April 6, 2011
Around the region: Westmoreland reaches milestone
by NEBJ Staff/
Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the April 2011 issue of New England Baseball Journal.
Ryan Westmoreland’s remarkable recovery hit another impressive milestone last month.
The 20-year-old Red Sox prospect from Portsmouth, R.I., commemorated the one-year anniversary of his emergency brain surgery by taking batting practice with some of the organization’s other prospects in Fort Myers, Fla.
“I would have liked to have done a little bit better,” Westmoreland told reporters after his round of batting practice. “But I’ll take it.”
One of the Red Sox’ most promising outfield prospects, Westmoreland began feeling weak and fatigued early last year. Routine tests quickly became more serious, and a cavernous malformation was discovered on his brain stem. He soon lost his vision and hearing in one ear. Westmoreland underwent life-threatening surgery March 16, 2010.
Now, a year later, his speedy recovery — including live batting practice and throwing a baseball 100 feet, not to mention simply tying his shoes and driving a car — continues to amaze his doctors, teammates and manager.
“I think it’s amazing,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona told reporters in Fort Myers. “I saw him (one) day at Fenway sitting in a wheelchair, and now he’s attempting to play baseball. I think it’s already a win-win. Obviously, because I’m a member of the Red Sox, I’d love to see him as a productive player. But the fact that he’s out there playing, it’s already an exciting story.”
Westmoreland was the Red Sox’ fifth-round draft pick in 2008. In his rookie season in the minors in 2009, the outfielder hit .296 with seven home runs and 35 RBI in 60 games for the Single-A Lowell Spinners.
Torrington joins FCBL
The Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England rounded out its inaugural roster of teams with the addition of the Torrington Titans.
The Titans debuted last season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League. In late February, the team was acquired by the Carminucci Sports Group, which also owns the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks of the FCBL and the Brockton Rox of the Can-Am League.
The Titans, who will continue to play their home games at Fuessenich Park in Torrington, Conn., join the Sharks and two New Hampshire-based teams — the Seacoast Mavericks and the Nashua Silver Knights — in the inaugural FCBL season.
Gregg Hunt, a Torrington native, will return as the Titans’ field manager. Hunt, who previously managed the Torrington Twisters and Manchester Silkworms is the winningest manager in the history of the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
Mike O’Malley (Nashua, N.H.) will serve as the Titans’ general manger. O’Malley, who played at the University of Rhode Island, is currently in his second year as an assistant coach at Brown University.
In other FCBL news, the Seacoast Mavericks hired former Minnesota Twins minor-leaguer Chris Anderson as their first manager. Anderson, who was a standout pitcher at Portsmouth (N.H.) High School, was an 18th-round draft pick of the Twins in 2006.
The Futures League’s first season opens June 9, when the Mavericks play host to the Titans. The four FCBL teams will play a 44-game regular season, which runs until Aug. 2.
College award watch
Four New England college juniors were named to the Golden Spikes Award Watch List, including a pair of prominent UConn players.
Huskies pitcher Matt Barnes (Bethel, Conn.) and outfielder George Springer (New Britain, Conn.), along with Vanderbilt infielder Jason Esposito (Bethany, Conn.) and Coastal Carolina pitcher Anthony Meo (Cranston, R.I.), landed on the list for the Golden Spikes, which is awarded to the nation’s top amateur baseball player.
Milan Adams (Exeter, R.I.) of the University of Rhode Island and Matt Colantonio of Brown University both were among the early season nominees for the Johnny Bench Award for catchers.
Two other New England-college pitchers — Rhode Island’s Gardner Leaver and UConn’s Kevin Vance — were named to the Stopper of the Year Award Watch List.
Cardinals cruise in the Caribbean
The Rhode Island Cardinals won their second straight MSBL Caribbean Winter Baseball Championship in the Age 35+ division in February in Puerto Rico.
The Cardinals defeated the Tropical Thunders in the championship game after going 5-0 in pool play (outscoring opponents 41-12) and beating the Chicago All-Stars in the semifinals. Cardinals slugger John Collins, who hit over .500 in the tournament, was named MVP.
Also in the Age 35+ division, the New England Bandits went 2-3 overall, losing to the Thunders in the semifinals, 14-3. In the Age 25+ division, the Boston Cardinals went winless in four games.
Odds and ends
Andrew Cormier (New Bedford, Mass.) was named general manager of the New Bedford Bay Sox in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Cormier, 23, spent two years as the Bay Sox’ assistant GM under Kirk Fredriksson, who moved to the Holyoke Blue Sox. … One of Cormier’s first moves was to hire Derek Viveiros (Fall River, Mass.) as the team’s manager. Viveiros is the athletic director at Bristol Community College. … Matt Person (Sudbury, Mass.) was hired as vice president of business operations by the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Double-A Eastern League. … The official Frank Finn Cape Cod Baseball League tryout is scheduled for May 30 in Wareham.
