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PSAL Class A baseball city championship preview
By Zachary Braziller June 9, 2009
Norman Thomas centerfielder Miguel Reyes is confident the Tigers will come on top. Photo by Baiju Thakkar
At a Glance: PSAL Class A baseball city championship preview
When: Tuesday, June 9 at 7 p.m.
Where: New Yankee Stadium in the Bronx
No. 1 Norman Thomas Tigers
Coach: Nerva Jean Pierre
Record: 21-0, Manhattan A East
Player to watch: P Mariel Checo
No. 6 Monroe Eagles
Coach: Mike Turo
Record: 19-2, Bronx A East
Player to watch: 2B/P Henry Cartagena
Outlook: After eight days of inactivity, the PSAL Class A championship game is set to take place at, of all places, the new Yankee Stadium. It is a night that has all the makings of a memorable classic – No. 1 Norman Thomas and No. 6 James Monroe, the top high-school prospect in the city in Mariel Checo against the deepest and most potent lineup around.
There are storylines abound.
This is Thomas’ first finals appearance, its arrival on the grand stage. The Manhattan squad has plenty of firepower with Checo on the mound, experience in the field with Miguel Reyes (center field), Alberto Morales (shortstop) and Raul Gonzalez (catcher) and a bullpen ready to roll if Checo doesn’t have it. The Tigers don’t have a home field or even a practice facility; yet, here they are, ready to make history.
“For one day we’re going to be mentioned with the best,” said Thomas’ Nerva Jean Pierre, who could become the first African American coach to win a PSAL Class A title. “And nobody can take that away from us. …. We got some more showing to do. It’s not over yet.”
Monroe, meanwhile, is used to such a setting. They’ve won plenty across the last decade, but not as much the last few years. First baseman Nelson Arroyo is the only Eagle with a ring – he was a freshman on the 2006 Danny Almonte-led title team. It has been a rallying cry among seniors such as Henry Cartagena, Joseph Gerena and Elias Todman not to leave school without that elusive title. Arroyo uses his ring as motivation; so do other Monroe alums like Gabby Molina, who won twice.
“There’s no way anyone can beat us,” Cartagena said. “I really want (a ring). … We’re one step away.”
Said Monroe coach Mike Turo: “They’re hungry; they want this game badly.”
Thomas, however, has plenty of ammunition itself. Jean Pierre has built the Tigers into a city power, making it to the quarterfinals three years in a row. They still feel slighted. On an almost daily basis, Thomas players say they are overlooked, judged as successful only because of the deep pitching staff.
“We made it this far and we still can’t hit,” Reyes, the talkative outfielder, said, tongue firmly planted in cheek.
He later added: “We got this. It’s in the bag.”
The offense has proved it belongs, whether or not the Tigers believe they have received enough credit. They’ve put together impressive postseason displays against aces from Gompers, McKee/Staten Island Tech and John F. Kennedy. They beat George Washington twice, including a comeback from three runs down, to win their first outright Manhattan A East crown.
“We shocked the whole city,” Morales said then.
The final will center on Checo and his low 90s fastball against Gerena, Almonte and Co. Monroe has faired well against hard-throwers, beating GW’s Nestor Bautista and Lehman’s Jeffrey Adames.
They haven’t seen anything like the Thomas senior, although if the Eagles’ lineup is characterized in one way, it would be as a group of dead-red hitters. Turo has brought in several fire-ballers as preparation. He has hammered into his kids’ heads to lay off the high cheese.
“We’re trying to keep it underneath the armpits,” he said.
It only makes sense that these two teams meet. Thomas has beaten all comers from the start of the season to its finish. Monroe has faced the tougher road to this prestigious point, starting with Lehman in the second round, defending champion George Washington in the quarterfinals and Madison, last year’s runner-up, in the semifinals.
“I’m glad we get to face him,” Gerena, the power-hitting catcher, said of Checo. “We can shut up a lot of people who said we couldn’t make it this far. We get to hit him and bring the title back to the Bronx.”
Prediction: Monroe 4, Norman Thomas 2
On paper, this is an upset. Really, it’s a crapshoot. Norman Thomas has Checo, the elite right-hander, but Monroe has three hard-throwers in Guerrero, Cartagena and Jesus Vasquez. Plus, a lineup with few, if any, weak spots.
Checo will have to prevent against looking to put on a show. It will also be telling to see how his teammates handle this big stage. Monroe has been here before, an immense edge. Norman Thomas is also prone to fielding blunders. Checo will not strike everyone out – the Eagles are a fastball-hitting team, after all – so that could be worth following.
Eventually, depth will win out. Checo may walk a few too many, he will get touched up for a big hit by either Gerena or Almonte and Cartagena will slam the door, like he did twice in the semifinal sweep of Madison.
The game will be close throughout, but Monroe makes all the big plays and Norman Thomas commits a few too many mistakes. As Gerena said, the city championship will go back to the Bronx.
zbraziller@fiveborosports.com
When: Tuesday, June 9 at 7 p.m.
Where: New Yankee Stadium in the Bronx
No. 1 Norman Thomas Tigers
Coach: Nerva Jean Pierre
Record: 21-0, Manhattan A East
Player to watch: P Mariel Checo
No. 6 Monroe Eagles
Coach: Mike Turo
Record: 19-2, Bronx A East
Player to watch: 2B/P Henry Cartagena
Outlook: After eight days of inactivity, the PSAL Class A championship game is set to take place at, of all places, the new Yankee Stadium. It is a night that has all the makings of a memorable classic – No. 1 Norman Thomas and No. 6 James Monroe, the top high-school prospect in the city in Mariel Checo against the deepest and most potent lineup around.
There are storylines abound.
This is Thomas’ first finals appearance, its arrival on the grand stage. The Manhattan squad has plenty of firepower with Checo on the mound, experience in the field with Miguel Reyes (center field), Alberto Morales (shortstop) and Raul Gonzalez (catcher) and a bullpen ready to roll if Checo doesn’t have it. The Tigers don’t have a home field or even a practice facility; yet, here they are, ready to make history.
“For one day we’re going to be mentioned with the best,” said Thomas’ Nerva Jean Pierre, who could become the first African American coach to win a PSAL Class A title. “And nobody can take that away from us. …. We got some more showing to do. It’s not over yet.”
Monroe, meanwhile, is used to such a setting. They’ve won plenty across the last decade, but not as much the last few years. First baseman Nelson Arroyo is the only Eagle with a ring – he was a freshman on the 2006 Danny Almonte-led title team. It has been a rallying cry among seniors such as Henry Cartagena, Joseph Gerena and Elias Todman not to leave school without that elusive title. Arroyo uses his ring as motivation; so do other Monroe alums like Gabby Molina, who won twice.
“There’s no way anyone can beat us,” Cartagena said. “I really want (a ring). … We’re one step away.”
Said Monroe coach Mike Turo: “They’re hungry; they want this game badly.”
Thomas, however, has plenty of ammunition itself. Jean Pierre has built the Tigers into a city power, making it to the quarterfinals three years in a row. They still feel slighted. On an almost daily basis, Thomas players say they are overlooked, judged as successful only because of the deep pitching staff.
“We made it this far and we still can’t hit,” Reyes, the talkative outfielder, said, tongue firmly planted in cheek.
He later added: “We got this. It’s in the bag.”
The offense has proved it belongs, whether or not the Tigers believe they have received enough credit. They’ve put together impressive postseason displays against aces from Gompers, McKee/Staten Island Tech and John F. Kennedy. They beat George Washington twice, including a comeback from three runs down, to win their first outright Manhattan A East crown.
“We shocked the whole city,” Morales said then.
The final will center on Checo and his low 90s fastball against Gerena, Almonte and Co. Monroe has faired well against hard-throwers, beating GW’s Nestor Bautista and Lehman’s Jeffrey Adames.
They haven’t seen anything like the Thomas senior, although if the Eagles’ lineup is characterized in one way, it would be as a group of dead-red hitters. Turo has brought in several fire-ballers as preparation. He has hammered into his kids’ heads to lay off the high cheese.
“We’re trying to keep it underneath the armpits,” he said.
It only makes sense that these two teams meet. Thomas has beaten all comers from the start of the season to its finish. Monroe has faced the tougher road to this prestigious point, starting with Lehman in the second round, defending champion George Washington in the quarterfinals and Madison, last year’s runner-up, in the semifinals.
“I’m glad we get to face him,” Gerena, the power-hitting catcher, said of Checo. “We can shut up a lot of people who said we couldn’t make it this far. We get to hit him and bring the title back to the Bronx.”
Prediction: Monroe 4, Norman Thomas 2
On paper, this is an upset. Really, it’s a crapshoot. Norman Thomas has Checo, the elite right-hander, but Monroe has three hard-throwers in Guerrero, Cartagena and Jesus Vasquez. Plus, a lineup with few, if any, weak spots.
Checo will have to prevent against looking to put on a show. It will also be telling to see how his teammates handle this big stage. Monroe has been here before, an immense edge. Norman Thomas is also prone to fielding blunders. Checo will not strike everyone out – the Eagles are a fastball-hitting team, after all – so that could be worth following.
Eventually, depth will win out. Checo may walk a few too many, he will get touched up for a big hit by either Gerena or Almonte and Cartagena will slam the door, like he did twice in the semifinal sweep of Madison.
The game will be close throughout, but Monroe makes all the big plays and Norman Thomas commits a few too many mistakes. As Gerena said, the city championship will go back to the Bronx.
zbraziller@fiveborosports.com