When it comes to being a 5’8 RHP from Long Island, it goes without saying that there are some inherent obstacles during the climb to professional baseball.
Rocky Point 2014 graduate Frank Moscatiello heard all the doubters and skeptics along the way. At each level, he overcame the cynics and continued to perform well. After compiling a 20-7 record with a 2.52 ERA over 232.1 IP at St. Thomas Aquinas, he built up a strong case to get drafted in the 2018 MLB Draft.
Although he was not drafted, he wound up signing a pro contract with the Rockland Boulders – who happen to share a stadium with St. Thomas Aquinas.
In his first pro season, all he did was compile a 2.79 ERA across 61.1 IP, striking out more than a batter per inning. He also won four games for the Boulders. Following a setback in 2019 and appearing on three different teams, he is motivated to bounce back in 2020.
I watched him throw a bullpen a couple weeks ago and it was apparent that he is hellbent on proving 2019 was an anomaly.
I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say…
When you were growing up, who was the athlete you tried to emulate yourself after?
My all time favorite player was and always will be Derek Jeter. I loved the way he played the game. He was hard nosed and always gave 110% on the field. My all time favorite thing about him that made him stand out to me rather than some of the other greats that I have watched growing up were his actions off the field. He was a genuine and nice guy. I never heard about anything that he did that was wrong. He never got into trouble with women, never got caught doing drugs or getting arrested or anything like that. He knew how to handle himself on and off the field and I thought that he was a real role model to all the young players watching him. you hear a lot about some of these great athletes in all sports getting into trouble off the field and that is why I think that Derek Jeter was such a great guy.
Did you specialize in baseball at a young age or played other sports?
Throughout my lifetime I played every sport there is. I played baseball, basketball, football, soccer, wrestling, lacrosse and always loved just being outdoors and getting dirty and being a kid. You don’t see a lot of that now. You see a lot of these kids playing video games and being stuck inside rather than going outside and having a catch or just running around. When I was in high school I played baseball, basketball and football. Funny enough I was a kicker in football because I did not want to hurt myself for the upcoming baseball season. I always loved competing and just being an athlete. Me and my friends would ride our bikes to a park and have baseball gloves and balls, footballs, and a basketball and just go play for as long as we could until we either got tired or the sun went down.
Did you get private lessons?
Throughout my baseball career I haven’t gotten any lessons religiously growing up. I had lessons here and there but most of what I do was homegrown. There have been a few very influential people in my career that have made some tweaks in my game that have made major impacts. My high school coach Andrew Aschettino gave me a few hitting lessons in my grandpa’s backyard when I was a kid. He actually gave me my very first hitting lesson as a kid. He also helped me out throughout my high school career. I am very grateful for everything that he has done for me and still continues to do for me. When I think about lessons the first thing that comes to mind is when me and a few of my teammates from little league would go over to my friends house and his dad, Lou Orologio, would give us hitting lessons in his garage. All my coaches throughout my career have impacted me in some way shape or form. From little league to pro ball I continue to learn different things that can impact my game.
Who were some influential people in your career?
I have had so many influential people in my life starting with my family. My family has had my back through it all. They have done everything in their power to make sure that I am happy and have the best chance I can to play ball. Some very influential members of my family are starting with my parents. My mom and my dad. They gave me every ounce of energy that they had in order to get me to practices, games, lessons, or the gym to better myself. I am so thankful for them for everything that they have done for me on and off the field. Someone that motivates me everyday is my Papa Ron. My Papa Ron gave me my very first baseball glove when I was a kid. He was at every single practice, game, or workout that I had growing up. He never missed anything. I was so close with him. Unfortunately, in my sophomore year of college, he had passed away because of the demonic disease known as cancer. This hit me hard especially because it was a few hours before my spring break trip for baseball. I had to miss that trip with my team because of the funeral and wake. Now, every time I pitch, the last thing I do before I take the mound is honor my grandfather. I speak to him before every inning because I know that he is watching me from the best seat in the house. He won’t miss a single game for the rest of my career.
Can you explain why you chose St. Thomas Aquinas?
I ended up at St. Thomas Aquinas College because I believed that they gave me the best opportunity to make an impact on the field from the very first time I stepped onto that campus. I was recruited by division I schools but I did not believe that I was going to be as much of an impact as a freshman as I would if I went to STAC. I went to STAC and I was a 4 year starter. That was what I wanted to do going into college and that is what happened so I believe that I made the right choice. STAC was great to me and I am thankful for the way that my coaches treated me and helped me out.
What has been the biggest thrill of your career?
The biggest thrill of my college career is an easy question to me. I was able to pitch in the division II college world series my junior year, 2017. That was an unbelievable accomplishment.
Do you believe you did enough to get drafted?
I believe I did enough to get drafted. I never look back and think “should’ve, could’ve, would’ve” about my career and the draft. There are a lot of people that have the talent to get drafted and play professional baseball but do not end up doing that. Unfortunately, I was one of those people who did not get drafted but after my senior year, I was lucky enough to sign with the Rockland Boulders, current NY Boulders. They gave me my first opportunity to play professional baseball. It was a great experience. I met some great people that helped me with my game and made some great friends. I played with some great players who have had great careers or are starting their careers. Some of these guys I am hoping to be lifelong friends of mine.
Can you explain how much you’ve enjoyed your time as a professional baseball player?
I have loved every second of playing pro ball. The atmosphere, the competition, and just the overall grind. Being able to call myself a “professional athlete” is so cool to me. This offseason is my second professional off season and I treated it differently than my first. My first off season I took off from throwing for a few months and just crushed the weights in the gym. This gave my arm some time to rest which was good but I did not know how long my arm needed to be in mid season form. This was a learning experience for me. I started my second professional season very poorly so I wanted to change it up this year. This off season I only took off a month from throwing in November and then began throwing again. I am working on perfecting all of my pitches, and even learning some new pitches. I have continued to workout in the gym all year round and push myself to the limit day in and day out. I want my body to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. This will help me physically and mentally on the baseball field. I have finally been following a baseball workout program that I got from @Dr.Heenan on instagram and I believe that it is helping me feel better mentally and physically on and off the field. I have many goals for this upcoming 2020 season. My #1 goal is the one that I have had for my entire life and is to become and affiliate baseball player and get signed to a major league ball club. That is my first goal. My next goal is to be the best possible baseball player I can possibly be. That to me means getting better everyday whether it is on the mound or in the gym. I want to be the best possible teammate too as well. I want to help motivate my teammates to be the best possible ball player that they can be all the time. This can be in the dugout or even getting some of my teammates to come to the gym with me and pushing ourselves to be better than the day before
