Welcome to the second edition of the weekly mailbag. We will address the emails this week. If you would like to be featured in the August 10th edition, please send your emails to baseballontheisland@gmail.com. Without further ado, let’s dive in…
Is it safe to say we are in a golden era for baseball on Long Island? Was there an era that produced this many quality ball players?
Jose, Comsewogue
Age-20
I think it’s safe to say that. Just in the last two seasons we’ve seen the debut of Sean Nolin, Marcus Stroman, Nick Tropeano, Steven Matz, Danny Burawa and now Travis Jankowski is on the verge of adding his name to that list.
During the early 1970s, there was a similar volume of local players in the big leagues, but this group has much more staying power than that.
Of this group, there are three front-line pitchers and a solid everyday player. Enjoy it while it lasts.
With the Deflategate scandal clogging the news over the past few months, it got me thinking–what would be an equivalent violation that would scar the game of baseball?
Eric, Commack
Age-28
Aside from the obvious answer of Performance Enhancing Drugs, I would say a corked bat. This happened in 2003 when Sammy Sosa’s bat broke and it was reveled he put a cork in it. He wound up with a seven-game suspension after appealing his original suspension of eight games. In the grand scheme of things, seven games isn’t much during a baseball season–that’s less than 1/16 of a full season or the equivalent of a suspension of three quarters of one NFL game. If it was revealed that a player not only corked the bat during a League Championship series but also had the clubhouse attendant do it during the game, it would probably result in a much stricter penalty.
Which program will have the biggest improvement over their 2015 season?
Maria, East Islip
Age-48
From the college programs, I think it will be a couple teams. From a pure standpoint of an increase in wins, I think it will be Hofstra, because John Habyan’s mere presence will add a handful of more victories from the pitching staff. I also think LIU Post will have a huge improvement but they aren’t coming off a bad season–they are just set up for an even better one. Their group of incoming freshman has the potential to do some serious damage. From the high schools, I can see Longwood turning it around in 2016. They are coming off a disappointing 4-win season but they have a couple kids coming up from JV that can turn the tides on League I.
I am a sophomore in high school and I don’t know which college to play at…what are some things I should look for to make sure I made the right decision?
Greg, Smithtown
Age-16
It’s the million dollar question. Assuming you want to play baseball, you need to compose a list of your ideal schools that you would be interested in. This must be realistic and also not simply based on baseball. Everyone wants to get drafted, but it is crucial that you can handle the workload given in school as to not overwhelm yourself in everyday life. Reach out to the coaches of those schools to inform them that you are interested in attending their school and ask if they can come down to one of your games. Fast forward to July, entering your senior year in high school, and now these schools will make it clear if they are interested in having you play for their team. Talk it over with your parents and decide if going away or staying local is the best fit for you. Do not factor in whether there is a player that plays your position currently on the team. I have seen many cases where a current player was outplayed by a freshman and relegated to bench duties. Make sure you have a level of trust in that coach and that you can picture yourself playing 50+ games per year for the following four seasons.
Thanks for the emails! Make sure to check out the August 10 edition of the mailbag!
