John Jay’s first day of practice
-
- March
- 9
Today was the first official day of practice for all Section 1 spring sports. I did a story on the start of the new season for tomorrow’s paper. Although I had to incorporate lacrosse, tennis, and softball, I did get a chance to stop by John Jay’s gym to watch the baseball team.
The gym was busy but not overcrowded. About sixty kids showed up to try out. It’s a good showing regardless, but a great showing considering the popularity of John Jay’s lacrosse team. As baseball coach Geoff Curtis said, “Baseball is alive and well here.”
Curtis kept them rotating around the gym’s perimeter with corner throwing drills, fielding drills, and batting with wiffle balls. Despite constantly looking for the safest place to stand, I’m proud to say I nearly got beaned with two baseballs and two wiffle balls. In the small gym in back, which Bill Swertfager has converted into a wrestling room for one of the section’s top wrestling teams, pitchers and catchers worked off portable mounds.
All in all it was very organized. The Indians recovered well from the disappointment of being indoors. As I wrote in my Tuesday story, last weekend got everyone’s hopes up for a warm week of practice out on the field. Then today’s cold weather said “no” before the rain said “hell no.” So for them and every other baseball team the next week is about making do with the gym or stealing some turf time from lacrosse.
The weather forecast says the rest of the week will be pretty much the same as today. Wednesday is slightly warmer but rainy. Such is early-season baseball in the northeast.
The reason I went to John Jay specifically was the excitement surrounding this team. The Indians return a lot of talent. Infielders Anthony Iacomini, who’s bound for South Carolina, Lou Ricci, Kyle Clemmenson, and outfielders Mike Filice and Ray Maggi all hit .350 or better. In Stephen Green they have a true ace, a guy who brings nasty stuff every day. He started 6-0 with an ERA under 1.00 and 56 Ks in 29 innings before an injury ended his 2008.
And perhaps took John Jay’s championship hopes with him. In their last two playoff games the Indians allowed 20 runs, surviving Mahopac 12-11 before falling 9-2 to Suffern. Part of that was their bandbox field, but still, Green would have driven those numbers down.
John Jay should join last year’s finalists, Suffern and Mamaroneck, as the elite of Class AA. Nobody is on Mamaroneck’s level, of course, not after they bashed their way to a state championship. But John Jay has the talent to scare the Tigers.
The team’s win total has risen every year since 2003 when Curtis took over. That streak will almost certainly end. Budget cuts forced Section 1 to reduce baseball’s regular season to 20 games. Since the Indians went 20-5, they would have to go 17-3 AND win a sectional title to reach 21 wins.
This entry was posted
on Monday, March 9th, 2009 at 10:30 pm by Jake Thomases. 
Print
| 
Email
Josh Thomson has done some of everything since joining The Journal News in
March 2003. He began working for the Gannett weeklies during the winter of
2002 as a freelance writer. He joined the daily staff soon after and has
since covered various high school and pro sports. Away from sportswriting,
Josh lives in Westchester and spends his free time either with his
fiancee, Sarah, or expertly managing his various championship-winning
fantasy sports teams. He's visited 21 major-league baseball stadiums and
insists that Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are the best by far. Josh
graduated from Carmel High School in 1998, then went to Boston University,
where, in 2002, he received a degree in communications with a minor in
history. 
Jake Thomases has covered baseball, hockey, girls basketball, and girls soccer for the Journal News since arriving in 2003. He previously interned at The Poughkeepsie Journal while attending Vassar College. He is socking money away under his mattress to buy the Knicks, at which time he will trade Jerome James to Cleveland for a ham sandwich.
Jake
Great job with wrestling. Although you admittedly did not have the inside knowledge of the wrestlers, your coverage was very entertaining and you worked hard to provide important information to the wrestling community.
I look forward to your baseball coverage.
Jake, why don’t you write about the kids who won something first?
I believe he did, last year, WVU. This is a new season. I’m sure he’ll write much about the teams that won too. The negative crap starts early. We didn’t even get outside yet.
Mamaroneck is in a class by themselves , and Cross River and Suffern have some outstanding D1 talent on their clubs. Another AA that is possibly in the mix is Ketcham. They have one D1- Orefice to Marist, and a D2- Petermen to CW Post who can both swing the bat and several other kids in a strong 2009 class that should play college ball. What they lack compared to these other teams mentioned is a clear cut ace, but they are coming off two “down” years where they still won like 18-19 games, and could be near the level of the other clubs mentioned if they get some good performances on the mound and they do return some good pitching. Mamaroneck scored 24 against them last year, but Ketcham did get 18 on them in that strange sectional game they played.Look for them to score a lot of runs this year. What may hurt their overall record is again playing in 1C which should be a dogfight again, but they might have an edge in the league with the depth of their line-up. Mahopac I am sure will try to ride Iuni, but not sure how much they have to back him ? Carmel has 2-3 great players, but did not look deep. JJ-EF has got to have a fall off after losing Panik and Ciocchi but still has a team with some good pitching . Look for Arlington to improve under their new coach – Hammell. This is about the worst year you could pick to limit this section to only 20 games given the breadth of the talent available. Good luck to all.
So I guess that puts all the pressure on Mamo. How many D1 players do they have? Hagan, McGovern….?
“John Jay should join last year’s finalists, Suffern and Mamaroneck, as the elite of Class AA” Wake up, they didn’t play AA last year and barely played an A schedule. They only played AA in the playoffs and were eliminated. They were given a courtesy seed based on that BS schedule. To even write this stuff is an insult to Suffern and Mamaroneck.
Folks, the reason Jake was at Jay is because 99% of the blog comments are from JAY parents. One parent wrote the entire write-up on his kid. Josh and Jake make $$$ on blog visits. Lets give the Mamaroneck boys their due. They are the Champs until someone beats them not when someone wants to give props to an average, middle of the pack team. Lets give some props to the boys at Kennedy and Keio too before we bestowe accolades on the “wanna-be title contenders”
Hopefully Coach Curtis can get Ursiline or Maria Regina on his schedule .
So what school are you from expert? My guess is JFK. Our best pitcher was out for the playoffs and our main reliever was injured. Let’s play the games and see how it ends up. JFK and Keio are both private schools playing in a public league so go easy with that.
You guys are all rediculous…stop taking little things such as a Josh’s reason for going to JJ instead of the school you wanted personally. He’s doing his job and giving you all something to talk about. so shut up
your arguing over nothing
You are right. But your line about giving us something to talk about so shut up is priceless.
it wasnt josh it was jake idiot.
okay umm suffern really wasn’t as strong as all of you say they were. the only thing they have going for them is aviles and that is it. mamaroneck can play dont get me wrong, but i wouldnt say there unbeatable. im sure things will be a little different this year.
That kid Brennan isn’t bad either.
you know whats funny is John jay killed JFK 2 times when they played eachother last year so the guy thats argueing about how jj parents told jake to write this is just dum.
Does anybody else think the John Jay Cross River Indians should change their nickname to the Native Americans?
i didn’t see JFK or JJCR on either teams schedule results from last year. When did they play? How and why did they play? JJ was supposed to be a “AA” school and Kennedy is a “B”
I am here to only speak the truth about the John Jay Indians (not native americans… or anything else for that matter, the name is here to stay if you have a problem with it get out of the country). The Indians will turn a lot of heads this year and with proper coaching and motivated players but injuries will play a big part, of course. Last year they lost Steven Green who, as Josh said, was 6-0 with an ERA under 1.00 Quite impressive for a sophomore lefty. The Indians do lose big bats in Ryan Mitchell, an All Section Player who batted over 450 and had a strong arm in right, and JK Filauro who had strength and a strong arm from third. The talent returning though will be enough to make some noise with Iacomini, Maggi, Filauro, Ricci, Felice….Along with kids like Dean Lambert and Jared Hirschberg, who have sniffed their fair share of varsity dirt (and pine pony, but this is their year to be everyday guys). Good luck to the Indians, and please stop the bickering about who Josh reports about, no way I’d come on here after a story about any other program and start complaining.
I’d like to be cowboys from Arizona or pimps from Oakland but it’s not Halloween. Grow up; Peter Pan, Count Chocula.
Once again Jay people, it was JAKE not Josh who wrote the story. Use your other hand to pat urself on the back and use ur right one to follow along the story line.
Oh I’m sorry it I dont pay attention to the IMPORTANT details, how bout YOU use your right hand to find some tape to cover you’re mouth up.
“It was all a dream, I used to read word up magazine”
Why so much hating already? It’s two weeks before the season even starts. Just because I went to John Jay for a day of practice doesn’t mean I think they’re better than Mamaroneck. I also went to White Plains lacrosse and they’re not the best. I talked to TZ softball and they’re not the best. It was just about interesting angles for that first day of practice.
We’ve got a whole preview section coming out that will feature lots of players. Relax.
who thinks i did it?
John Jay is looking like a joke this year i see a few good hitter including Mikey f. Baby filauro ricci and Iacomini JJ is not looking good
why doesnt anybody mention kyle clemmenson when referring to the strong offense of john jay..he might be their second best hitter after iacomini
CR no body mentions him because no one cares about jjcr except the jjcr people. no one else thinks they have a shot. they are the most over hyped team year in and year out then the excuses come. bring back russ carone
Russ Carone- Talk about excuses…
Is the service good?
JJ – Yock, Maggi, Filaro and Greene end of story not enough talent after that—STICK A FORK IN THEM
steve green mite b t3h gr8est bball pl3yer en teh planet.. rite after dan mannix+ tom weinGarten