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Last year was another terrific season for Long Island baseball in many regards. From a theatrics standpoint, Dowling was one win away from being crowned regional champions and heading to Carey, NC for the College World Series. From an individual standpoint, 11 players were selected in the Rule IV draft in June. That was up from seven the previous season.  Here are the top story lines heading into 2015… How will Dowling respond to losing their 2014 rotation?  The Golden Lions had a tremendous season. A huge reason for that was their 2.40 team ERA. Unfortunately, they graduated Tyler Badamo, JJ Bessell and Tom Bammann. They combined for 24 of the team’s 36 wins. It will certainly be a tall order for them to repeat that type of dominance because a quartet of that level does not co...

When I started this blog in 2013, I did so on a whim. I thought to myself, why should all the college players–that sacrifice so much–be relegated to waiting for May to get some publicity? Newsday ignores them completely until the College World Series and it is not fair for the players and teams that have successful years but do not reach the ultimate goal of making it to Omaha (or Carey, NC in the case of Division-II or Appleton, WI in the case of Division-III), At first the traffic for this site was very limited. An average article was receiving maybe 25-75 views. That’s basically the players on the team that was the subject of the article and their friends. Obviously, that’s to be expected in the infant stages of a website.  The turning point was making a Twitter ...

Photo Credit: Kelly O’Connor It’s tough to make a bigger impact in a Triple-A debut then Keith Couch did. On September 12, he pitched the Pawtucket Red Sox to the league championship by throwing 6.2 innings, allowing only one single hit, in what was his first start in three weeks.                 “That game was the most fun I’ve had playing baseball even though it was at a high stage,” said the 24-year-old. He continued, “because of the loose clubhouse and the fact that my dad was able to attend the game. After pitching in that game against current and former big league talent I know I am ready for the next level,” he said.                 Making it to the next level would be a tremendous accomplishment for Couch, a graduate of Adelphi University and native of Mineola. After getting ...

Photo Credit: Allen Greene Two of the rarest commodities in baseball are power pitchers with command and catchers with two-way ability. The Mets farm system–after years of being barren–possesses some of the best talent in both of those areas. Many people are familiar with prospects like Noah Syndergaard and Kevin Plawecki, but one player who has flown most under-the-radar is Hicksville native Cam Maron. The 23-year-old was a 34th round pick in 2009 out of high school, but has raised his stock with each passing season, highlighted by being named the organization’s Sterling Award recipient in 2011 for his performance with the Kingsport Mets. In 2014, he compiled a .282/.387/.362 slash line to go along with three home runs and 50 RBI with the (High-A) St. Lucie Mets before b...

Having worked with Baseball Info Solutions, I have become very familiar with the new-age statistics that  front offices in Major League Baseball are relying upon. I will say–for the most part–it has really helped teams grasp the significance that each player has more effectively. Every player that is on a roster was signed for a reason. It’s the job of the organization and, ultimately, the manager to put him in the best position to succeed. The Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays are the best in terms of getting the most out of every player on the field. They are able to “think outside the box”, something that few managers do now and zero managers did before this statistical revolution. While I do understand fan’s frustration with teams being a slave to...

“It’s a little worse than we anticipated,” he said. “We’re going to shut you down for a while.” That’s when you go from optimistic to something similar to getting punched in the gut. From experience, that’s when you throw away all the preconceived timetables you originally had when you could get back on the mound or in the batter’s box.  Now it’s in somebody’s else’s hands. That person holds your short-term future in his hands. That person in the white coat may or may not have ever played baseball in his life but he is about to decide when you do.  The most important thing, according to Steve Tria, owner of Team 13 Fitness, is to trust the professionals and not rush it. “Take your time, because the only thing wor...

Adelphi graduate Dillon McNamara had been playing in the New York Penn League with the Staten Island Yankees for the past year. Yesterday he found himself on the mound in Reading, PA as the starting pitcher for the Double-A Trenton Thunder. The jump is fairly significant having skipped over two levels of the minor leagues. Injuries had created a void in the Trenton rotation and caused a need for a capable starting pitcher. They called on the 6’5″ McNamara who had been dominating the Penn League since being converted into a starting pitcher. He had compiled a 1.76 ERA over three starts spanning 15 innings, while registering a 14/2 K/BB ratio. Reading entered the game with a 35-52 record, and for the first three innings they played like it. The Trenton Thunder scored a run early ...

Photo Credit: Gene J. Puskar When Marcus Stroman was originally given the opportunity to be a starter it was going to be a trial by fire. It is fair to say he has taken the opportunity and ran with it. After his most recent start; a strong 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with six strikeouts against Cy Young contender Chris Sale, he is no longer considered a flash in the pan. The 5’9″ native of Patchogue has lowered his ERA to 4.02 and has struck out 36 against nine walks in 42.2 innings. He has certainly played a hand in the Blue Jays first half success, which has them at 47-39 and in first place in the AL East. Initially, there were doubters– as there always has been with Stroman. After his dominating start against the Kansas City Royals that featured this gif...

Photo Credit: George A. Faella If perception is reality, Bayport-Bluepoint is a small high school that can’t compete with the best programs. Their star pitcher, Jack Piekos, has been working to destroy that perception. Two years and two New York State Class A titles later, he has succeeded. “We kind of wanted people to notice us one way or another,” said the Maryland-bound left-handed pitcher. “Last year helped get everyone’s sight on us and this year just really put us there as a legitimate contender,” he added. Bayport-Bluepoint won its first NY championship in 2013 with an unbelievable 27-0 record. Piekos led the pitching staff with an 11-0 record, 0.38 ERA in 73 innings. He was the recipient of the Paul Gibson Award, given to the best pitcher in Suff...

It was a tremendous season for West Islip, who beat Massapequa to claim their first Class AA Long Island Championship in 56 years. Their season was cut short in the NYS semifinals to Victor, by the score of 1-0. Nick Arnold suffered the loss, although he struck out eight against only three hits in six strong innings. The lone run was unearned, and it came in on an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the sixth. The loss puts an end to high school baseball for the 2014 season. Bayport-Blue Point won the Class A state title for a consecutive season, truly a great accomplishment. **On another note, I want to thank my readers for their loyalty this baseball season. This started as a way to follow only the college programs, but it became clear the high school players were more engaging th...

The baseball community lost one of its most beloved members, San Diego Padre Hall of Fame outfielder Tony Gwynn. He was 54-years-old and had been suffering from the effects of salivary gland cancer. Gwynn was the rare superstar in the post-free agency period who a) played his entire career with one franchise, b) was beloved by the fans and the media yet c) did not rely on power to achieve success. He broke into the big leagues with San Diego in 1982 after being drafted in the third round out of San Diego State. He was also drafted to the NBA. Despite the girth he added later on in his career, Gwynn was a tremendous base runner early on. He stole 56 bases in 78 tries in 1987. He also had seasons with 40, 37, 33 and 26. Over the duration of his 20-year career, Gwynn compiled a tremendous car...

One of the first things I remember is having a catch with my dad in the front of the house when I was about six years old. I recall that once I started getting better and was able to throw the ball further I would take a few steps back. “Don’t move too far back I can’t reach,” my dad said. It didn’t make sense to me. He was in better physical shape than most men in their late 30s and played baseball in his youth, how could he not reach? “I’m not a lefty,” he said. “I just wanted you to be able to get used to seeing it,” he added. That was my dad in a nutshell. He went out of his comfort zone to acclimate me to facing lefties. Bear in mind, I wouldn’t be facing an actual pitcher for a couple years. At that age, the batters fa...