It’s a coach against his former players in JSBL

By tim morris

It’s a coach against his
former players in JSBL


JEFF HUNTLEY Frank Gualtieri of the Point Pleasant Merchants practices his pitching in preparation for a possible match-up against several of his former players at Freehold Township High School. JEFF HUNTLEY Frank Gualtieri of the Point Pleasant Merchants practices his pitching in preparation for a possible match-up against several of his former players at Freehold Township High School.

Frank Gualtieri has a special way of keeping in touch with his former Freehold Township High School baseball players. He competes against them.

Gualtieri, a former college pitcher at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) University, has been continuing his baseball career with the Point Pleasant Merchants, the dominant team in the Jersey Shore Baseball League.

The Merchants are receiving a serious challenge in the league this year from the Worldnet Clippers, a team of ex-Freehold Township stars who play at Liberty Oak Park, their high school home field. Many of the Clippers’ key players, Danny Evans, Anthony DeNicola, Jeff Dyer, Trung Nguyen, Jeff Dyer and Vinny Giacomo, were all coached at Freehold Township by Gualtieri. All have been playing college baseball and look forward to the summer where they can be teammates once again in the Jersey Shore League (many of the Clippers have been together since they were 9-year-old all-stars for the Freehold Township Little League and won the District 19 championship).

"I take a lot of pride in seeing the kids going on to successful careers in college," Gualtieri said.

However, as a pitcher for the Merchants, he has found himself competing against his former players. His pride in his ex-Patriots only goes so far. Gualtieri also has pride in what he does on the pitcher’s mound.

"We talk to each other before the games, but once I’m on the mound pitching, it’s all business," he said. "I don’t want to put forward a bad effort. I have a tremendous will to win. It bothers me to lose.

"I do try a little harder against them," the right-hander added. "The way I look at it, I’m the underdog. I’m older than they are and I’m only playing in the summer, while they’re coming off college seasons."

For Gualtieri’s players, it’s the same thing, all business.

"It’s weird," said Dyer. "You always look back to high school when he was throwing batting practice, and now, he’s trying to get you out.

"You have to try and block it out that he was your coach," the outfielder added. "You don’t want to lose to your high school coach. We want to beat him."

DeNicola, a pitcher, echoes those sentiments.

"It’s always been fun, we get up for those games," said DeNicola. "He’s made it tough for us.

"When we bat against him we have to look at him as a pitcher, not our coach," he added. "It’s pitcher against hitter. He’s not about to give us anything."

Gualtieri puts all sentiment aside when he’s staring down his ex-players.

"I approach them the same as any hitter," Gualtieri pointed out. "Having coached them ,I try and exploit their weaknesses.

"I’m a control pitcher," he added. "I try and minimize walks. I have an average fastball. I have to hit the corners and spot my pitches. I try and keep the hitter off stride and guessing."

DeNicola admires the way his high school coach throws.

"His pitches have more movement than any other pitcher in the league," he said. "He changes speed better than anyone. You don’t know what he’s going to throw. He keeps hitters off balance."

Dyer, who has hit his former coach better than anyone, has a great deal of respect for Gualtieri as a pitcher.

"He throws strikes, that’s the bottom line," he remarked. "It’s just what he told us in high school about pitching. He gets ahead and keeps you guessing, and his fastball has movement."

Thus far, the coach has had the upper hand on his former players. In the two years the Clipper have been in the league, Gualtieri is 3-0 versus his former students, including a win this year. But, he isn’t gloating.

"The Clippers have a very good team," he said "I’ve been fortunate. I have a good team behind me."

The Clippers and Merchants are finished for the regular season (they went 2-2 this year). However, they appear headed for a playoff collision. The regulars conclude on July 30 and the playoffs begin at the start of August.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, in the race for the regular season title, the Merchants are 16-3 and the Clippers are 16-4. Should they meet in the championship final (a one-two finish by the teams would assure they couldn’t meet until then), it is a best-of-three series, and that would increase the likelihood that the Clippers would face Gualtieri one more time.