Optimism runs high with most every ball club during the eve of a new baseball season.
Such is the case with the Staten Island FerryHawks, the borough’s professional baseball team, which plays in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
In their inaugural campaign in 2022 playing at Staten Island University Hospital Community Park in St. George, the FerryHawks posted a league-worst 48-84 record, which was good enough for fifth place in the division.
The club was also last in the league in attendance, drawing an average of 1,279 fans per game. In 60 home dates, the FerryHawks drew 76,759 fans last season.
CHECK OUT THE KEY HOME DATES FOR THE FERRYHAWKS
FerryHawk management is hopeful the team will perform better on the field in 2023 and will draw a lot more fans at the gate, starting with Friday night’s season opener at home vs. the Charleston Dirty Birds at 7 p.m.
Gary Perone, the team’s general manager, has put together what he feels is a competitive roster and has a new manager in ex-New York Yankees world champion Homer Bush, who takes over for former New York Mets player Edgardo Alfonzo.
“Homer’s experience as both a player and a coach will benefit the team,” said Perone, who served in the front office of the Brooklyn Cyclones before coming to the FerryHawks. “In his coaching experience, he has worked with many MLB Draft League players so he will be able to help the younger players refine their skills and really come into their own. For the veterans –- especially those who have reached higher levels already -– he can guide them through to the ups and downs that come with being a professional ballplayer. Homer has been there before on the biggest stage of them all, Yankee Stadium.”
Perone said the expectations this year, like every season, are to be competitive.
“With a new coaching staff and many new players, there will naturally be some adjusting at first,” said Perone. “However, the locker room morale is high right now and we can already see a chemistry building amongst the players and coaches.”
The roster, which is still being fine-tuned, includes Staten Islanders Kevin Krause and Vincenzo Aiello, both Tottenville HS products, who played a handful of games for the FerryHawks last season. Krause is a catcher and designated hitter, who is expected to be one of the team’s top hitters, while Aiello pitched out of the bullpen last season with good success.
Angel Aguilar (shortstop), Eddy Reynoso (pitcher), Anthony Rodriguez (pitcher), Williams Ramirez (pitcher) Jordan Simpson (pitcher), Justin O’Connor (catcher) and Ricardo Cespedes (outfielder) are some of the key players back from last year’s team as is fan favorite Kelsie Whitmore, who last season became the first female to start an Atlantic League game.
Whitmore, however, struggled in her initial campaign with the FerryHawks, batting .026 (1 for 39) and pitching to the the tune of an ERA of 12.19, spanning just 10.1 innings.
In a recent interview with SILive.com, team president Eric Shuffler hinted that Whitmore is expected to see more playing time.
Just this week, Perone added more firepower to the roster with the pickup of Adrian Sanchez, who won a World Series ring with the Washington Nationals in 2019. The 32-year-old infielder was signed out of Venezuela at 16 and amassed 15 seasons in the minors, in addition to parts of four in the Majors. He spent last season in AAA.
Sanchez hit .262 in 106 career Major League games. He appeared in 16 games for Washington in 2021, hitting .257 with five runs scored and an RBI.
As for the pitching staff, Perone put extra emphasis on that for this season.
“Starting pitching was a focus this offseason for our new pitching coach Reggie Harris,” said Perone. “We acquired a number of players with MLB service and veteran experience. Reggie led Gastonia’s league-leading pitching staff last year so he is setting a high bar for our pitchers.”
When asked if the team will perform better than last season, Perone said he expects the FerryHawks to be much more competitive this season.
“With rosters changing yearly and players moving on, it is hard to determine that,” he said. “However, with 10 original FerryHawks returning and the mix of new players -- some being veterans with MLB experience -– we are in a position to be a competitive team.”