Croton-Harmon coach Eric Rosen
How many years have you been coaching with your school? This will be my first.
How did the team do last season? Last season the team finished under .500. The team lost in the first round of the Class B playoffs to Briarcliff.
Who are your top returning players? Dennis Traditi, Sr. (SS/P); Tyler Bello, Sr. (P/1B/OF); Brian Oliver, Sr. (C/3B/P); Brian Soares, Jr. (OF).
Who are the top players that you lost to graduation? Greg Carroll (P/2B), Kevin Soares (1B), Kyle Raum (P).
What is your team’s biggest strength? We have 15 hungry ball players who play the game hard. Our intense style of play along with our team defense and pitching will keep us in every game this year.
What is your biggest concern entering the season? Inexperience at the varsity level. We only have four players with varsity experience.
Which team(s) is your biggest rival? We play in a very competitive league with state runner-up Briarcliff, Ossining, Westlake, and Pleasantville. We also play our next door neighbors Hen Hud at Peekskill Stadium on May 5 at 7 p.m., which should be fun for the community.
Opening game: At Rye Neck on Tuesday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m. after returning from Vero Beach, Fla. for spring training.
Up next: Lakeland
3 Comments
It is a complete joke that Croton’s previous coach was fired. How does Croton’s school district reconcile that the previous coach with 12 or so years on the job, with the baseball pedigree and experience he had, how does the athletic department think that this coach is better qualified. Another typical situation, an in-district person without any desire to pay his dues uses, most probably, the district contract to steal a job. How does the superintendent reconcile that Croton now has a worse coach than before. Here’s an idea, how about this new coach start at a lower level. If he has done that then perhaps he begins as an assistant varsity coach instead of simply feeling entitled to the job because of his friendship with an administrator.
This is absurd.
The prior coaches are both outstanding people but they coached varsity like it was a rec league. they held 1.5 hour practices and did not commit what is needed to build program. Coach Rosen played for arguably top coach in area, Coach Robinson at lakeland. He has team practicing 3+ hours a day and is taking them to Florida to play. The players have a playbook for baseball and they are excited to play for new coach.Nothing against old coaches but it was time for a change.Not one player or parent is sad about change
Unbelieveable the ignorance of poster #1. Guess he didn’t go to any games, or he has a vested interest in the old program. Last head coach is a terrific person, well suited to Modified or maybe JV ball…. But it was a poor program. May have been adequate in the 60s/70s but out of step with other programs in the Hud Valley today.
Go to max preps or any other site and look for Croton Stats for last year. They weren’t entered. Those guys couldn’t be bothered. It didn’t matter to them. Nor did real practices, winter prep, summer ball, off season interest in the program, etc. ZERO enthusiam. Basically a babysitting rec program. Now…it’s a real program.
Enbtering Stats? Guess what, it matters to the players. These boys have been playing serious spring, summer, fall and school ball for 8-10 years. What’s the payoff when getting to what should be the pinnicle for most boys? A rec league program? 2012 will be a challenging season. Croton plays in a tough neighborhood..but they will compete. And team will become source of pride comparable to the Football and Basketball teams over next few seasons which will again attract talented players and give them a reason to keep playing. Many Young kids in Croton dream of playing Football..or for Coach Thom’s basketball team. The last regime was about as underwhelming as it gets.