NCN SPORTS BLOG

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted on this blog.

As promised, here are some vids from the Emps down at Iona.

I covered a bevy of different sports — which didn’t include lax.

However, I was able to get over to Iona yesterday after my other assignments and I got some footage.

The games are as follows:

1. Hudson Valley vs. NYC
2. Hudson Valley vs. Adirondack
3. Long Island vs. Western

Hope you enjoy it.

Summer Trails Day Camp, located in Granite Springs, has had a bevy of standout Major League baseball players visit since its inception in 1974.

During the mid 1970s players such as Graig Nettles, Lou Piniella, Catfish Hunter, Jim Spencer, Chris Chambliss, Gene Michael and Willie Randolph graced the camp.

“Over the years we’ve literally had an all-star team of Yankees. Really all the front line players,” said Camp Director David Silverstein.

He recalls the time when Piniella showed up and they put a banner at the front entrance to welcome him. Although the idea was a kind gesture toward Piniella, it also acted as an advertisement for adoring fans, as throngs of people flooded the gate, hoping to meet Sweet Lou.

Silverstein explained that their ability to get the top-of-the-line players was due to the fact that the head baseball coach at the time had a direct contact with Michael, then a Yankee shortstop, who later became a coach and general manager.

“We would call Gene and he was able to get his players here,” said Silverstein. “That was beautiful, because we didn’t have to deal through the front office or anything. As times change, you can’t get those guys. They cost a fortune and they just don’t want to do it.”

According to Silverstein, the birth of free agency, which began with the Collective Bargaining Agreement of 1976, took away the option of getting all-star caliber players.

“Years ago, most baseball players had off-season jobs,” he explained. “They were making a nice living, but not like they are today. A lot of these guys had winter jobs. Even back in the 1970s when we started, guys were willing to come up for $600 to $800 to spend a couple of hours talking to kids, teaching them baseball and signing some autographs. Now, you can’t touch anybody for that kind of money. You are paying four to five times that amount for players that are still great instructors, but they don’t have the name recognition of Piniella, Nettles or Catfish.”

Although Summer Trails may not get, say, Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez to come in to speak to the campers, they are still able to obtain younger players like 25-year-old flame throwing relief pitcher Brian Bruney, who came by to visit the camp on July 3.

Despite the lack of brand name superstars, the current guests still do a masterful job giving their campers the best possible experience at camp. Yankees players Andy Philips and Kevin Thompson are also slated to appear at Summer Trails later this season along Ruben Gotay of the Mets and possibly other players as well.

“The main reason we bring in the players is that it creates excitement within the program,” Silverstein said. “Also, when they are teaching baseball to the kids, they are reinforcing what our coaches have already taught them. It is very meaningful for a child to hear it from a Yankee or a Met as opposed to one of the coaches.”

Bruney, whose 6-foot-3-inch, 250-pound frame casts an even larger shadow when crowds of seven- to 13-year-old campers surround him, was more than gracious in answering countless questions from the youngsters.

One question, which drew a chuckle from onlookers, was whether or not Hideki Matsui could speak English.

Bruney responded, “Kind of, but not really. He is able to understand what is spoken to him more than he can speak to others. It’s kind of like me with Spanish.”

The hulking right-hander, with a black and red Maltese cross tattoo inked on the underneath side of his right forearm, which according to Bruney stands for strength, honor and integrity, are three things that he believes very strongly. He explained why his visit to speak with the campers was important to the game of baseball.

“Well, it prepares the game to last and keep on and be successful,” he said. “You know, nowadays you see the game changing a lot from what it used to be. I saw the All-Star lineup and there isn’t one American player starting. But not that it matters, you get the best talent out of wherever, but it’s good for American kids to come out and get places to go to like this camp. It’s just good, hopefully one, two, three or four kids will become Major Leaguers.”

Bruney, who never attended summer camp, instead honed his talents at a local sports complex in his native Astoria, Oregon, where he played baseball, football and basketball.

Seeing that this was the first time many of the campers had come in contact with a Major League ball player, Bruney shared his first time experience as well.

“I believe it was Kenny Rogers,” he said. “He’s my brother-in-law’s first cousin. He took us up to a game in Seattle. I actually got to meet the entire team. It was real fun.”

Fellow bullpen mate, Scott Proctor, who visited Summer Trails last summer, is Bruney’s closest friend on the team. When questioned what he thought of the whole spectacle of Proctor burning his equipment following a rough outing, Bruney responded, “You gotta do what you gotta do. If that’s going to help you, do it. I’ve never burned anything myself.”

Speaking in a relaxed Oregon drawl, Bruney responded to another question from a camper about whether he gets “angry” like fellow Yankee Kyle Farnsworth.

“No. I’ve got a pretty long fuse,” he said.

Following the gossipy questions from the curious campers, the Summer Trails baseball coaches got down to business, questioning him about baseball technique, including how to grip a fastball. Bruney, showing the two-seam grip, said, “When I was younger I could hit 102 miles per hour on the radar gun. Nowadays I can only get it up to about 96 miles per hour.”

After the question period, Bruney, who was clothed in a Carolina blue Summer Trails staff shirt and wearing brown work boots, trudged over to a bench beneath a canopy from where he signed handfuls of autographs.

Seeing Bruney taking time to address each and every camper, while those in line bounced from their spots with excitement, it didn’t appear to matter that it wasn’t Jeter signing the pamphlets of paper. It was a little known relief pitcher, who has been used sparingly in 39 games this year. But, after all, he still dons the pinstripes and, more importantly, had taken the time to be there that day.