Aging Rams 20U team drops a deuce but sticks together for all the right & wrong reasons including love of game

July 10, 2024 at 11:37 p.m.

An animated Jimmy Horvath starts his first game as a pitcher since high school and lasts two innings before tiring in the 20U Port Chester Pirates’ 6-1 loss to the Connecticut Flamingos. (Courtesy photo of Nina Marini)

Port Chester's 20U baseball team made another U turn in the wrong direction as it continues its downward spiral for all the right and wrong reasons.

The age-group Pirates, comprised mostly of ex-Ram varsity players who are either playing college ball and home for the summer or working, just want to continue playing organized team ball more for the love of the game than winning the Greater Hudson Valley Baseball League championship.

Friendship important

That means keeping friendships forged in high school going in competitive league play with togetherness more important than their win and loss record.

Those are the right reasons that keep the 20U team playing a tough schedule.

The wrong reasons include the fact that they don't have enough time to practice or they may have to play out of position to fill out their roster on any given day or they lack consistent pitching depth so some of their starters haven't pitched since high school or try to throw despite arm pain, overwork and overuse.

And those reasons, right and wrong, add up to why the Pirates have started the summer season 1-6 including their latest two home losses in the past week or so to the EC Cardinals and the Connecticut Flamingos.

The ups and downs

In the 5-3 loss to the Cards, a gutsy Jack Mutino (who transferred from Utica College to Westchester Community College and has been plagued by arm trouble since his Ram days) tried to give it a go because the Pirates are hurting for pitching. But he had to come out after two innings because of arm pain after allowing two runs. RJ Thalheimer and Tony Roman singled to start the third, worked a double steal, and both scored to tie the game. The overworked Mike Kessler (a recent CCNY grad working on his master's at Manhattanville) came in, pitched four strong innings, allowing just two hits and a run, but tired in the last inning when the Cards put the game away.

But not before Thalheimer (Washington and Lee) and Roman (coaching a local team and working) once again had multi-hit games as did Tyler Heckel (Villanova) and Matt Marini (SUNY Cortland, an infielder who had homered in a previous game as well as pitched while Thalheimer and Roman also pitched in as relievers with Thalheimer also catching and playing the infield and outfield while Roman played second, shortstop and centerfield).

Long time no pitch

In the 6-1 loss to the Flamingos, Jimmy Horvath (Washington and Lee infielder/outfielder) started his first game as a pitcher since high school and lasted two shutout innings before tiring. He handed the ball over to Chris Hudson (a recent Syracuse grad now studying for his master's at Manhattanville), who was once one of the Rams’ ace pitchers but hasn't touched a baseball since his Port Chester High School senior year when his father died too young and his teammates rallied around him. Hudson walked in his first at bat, stole second and third base and scored on an overthrow. But while his pitching form was good, as was his stuff, he was wild in his first outing and his walk on the wild side was costly. Kessler once again relieved, pitched four strong innings while giving up just one run, but by then it was too little too late.

So there you have it, two more losses for all the right and wrong reasons. But the Pirates hope to yet right the sinking ship with their friendship acting as a life preserver in return home matches against the Cards Monday (7/15) at Pergamo Field and Tuesday (7/16) at Rec Park, both at 6 p.m. And, whatever happens, you can't fault them for lack of trying and you have to admire them for their togetherness, love of the game and the way the aging Rams refuse to fade away for all the right and wrong reasons.