By Andy Loigu

When looking back on a fulfilling career, many a famous baseball player has said that being watched by big league scouts was an exciting experience as a young schoolboy, particularly if he did something good.

Hackettstown’s Jake Hall slugged a homer and Pope John’s Ethan O’Connor took the mound with a bases loaded jam with just one out, and saved the game, to enable the Jersey Pilots to split a doubleheader on a sunny Sunday. A Cleveland Indians’ scout watched all the action from the press tent and took copious notes.

When a scout who has evaluated hundreds of players over the years, makes comments like “that ball just jumped off his bat” and “the kid’s not afraid to throw strikes,” that’s a rave. I got a kick out of listening to the scout, a former big league player, reminisce about how thrilled he was to be on the same field with Ted Williams. Also, I got to see his World Series ring. That’s the closest I’ll ever get to one.

The Jersey Pilots are playing their 50th season in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, one of eight regional circuits in the USA which are sponsored by Major League Baseball as a player development vehicle. Those who get chosen to play on a roster have been identified as players with pro potential. They are players with college eligibility remaining who wish to stay in school and keep their amateur standing for at least one more season. They don’t mind the scouts’ attention. They welcome it. Hundreds of players have gone from the ACBL fields (mostly at schools and municipal parks) to the palatial stadia of “the show” during the developmental league’s 52 years. Success stories abound.

At the Pilots’ new home field at Drew University in Madison on Sunday, the visiting Ocean County Ospreys (leading the league with a .281 team batting average) won the first game of a recent doubleheader 3-2. The Pilots bounced back to win the second game 3-1.

Hall was a school-record breaking hitter for power, production, and percentage at County College of Morris, just like he was at Hackettstown High School, and is transferring to Division One Senica College this fall. In the ACBL he is facing Division I pitchers for the first time and the first couple of weeks have been a struggle. “They throw better location in this league,” he said. Regarding his homer, which gave the Pilots a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning of game two, he said, with no emotion, “it was about time.”

Hall went three for five, plus a sacrifice fly, for the double header, and hopes he’s turned the corner as the summer continues. By the way, Hall’s shot out of the yard was the only batted ball to clear the fence all day, for either team.

Two decades ago, I had a conversation with former Pittsburgh Pirates’ catcher Ed Ott, who was the Allentown team’s manager at the time. I asked him, how do you teach pitchers to get good hitters out? “If I have a choice between a guy who throws 100 miles per hour but you never know where the pitch is going, and a guy who throws like 85, but hits the catcher’s target 90 percent of the time,” he replied, “give me the slower guy. In the big time, you don’t intimidate anybody and they catch up to your speed. You get them out with location.”

Hall was 1-for-3 in the first game loss, but impressed me with a fielding play. After catching a fly ball in right field, he alertly made a quick and accurate throw to nab a baserunner who was a little sluggish getting back to second base. By keeping his mind on the game, rather than on his batting struggles, he got a double play to help his team. As Pete Alonso of the Mets said in a recent radio interview, your bat gets you into the lineup, but your glove will keep you there.

O’Connor, a right handed flame thrower who will be in his sophomore year for the Lafayette College Leopards in the Patriot League next year, was the Pope John Lions’ pitching ace in 2017 when they won the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex and Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference championships.

The Pilots were in danger of losing both games on Sunday, when the Ospreys’ persistent offense loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning of a seven inning game. Enter O’Connor to the rescue. He ended the inning by getting a double play and retired the side in order to close out a tough win in the seventh and final frame.

“No fear,” he replied when asked about being put into the role of fireman, with the sacks full and the lead in danger. “You just get after it, let it ride,” he said. Having command of a lively fastball can produce great courage and acts of valor from a pitching mound. 

While O’Connor was in action, I joked with the scout, “remember the movie Major League, when the Indians’ manager said forget about the curveball, Ricky, give ’em the heater?” He chuckled and once again pointed his radar gun toward home plate. 

The closer mentality was on display. The Cleveland Indians have noticed.

…………………Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.