Manager Don Rothdiener, Coach Larry Deck, Coach Larry Sreca, Coach Tom Sreca.
Losses: Jason Mazurowski, Brian Weigel, Mike Zick.
Returning Players: Dan Barns (P/1B/OF), Kevin Burr (OF), Dan Lonsbury (Util.), Eric Morrissette (SS/OF), Andy Munn (C), David Parker (P/OF), Cody Passalacqua (P/Util.), Jeff Sergott (P/SS/OF), Mike Sreca (2B/3B/SS), Kevin VanSlyke (P/3B/SS), Jeff Weaver (P/1B/Util.).
Newcomers: Tryouts tomorrow night - check back for an update.
I just talked to Parkhurst manager Don Rothdiener. Check out he had to say as he offered his thoughts on what he thinks can be a successful year for his squad:
AD: What are you looking for out of an all-star player like Dan Barns who is returning to your team this year?
DR: We’re looking for him to be a team leader as an older kid who’s been there for a few years. He’s got a very good bat. We’re looking for him to possibly come back to way he pitched last year for Westmoreland. Jeff Sergott is back too. He was an all-star last year too. Jeff’s an all-around ball player. He’ll play anywhere you want him to play and do what he has to do.
AD: Who else will you look to as leaders?
DR: We look to all of them because if you look at it, most of these kids are leaders on the teams that they’re already on now (in high school)…We’re hoping that these kids put it together again. We’d like to make the playoffs again and we know they can… It’s like everybody contributes. You can’t just single out one kid. This is a whole team and they really do play together like that.
AD: Even though you haven’t held tryouts yet, what do you expect from the new guys as a group?
DR: There’s a bunch of young kids out there who will be real good ballplayers. The future for a program like ours is very bright. For us making the playoffs the last two out of three years has really improved our program. It’s brought some good ballplayers back to our program and now that’s showing.
AD: What do you like most about your team?
DR: I think it’s the chemistry because these kids really do get along. Sometimes you may have a couple bad apples, a couple kids that just don’t fit in. But these kids all get along together well…Even at a Westmoreland v. Oriskany game during the school year, these kids are out there talking to each other after the game and shaking each others hand. It’s really good camaraderie between the groups of kids.
AD: How do you manage to get the kids to get along so well when you have players who come from three different schools?
DR: We have some get-togethers during the year with the returning players. We don’t just lose the kids’ interest all year. At Christmas time we had a team party.
AD: Tell me about your coaching staff and how much they help you out.
DR: Our coaching staff really wants to improve this program…Larry Deck and Tom Sreca, they do all the positioning and line-ups and everything. My job now is mainly just to do paperwork and be there as a guide. Larry Sreca is the same way. He and I just guide. Tom Sreca and Larry Deck really have made these kids play better and taken them to the next level. They relate well with the kids.
AD: What does your team need to improve upon in order to have a successful season?
DR: I’m pretty sure anybody is going to say the pitching. We’re just hoping we’re going to have enough kids to throw…Pitching is always big. That’s the key.
AD: What is your goal for this team?
DR: We’d love to win the county. We want to get back in the playoffs and go from there. It’d be nice to win the county and go to district.
AD: Who do you think, at this point, will be the major contender?
DR: You’ve got to figure Smith Post will be one and you know that New Hartford and Whitestown and Adrean and Utica, all those teams will be tough. I just hope we can compete.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Team Preview: Clonan Post 1000
Manager Mike McRorie, Coach Gary Puleo.
Losses: Robbie Castalano, Kyle Ford, Mike Grimaldi, Jacob Henry, Josh LaBarge, Andrew Roemer.
Returning Players: Steven Ball (OF/P), Eddie Constintine (C/P), Ryan Critelli (P/IF), Adam Dee (OF), Brian Gaskell (P/1B), Dominick Masi (P/1B), Tyler Miles (P), Keith Morgan (P), Brandon O’Connor (OF), Gary Puleo II (P/IF), Dan Zayas (OF).
Newcomers: Nick Critelli (IF), Paul Sanders (P), T.J. Chrystie (C).
I just got off the phone with Clonan Post manager Mike McRorie. He will have a new assistant this year in Gary Puleo who will replace Rich Grimaldi. Here's what McRorie had to say about his team's outlook this season:
AD: Looking at your roster, I see that you have a lot of kids coming back from last year. Tell me about that.
MM: I have a very experienced team coming back. I’ve got a lot of three year starters. This year I’m fortunate to have a pretty decent pitching staff. I have eight returning starters. I only lost one kid – Robbie at first base…I’m very excited about this year because of the young talent that we do have and the experience that we have on the team.
AD: What do you like most about this team?
MM: What I like about this team is the individual talent. Most of these kids can play anywhere at any given time. And I’m also very strong at the catching position with Eddie Constintine which is important.
AD: What does your team need to work on the most?
MM: The biggest thing for our team to improve on is team chemistry because I do have kids from different schools…They’ve got to get together and get that chemistry together. If our pitching works out as well as it should, I think we should be right there and make the playoffs and that’s our goal.
AD: Well, you just mentioned the playoffs, is that this team’s ultimate goal?
MM: Absolutely. Since I’ve started coaching here we haven’t made the playoffs. We’ve come close a couple times, but we haven’t quite made it. But I think we can do it this year if our pitching works out.
AD: With Clonan not having very much success in the past few years, how do you go about turning things around? Is it a matter of having a winning attitude?
MM: They have to get a lot of confidence in their ability. Some of these kids are playing at Class D schools going against Class A kids. They have to understand that they can play with these kids.
AD: Who do you see as being the major contenders this year?
MM: I think the three teams that are in it about every single year and are very strong are Smith, Whitestown and New Hartford. They’re always the top teams.
Losses: Robbie Castalano, Kyle Ford, Mike Grimaldi, Jacob Henry, Josh LaBarge, Andrew Roemer.
Returning Players: Steven Ball (OF/P), Eddie Constintine (C/P), Ryan Critelli (P/IF), Adam Dee (OF), Brian Gaskell (P/1B), Dominick Masi (P/1B), Tyler Miles (P), Keith Morgan (P), Brandon O’Connor (OF), Gary Puleo II (P/IF), Dan Zayas (OF).
Newcomers: Nick Critelli (IF), Paul Sanders (P), T.J. Chrystie (C).
I just got off the phone with Clonan Post manager Mike McRorie. He will have a new assistant this year in Gary Puleo who will replace Rich Grimaldi. Here's what McRorie had to say about his team's outlook this season:
AD: Looking at your roster, I see that you have a lot of kids coming back from last year. Tell me about that.
MM: I have a very experienced team coming back. I’ve got a lot of three year starters. This year I’m fortunate to have a pretty decent pitching staff. I have eight returning starters. I only lost one kid – Robbie at first base…I’m very excited about this year because of the young talent that we do have and the experience that we have on the team.
AD: What do you like most about this team?
MM: What I like about this team is the individual talent. Most of these kids can play anywhere at any given time. And I’m also very strong at the catching position with Eddie Constintine which is important.
AD: What does your team need to work on the most?
MM: The biggest thing for our team to improve on is team chemistry because I do have kids from different schools…They’ve got to get together and get that chemistry together. If our pitching works out as well as it should, I think we should be right there and make the playoffs and that’s our goal.
AD: Well, you just mentioned the playoffs, is that this team’s ultimate goal?
MM: Absolutely. Since I’ve started coaching here we haven’t made the playoffs. We’ve come close a couple times, but we haven’t quite made it. But I think we can do it this year if our pitching works out.
AD: With Clonan not having very much success in the past few years, how do you go about turning things around? Is it a matter of having a winning attitude?
MM: They have to get a lot of confidence in their ability. Some of these kids are playing at Class D schools going against Class A kids. They have to understand that they can play with these kids.
AD: Who do you see as being the major contenders this year?
MM: I think the three teams that are in it about every single year and are very strong are Smith, Whitestown and New Hartford. They’re always the top teams.
Team Preview: Helmuth-Ingalls Post 232
Manager Steve Corney, Coach Ryan Luley, Coach Sean Luley, Coach George Corney.
Losses: George Corney, Anthony Gurdo, Victor Selyuzhitskiy, John Spinella.
Returning Players: R.J. Baumgarten (P/3B), Mark Coleman (P/1B/OF), Justin Corney (P/3B/OF), Cory Gogola (P/2B), Chris Hughes (C/OF), Wes Roberts (P/SS/Util.), Jack Sullivan (C/1B), Sean Wooldridge (1B/OF), Brandon Wrobel (P/IF/OF).
Newcomers: Jordan Doroshenko (P/OF), Lee Foxton (P/2B/SS), Tyler Heck (IF/OF), Taylor Jaquays (P/OF), Matt Martin (P/SS), Mark Vaughan (3B/OF), Tyler White (P/IF), Alan Dellers (C/OF), Jeff Ostrander (OF).
I met up with the Helmuth-Ingalls manager Steve Corney, coach Ryan Luley and coach Sean Luley last weekend to get their thoughts on the upcoming season. This is the staff’s third year together and it is clear that they are determined to turn Helmuth into a perennial winner and Oneida County contender. Take a look at some of what they had to say below. To hear more from the Helmuth coaches, listen to the complete audio interview here: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/legionbaseball/x765550528/Legion-Baseball-Audio
AD: You lose two all-stars in George Corney and Anthony Gurdo. What’s it mean to the team to lose two guys like that?
RL: Well the biggest thing is the leadership. They both have been there…They’re veterans. They know what the team’s like. That we will certainly miss. But I think we’ve had guys in the program that have done things in the past and stepped up and been leaders at times so I don’t think we’re going to have a void in leadership, but definitely their experience and leadership will be the biggest thing.
AD: How do you feel about the group of players you have coming up?
SC: I think it’s a good group, a very good group. I think what they need to be seasoned a little bit more and they need some leadership.
AD: What do you see for Helmuth this year in terms of your success?
RL: If you look at what we have left over from last year, we’ve got some depth definitely at pitching, which we haven’t really had in the last two years. We also have a lot of flexibility, guys playing different positions. So we get some things that we haven’t had necessarily in the last couple years, particularly the pitching depth.
AD: Tell me about the tournament in Saratoga. Is the first year you guys are doing that? What teams do you play?
RL: We did it last year as well.
SL: This year we’re playing the Saratoga Stampede…Saugerties, Rondout, Trumbull Post (Conn.) and South Kingston, it’s a Rhode Island team. It’s top competition. It’s one of the better tournaments that I could find when I looked. We got in with Saratoga last year. We didn’t do too well out there last year. We went 0-5, but it brought the team even closer…It got us ready for what Oneida County would be like and continuing to go there these kids will play against better competition and get that competition and come back and be able to play Oneida County teams at a higher level.
AD: What might you have to work on from last year in terms of an improving area?
SC: Learning to win. We were in a lot of games last year where it was one-run, two-run games and we just have to find ways to piece little things whether it’s a bunt, sacrifice, advancing runners, getting runners in scoring position, we have to find ways to win this year.
AD: The guys that are returning from last year – who are you looking at to be leaders and who you’re excited about?
RL: Really the older kids; the guys who have been here two, three years. I’m thinking of seniors – Justin Corney, Chris Hughes, Cory Gogola, Wes Roberts and Brandon Wrobel. Those guys, they’re older, they’re all seniors in high school this year. The three Clinton guys have been with us since they were sophomores so they’ve been around. And the two guys from Waterville, Wes and Brandon, they were part of that kind of bridging the gap last year, bringing the team together. Like Sean said, they’re guys that will play all over the field and not question it…That’s just from the leadership point, not necessarily performance-wise. We’re just looking strictly from their character and personality and stuff like that.
AD: Having (Ryan and Sean) around, how much does help you?
SC: I’ve been blessed by find the two Luley brothers to come in and help me out. They come from an established program with tradition, tradition in winning from New Hartford. Their love and desire for the game has helped this program tenfold.
AD: What is an ultimate goal for this year’s team?
SL: My goal would be to make it back to playoffs.
SC: My goal is to get through the counties, get to the counties, and make another trip to the districts.
RL: My goal always is winning. To start off the season I’m setting my goal high, so the state would obviously be up there. But, you re-evaluate constantly. The most important thing is winning the right way. Since we took over this program, we’ve put our image, not just internally, but our public image is first and foremost on our mind.
SL: I think the main thing also is to make sure the kids are having fun. You know from playing that you can’t win a baseball game if you’re not having fun. And if a kid’s not having fun all summer long, as coaches we’re doing something wrong.
On the divisional breakdown:
SL: Oneida County baseball, it’s never weak. Whether you’re in the blue or the gold, it’s always going to be a fight…Anybody could win on any day. That’s the biggest thing about Oneida County baseball. It’s a very balanced league. It’s not always going to be dominated by one team. The names up there at the top are always up there at the top…But every one else is always going to fight.
AD: It seems like you guys are really set on turning the Helmuth program into a year in, year out contender and doing it the right way. How focused are you guys on doing that?
SC: I would say very focused. Since day 1 that’s been our number one goal. When we took the program over three years ago, Helmuth was probably the doormat of the league as far as respect. We’ve gone out, as Ryan has said earlier, tried to establish with everything we have possible, teaching these young men how to play baseball the right way and gain that respect…That is what we’re about.
Losses: George Corney, Anthony Gurdo, Victor Selyuzhitskiy, John Spinella.
Returning Players: R.J. Baumgarten (P/3B), Mark Coleman (P/1B/OF), Justin Corney (P/3B/OF), Cory Gogola (P/2B), Chris Hughes (C/OF), Wes Roberts (P/SS/Util.), Jack Sullivan (C/1B), Sean Wooldridge (1B/OF), Brandon Wrobel (P/IF/OF).
Newcomers: Jordan Doroshenko (P/OF), Lee Foxton (P/2B/SS), Tyler Heck (IF/OF), Taylor Jaquays (P/OF), Matt Martin (P/SS), Mark Vaughan (3B/OF), Tyler White (P/IF), Alan Dellers (C/OF), Jeff Ostrander (OF).
I met up with the Helmuth-Ingalls manager Steve Corney, coach Ryan Luley and coach Sean Luley last weekend to get their thoughts on the upcoming season. This is the staff’s third year together and it is clear that they are determined to turn Helmuth into a perennial winner and Oneida County contender. Take a look at some of what they had to say below. To hear more from the Helmuth coaches, listen to the complete audio interview here: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/legionbaseball/x765550528/Legion-Baseball-Audio
AD: You lose two all-stars in George Corney and Anthony Gurdo. What’s it mean to the team to lose two guys like that?
RL: Well the biggest thing is the leadership. They both have been there…They’re veterans. They know what the team’s like. That we will certainly miss. But I think we’ve had guys in the program that have done things in the past and stepped up and been leaders at times so I don’t think we’re going to have a void in leadership, but definitely their experience and leadership will be the biggest thing.
AD: How do you feel about the group of players you have coming up?
SC: I think it’s a good group, a very good group. I think what they need to be seasoned a little bit more and they need some leadership.
AD: What do you see for Helmuth this year in terms of your success?
RL: If you look at what we have left over from last year, we’ve got some depth definitely at pitching, which we haven’t really had in the last two years. We also have a lot of flexibility, guys playing different positions. So we get some things that we haven’t had necessarily in the last couple years, particularly the pitching depth.
AD: Tell me about the tournament in Saratoga. Is the first year you guys are doing that? What teams do you play?
RL: We did it last year as well.
SL: This year we’re playing the Saratoga Stampede…Saugerties, Rondout, Trumbull Post (Conn.) and South Kingston, it’s a Rhode Island team. It’s top competition. It’s one of the better tournaments that I could find when I looked. We got in with Saratoga last year. We didn’t do too well out there last year. We went 0-5, but it brought the team even closer…It got us ready for what Oneida County would be like and continuing to go there these kids will play against better competition and get that competition and come back and be able to play Oneida County teams at a higher level.
AD: What might you have to work on from last year in terms of an improving area?
SC: Learning to win. We were in a lot of games last year where it was one-run, two-run games and we just have to find ways to piece little things whether it’s a bunt, sacrifice, advancing runners, getting runners in scoring position, we have to find ways to win this year.
AD: The guys that are returning from last year – who are you looking at to be leaders and who you’re excited about?
RL: Really the older kids; the guys who have been here two, three years. I’m thinking of seniors – Justin Corney, Chris Hughes, Cory Gogola, Wes Roberts and Brandon Wrobel. Those guys, they’re older, they’re all seniors in high school this year. The three Clinton guys have been with us since they were sophomores so they’ve been around. And the two guys from Waterville, Wes and Brandon, they were part of that kind of bridging the gap last year, bringing the team together. Like Sean said, they’re guys that will play all over the field and not question it…That’s just from the leadership point, not necessarily performance-wise. We’re just looking strictly from their character and personality and stuff like that.
AD: Having (Ryan and Sean) around, how much does help you?
SC: I’ve been blessed by find the two Luley brothers to come in and help me out. They come from an established program with tradition, tradition in winning from New Hartford. Their love and desire for the game has helped this program tenfold.
AD: What is an ultimate goal for this year’s team?
SL: My goal would be to make it back to playoffs.
SC: My goal is to get through the counties, get to the counties, and make another trip to the districts.
RL: My goal always is winning. To start off the season I’m setting my goal high, so the state would obviously be up there. But, you re-evaluate constantly. The most important thing is winning the right way. Since we took over this program, we’ve put our image, not just internally, but our public image is first and foremost on our mind.
SL: I think the main thing also is to make sure the kids are having fun. You know from playing that you can’t win a baseball game if you’re not having fun. And if a kid’s not having fun all summer long, as coaches we’re doing something wrong.
On the divisional breakdown:
SL: Oneida County baseball, it’s never weak. Whether you’re in the blue or the gold, it’s always going to be a fight…Anybody could win on any day. That’s the biggest thing about Oneida County baseball. It’s a very balanced league. It’s not always going to be dominated by one team. The names up there at the top are always up there at the top…But every one else is always going to fight.
AD: It seems like you guys are really set on turning the Helmuth program into a year in, year out contender and doing it the right way. How focused are you guys on doing that?
SC: I would say very focused. Since day 1 that’s been our number one goal. When we took the program over three years ago, Helmuth was probably the doormat of the league as far as respect. We’ve gone out, as Ryan has said earlier, tried to establish with everything we have possible, teaching these young men how to play baseball the right way and gain that respect…That is what we’re about.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Team Preview: Fort Schuyler Post 1290
Manager Sal Paladino, Coach Jason Cooper, Coach Tom Grace.
Losses: Ben Brady, John Gamela.
Returning Players: Sean Badger (IF/P), Peter Clark (OF/P), Mike Grace (OF), Chris Lewis (IF/P), Jared Marshall (1B/P), Mike McCormick (OF), Joe Priore (IF), Sean Redmond (IF/P), Mike Rose (OF), Ed Schulze (IF), Nick Vella (P/OF), Jordan Zongrone (IF/P).
Newcomers: Jeff Albright (1B/P), Dominic Galimo (C), Richard Lange (IF/P), Dan Priore (2B/SS), Nick Raymer (IF), Anthony Rose (OF/P).
I discussed the upcoming legion season over coffee with Fort Schuyler manager Sal Paladino last week. Despite fielding a young team, Paladino is excited about the potential of his players. I’ve included some highlights from our discussion below. To hear more, listen to the full audio interview: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/legionbaseball/x765550528/Legion-Baseball-Audio
AD: You guys are playing your home games at Delutis. Why is that?
SP: The Mills, they let it go. The infield needs so much work and I end up doing it and it’s too much work.
AD: It’s pretty far away from New York Mills. Do you think that will grow on the kids or will they get tired of it?
SP: I think they’re tired of playing at the Mills. The infield is so bad that they’re looking forward to going. We don’t have buses, but we car pool and we fundraise extra money so we’re going to pay the older kids extra gas money. Everything I do, I meet with the kids and I talk about it, and they look forward to it.
AD: The only all-star you lose is Ben Brady. How is that going to affect the team, losing a player like him?
SP: Well we also lost, even though he wasn’t an all-star, John Gamela. John Gamela was a big part of the team. You’re not going to replace Ben and you’re not going to replace what John meant. John played, last year, every position for us. He was a captain and he was a good player for us for four years. He would do anything you asked him to do and today that’s not the easiest thing to get out of players – to give up themselves to get what’s best for the team. John was always like that. He’d take on any challenge. So it’s going to be hard to replace both of them.
AD: Who do you return from last year’s team that you’re looking to be leaders for this year’s team?
SP: Well, we have three captains – Jared Marshall, who’s at MVCC, Sean Redmond and Jordan Zongrone. Those are our three captains.
AD: In terms of newcomers, who are looking forward to?
SP: We have two fourteen-year-old kids; one’s from Proctor, Danny Priore, and Anthony Rose from Notre Dame. This is probably one of the better recruiting classes that we’ve had. We also have a fourteen-year-old kid from the Mills - Jeff Albright. Dan doesn’t pitch; the other two pitch. But Anthony Rose just has so much potential. Danny Priore is going to be an outstanding player. I think Jeff can help us a lot on the mound. He’s 6’2” and he’s only fourteen.
AD: Those three guys are from three different high schools. How does that work with the team chemistry when you bring in guys from different schools?
SP: Since we got involved that’s when we started hitting in the winter. One of the main reasons with us is so that they get to know each other. They’re together every Sunday from September ‘til the beginning of spring baseball. And we have a couple of different parties with them so by the time the season starts (they’re okay).
AD: Do you have any injuries going into this year or is everyone pretty healthy?
SP: Well, the Albright kid broke his wrist so he’s going to be out for part of the season. I think he’s going to be out at least four more weeks. Jordan (Zongrone) is back healthy. The last three games that I’ve seen him play, he’s really coming into his own. He’s hitting the ball well and he’s pitching there and he’s doing a good job. I think if Sean stays healthy, Sean can pitch with anyone in the league. He may not throw as hard as (Garrett) Baker (of Smith Post), but he’s pretty crafty.
AD: What do you like most about this team at this point?
SP: Jordan being healthy allows us to not only put him – last year we were just able to DH him – this year he can go to first base, he can play third base, but he can also go on the mound. He’s a very good pitcher. The young players allow us more competition which is going to push the other players. Mike Rose is back. He had a big year for us (last year).
AD: How about stuff that you think the team needs to work on to have a better season?
SP: As far as hitting, we were able to score enough runs to be competitive. Defensively we didn’t do a very good job, but we have a new catcher. Again, Jordan will be able to go into the field. The other players have a year more experience, but I also think that Rose and Priore, defensively, can play now even though they’re very young. There’s a lot more competition and I think that will make them work a little bit harder…It will push them to be better.
AD: You mentioned Smith earlier and you just mentioned Whitestown. Who do you think, at this point, will be the major contender?
SP: I think Smith. I always felt that he (Smith manager Tony Abone, Sr.) gets the most out of his players. I think he’s a very good coach. They don’t play a lot of games so he usually keeps the pitching sharp.
Losses: Ben Brady, John Gamela.
Returning Players: Sean Badger (IF/P), Peter Clark (OF/P), Mike Grace (OF), Chris Lewis (IF/P), Jared Marshall (1B/P), Mike McCormick (OF), Joe Priore (IF), Sean Redmond (IF/P), Mike Rose (OF), Ed Schulze (IF), Nick Vella (P/OF), Jordan Zongrone (IF/P).
Newcomers: Jeff Albright (1B/P), Dominic Galimo (C), Richard Lange (IF/P), Dan Priore (2B/SS), Nick Raymer (IF), Anthony Rose (OF/P).
I discussed the upcoming legion season over coffee with Fort Schuyler manager Sal Paladino last week. Despite fielding a young team, Paladino is excited about the potential of his players. I’ve included some highlights from our discussion below. To hear more, listen to the full audio interview: http://www.uticaod.com/sports/legionbaseball/x765550528/Legion-Baseball-Audio
AD: You guys are playing your home games at Delutis. Why is that?
SP: The Mills, they let it go. The infield needs so much work and I end up doing it and it’s too much work.
AD: It’s pretty far away from New York Mills. Do you think that will grow on the kids or will they get tired of it?
SP: I think they’re tired of playing at the Mills. The infield is so bad that they’re looking forward to going. We don’t have buses, but we car pool and we fundraise extra money so we’re going to pay the older kids extra gas money. Everything I do, I meet with the kids and I talk about it, and they look forward to it.
AD: The only all-star you lose is Ben Brady. How is that going to affect the team, losing a player like him?
SP: Well we also lost, even though he wasn’t an all-star, John Gamela. John Gamela was a big part of the team. You’re not going to replace Ben and you’re not going to replace what John meant. John played, last year, every position for us. He was a captain and he was a good player for us for four years. He would do anything you asked him to do and today that’s not the easiest thing to get out of players – to give up themselves to get what’s best for the team. John was always like that. He’d take on any challenge. So it’s going to be hard to replace both of them.
AD: Who do you return from last year’s team that you’re looking to be leaders for this year’s team?
SP: Well, we have three captains – Jared Marshall, who’s at MVCC, Sean Redmond and Jordan Zongrone. Those are our three captains.
AD: In terms of newcomers, who are looking forward to?
SP: We have two fourteen-year-old kids; one’s from Proctor, Danny Priore, and Anthony Rose from Notre Dame. This is probably one of the better recruiting classes that we’ve had. We also have a fourteen-year-old kid from the Mills - Jeff Albright. Dan doesn’t pitch; the other two pitch. But Anthony Rose just has so much potential. Danny Priore is going to be an outstanding player. I think Jeff can help us a lot on the mound. He’s 6’2” and he’s only fourteen.
AD: Those three guys are from three different high schools. How does that work with the team chemistry when you bring in guys from different schools?
SP: Since we got involved that’s when we started hitting in the winter. One of the main reasons with us is so that they get to know each other. They’re together every Sunday from September ‘til the beginning of spring baseball. And we have a couple of different parties with them so by the time the season starts (they’re okay).
AD: Do you have any injuries going into this year or is everyone pretty healthy?
SP: Well, the Albright kid broke his wrist so he’s going to be out for part of the season. I think he’s going to be out at least four more weeks. Jordan (Zongrone) is back healthy. The last three games that I’ve seen him play, he’s really coming into his own. He’s hitting the ball well and he’s pitching there and he’s doing a good job. I think if Sean stays healthy, Sean can pitch with anyone in the league. He may not throw as hard as (Garrett) Baker (of Smith Post), but he’s pretty crafty.
AD: What do you like most about this team at this point?
SP: Jordan being healthy allows us to not only put him – last year we were just able to DH him – this year he can go to first base, he can play third base, but he can also go on the mound. He’s a very good pitcher. The young players allow us more competition which is going to push the other players. Mike Rose is back. He had a big year for us (last year).
AD: How about stuff that you think the team needs to work on to have a better season?
SP: As far as hitting, we were able to score enough runs to be competitive. Defensively we didn’t do a very good job, but we have a new catcher. Again, Jordan will be able to go into the field. The other players have a year more experience, but I also think that Rose and Priore, defensively, can play now even though they’re very young. There’s a lot more competition and I think that will make them work a little bit harder…It will push them to be better.
AD: You mentioned Smith earlier and you just mentioned Whitestown. Who do you think, at this point, will be the major contender?
SP: I think Smith. I always felt that he (Smith manager Tony Abone, Sr.) gets the most out of his players. I think he’s a very good coach. They don’t play a lot of games so he usually keeps the pitching sharp.
Team Preview: Roberts Post 161
Manager Rich Hurlbut, Coach Mark Harlander, Coach Jim Mann, Coach Christian Parsons.
Losses: Travis Bivins, John Michael Ellis, David Golemeiowski, Ben Korziel, Justin Martin.
Returning players: Cody Crego (3B/P/1B), Stephen Falk (P/OF), Devin Frye (SS/2B/P), Matt Hammill (C/Util.), Cory Hurlbut (C/1B/DH), Nick Iselo (P/Util.), Eric Latus (OF), Tyler Mann (P/2B/SS), Geoff Ogden (P/OF/1B), Kevin Quesnell (P/Util.), Mike Rixford (P/OF).
Newcomers: Curtis Hurlbut (OF), John Iselo (P/OF), Dylan Jones (1B/DH), Chas Parsons (P/3B), Andrew Roberts (1B/DH), Justin Weakley (2B/SS/P), Matt Williams (OF/1B).
I conducted a phone interview with Roberts manager Rich Hurlbut on Thursday evening. He also serves as coach of the Holland Patent junior varsity team.
Here’s what Hurlbut had to say about the upcoming season:
AD: Who do you expect to be your leaders from the players you have returning?
RH: As far as leaders, I’m expecting Matt Hamill to be a leader. Nick Iselo and Jeff Ogden too. The four guys that I made captains (Hammill, Hurlbut, Iselo, Ogden), I’m expecting them to be the leaders. I hope that Devin Frye and Tyler Mann can also step into that role too.
AD: What do you like most about this team?
RH: There’s team unity there, which I like.
AD: What does your team need to work on the most?
RH: Probably our hitting – we need to focus on that a bit more. If our pitching stays stellar, we should be okay.
AD: Tell me about the competition you face in Mohican, Lamb and Westcott. Is this a tournament and what does playing that type of competition do for your team?
RH: It’s a tournament out in Buffalo. We were there three years ago and two years ago. It’s good competition out there. A couple teams from Canada come down and play. They give you a good competition. There’s also a team out of Pennsylvania coming too. I think that’s the Westcott team. I believe they’re out of Erie. I think it will help out a lot. It’s fun for the kids to travel. Staying in the same area and playing the same teams all the time kind of gets old. It’s fun to play teams that don’t know you. I think our guys pick it up a little bit when they’re playing teams that we don’t know.
AD: Tell me about your assistant coaches and what they mean to the team’s success.
RH: Mark Harlander is the varsity coach for Poland. He’s going to be helping out. The other two have been around. One is a former player (Christian Parsons). He’s coming aboard and he’s going to help me out with the pitching and catching. Coach Mann used to do the bookkeeping for me and he’s coming aboard too. They’re going to help out quite a bit.
AD: What is your goal for this team?
RH: Like I said, I hope that we can finish third or fourth (in our division). And I also want us to have a win more than we lose each week.
AD: On paper, it looks like you’re in the tougher division. What are your thoughts on that?
RH: I don’t care for it, but it’s what happens. We’re just going to have to come ready to play everyday and hope we take some from the bigger guns as I call them.
AD: Who do you see as being the major contenders this year?
RH: Probably Smith post is going to be very, very strong this year. I’m imagining that Whitestown is going to be very strong this year. New Hartford should good too. You know, the usual teams that compete, I expect them to be there in the end.
AD: Anything you want to say about your team?
RH: I just hope we have a good season. They’re a great bunch of kids and I hope we can come out and have a good season.
Losses: Travis Bivins, John Michael Ellis, David Golemeiowski, Ben Korziel, Justin Martin.
Returning players: Cody Crego (3B/P/1B), Stephen Falk (P/OF), Devin Frye (SS/2B/P), Matt Hammill (C/Util.), Cory Hurlbut (C/1B/DH), Nick Iselo (P/Util.), Eric Latus (OF), Tyler Mann (P/2B/SS), Geoff Ogden (P/OF/1B), Kevin Quesnell (P/Util.), Mike Rixford (P/OF).
Newcomers: Curtis Hurlbut (OF), John Iselo (P/OF), Dylan Jones (1B/DH), Chas Parsons (P/3B), Andrew Roberts (1B/DH), Justin Weakley (2B/SS/P), Matt Williams (OF/1B).
I conducted a phone interview with Roberts manager Rich Hurlbut on Thursday evening. He also serves as coach of the Holland Patent junior varsity team.
Here’s what Hurlbut had to say about the upcoming season:
AD: Who do you expect to be your leaders from the players you have returning?
RH: As far as leaders, I’m expecting Matt Hamill to be a leader. Nick Iselo and Jeff Ogden too. The four guys that I made captains (Hammill, Hurlbut, Iselo, Ogden), I’m expecting them to be the leaders. I hope that Devin Frye and Tyler Mann can also step into that role too.
AD: What do you like most about this team?
RH: There’s team unity there, which I like.
AD: What does your team need to work on the most?
RH: Probably our hitting – we need to focus on that a bit more. If our pitching stays stellar, we should be okay.
AD: Tell me about the competition you face in Mohican, Lamb and Westcott. Is this a tournament and what does playing that type of competition do for your team?
RH: It’s a tournament out in Buffalo. We were there three years ago and two years ago. It’s good competition out there. A couple teams from Canada come down and play. They give you a good competition. There’s also a team out of Pennsylvania coming too. I think that’s the Westcott team. I believe they’re out of Erie. I think it will help out a lot. It’s fun for the kids to travel. Staying in the same area and playing the same teams all the time kind of gets old. It’s fun to play teams that don’t know you. I think our guys pick it up a little bit when they’re playing teams that we don’t know.
AD: Tell me about your assistant coaches and what they mean to the team’s success.
RH: Mark Harlander is the varsity coach for Poland. He’s going to be helping out. The other two have been around. One is a former player (Christian Parsons). He’s coming aboard and he’s going to help me out with the pitching and catching. Coach Mann used to do the bookkeeping for me and he’s coming aboard too. They’re going to help out quite a bit.
AD: What is your goal for this team?
RH: Like I said, I hope that we can finish third or fourth (in our division). And I also want us to have a win more than we lose each week.
AD: On paper, it looks like you’re in the tougher division. What are your thoughts on that?
RH: I don’t care for it, but it’s what happens. We’re just going to have to come ready to play everyday and hope we take some from the bigger guns as I call them.
AD: Who do you see as being the major contenders this year?
RH: Probably Smith post is going to be very, very strong this year. I’m imagining that Whitestown is going to be very strong this year. New Hartford should good too. You know, the usual teams that compete, I expect them to be there in the end.
AD: Anything you want to say about your team?
RH: I just hope we have a good season. They’re a great bunch of kids and I hope we can come out and have a good season.
Team Preview: Moran-Meeker O'Rourke Post 66
Manager Doug Forbragd, Coach Steve Holstein, Coach Jerry Coon, Coach Anthony Gonzalez.
Losses: Pete Calandra, Travis Greenlee, Tyler Greenlee, Alex Hamblin, Mike House, Neil Lawrence, Trevor Sauer, Coady Wines, Peter Zy'ma.
Returning players: Andy Benedetto (P/C), Nate Bianchi (OF), Holden Coon (OF/C), Jaime Coriale (OF/P), Doug Forbragd (OF/P), Angelo Gonzalez (2B), Kile Metott (OF), Josh Seymore (OF/P) Dylan Smith (SS).
Newcomers: Jake Clark (2B), Joe O’Rourke (OF), Dylan Holstein (1B), Dave Stanton (3B/P), Steve Palmer (1B/P), Andrew Bonomo (OF).
I conducted a phone interview with Moran-Meeker O’Rourke coach Steve Holstein on Wednesday night. This is Holstein’s first year as a coach with Moran. He coached the Camden varsity team as an assistant to Tom Stevens for 21 years, but left when Stevens retired in 2003. Here’s what Holstein had to say about the upcoming season:
AD: This is your first year as a coach with Moran. Why did you decide to coach and what does it mean to you to be coaching again?
SH: It means a whole lot. I missed it. Besides my family, baseball is next. I love it and I missed it terribly. They’re a great bunch of kids and that’s the big part of it I guess. It comes down to the love of the game and how much I missed it. When they asked, I jumped at the jazz I guess you could say.
AD: What do you like most about your team?
SH: Their attitude is real good. They hustle a lot. They’re into it. They’re coming off a pretty hard season in varsity, but their attitudes are fantastic for going through that.
AD: What does your team need to work on the most?
SH: They definitely have to learn to win. And the defense – we’ve been working a lot on defense and it’s coming along. The pitching I think will be there. The defense we need to work on and hitting I think we’ll be okay. We just have to be patient at the plate.
AD: You have a returning all-star in Andy Benedetto (.310 BA last year). What do you expect from him this year?
It’s big time to have him back. He’s an all-star catcher and that’s one of the most important positions. He’s a hitter. He played baseball in college. He’s a good kid and the kids really respect him and you need that. He’s going to do a lot for us – pitch, catch and probably hit fourth.
AD: Tell me about the new kids joining Moran this year.
SH: They’re really young, but I think they’re hungry and they’re good ball players. Stanton will probably start at third. He’s a good player. Angelo Gonzalez is injured at second base so Jake Clark will probably start there to start the season. My son (Dylan Holstein) and Palmer are our only first basemen so they’ll both get time at first.
AD: What is this team’s ultimate goal?
SH: The playoffs.
AD: On paper, it looks like your division is the tougher of the two. What are your thoughts that?
SH: I think it is the tougher division, especially with Smith Post. They’re definitely stacked from top to bottom. I have to believe they’re going to be the team to beat.
AD: Who else do you see as being the major contenders this year?
SH: Adrean of course. They’re always there. Whitestown will be very good too. They always have good pitching. Whitestown, Smith and New Hartford will probably be the top three.
AD: So what do you expect from your team this year?
SH: I just expect them to hustle every game. We’re going to make mistakes, but I expect them to give 100 percent.
Losses: Pete Calandra, Travis Greenlee, Tyler Greenlee, Alex Hamblin, Mike House, Neil Lawrence, Trevor Sauer, Coady Wines, Peter Zy'ma.
Returning players: Andy Benedetto (P/C), Nate Bianchi (OF), Holden Coon (OF/C), Jaime Coriale (OF/P), Doug Forbragd (OF/P), Angelo Gonzalez (2B), Kile Metott (OF), Josh Seymore (OF/P) Dylan Smith (SS).
Newcomers: Jake Clark (2B), Joe O’Rourke (OF), Dylan Holstein (1B), Dave Stanton (3B/P), Steve Palmer (1B/P), Andrew Bonomo (OF).
I conducted a phone interview with Moran-Meeker O’Rourke coach Steve Holstein on Wednesday night. This is Holstein’s first year as a coach with Moran. He coached the Camden varsity team as an assistant to Tom Stevens for 21 years, but left when Stevens retired in 2003. Here’s what Holstein had to say about the upcoming season:
AD: This is your first year as a coach with Moran. Why did you decide to coach and what does it mean to you to be coaching again?
SH: It means a whole lot. I missed it. Besides my family, baseball is next. I love it and I missed it terribly. They’re a great bunch of kids and that’s the big part of it I guess. It comes down to the love of the game and how much I missed it. When they asked, I jumped at the jazz I guess you could say.
AD: What do you like most about your team?
SH: Their attitude is real good. They hustle a lot. They’re into it. They’re coming off a pretty hard season in varsity, but their attitudes are fantastic for going through that.
AD: What does your team need to work on the most?
SH: They definitely have to learn to win. And the defense – we’ve been working a lot on defense and it’s coming along. The pitching I think will be there. The defense we need to work on and hitting I think we’ll be okay. We just have to be patient at the plate.
AD: You have a returning all-star in Andy Benedetto (.310 BA last year). What do you expect from him this year?
It’s big time to have him back. He’s an all-star catcher and that’s one of the most important positions. He’s a hitter. He played baseball in college. He’s a good kid and the kids really respect him and you need that. He’s going to do a lot for us – pitch, catch and probably hit fourth.
AD: Tell me about the new kids joining Moran this year.
SH: They’re really young, but I think they’re hungry and they’re good ball players. Stanton will probably start at third. He’s a good player. Angelo Gonzalez is injured at second base so Jake Clark will probably start there to start the season. My son (Dylan Holstein) and Palmer are our only first basemen so they’ll both get time at first.
AD: What is this team’s ultimate goal?
SH: The playoffs.
AD: On paper, it looks like your division is the tougher of the two. What are your thoughts that?
SH: I think it is the tougher division, especially with Smith Post. They’re definitely stacked from top to bottom. I have to believe they’re going to be the team to beat.
AD: Who else do you see as being the major contenders this year?
SH: Adrean of course. They’re always there. Whitestown will be very good too. They always have good pitching. Whitestown, Smith and New Hartford will probably be the top three.
AD: So what do you expect from your team this year?
SH: I just expect them to hustle every game. We’re going to make mistakes, but I expect them to give 100 percent.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
