Post 519 with debut tonight
By: Rich Fisher
It will be a history-making summer in Monroe Township.
For the first time since Abner Doubleday invented four bases, a bat and a ball, the Monroe-Jamesburg area will have its own Senior American Legion team in the Middlesex County League’s South Division.
In the recent past, players from Monroe Township High School either played with South Brunswick’s team, Monroe junior legion, or the next nearest senior team that could take them.
Now, the town has a team all its own Monroe Post 519. The post is located in Clearbrook and under the command of Dominic Schiumo.
And while South Brunswick manager Tony Cosumano does not feel the move benefits either side (see related story), it was a move that was inevitable.
"As far as I’m concerned, it’s a good thing," said Monroe manager Mike Quaglietta, who once served as a South Brunswick assistant and has been a long-time Monroe travel league coach. "I’ve been trying to get this going. This is the third year we applied for a Senior Legion team. American Legion is very competitive and hard to get into, but we finally got the approval.
"We’re doing something positive for the town of Monroe and the Monroe kids It gives more quality ballplayers a chance to play. If we didn’t have a senior legion team, South Brunswick would take three or four players. Now we have 15 players playing legion ball.
"For them to have this opportunity, it’s going to add to the possibility of them playing college baseball. Monroe is a growing town, we’re bursting at the seam. This team will only get more competitive every year."
Falcon varsity baseball coach Greg Beyer echoes those sentiments, as more of his players will see quality competition over the summer.
"It’s positive from the standpoint that it means a lot of kids will be playing varsity level baseball, sometimes it’s even higher than varsity level," Beyer said. "That will help our program grow; that’s an evolution.
"We’re evolving from a small school mentality to a bigger school mentality. The bar has been raised as far as the competition level is concerned and expectations change. Those are all good things."
Beyer feels the better competition will not only make the locals better players, but better people.
"We live in a competitive society," he said. "When you’re in the real world, not just sports, competing against the best in any field, it makes you a stronger person."
The team debuts tonight against St. Joe’s at Monroe High, which will serve as home base for Post 519.
The roster includes Lenny Bergen (OF/P), Garrett Beyer (2B/SS), Ryan Clark (P/3B), Ryan Cushman (P/OF), Rich Feldhan (OF/3B), Anthony Modugno (C), Dan Palisay (3B/SS/2B), John Schieda (OF/P), Vinny Small (OF), Joey Williams (1B/3B/C), Andrew Sullivan (P/1B) and Chris Cirlincione (P/IB).
Also eligible to participate with Post 519 are players from Manalapan. They will include Mitchel Litt (SS/P) and Jeff LaPollo (1B/P).
There are a few quality players from town missing from the roster, as the players who were on South Brunswick last year all exercised their option of remaining with Post 401 until the end of their legion careers. It could make for a fun confrontation Saturday when Monroe visits South Brunswick for Game 2.
"That didn’t surprise me that they stayed," Quaglietta said. "Those kids accomplished a lot, so I understand why they chose to stay with them. That’s a solid team that has really developed over the last couple of years.
"If those five Monroe kids were playing with us this year, we would be competing with the top teams (in the South Division). But I totally understand why they stayed. I have no hard feelings."
As it is, Quaglietta feels that Monroe should still be competitive this year, but doesn’t want to make any Namath-like predictions.
"South Brunswick and Milltown have very strong teams," the skipper said. "All I’ll say is we have a solid group of kids. Everybody will play sound defense, everybody is a sound hitter. If everyone plays 100 percent, hustles all the time and has a positive attitude and determination, I think we’ll be competitive."
Either way, they’ll be making history.
* * *
The Post 519 players are donating their time this Sunday when they serve as guest instructors between 10 a.m. and noon for the new Buddy Ball League for the challenged and disabled.
"We don’t want to just make good baseball players," Quaglietta said. "We want to try to re-enforce qualities of good people. With our guys going there to help these kids, it will help boost their morale and make them love the game of baseball more, and it will make my kids feel better about themselves."
Sportswriter Ken Weingartner contributed to this story.

