As a 17-year-old coming out of Malverne HS, Glenn Mitchell went unrecruited by Division-I Colleges. The only school that took notice was Queensborough Community College.
That might be understandable if he wasn’t an All-State athlete in basketball and baseball armed with a fastball in the low 90s.
While travel ball was not nearly as prevalent as it is today, it is still hard to believe a school would let an athlete like this go unnoticed. In any event, the local Major League Scouting Bureau run by the late Ralph DiLullo (Hall of Fame scout) and Larry Izzo did take notice.
Malverne High School, like many schools were sent letters about an MLB Showcase at Eisenhower Park on Long Island. Mitchell performed well enough to garner interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. The Atlanta Braves and the late (Hall of Fame) scout John Hagemann was the team to sign Mitchell after he considered both clubs.
That situation is extremely rare in this era that a high school senior would not only go undrafted, but would still sign a contract with a Major League baseball club.
“Larry Izzo still tells me to this day that I was the last player to sign out of an MLB camp at the young age of seventeen,” said Coach Mitchell.
From that moment, he wound up heading to Rookie Ball with the Atlanta Braves in July of 1987. That was just prior to the Braves dynasty, so he was in the minor leagues at the same time as future Hall of Famer John Smoltz as well as future big leaguers David Justice, Steve Avery, Mark Wohlers, Kent Merker, Pedro Borbon, Javier Lopez, Eduardo Perez and Mark Lemke.
His first pitching coach Guru and mentor, Nardi Contreras, who spent over forty years involved with professional baseball as well as the pitching coordinator for the New York Yankees likewise the coach who initiated and established “The Joba Rules” was his beginning. Coach Contreras had a huge impact on his life as a player, mentor in addition to becoming a coach was, and is today, Coach Mitchell’s biggest supporter and blessing.
After the season, he would workout at Shea Stadium even though he was a member of a rival organization.
“In those days, there was only one indoor facility,” said Mitchell. “So in the off-season I would workout at Shea Shadium with Javon Edwards who was with the New York Mets as well as other pro players from different organizations.”
At that time, he met Al Jackson – member of the original 1962 Mets – and son Reggie Jackson (scout for New York Mets), whom he called two other important individuals in his career.
Following the 1989 season, Mitchell was released by the Atlanta Braves due struggles with pitching command.
“What I lacked was the mentality of knowing how to pitch while repeating my motion and being able to not get frustrated. When you do get frustrated, you need to be able to make small adjustments and continue commanding your pitching,” he said.
While many people would give up after having their dreams cut short, Mitchell continued onward. He stayed involved with the game through coaching and he continued to play in the Stan Musial League.
Dave Lemanczyk, former big leaguer with the Toronto Blue Jays and mentor, opened a baseball facility where he continued teaching pitchers and decided to make a personal phone call to his friend, the late General Manager Gene Michael, who would later become the architect of the Yankees dynasty in the mid 90s. Mitchell stated that he threw well that day and Michael liked him, but they choose not to sign him. While it was not what he hoped, it did lead him to another opportunity.
The late guru of pitching for the Anaheim Angels Howie Gershberg (mentor) former pitching coach for St. John’s University, who sent Frank Viola and John Franco to the big leagues was a believer in Mitchell. Gershberg brought down the late baseball scout Jim McLaughlin with the Anaheim Angels who liked Mitchell and wound up signing him before the 1992 season.
John McNamara – minor league coach for the Anaheim Angels and former Boston Red Sox manager told Mitchell that it is very unusual that a player would get a second opportunity in pro ball after sitting out two seasons.
Coach Mitchell wound up playing the 1992 season in the Angels farm system along future big leaguers Garrett Anderson, Orlando Palmeiro, Jorge Fabregas and Troy Percival. The latter of which was the first player he had a catch with in Spring Training.
Despite getting the chance, Mitchell stated that his mental game was still lacking, so he was released following the season.
He decided to hang up the cleats but get back into coaching, teaching and mentoring athletes that dedicated themselves to becoming better players.
“I kept searching and learning. I started studying famous athletes, coaches and people to know about the ‘It’ factor. That is not the physical side but the mental side of all professional sports – quieting the mind, taking out what doesn’t fit, re-programming yourself to always cultivating your mind. My job as a pitching coach is to help my students physically understand their mechanics, adjust them to help them get command of every pitch. Mentally help them grow so they stay calm through every pitching situation. All this happens working with them not against them. It’s not my way, it’s their way but with my help. If I do my job, the student will grow as a pitcher and a person in life,” he said.
In addition to his work with pitchers, he began working with mentally disabled young adults. He did this for 10 years. It further helped him meet every student at all levels.
He also became the pitching coach at his alma mater, Malverne, with head coach Hector Lopez – former New York Yankee player and coach. Lopez played with the likes of (Hall of Famers) Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra and Al Downing.
From that point, it was onto the collegiate level where he became the pitching coach at Queensborough CC for one season with Cincinnati Reds area scout Charles Aliano, Briarcliffe College for one season and Old Westbury State College for two seasons. His longest stint was at Nassau CC with Larry Minor for 11 years. Also during that time, he was an associate scout with the Anaheim Angels for two years with the help of Larry Izzo – Area Scout for the New York Mets.
While many college players have benefited from his knowledge, his biggest impact on the Long Island baseball community is his company G.E.M Pitching Inc, which began 30 years ago. He provides private lessons for young pitchers and the consensus among many clients is that he is a guru in terms of guiding pitchers and maximizing their potential. He has mentored, taught and became a life coach to many players over his 30 years.
Seattle Mariners RHP Justin Dunn, Seattle Mariners INF Bobby Honeyman, Colorado Rockies RHP Kevin Pimentel, New York Yankees RHP Nick Tropeano, Baltimore Orioles RHP Kyle Martin, Tampa Bay RHP Nicholas Padilla, Toronto Blue Jays Patrick Cantwell, former Boston Red Sox RHP Keith Couch, former San Diego Padres RHP Bryan Verbitsky, professional RHP Alex Vargas, professional RHP Christian Tessitore, Toronto Blue Jays minor league coach George Carrol, Coach Frankie Battaglia (New York Tech), Coach Thomas Caputo (St. Joseph’s College), Coach Jake Santamaria (Mount St. Vincent),Coach Sean Monaghan and Coach Jake Potters (Nassau CC).
“Many have come and gone, I have been blessed to teach thousands of students help many of them get to all levels of baseball and life. My goal is to continue to help all students, coaches and young athletes find themselves. My job is to find a way to help my student tap into themselves where all his answers are. So many are looking for greatness, but they have one problem, they don’t realize we are all great we just need direction.”
“To teach is to touch a life forever.” -Coach Mitchell
“Thanks to Vinny Messana President of Axcess Baseball for allowing my story to be a part of your work and God willing greater work in the future to come.” -Glenn E. Mitchell.
Coach Mitchell works out of Oil City Athletics (3573 Maple Court, Oceanside, NY 11572). Coach Mitchell only takes serious students. Parents funds will not be wasted.
To reach him call 516-678-5131.
