Author: Vinny Messana
Which Team Had the Best Recruiting Class?
"This is a program-altering class"
Blue Jays Tentatively Map Out the Season Debut for Marcus Stroman
Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos addressed the Toronto media today and announced the team has tentatively mapped out the rehab assignment, including the season debut for Marcus Stroman. After throwing his simulated game today, he will make a rehab assignment with Single-A Lansing on September 2 and then with Triple-A Buffalo on September 7. If all goes well, he will start against the New York Yankees...
Which team had the best pitching staff in history?
With all the recent talk of the Mets’ vaunted quartet of Matt Harvey-Jacob DeGrom-Noah Syndergaard-Steven Matz, it got me thinking; which Long Island team had the best starting staff in history? I had to do some fact-checking and talk to some people who have been around longer than I have to get an educated answer to this question. After much deliberation, here is the top six. 2007 Islip: Ro...
How an Injury and a Pitching Coach Created a Monster
Reis Lehmler just finished his freshman year at Newfield HS. It’s understandable if you haven’t heard of him yet but almost every college coach on Long Island has. He is only 14-years-old but you recognize him as soon as he begins warming up. He’s the only submarine pitcher on the field and probably on the complex, unless there is a men’s league game going on. All submarine...
Nick Vitale Commits to NYIT
Two years is hardly considered a drought in terms of winning a championship. When you have the winning tradition and the caliber of players of Ward Melville, however, you do expect to win it all. In 2015, they did not lose a game at home all season, they had arguably the best player in the state and a number of other Division-I caliber players. Nick Vitale, a captain on the team as a junior, and n...
Baseball Heaven Holds College Showcase
Baseball Heaven hosted a showcase for all high school players this past week. There was a huge turnout and it featured college coaches from all over including many Division-I programs. We were in attendance and posted scouting reports on several of the pitchers. The most impressive age group was the 2018 class which featured a number of soon-to-be sophomores that were hitting 80 MPH with clean mec...
Nick Tropeano Recalled, Will Start Tomorrow Against Chicago
[mlbvideo id=”86594183″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /] The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim did not think they had any rotational needs. That was until recently when C.J. Wilson suffered a torn UCL that required season-ending ligament replacement surgery and Matt Shoemaker being demoted to Triple-A for ineffectiveness. Fortunately, they had a big league caliber starte...
Bradley Camarda Commits to Hofstra
It was a typically cold Spring day on March 31 and when you factor in playing on the frigid east end and against the reigning Long Island Champions in West Islip, it was going to be a tough task for any pitcher. Half Hollow Hills West was faced with replacing Aaron Glickstein, their ace coming off a 10-0 season and with the ink barely dried on his letter of intent to Stony Brook, who had recently ...
Travis Jankowski Promoted to the Big Leagues by San Diego Padres
It became official during a press conference by San Diego Padres GM, and Huntington native, A.J. Preller that the club would be promoting Triple-A outfielder, and former Stony Brook star, Travis Jankowski. The Lancaster, PA native was tearing the cover off the ball in the minor leagues, .335/.413/.425, between Double and Triple-A, and his play could not be ignored. The Padres had a glut of outfiel...
Checking In With Local Minor Leaguers
Photo Credit: Vinny Messana Here’s a quick rundown of some of the recent draftees that hail from, or played their college ball in, Long Island. Max Almonte Age: 23 Team: State College Spikes (A-Short) Key Stats: 0-1, 3.68 ERA, 7.1 IP, 2 K, 1.23 WHIP Steven Ascher Age: 21 Team: Charlotte Stone Crabs (A-Advanced) Key Stats: 7-2, 2.32 ERA, 66.0 IP, 36 Ks, 1.20 WHIP Notes: He has struggled after...
Nick Clemente Transfers to St. Joseph’s
One of the aspects that sets apart a Division-III college from another is their ability to snag the Division-I caliber players that–for whatever reason–have opted to switch schools. That has been a staple of Farmingdale State over the years. They have been able to gather a bevy of players that fit the profile of a Division-I athlete but wind up in the Skyline Conference. Well, St. Jos...
Patrick Cantwell Promoted to Triple-A
Photo Credit: Spokane Indians Add another name to the list of former Stony Brook stars on the verge of making it to the big leagues. Just two weeks ago, Travis Jankowski was promoted and now it’s catcher Patrick Cantwell–who was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock by the Texas Rangers. Cantwell was drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft by the Rangers, shortly before the Sea Wolves m...
