Post on 25-Jun-2020
Summer Camps And Boot Camp A Huge Success
Richmond County
Baseball Club
1400 Travis Ave.
Staten Island, NY 10314
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interesting info or news
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in a future newsletter,
please email to
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Inside this issue:
Summer and Boot Camp Recap
1
August RC Tournament Recap
2
RCBC Teams At Tournaments
3
Coach Lope’s Baseball Thoughts
4
Featured Article—
A Day In The Life
5
Sponsor of the Month — Family Tree Service
6
August 2013
Volume 13-7
RCBC Newsletter
Richmond County Baseball, in conjunction with Johnny D’s 5 Tool
Baseball Academy, just completed three successful summer baseball
camps, two at our complex and one at South Shore Little League.
Staff members from both RCBC and 5 Tool provided professional
onfield instruction to the 120 young players who participated over
the three weeks.
RCBC also hosted our second annual free “Boot Camp” on August
26 for over 50 players moving up to compete on the 60/90’ field.
This is a great way to introduce new players to our program. If you
know of anyone at any age interested in playing for Richmond
County, either this fall or next spring, contact Coach Quinn at
george@rcbclub.com or Coach DeFendis at nick@rcbclub.com.
www.rcbclub.com
Richmond County Baseball Club Newsletter Volume 13-7
Page 2
Newsletter Title
Richmond County Tournaments
This month we hosted the 14U Slugfest and the 11U/13U/15U Summer Sizzler
tournaments at the complex.
The Northern Valley Ravens defeated the RCBC Nationals to take top honors
in the 14U Slugfest.
RCBC fared well in the Summer Sizzler with the
Falcons capturing the 13U crown, giving up only 6
runs in their 4 victories. Robert Hart tossed a one
hitter.
In the 15U division, the Nationals seemed to have
perfected winning the “white knuckler” game as
they captured the title, sweeping 4 games
including a dramatic 3-2 walk off win in the
championship game against the RCBC Prospects.
Standouts included pitchers Kevin Reed, Nick
Battaglia, AJ Tabanella and James Cadell and clutch hitting by Mike Postiglione
and Phil Russo who had the walk off hit in the championship game. Mike
Fidanza delivered several hard hits, had 2 saves and a win in relief and played
outstanding defense at shortstop.
The 11U division was won by the Long Island Vengeance.
Upcoming tournaments at the complex:
- 18U Labor Day Classic (August 31 — September 2)
- 14U September Showdown (September 6-8) - NEW
- 13U Transition Tournament (September 14-15)
- 10U Back To School Spectacular (September 14-15)
- 16U Future Prospect Fall Showdown (September 21-22)
- 9U Future Prospect Fall Showdown (September 21-22) - NEW
For more information and to view the full tournament calendar, visit our
tournament website at www.rctournaments.com.
Visit the Online
Apparel Store on
the RCBC website
for the end of
summer tee shirt
special—2 for $25.
Just enter promo
code Doubleplay
upon checkout
Need new equipment for the
fall season?Remember that Dick’s Sporting Goods discount
coupons are available to all
RCBC members. Good for all of 2013.
Go to the RCBC website to print.
Richmond County Baseball Club Newsletter Volume 13-7
Page 3
Newsletter Title
RCBC Teams In Tournament Play
RCBC teams also fared well in other tournaments during the month.
In the Branchburg NJ tournament, the 11U Falcons went 4-0 to take the title. Kyle Otten’s 3 run homer
led an offensive attack in beating Bridgewater 16-6. The 12U Falcons went 5-0 to win that division.
Solid pitching by Kyle O’Hare, Justin Silaro and Shane Lopez combined with a spectacular defensive play
by Alex Rapaglia and 2 home runs by Joe Esposito led the team to victory.
RCBC won the championship game 1-0 over host Branchburg.
In the East Brunswick (NJ) Slugfest, the 13U Nationals went 6-0 on their
championship run.
The 8U Nationals went 5-0 in winning the Neshaminy (Pa) Wildcats Summer Classic. Thomas
Panatierri went the distance in the 11-1 semi final win over the Porchester Pirates. Robert Salafia picked
up the win in the 11-8 title game triumph over Morrisville. Salafia (11 hits, 14 RBIs), Jordan Savinon
(8 hits, 8 RBIs), Christian Corsaro (9 hits) and Jake Weinstein (6 RBIs) led the way.
The 9U Nationals won the Throgs Neck (Bronx) tournament in convincing fashion, going 5-0.
The 13U Falcons won the Diamond Nation (NJ) Summer Finale,
posting a 6-0 mark.
The 12U Nationals traveled to Cooperstown for a week long
tournament. Coach Quinn’s squad posted a 5-1 record in
pool play, including 4 mercy victories. After an exciting 2-0
win in the quarter finals vs. Huntington Beach California,
the team succumbed in the semi finals to a talented team
comprised of players from Florida, Georgia and North and
South Carolina who were the eventual tournament champs.
Coach Mike Lopiparo College Placement
Coordinator Quality Control Coach
did a lot of mailing to players and
coaches over the past few months.
But in the end, it all paid off since
the showcase went off like clock-
work.” Guinta said he couldn’t be
happier. “The weather cooperated,
the players came, the college coaches
came and the fields were
immaculate. We couldn’t have
scripted it any better.” Mario
Rapaglia of Barios supplied the
coaches with an elegant lunch in the
air conditioned press box.
One difference about the RCBC
showcase was that the college
coaches not only observed and
evaluated the players, but they RAN
the workouts in uniform. The best
coaches in the area were hitting
grounder and fly balls, pitching
batting practice, running the bull-
pens and timing the participants in
the 60 yard run. The showcase had
a large does of professionalism. “We
figured the players would really get a
look at how a workout will be on the
college level” said DeFendis.
On the first day, the players were
tested on their skills and the second
day, two 7 inning games were
played. The players were evaluated
and a large number attracted interest
from the college coaches. “If players
end up getting their college choice
from this showcase,” said DeFendis,
“then this was a worthwhile effort.”
RICHMOND COUNTY’S
INAUGURAL COLLEGE
SHOWCASE CAMP
The expansion of the Richmond
County organization continues.
The latest is the first ever college
showcase camp which was held at
the complex on August 20-21. It
was a complete success ranging
from how it was put together, to
the player participation, to the col-
lege coach attendance to the
workouts themselves.
The showcase was the brainchild of
RCBC Executive Director Nick
DeFendis who stated “We always
want to give the players a chance to
show off their skills. Our teams go
to other showcases and
tournaments, so we figured it was
now time we hosted an event.”
The difference was that the work-
outs were open to players other
than those who play on RCBC
teams. More than 50 players
showed up along with over 20
college coaches, including Big East
representatives from Seton Hall
and St Johns. College World Series
participant Stony Brook was there
as well as other coaches from
Division I, II and III.
Organizing the showcase were
Anthony Ferrante and Peter
Guinta. Ferrante, who is a coach
on the 18U Nationals, said “We
Coach Lope’s Baseball Thoughts
Richmond County Baseball Club Newsletter Volume 13-7 Page 4
This month’s baseball quote:
Pete Rose once said
“I feel good when I think
about getting 4,000 hits;
until I remember that I also
made about 9,000 outs”
If you want to voice a
comment on anything I write,
email me at
mikelope19@aol.com
College Showcase Participants
Richmond County Baseball Club Newsletter Volume 13-7 Page 5
Volume 13-7
Featured Article — A Day In The Life Of A Baseball Player
By Coach DeFendis
A baseball player plays baseball. Bet you could have guessed that. Although very few people actually get to do this for a living, it is a dream job for so many. This internationally played sport attracts millions of viewers worldwide who admire, trust and respect the men who play the game. A baseball player’s career has two distinct and very different stages: the minor leagues and the major leagues. At the beginning of the overwhelming majority of players’ careers, they are usually ushered into the three-tier system of minor league professional baseball: Single A baseball (the lowest minor league level), Double A baseball (the middle level) and Triple A baseball (the highest level). Working in such exotic locations as Toledo, Norwalk and Columbus, baseball players follow the instructions of their coaches and work on specific baseball skills, general conditioning and emotional maturity. The last is the most underrated portion of the profession, but it is a significant factor in making it to the major leagues. Hours are long. Players pack and carry their own luggage for long bus trips to games. Many hold additional jobs in the off season to make ends meet, which can be hard to do on a baseball salary of about $180 per week. Satisfaction is low in the minors, but players enjoy a strong sense of camaraderie with other aspiring major leaguers. Many remain late after practices and games to work on skills or do weight training and conditioning. Major league players have the advantage of a strong union and the minimum salary for entry level players is $109,000 per season, which lasts roughly eight months from March through October. They do not carry their own luggage. Practices are plentiful in the spring but do not take place during the season. Players are required to show up at least one hour before game time, prepared to play, to be in reasonable condition and to obey the direction of their manager and coaches. Baseball players are under a great deal of pressure to perform during games. They lack job security. One significant injury, such as a torn ligament or an eye disorder, that prevents a player from playing at his best level, could mean the end of a career. On an even less dramatic level, playing inconsistently and losing the trust of your manager can lead to the same result.
Paying Your Dues
It takes skill, luck and hard work to have a shot at becoming a professional baseball player, and even then, your chances are slim. No academic requirements exist for baseball players. In fact, many are drafted immediately out of high school. First, you need talent — excellent hand-eye coordination, the right body type and specific baseball skills. Then, you need good coaching and training so that you stand out from the other millions of young people who play baseball. This can be accomplished through hard work and dedication in addition to your incredible skill. Then you need luck to play in a game where a scout or a college recruiter can observe you, and you need to play well on that day. If you make it to the minor leagues, you find that everyone else is as young, talented and highly thought of as you are. Around 700 players participate in the major leagues each year. Once there, the average career last 2-7 years.
Every day is a new way for you to make a difference.
Coach Nick
Richmond County Baseball Club Newsletter Volume 13-7
Page 6
Volume 13-7
Sponsor Of The Month
Each month, we feature a local business that has supported or provided valuable
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