for the leadoff hitter and starting centerfielder, who he said has flown under the radar screen.

As a senior on Neumann’s football team, Canady racked up 507 rushing yards, 271 receiving yards and a team-best 94 points.

"It’s a steppingstone," Bandura said of the year at prep school. "A lot of athletes do this."

Despite earning a football scholarship, Canady still believes baseball is his future, and hopes to play professionally someday. The athlete is marking his sixth year of playing RBI Baseball (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities), a youth outreach program designed to provide a positive alternative to the streets. The program, which is supported by Major League Baseball, holds regional tournaments in five age divisions, the winners of which advance to the RBI World Series.

Detroit — the site of the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game — is hosting this year’s event. Two years ago, Canady’s team advanced to the semifinals before losing to Puerto Rico.

The player is confident that this year, his squad will advance to the World Series. As the leadoff hitter, he’s just the guy to take them there.

"He is working hard and doing a great job out of the leadoff spot," Bandura said, adding that the outfielder has a .500 on-base percentage in 10 games.

Canady said he appreciates the benefits he has received through the RBI team.

"The Phillies RBI program gives inner-city kids a chance to go away and get good exposure," said the player, who is working as a postal carrier over the summer.

But the pinnacle of Canady’s baseball life was a summer barnstorming tour with the Anderson Monarchs when he was 12. The players visited Jackie Robinson’s grave in Brooklyn, had a chance to meet the hall-of-famer’s wife and daughter, and played on the old Negro League ball fields. Canady fondly recalls traveling to 13 cities in 15 days on a bus like those used by Negro League players.

"That was unbelievable," he said. "It was the highlight of my life."

This summer is special for another reason. Canady is dedicating his athletic achievements to his cousin and former Neumann teammate, Alvin Dill, who was fatally shot over Memorial Day weekend while breaking up a fight.

The mission is sure to add to Canady’s already considerable motivation.

"I just have to keep going," he said. "They can’t stop me."

Senators second in series

The Philadelphia Senators are among the nation’s best 12-and-under baseball teams — and now there is proof.

The squad placed second in last week’s USSSA (United States Sports Specialty Association) Majors World Series in North Carolina. By finishing second in the 30-team field, the 60-14 squad became nationally ranked in its age group. The athletes were invited to participate in the upcoming Elite 16 tournament in Walt Disney World, but that would have overlapped with next week’s scheduled trip to the Amateur Athletic Union Nationals in Minnesota.

The Senators finished the tournament 6-2 overall, which included a 4-1 record in championship-round play. Coach Steve Koplove is quite pleased with the results.

"It was just a great tournament," he said. "We had five kids make the all-tournament team. It was really a team effort."

Becoming competitive on the national level is the third phase of a long-term plan that Koplove developed when he formed the team four years ago. In the previous two seasons, the Senators competed with the best on the city and regional levels.

In the fall, the South Philly squad will move up to the 13-and-under age group, which means the bases will now be 90 feet apart instead of 70, and the fence will be raised from 250 feet down the line to roughly 300 feet.

Koplove believes last week’s performance shows his team is ready for the next challenge.

"Our goal was to be competitive with national quality teams," he said. "I think we met that goal."

–by Bill Gelman