Arnie Costell

It was before the days of social media, cell phones or even Saturday Night Fever so it’s understandable if you never read about him. If you were unlucky enough to face him, however, you will not forget the lightning that came from his left arm on the mound. His name is Arnie Costell and at the time he was drafted in the 1st round of the 1971 draft out of Nassau Community College, he was regularly hitting 100 MPH with his fastball and registering a 102 at times. To make him more imposing, he was a lefty, had a curveball that could buckle your ankles and, most importantly, he didn’t know where it was going. In his first professional season at the age of 19 while playing for the Bristol Tigers of the Appalachian League, Costell threw 19 innings. He walked an astounding 28 batters ...