Mike Birnbaum

by Tony Genualdo For the last six seasons, Babylon’s Mike Birnbaum has been coaching at every level. He’s coached junior high, JV, and has most recently been an assistant to the varsity team. But this year, he has a new role: head coach. Despite the new challenge, Birnbaum says that not much will change. “Player (and character) development has always driven my coaching,” said Birnbaum. “There’s a new degree of emphasis on winning. But as a competitive person, I can’t wait.” His last two seasons as varsity assistant saw success for Babylon. This season as a head coach, he knows that nothing is guaranteed. “Baseball is a game of inches, as cliché as that is,” Birnbaum said. “You can’t dwell and carry things over.” The team has been preparing for this season since the beginning of December. T...