This was a common sight during the summer of 2009, as member of the South Troy Dodgers 17s squad huddle an umbrella during a rain delay at a game at Lansingburgh High School. (All photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

It might have rained and poured for most of July and August, but the South Troy Dodgers 18-and-under Connie Mack team managed to squeeze enough games in to earn a trip to the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, N.M.

While the Dodgers didn't come home with a national title, the players gave plenty of baseball fans in the Collar City a summer full of excitement on the diamond.

Chris Sand (above) was one of the Dodgers middle-of-the-order sluggers and the Christian Brothers Academy grad earned a scholarship to Iona College as a corner infielder and DH. Kyle Charron, a Dodger, La Salle grad and a Schaghticoke native, will join him with the Gaels.

Mike Hughes was the Dodgers' right-handed ace, and the Albany native be pitching for Coastal Carolina in the spring. Dave Roseboom, South Troy's lefty flamethrower, will be pitching for South Carolina Upstate after he finishes his senior season at La Salle Institute.

The Dodgers beat a whole bunch of great teams from around the northeast during the North Atlantic regionals and they used a pair of late-season pickups in Jim Brennan and Willie Carmona to help push them over the top.

It's always a great event for baseball nuts, because some of the nation's best play a few games every summer at Geer Field. Ryan Westmoreland, who is now one of the Boston Red Sox top prospects, played a few games there in the summer of 2008.

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There are a number of other summer league teams that had great success in 2009.
The Lansingburgh Royals 15-and-under team advanced to the World Series in Oklahoma and the Spring Youth Baseball team in Troy sent a whole bunch of teams to World Series events all over the nation.

With all of the success local baseball teams have had in recent years, including La Salle and the summer teams - not to mention the ValleyCats - it's hard not to call Troy a baseball town.

Robert Tedesco pitched for the South Troy Dodgers 17-and-under team and was nearly unhittable every time he took the mound. He'll be hurling for Siena College this spring.