(Photo Credit: Vassar Athletics)
Although Kyle Young and Chris Cappas were the players that generated all the headlines in 2016 in regards to the Catholic League, neither of them actually won the CHSAA Player of the Year.
That’s right, that honor was bestowed upon St. Anthony’s senior 3B/RHP Matt Martino, who hit three HR and won six games for the Friars. From there, he went on to Vassar College, where he was named First Team All-Conference as a freshman. The injury bug, however, bit him quite hard. Not only did he tear his meniscus but he also went under the knife to undergo Tommy John Surgery which caused him to miss all of 2018.
I had the chance to speak with him, and here’s what he had to say…
- What are your fondest memories of your time at St. Anthony’s?
Playing four years of baseball at St. Anthony’s is something I will hold close to me forever. Most of my favorite memories came from my junior and senior seasons there, when we had two of the most talented teams I’ve ever played on. My senior year runner-up team will always be the one I remember the most because of how close we came to winning a championship. Going through all of the ups-and-downs with those guys for so long made us such a close-knit group that played for each other on the field. The Catholic League had some of the best talent on Long Island that year, so to be awarded as Player of the Year was an honor that I will never forget. Also, playing in the Nassau vs. Suffolk Blue Chip Grand Slam Challenge with the best players on Long Island that year was an amazing experience as well. Looking back now, most of my life-long friends come from my high school baseball teams, and I have St. Anthony’s to thank for that.
- What made you decide to attend Vassar College?
When I was searching for colleges to play baseball at, my parents made sure to emphasize that academics were just as important as athletics. I was looking for a school that could give me the best education possible while playing some really competitive baseball, and Vassar provided that to me. We have a great coaching staff led by Head Coach Matt Righter and Assistant Coaches Blayne Fuke and Taylor Anderson. They are a huge reason why our team is becoming one of the more competitive D-III programs in the region. Our home field is one of the best fields in all of Division-III baseball which was another reason I chose to play there. The group of guys that we have now and have had since I’ve been at Vassar are one of the main reasons that I went there and why I love it so much. My teammates are the guys I spend almost all of my time with at school and I can’t wait to be back on the field with them.
- What can you tell our audience about their conference?
The Liberty League has become more and more competitive each year since I’ve been a part of it. We made the Liberty League tournament for the past two years but came up short when trying to win a championship. There is talent everywhere you look in this league and it’s only getting better as the league is exploring adding another team to it soon. Currently, the league consists of nine teams from all around New York. We travel as little as 45 minutes and as much as 6 hours to get to our away games throughout the spring. The Liberty League is right up there with some of the best D-III conferences in the Northeast.
- What happened that caused you to require labrum surgery and how did you tear your meniscus?
Tearing my labrum in my left shoulder was my first major surgery of the three that I’ve had in the past four years. It was the summer before my sophomore year of high school when it happened. I was sliding head-first into second base at a tournament in Connecticut and my shoulder dislocated. I had to pop it back in myself and tried to keep playing but the pain never subsided, and I later found out that I had torn my labrum in three places and it required surgery to fix. I was able to recover and do physical therapy for six months before returning to play my sophomore season at St. Anthony’s. I tore my meniscus in my right knee before my freshman season at Vassar. The team was doing our normal Wednesday morning 6am conditioning outside on the turf in the fall of 2016. While doing one of the agility exercises, I slipped on the wet turf and badly twisted my right knee. After getting an MRI it was shown that I had torn my meniscus and again needed surgery. Luckily, I was able to finish my rehab right before my freshman season and went on to have a good year at third base.
- How is the Tommy John recovery coming along?
I am now seven months removed from the surgery this past December and my arm feels great. I have been on strict throwing and hitting programs for a few months now and have had no setbacks. I have been lifting and conditioning constantly this summer, trying to get back into baseball shape while rehabbing my elbow. I think this surgery has been the most demanding recovery for me, both physically and mentally. Basically having to learn how to throw again from 15 feet away and going through all of the physical therapy for this long is a process that can drive you crazy at times. There’s no speeding up the recovery with Tommy John, it’s just a day-by-day process that you have to strictly follow to make sure you come back healthy. Mentally, this is my third surgery in four years to go along with a laundry list of other injuries that have occurred during my career. While I’m almost used to having surgeries now and doing physical therapy 3 times a week all year round, it definitely has taken a toll on me mentally. There have been times where I’ve considered walking away from baseball forever because of my health. I’ve asked myself before every surgery if it’s worth it to keep playing and risk getting hurt again, and every time the answer is yes. I have a lot of great baseball left in me and I’m ready to come back and help my team compete on a championship level.
- What are your goals for 2019?
My first goal is to finish up my recovery process and make sure that I am in the best shape possible to avoid future injuries and perform at a high level. From high school up until now, I’ve always had the talent to compete with the top players around me, yet the injury bug is what has held me back year after year. I’m ready to put that behind me and reach my full potential as a player. My goal for the Vassar Baseball team this year is to win the Liberty League Championship. We have the talent and the coaching and we are ready to put it all together. We also have a great mixture of veteran leadership and young talent that will keep the whole team engaged for every game. I think if we have a really good off-season where everyone buys in to our vision, we can be a very dangerous team in our conference.
- Who are some players you admire in the MLB?
I’m a die-hard Mets fan and I play third base so I’ve always idolized David Wright. While his best years are behind him, he too has struggled a lot with injuries and yet is still working every day to come back and make an impact. I admire him for his great years with the Mets and everything he’s done for the program, along with how he carries himself as a professional. If I had to choose a more current player that I admire, I’d say someone like Nolan Arenado is a great player to model your game after. He does everything you could think of for the Rockies and plays with a passion for the game that is infectious. He’s the MVP-type guy that can lead any clubhouse. I enjoy watching him play the game whenever I can and try to play as hard as he does every day.
