Former Tarpon Baseball Stars Making
Waves
by Paul DeGaeta
Tarpon Baseball has come a long way since the groundbreaking days of
Jackie Foley (1980) and Levell "Hippie" Cudjo (1987) being the first
Tarpons to ever sign professional baseball contracts (Both with the
Cincinnati Reds organization).
Last year's College World Series at Omaha, Nebraska featured a University
of Florida Gators Baseball Team that was fueled by some high-octane
Charlotte High Fighting Tarpons. In fact, many say that the three former
Tarpon players, Jeff Corsaletti, Matt LaPorta and Bryan Ball were key to
the Gators ' incredible run that came up one game short against Texas in
the 2005 World Series final.
Jeff Corsaletti was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and had a strong 2005
Class A season (357 BA) with the Greenville Drive. The Sox Prospects.com
web site named him "Rookie of the Year." The left-handed hitting
outfielder should join the Red Sox in Ft Myers this spring for assignment
to Double A ball. The Red Sox web site, "Over the Monster," recently
featured an interview with Jeff Corsaletti.
http://www.overthemonster.com/story/2005/9/8/111032/5916
Matt LaPorta (IF/UF) and Bryan Ball (P) will
both be returning to the Gators.
Laporta had a monster, and I mean MONSTER, sophomore season for the Gators
which proved to be historic. Laporta was the first University of Florida
baseball player ever to receive Southeastern Conference Player of the Year
honors. Named First Team All-Sec, Laporta led the conference in slugging
percentage (.698) and runs batted in (79). He hit game winning homers in
three successive games on his way to breaking the single season home-run
record at UF and led NCAA D-1 in home-runs (26). The season earned him USA
and Sports Weekly All-American honors. Laporta was recently named to the
2006 pre-season All-American team by Louisville Slugger. Ball, heads into
his senior year at Florida after posting a 7-6 season in 2005. He set the
pace for the playoff run with a gutsy performance giving six plus innings
in the 8-3 victory over Stetson in the first round of the NCAA Regional
Playoff. Stetson head coach Pete Dunn was quoted as saying, "You have got
to tip your hat to Bryan. That's a sign of a good pitcher who may not be
the sharpest that he's been. or that he's used to, but he pitched his way
out of it."
Ball will improve as a senior and looks to be the Gators number 2 starter
in the rotation. Another Tarpon, Nate Spears, (SS, UT) was a fifth-round
pick by the Baltimore Orioles out of Charlotte High in 2003. The lefty
hitting Spears helped lead his Class A Frederick Keys to the 2005 Carolina
League championship (Batting 286/.368/.416 with 12 homers and 97 RBIs in
265 pro games).On Jan. 9th Spears was traded to the Cubs as part of the
Cory Patterson deal. A Class A talent being involved in a trade for a
Major Leaguer usually indicates he is a hot commodity.
Tommy Murphy maybe getting ready to take a
major step in the annals of Tarpon baseball history in 2006. Murphy, a
switch hitting outfielder at Florida Atlantic, was drafted by the Angels
in 2000. In 2005, one MLB web site predicted Murphy (288-17-76-85-26 in
2005 Double-A) might get the call to the Big Leagues at mid-season. He
finally cracked the Angels 40-man roster in November 2005, and is listed
on the roster going into spring training (wearing number 65). One Angles
Web site even compared him to Carlos Beltran.
So, if you're a Tarpon Alum and love
baseball, what a year 2006 has could have in store for us. Hope you all
enjoy following some these former Tarpons as they excel in college and/or
progress towards the Majors and make us proud. |
