For Ben Bowden, the summer of 2015 set everything in motion. Up until that point, the former Lynn English (Mass.) star pitcher was a low-profile reliever for Vanderbilt coming off an unremarkable sophomore season. Then he arrived at the Cape League and announced his presence to the baseball scouting … [Read more...]
Red Sox former first-round pick Tanner Houck ready to fulfill expectations
Had there been fans allowed to watch the players play in the otherwise empty confines of Fenway Park last September the 20th, the atmosphere would have been electric. At the tail end of an otherwise bizarre, lost 2020 baseball season in Boston, here was Tanner Houck – the first-round pick by the Red … [Read more...]
BaseballTown: Westport, Conn., prospers with Staples’ success
When Jack McFarland took over the baseball program at Staples High School in 2005, he prioritized his list of challenges. First, he faced the fact that Staples is located in Westport, square in the middle of lacrosse-obsessed Fairfield County in southwestern Connecticut. “Part of competing on the … [Read more...]
Middleboro-native Sean Newcomb eyes playoffs with Braves
Sean Newcomb grew up in Middleboro, Mass., as a Red Sox fan watching Pedro Martinez hurl his way into the Hall of Fame. It seems clear he was paying close attention. Martinez, of course, was the master of the fastball, the power curve and the changeup. Newcomb, now a majorleaguer in his second … [Read more...]
Utilizing experience from the New York-Penn League
The majority of players who stack the rosters of short-season Class A teams in the New York-Penn League are fresh selections from the annual MLB draft. The short season represents their first exposure to baseball as a profession. As such, their managers play a crucial role in their transition and … [Read more...]
New script for Troy Scribner
At the point that I catch up with Troy Scribner, he is getting settled again. In a new location, with a new organization, facing a new set of uncertainties. Scribner, a native of Washington, Conn., is a true baseball survivor. After four years at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, he went … [Read more...]
After nearly retiring, Charlie Morton becomes Game 7 hero
If a movie were to be made about this man’s life in baseball, it would have to be titled "The Curious Case of Charlie Morton." Not just because Morton’s journey has been curious (although it has been, in spades), but also because Morton seemingly has reversed the aging curve. Now 34, Morton has … [Read more...]
UMass Lowell product Jack Leathersich eyes stable spot with Pirates
It's not easy to be a journeyman pitcher, especially when you’re just a few years deep into your career. Not that Jack Leathersich is complaining, mind you. "In my career so far, I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of success, but it’s been crazy," Leathersich said. "I’ve been in the majors with … [Read more...]
Bryant’s Jimmy Titus breaks out in the NECBL
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a point when Jimmy Titus felt misunderstood as a baseball player. This was before he became the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year at East Catholic High School in Connecticut. Before winning the Northeast Conference Rookie of the year honors as a freshman … [Read more...]
Sharon’s John Brebbia completes journey to the big leagues and Fenway Park
I could not be happier or feel more fortunate than I do to be where I am right now," John Brebbia says at the beginning of our conversation. The "where" he refers to is the visitor’s dugout in Fenway Park. The "right now" is a few hours before game time in Brebbia’s first-ever appearance in Fenway … [Read more...]
Turner French (Wallingford, Conn.) earns big role with Mystic Schooners
When Turner French arrived to play summer ball for the Mystic Schooners, he had no idea how the team planned to utilize him out of the bullpen. When he was anointed as the team’s closer on Opening Day, he set himself on a mission to keep the job for the duration of the season. "I actually wasn’t … [Read more...]
Tewksbury’s Scott Oberg looking to maximize chances out of Rockies’ bullpen
For Scott Oberg, baseball and adversity have so frequently gone hand-in-hand over the years. While at UConn, the Tewksbury, Mass., native became a star reliever for the Huskies. Then he began to suffer a series of symptoms that left it difficult for him to walk, let alone throw a baseball. He … [Read more...]
