(Editor’s Note: This is the third of a 5-part in which we dive into the top baseball towns on Long Island. Previously, we featured Massapequa and Shoreham-Wading River.)
by Patrick Duryea
You may be familiar with the proverb “it takes a village”. Nowhere is that more evident than in the tight-knit baseball community of Bayport-Blue Point. Coach Victor Manzella’s program is all about coming together and working towards a common goal. The ties run from current players and coaches through alumni who it is bever a surprise to see still hanging around during the season. The success of Bayport-Blue Point starts at the bottom with the little leagues and works all the way up to Athletic Director Tim Mullins who Manzella praised for his consistent support. At their little league parade the JV and Varsity teams march with the little leaguers. And often those older players will go straight to the little league fields from practice or games to work the snack stand or umpire. Every kid, parent, and coach is involved in all levels of the program from day one. The tradition of winning at Bayport-Blue Point runs deep, with Coach Jim Moccio who preceded Manzella setting clear expectations for everyone in the baseball community during his legendary tenure. In Moccio’s 24 seasons Bayport-Blue Point amassed 383 wins as well as 2 state championships in 2013 and 2014. They reached the postseason every year of his tenure, as well as the preceding two seasons and 2024 to make their consecutive streak 27 straight appearances.
OTD in 2017: Bayport-Blue Point HC Jim Moccio earns his 300th career victory pic.twitter.com/10S6rKz1ZF
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 20, 2020
With Coach Moccio at the helm Bayport-Blue Point was a perennial contender. A vital part of the program under Moccio was the language used by all coaches and players. It was important that the language was clear and consistent from Coach Moccio himself down to the little league coaches. Regarding culture, Moccio said “we were very clear in sharing the same philosophies and expectations that we expected from our players on the field with our parents and fans and asked them to subscribe to the same decorum”. Another example of how important the entire community is to the program. There was a standard and no confusion to be had. Moccio noted that the expectations were always clear for his players. Every single player was important to success. Strategically, the Phantoms under Moccio were focused on optimizing pressure on opponents. They practiced fast so the game could never speed up on them while they could speed up on their opponents. As Moccio’s teams got better and better, confidence became key which he noted as being of “premium importance in the game of baseball.” Confident and prepared teams under Moccio were tough for anyone across the state to beat.
Both Coaches Moccio and Manzella spoke extremely highly of the little leagues and the coaches in the community. Each of them highlighted the importance of people like TJ McGuire, a Bayport-Blue Point baseball alumni and the showrunner for the Junior Phantoms travel organization. Which employs a coaching staff full of highly qualified Bayport-Blue Point alumni. Manzella also mentioned the BBP Padres on the younger side of travel ball and on the older side the BBP Bombers run by Lou Liberatore, another BBP alumni and current Bridgehampton Varsity coach, which a lot of players in the program play for. It is important to the program that the little leagues, travel teams, and high school programs are all lock and step. Manzella highlighted “the Phantom way” as a cornerstone of the program and that all their coaches at all groups do an excellent job of implementing it.
Victor Manzella on capturing West Babylon’s first LIC in 29 years pic.twitter.com/BDrXxq7W9E
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 4, 2023
In the 2023 Suffolk County championship, the headline was “West Babylon beats Bayport-Blue Point.” But there was a lot more to it than that. After the game, Coach Manzella of West Babylon and Coach Moccio of Bayport-Blue Point shared an embrace. Manzella expressed his deep respect for Moccio, saying there was no one better. As Manzella led the Eagles to a Long Island championship, he had no idea Moccio would be stepping down. Manzella, who lived in the Bayport-Blue Point district, noted that he had always tried to emulate Coach Moccio. He also confided that a factor in his move to Bayport-Blue Point was the hope that his kids could one day play for Moccio. Although it wasn’t an easy decision, Manzella made a family choice and was ultimately hired to succeed Coach Moccio at Bayport-Blue Point.
Manzella called taking over for Moccio “a dream come true” and was impressed with the culture from the second he walked in the door. He recalls that when he showed up for winter workouts to his surprise the cages were down, L-screens out, and pitching machines set up. Noting that it is the little things like that that make a championship program and the championship attitude that Moccio instilled in his players. Manzella knows that he doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel but has a strong desire to continue the success and tradition at Bayport-Blue Point. He looks to continue to build the baseball community and family at Bayport-Blue Point. Noting how important a team first mentality is, Manzella said “Happiness begins when selfishness ends”. Manzella’s baseball brotherhood is strong already at Bayport-Blue Point and credits his players for their self drive and determination past anything he can personally instill in them.
Curated by Moccio and now carried on by Manzella the culture at Bayport-Blue Point is strong as ever with buy-in and unselfishness at an all time high. As Manzella put it “Baseball is synonymous with BBP”. A whole lot of love is put into the Bayport-Blue Point program from its community and year to year the Phantoms give it back with success. In Manzella’s first year they did not miss a step making it back to the Suffolk County championship. From the little leaguers to the All-County stars Bayport-Blue Point is one of the strongest baseball families on the island and Phantom baseball is always worth a watch.
