WW-P North grad back in swing
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
The summer of 2011 was as frustrating as it gets on the baseball field for Scott Kelly.
But the summer of 2012 helped erase those tough days of a year ago.
Last summer the West Windsor-Plainsboro North graduate and rising senior at The College of New Jersey was unable to play at all due to a back injury. This summer, however, he was healthy and on the field more than any previous season in his career.
”Last summer I had a bulging disc in my back,” Kelly said. “I was down in the dumps with the disc issue. Had a complete 180 this summer. It was really nice to play 45 games of baseball over the summer. Since I was 6 years old last year was the first time I didn’t play. I was having withdrawal. “It was crazy this year. I played 45 games in about two months including a stretch of 22 games in 23 days. It was tiring at times but you just have to remember you are out there playing the game you love.”
Kelly spent the summer playing for the Trenton Generals, a first-year entry in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League. He helped the team to a 27-11-1 record and a first place regular season finish in the Wolff Division. Kelly batted a team-high .376, with 47 hits in 125 at bats. He had six doubles, three triples, a home run and 15 runs batted in while adding 32 runs scored.
”Dave Gallagher created a team out of our area and you play teams from around New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Allentown, and other areas,” Kelly said. “It was quite a bit of traveling this summer. All the other teams take buses. We were the only team that drove individually to each game. It was a good league with good competition and a nice mix of talent. I definitely got better from playing in this league.
”This was the first year for the team and Dave Gallagher and Coach (Jim) Maher organized it out of Game Time Performance. We had guys from all around the area. A lot of Mercer guys and a few from Pennsylvania and other parts of New Jersey.”
Trenton’s year came to an end with a 3-2 loss to North Jersey in the playoffs. But even that didn’t deter from the good feeling Kelly had after being able to get back on the field for a full summer.
”I felt like I had a good year,” Kelly said. “I batted well. I finished at the top on the team in batting. I actually did not look at my stats the whole season. It works out for the better. I wish I did this in high school. If you don’t know what you hit and just worry about hitting the ball, in the end it works out better.
”I am working some clinics and camps and trying to teach that to other kids. You should throw out stats out the window and just concentrate on each game and each at bat.”
This was the one and only season Kelly was able to play in the ACBL. He will graduate from TCNJ after playing in the spring and certainly hopes to still be playing next summer — hopefully as a professional.
”I have had that goal since I was a young kid and still have it in back of my head,” Kelly said. “You always have to maintain that goal. I really enjoyed this season and I think it helped me as a player.
”I made friendships with the players on the team that will last a while. Kids I played against now became friends. Even Coach Maher said after the last game that we just didn’t want to leave each other. In think we all built some great friendships. We’ll try to keep in contact and talk from time to time.”
For Kelly, who put close to 3,000 miles on the car traveling to games this summer, it was a great way to bounce back from last year’s disappointing summer.
”This was my last year of playing summer ball,” Kelly said. “I hope and dream I will be able to play ball after college. If you look at my stats they say I had a successful year. But personally, I am never satisfied. I always feel like I can do better. You realize baseball is a game of failure. If you go 3-for-10 the rest of your life you are in the Hall of Fame as a career .300 hitter. And that is failing seven out of 10 times.”