Author: Vinny Messana

Photo credit: BronxBaseballDaily.com The transition from college to pro ball is not always an easy one. Plenty of players have seen their production drop considerably against elite talent, and in many cases it was due to a drastic life change such as being located across the country from their home. For Dillon McNamara, the transition was made much easier by the incredibly short distance he had to...

AL MVP: 1) Mike Trout .323 AVG, 27 HR, 97 RBI, 33 SB, .432 OBP, .557 SLG, 10.4 WAR 2) Miguel Cabrera  .348 AVG, 44 HR, 137 RBI, 103 R, .442 OBP, .636 SLG 3) Josh Donaldson  .301 AVG, 24 HR, 93 RBI, 89 R, .384 OBP, .499 SLG, 7.7 WAR NL MVP: 1) Andrew McCutchen .317 AVG, 21 HR, 84 RBI, 97 R, 27 SB, .404 OBP, .508 SLG, 8.2 WAR 2) Paul Goldschmidt .302 AVG, 36 HR, 125 RBI, 103 R, .401 OBP, .551 SLG, 6...

Photo Credit: Matt Slocum/AP For every Bryce Harper or Mike Trout that become superstars in the Major Leagues before they can legally have a celebratory drink, there are a bunch of Matt Daley types. While everyone dreams of signing a lucrative seven figure contract before their first professional game, there are people that are forced to do it the hard way. Of all those who are lingering in the mi...

One of the things I’ll never forget about my dad was his way of motivating me to be the best baseball player I could be. Among his most common phrases was, “If you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best!” To me, there was no doubt he was referring to Marcus Stroman when he said “the best.” His name was the one in almost every conversation regarding the best player...

The NL MVP has no clear-cut winner, with most of the favorites either succumbing to injuries, being a part of a mediocre club or lack of standout statistics. Here is my top three for this week, which could change significantly in a week. 1) Andrew McCutchen Stats: 127 G, .321/.399/.507/.907 OPS,  17 HR, 73 RBI, 60 BB, 81 K, 26/35 SB After years of elevating his level of play despite suffering thro...

With about six weeks remaining in the MLB season, most of the key awards are becoming extremely tight. This will add intrigue to a season that will feature little-or-no-drama in many of the division races unlike the past two seasons. Here is my take on the AL MVP. AL MVP: 1) Miguel CabreraStats: .360 AVG, .452 OBP, .689 SLG, 40 HR, 120 RBI, 89 R, 306 TB, 72 BB Cabrera looked at his 2012 numbers an...

Seven years since the apex and five years into the stadium the fans have yet to experience anything close to prosperity, aside from Johan Santana’s no-hitter on June 1, 2012 and Matt Harvey’s All-Star Game start on July 16 of this year. While not all teams are able to create a new identity immediately as the 2008 Rays did by changing their name, logo and uniform, it was realistic to ex...

In a move that is sure to bring mixed feelings to Yankee fans in the area, the Boston Red Sox have signed Bobby Lanigan to a minor-league deal. Of course, a great deal of pride comes along with having a graduate of Adelphi University given the opportunity to further advance his career after stalling in the Minnesota Twins organization. At the same time, however, Yankee fans would prefer not to roo...

Photo is credited to J. Conrad Williams Jr. Despite Mariano Rivera receiving a hero’s welcome upon entrance into the All-Star game, which was won by the American League 3-0, Joe Nathan received the save. Nathan, a graduate of Stony Brook, has been one of the more unheralded pitchers in Major League Baseball throughout his career which began in 1999 with San Francisco. Now 14 years later, Nat...

There were zero Long Islanders drafted on the first day of the draft, which included the top two rounds. That was not a shock. The next day was different. Hofstra’s Bryan Verbitsky was selected in the third round by San Diego. In a bit of a surprise, Stephen Woods of Half Hollow Hills East was picked by Tampa Bay in the sixth round. Woods, 18, compiled a 5-1 record, fired back-to-back no-hit...

Hofstra right-handed pitcher Bryan Verbitsky was selected in the third round of the 2013 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres. “So grateful and blessed to be a part of the San Diego Padres organization!! Dream come True!” Verbitsky had a solid junior season as he compiled a 3-4 record with a 2.66 ERA in 44 innings, accumulating 51 strikeouts and limiting the opponents to 27 hits and 10 wa...

Farmingdale 1 @ Ithaca 4 Coming off a big win in the opening round of the New York State Regional, #3 Farmingdale State Rams went up against #1 seed Ithaca on Thursday afternoon. They would have to face the incredibly tough pitching staff of the Bombers. Ithaca’s four starting pitchers on the year compiled a perfect combined record, going 31-0 with an ERA of 2.83, and would be sending out Jo...