(Photo Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy)
It’s been 11 seasons since Lindenhurst‘s incredible State Championship winning season in which they went 26-1. They are the last Suffolk AA team to win the state title .
Not only did they have 29th round draft pick Jon McGibbon but also the Yaz Award Winner, Jimmy Briggs.
The season before, I had the misfortune of facing them in a playoff game. They were the No. 12 seed, Centereach was the No. 5 seed and they were the far superior team. McGibbon, then a junior, cranked two home runs and put Long Island on notice. The next year, they put it all together and the rest, as they say, is history.
I had a chance to sit down and speak with their ace, Rich Vrana, who went 10-0 that season and we spoke about a host of topics regarding that team and here’s what he had to say:
When did you first become aware that it would be a special group of players ? Did you play little league together as well or just middle school and on ?
We had all played together and against each other between our towns two little leagues. During winter workouts we really began to realize that this was a very special group. We had deep talent throughout every position and began to build amazing camaraderie.
In 2009, you guys just scratched the surface with your talent and I witnessed it being on the wrong side of a playoff loss…do you feel enduring loss in 2009 made you guys hungrier ?
I was not personally a part of that team, but any time that you get so close with such a talented team it 100% made everyone hungrier especially the returning seniors.
You guys lost one game in 2010, what do you recall from that game ?
It was a walk-off win against Connetquot in the final game of the series. The first two games were extremely close and it was an extremely well played game that just didn’t go in our favor.
What can you tell our audience about Jon McGibbon who was selected by Seattle and went on to play at Clemson?
Jon was a surreal talent. He was a true 5 tool player and a great leader as well. He was a dynamic play maker. Whether it was getting a big hit, stealing bases or making that run saving defensive play. Jon was humble with all of his success, he still worked with our JV and Freshman players. Giving hitting tips or workout tips.
Jimmy Briggs came out of nowhere to win the Yaz Award, was that a bit surprising to the team?
If you ask anyone from that team it was no surprise. Jimmy really broker out in his junior year winning the silver slugger award and you could only see him getting better every day. In our minds him and Jon were the two front runners from day 1.
You had an outstanding season, would you say you were just locked “in the zone ” the entire season?
It was definitely a change of pace pitching in varsity and transitioning to a starters role. It was so easy to be in the zone with the defensive/offensive support. In my eyes I had something to prove, coming into the season I don’t that there was a single college coach or even varsity coach that knew who I was.
Who were some other impact guys that fall under the radar when discussing that team?
One guy that flew under the radar was our captain Kenny Gentile. He was the scrappy lead off hitter, gold glove caliber second baseman that was the heart of our team. He was the leader of our team and made sure everyone was accountable and focused on our team goal.
-Second was Danny Diblasi. Two way player that had a major impact on the success of our season. Going undefeated on the mound and batting north of .300. He always came through with that clutch hit or big start to keep the momentum we had going.
Did you guys have any close games in the playoffs ?
Other than the State Championship game, every game was close. Battling Longwood, Connetquot throughout the Suffolk county playoffs. A close game against Calhoun 4-2 in the LIC and 3-0 against Valley Central in the state semis.
You showed your dominance with a blowout win in the state finals was that a weird feeling not playing a competitive game for the state title ?
it wasn’t a weird feeling. That is something that our offense was capable every-time we stepped on the field no matter who we faced. We were riding the momentum from a big win in the first game and got massive contributions from every player in the lineup.
Do you think we will ever see a team go undefeated ?
It definitely is possible. Center Moriches is on the brink of that achievement this year. It’s such a difficult task because in baseball anyone can win any day.
What was Coach Canobbio good at in terms of getting the most from his players ?
Coach was an excellent motivator and excelled in helping shape our skills and focus on the little things. We constantly trained all aspects of the game. Even as a team batting over .350 as a team we still practiced bunting every day. Coach knew how to manage the game and our team to a tee.
He was always focused on player development. Finding out where you were, where you wanted to be and finding the best path to get there
