Local actor DiCenzo stars in 'Hustle' by Laura Nachman Bucks County Courier Times www.bradyresidence.com September 24, 2004 Washington Crossing resident George DiCenzo, who plays Major League Baseball commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti in Saturday night's TV movie about Pete Rose called "Hustle," was destined to play the role. As a matter of fact, DiCenzo once told Giamatti that he would portray him someday. DiCenzo, 64, is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. Giamatti was the president of Yale before he joined Major League Baseball. The two crossed paths many years ago at alumni functions. "When I was starting to make bones as an actor in Hollywood, I received a letter from Yale. I thought to myself, 'they must be asking for money,' " DiCenzo said. "It turned out that Bart wrote me a nice letter congratulating me on my success. I said to him, 'I'd love to play you someday, but you are too tall.' " DiCenzo got his first turn to play Giamatti in a limited-run play "Bart and Me" at the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia years ago. Now, DiCenzo is third-billed in the ESPN biopic that stars Temple University theater graduate Tom Sizemore as Pete Rose and Dash Mihok as Paul Janszen. DiCenzo's long and varied career has included guest-starring roles in dozens of television shows in the 1970s, '80s, and '90s and a memorable turn as Jim Belushi and Rob Lowe's boss in "About Last Night." None other than Hollywood friend Burt Reynolds dubbed DiCenzo "The Finest Acting Teacher in America." DiCenzo teaches at the Triangle theater in Philadelphia and the Greenwich Street Theater in New York City. Emmy winners Congratulations to WCAU's John Clark, CN8's Lou Tilley, and CSN's Matt Yallof, Sean Murphy, Jim Jackson, Steve Coates, Gary Dornhoefer and Marc Zumoff who won individual achievement awards at the Mid-Atlantic Emmys Saturday. On and off The new face on Comcast SportsNet is freelancer Matt Fine, who did some time on the network before. "Sports Connection" producer and contributor Pete Christy, who also worked at CSN for a few years, is returning to Lubbock, Texas, to be on the air full-time. Special guests Former Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan will co-host today's 3-7 p.m. shift on WIP 610-AM with Angelo Cataldi. Glen Macnow will do suspended Howard Eskin's shift with former WIP host Jody MacDonald, who works for sister Infinity station WFAN in New York next week. Eagles-Lions announcers Daryl Johnston, Dick Stockton and Tony Siragusa will broadcast the Eagles-Lions game at 1 p.m. Sunday on Fox. You're fired! The series "The Season" will look at the 2004 Phillies at 10 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2. No word on whether the show concludes with Larry Bowa, Ed Wade and Joe Kerrigan in the boardroom facing Donald Trump. September 24, 2004 7:26 AM