(Photo Credit: NYIT Athletics)
Vinny Messana (VM): For those that don’t know, Frank Catalanotto– Long Island native. Graduated from Smithtown East. Played 14 years in the MLB. .291 batting average and took over the head coaching duties from NYIT. Had a meteoric rise, 37 wins and led them to their first College World Series appearance in program history.
You guys were off to a good start this year, did it feel like you guys were on the verge of getting on a roll?
Frank Catalanotto (FC): We were excited for conference play to get started. We felt like there were a few things that had to be cleaned up and we were cleaning them up. We ran into a tough Southern New Hampshire team that beat us three games in a row. But we learned a lot from that. They were the better team but we knew there were things we had to do to get better and beat them and down the road we’d be better prepared for that.
VM: You guys were able to beat them last year in the Super Regional in a best of three up-against a powerful team, how were you able to do it?
FC: We were playing our best baseball at that point. We did catch some breaks but we had some guys that had clutch hits, great pitching performances and we played well and better than them in the series.
VM: What was your fondest memory of growing up and playing baseball in Long Island?
FC: You know, Smithtown’s always been known for baseball and I think it stems from little league. I always remember the parade we would have down Lake Avenue then you play your first game there. The booster club camps they have around there are outstanding. I remember one camp they had, Craig Biggio was my instructor. We always had good coaches. That’s why we have had so many good players from Smithtown
VM: You decided to go right to the minors, how hard was that decision?
FC: It was a tough decision because I had a scholarship to Seton Hall and schooling is very important to me. I agonized over the decision for a month and a half and my dad and mom would go over pros-cons every single night. It wasn’t until the Detroit Tigers put a clause in my contract stating if I wound up quitting, they would pay a good-portion of my school tuition on top of my signing bonus. I figured if it did not work out I would go back to school.
VM: Once you made to the big leagues, what are things hitters do to overcome those tough ‘0-for’s’ or extended slumps?
FC: It’s tough. You got to have a short memory, that is for sure. I did a lot of scouting on the pitchers we were facing. Video work on how the guy pitched last time out, how he pitched against me last time I faced him. I would check scouting reports to see how he had been pitching– what his sequences were. It would give you a heads up. I looked to see if he tipped his pitched. If I knew a 1-0 changeup was coming, I would sit on it and make life a lot easier.
VM: 2001 was the best season of your life, undoubtedly. .330 batting average, looking at the Texas Rangers roster, that team was loaded. ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez, A-Rod, Michael Young, R.A. Dickey, [Pat Mahomes, Sr.]. What was it like to be in the clubhouse around some of the best?
FC: It was awesome. I got to learn from legends and watch some of the best hitters of all time every night. I would stand around, listen to what everyone was saying about their approach to learn as much as possible. It was pretty cool to be on teams with guys now making it to the Hall of Fame.
VM: What was it like watching ‘Pudge’, arguably the best defensive catcher of all-time? Did you sometimes marvel at the things he was able to do to control the running game?
FC: He shut down running games. I remember coming in as a visitor playing against the Rangers. We would basically say ‘okay, Pudge is behind the dish tonight, you’re not running.’ That is what he would do. He shut it down. I played second base early enough on the Rangers and I knew I would have to cheat a little bit more than normal if a guy was on first base because he was going to get the ball down their pretty quickly. I didn’t want to be late and him be mad at me so I knew I was there. In my opinion, he was the best defensive catcher ever.
VM: So Alex Rodriguez, we always hear he was the best prospect ever and the best player at the time at 25-years-old. With all the media surrounding him, was it frustrating at times getting asked about him?
FC: Early on it was a little overwhelming. Everywhere we went, it was a media circus and rightly so. At the time he was the best in the game hitting 50 home runs a year. He didn’t do himself any favors. Sometimes his answers weren’t the best and not a lot of people in the media really liked him.
VM: Regarding the heat, was it tough playing in those ‘August Dog-days’ in [Global Life Park in Arlington]?
FC: You would stay in your house until it was time to leave to the park because it was so hot. When you stepped out the car it would be like walking into an oven. We played mostly night games in the summer and at 7/7:30 you would look at the temperature gauge in the stadium and it was like 103 degrees. There were times my hands sweat so much you would lose your grip. I am happy to see they have a dome now, it’s overdue.
VM: May 4, 2004 [White Sox vs Blue Jays. You went] 6-for-6. You had three hits to left field two to center, and only one to the pull side. When you’re in a rhythm like that, do you feel you can do no wrong?
FC: Those games are few and far-in-between. That day, the game slowed down and the ball looked like a beach ball coming in and I knew I was going to hit the ball somewhere. Now, I didn’t drill the ball, I didn’t hit any home runs but I saw the ball good enough to get those hits. The next day you are back to normal and the game becomes difficult again.
VM: On that team you had Carlos Delgado, one of the most underrated players of the era. He fell off the Hall Of Fame ballot but in your estimation, is he a Hall of Famer?
FC: I think he is and I wish he did not get hurt towards the end of his carer because I think he would have had a good shot of getting 500 home runs. Great guy and it was fun to watch him work everyday. I was part of the game where he hit four home runs at the Skydome. Him being a left-handed hitter, we would talk before games and he was so good at picking up pitches from opposing pitches. He would keep a book just like I did on pitchers so we would compare notes and see what he likes do to.
VM: You played in the early 2000’s. How would you rank the elite pitchers like Pedro?
FC: The toughest for me was facing Pedro Martinez and Mariano Rivera. Roger Clemens was another guy if you didn’t get to early in the count it was tough because he had a nasty split-finger fastball that dropped off the table. Pedro, in my opinion, might be the best of all time. His changeup looks just like his fastball coming out of his hand and he has the same arm speed and about a 15 mph between his fastball and changeup. I felt like he could read me– if I was thinking fastball he would throw the changeup. He wasn’t afraid to throw one at your head so you were uncomfortable in the box. Rivera had one pitch which makes it more impressive, you knew what was coming. He placed exactly where he wanted.
VM: Talking about intimidating pitchers, was Roger Clemens another one where you were nervous in the back of your head that he might brush you back?
FC: Yeah. A lot of pitchers I didn’t do well against threw in or weren’t afraid to hit you. He was the type of guy where he didn’t like something you did in the box, he would just drill you. Those guys who would nibble away I had success since I would dive out the plate and get a hit because I wasn’t worried about getting hit.
VM: How about Greg Maddux, did you have any success against him?
FC: Ha, I don’t think anyone did. I didn’t face him a lot but I did in spring training quite a bit. It was such a comfortable at-bat and after every hit that groundball to the second baseman or shortstop you say ‘Man, next time I am going to crush this guy.’ And he would do the same thing. If I faced him 12 times, I probably have 12 groundballs against him because he was so good.
VM: Who was a pitcher you had the most success against?
FC: For me, Mike Mussina. He was a guy you were comfortable in the box and didn’t have a devastating out pitch. He had five or six different ones to throw at you but it was all inside the zone. I knew if I could be patient, I was gong to get a pitch to hit and I had over 30 hits against him and hit close to .500. Late in his career, he asked ‘How are you hitting everything I throw up there,’ and I said I don’t know, ‘I guess I got lucky.’ I didn’t want him to know how comfortable I was or he would have uncorked my head.
Editors note: According to Baseball Reference, Catalanotto batted .459, had a .689 slugging percentage, and 1.196 OPS against Mussina. He earned 28 hits including eight doubles, 10 runs batted in 61 career at-bats.
VM: Yankee Stadium, stepping up to the plate and hearing Bob Sheppard announce your name. What was that like?
FC: It was awesome. Growing up, my dad took me to Yankee Stadium five times a year. Being able to step on that field the first time was unbelievable. To hear him announce your name was surreal. One of the radio guys sent me the audio of Shepard saying my name so I have that and it is pretty cool to listen to now and then.
VM: In terms of next year, do you know the seniors coming back?
FC: From what I am told, everyone is coming back except for Chris Campbell and Ariel Tavares. Mostly all my seniors are coming back provided they don’t get drafted. I am excited, I have great seniors and I am glad to have them all back.
VM: Are there any recruits you are excited to bring on next year?
FC: Oh gosh, we are excited for all of them. We really are. Shane Tucker from Virginia is coming in. He is an arm that is throwing 90 mph. You got Garrett Scavelli, JJ Devito, Chris Vivenzio, Nick Barreiros, Matt Milone, Chris McGuggart, Jack Greco, Christian Fils-Aime. These guys will all make an impact and we’re excited to have them. We also have some transfers coming in like Noah Lorenzo and Andrew Florides’ brother, Mikey, so we’re excited to have them.
VM: Where is your favorite place to get a pizza?
FC: Rocko’s. That is right here in St. James. Rocko’s is really good and so is Spuntino’s.
