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Could It Be: Putnam Valley Class B Baseball Favorites?
Upstart Tigers discussed among Section 1 elite
by Ray Gallagher
 | | Who Knew - After leading the Blue Devils to the NYSPHSAA Class C basketball championship in mid-March, Haldane's Brittany Shields had a huge week that included winning the Isabel Costas Award as Section 1's most honored basketball player, in addition to being named the NYS Class C Player of the Year. To add to her escapades, Shields also went 2- for-2 with two doubles and four RBI in the Blue Devils' 15-0 season-opening softball win over Bronxville. |
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If winning the Section 1 baseball title were as easy as beating Class A heavyweight Eastchester on opening day and pounding rebuilding Croton-Harmon in home-and-home set, the Putnam Valley Tigers would be well on their way to the first Section 1 Class B baseball title in school history.
However, it's not what you do in April that counts… as much as what you do in May. Sure, beating highly-regarded Eastchester is a statement game; the kind that speaks volumes about the product Coach Joe Natalie puts on the field each day. It was also the kind of beat-down that has many coaches in Section 1 calling the Tigers (3-0) the favorites to represent Section 1 in the state tournament this June.
 | | Holy Turnaround - After suffering through major growth pains over the first several years of its existence, Putnam Valley baseball Coach Joe Natalie has had a huge affect on the direction of the Tigers program since taking over three years ago, so much so that people are talking about Putnam Valley as the Section 1 Class B favorites this spring. |
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However, you're only as good as your starter in baseball, and in a one-and-done setting anything can happen and usually does, so take these press clippings and burn them if you know what's good for you. Still, I'm here to point out that the Tigers are legit, and the so called "favorites" label is apropos at this point in time, considering senior ace Pat Considine and the Tigers not only beat Eastchester, they spanked the Eagles, who figure to play a pretty prominent role in the Class A playoffs this season. Granted, the road to the Section 1 Class B title still runs through Hastings, which repeated as champions in '07, en route to taking out the Valley in the semifinals. But you have to figure the Tigers have gone from patsies to serious title contenders in just three years under Natalie, especially when you consider the fact that Eastchester and Pelham are now in Class A. So groundskeeper Bob Shubert might want to keep his field in tip-top shape should the Tigers be hosting a championship game the first week of June.
Don't look past Kennedy Catholic, though, and its ace Ryan Tatnell, a Putnam Valley product who has shined the past two seasons at JFK with a microscopic ERA of 0.85 in '07. Rye Neck is rumored to be on the cusp of big things this spring, as is Nanuet, which was defeated this past week by unbeaten Kennedy (3-0). And you can never count out Briarcliff, which more often than not finds itself in the throes of title contention.
Having graduated just three seniors, one of whom was a starting pitcher, Putnam Valley has four legitimate starters in Considine, a 6'3" ace with tremendous upside, Chris Orlando, lefty Matt Cordaro and Walter Sherwood. At this weekend's opening day celebration of the Putnam Valley Baseball Association, the Tigers were all the rave after ravaging Eastchester and Croton-Harmon pitching staffs the tune of a .382 team batting average while scoring 43 runs.
"It's nice to know people are talking," said Considine, who suffered through a season-long batting drought last year but has busted out big-time this April with a torrid start (.444 BA). "We've never been in this position (of being talked about as Class B favorites), so we just want to keep it moving forward. Coach Natalie has done a great job of turning the program around. We get a lot more respect since he's been our coach. We're not a joke anymore like we were a few years back."
A few years back the Tigers were pawing at the depths of disgrace, churning out one- and two-win seasons like they were nobodies business under a carrousel of coaching changes.
It was hard to understand why, but baseball had become a laughingstock and the excuse was; "well, we're a lacrosse school." I love lax as much as the next guy, but that pretty much sickened me when I heard that being used as a reason to explain baseball futility. Commitment and a lack of talent were more like it. All that has changed, according to Considine; starting with captain's practices on off days, frequent trips to batting cages and a group of driven baseball players. I'm telling you: Watch out for this sophomore 2B Anthony Tyndal (.500, 1 HR, 1 double, 6 runs, 4 RBI), and junior OF Dan Kelvis has been the freakin' man, smoking hot at .500 with six RBI and five runs. The Tigers are cranking and SS Chris Orlando (just .250) hasn't even gotten going yet on account of a hand injury. Mike Vallo and Larry Cobb (6 runs) have combined for nine ribs between them, and Mike Nallan (.500, 4 ribs) has contributed, so there's been plenty of praise to go around, according to Considine, who threw his coach a serious bone.
Coach Nats, says Considine, has provided stability, the kind he was nurtured on while playing for legendary Mahopac Coach Frank Miele, who guided Putnam County's finest baseball program to five Section 1 titles in a shade under 20 years. I don't believe there's an argument to be made there, though folks in Carmel might clamor over the notion. The five championships under the fiery Miele are what convince me.
Anyways, Natalie has managed to get his hands on a bunch of gun-ho ballers with serious ambition, and this could be a pretty exciting season so long as they stay healthy and hungry.
I don't know about you guys, but I would circle both 5/12 and 5/14 on my 2008 calendar. Just a hunch, here, but you've got to figure that Tatnell and Considine might be locking horns on one of those two afternoons with the League III-A title on the line between the Tigers and the Gaels. Smart money says it will…
After leading Haldane to the first NYSPHSAA Class C basketball championship (5th overall) in mid-March, Haldane's Brittany Shields went 2-for-2 with two doubles and four RBI in her softball debut in Haldane's 15-0 season-opening win over Bronxville the other day. I mean, you expect double-doubles from the NYS Class C Basketball Player of the Year, but a pair of doubles on the softball diamond in support of freshman phenom Chelsea Lisikatos… who knew? Dang, I bet she's good at checkers, too.
Please visit www.yourdirectrays.com to view Section 1 sports photo galleries.
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