By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, NY – On July 13th, the Oneonta Outlaws sat in third place of the New York Collegiate Baseball League standings with a record of 16 wins and 11 losses. The Oneonta nine were two and a half behind the league-leading Olean Oilers, and only three ahead of the Syracuse Salt Cats and Wellsville Nitros tied for the sixth and final playoff spot.
Oneonta never looked back. Under the direction of 2013 NYCBL Coach of the Year, Joe Hughes, the Outlaws went on to claim the NYCBL regular season title and eventual league championship.
With the first-year head coach pushing all the right buttons, the Black and Orange won nine of its final 13 regular season games earning home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
“He did a lot for me and my confidence,” said Oneonta starting pitcher, Luke Crumley (University of Georgia). “Every time I took the mound I knew my coach had my back. He expected a lot from us. He held us to a very high standard, and you need that. He set a good example for us to follow.”
Oneonta climbed to the NYCBL’s top spot for the first time on July 22nd and swept a road doubleheader from the Salt Cats on the season’s final day to secure first-place.
“As we all know it’s not just about one person,” Hughes said when asked about the award. “It’s a team full of people doing good work. This recognition is really representative of everybody associated with the Outlaws. I’m just happy to be part of the whole organization.”
The Outlaws took two of three from Olean in the semi-finals before sweeping the Hornell Dodgers for the organization’s second league title in three years.
“Coach Hughes is tremendous,” said Oneonta infielder Mitch Hollander (SUNY Cortland). “When things are going bad, he brings you right back up. If things are going good, he keeps you level-headed. He doesn’t let you get too ahead of yourself and let you try to do too much.”
Hughes spent the past two seasons as an assistant with the Outlaws prior to taking the reins in ‘13. For the lifelong resident of the City of Hills baseball goes beyond the game and blends into the fabric of a community which hosted New York-Penn League teams for more than 40 years.
“My whole goal two years ago when I signed on as an assistant was to keep summer baseball alive and well in Oneonta,” Hughes stated. “Folks in Oneonta have been used to going to Damaschke Field for over four decades of summer baseball. When the Yankees left and the Tigers left, my whole focus was to make sure summer baseball in Oneonta existed and remained at the highest level possible. We had a great owner this year in Gary Laing and a very good General Manager in Steve Pindar, and I’m proud to be a part of that team. Being named Coach of the Year is icing on the cake.”
Hughes is a 1976 graduate of Oneonta High School. He played his college ball at Florida International University where he earned first team All-American at third base. The Baltimore Orioles made Hughes their 18th round pick in the 1980 MLB Draft. He played in the Florida League and Venezuelan Pro League before returning to Oneonta to take over the high school head coaching job, a spot he has held for 28 years.
“I played in Oneonta last year. When I heard that he was going to be back and he was going to be the head of the team, that was the deciding factor for me to come back,” said Outlaw first baseman and relief pitcher Heath Holder (University of Georgia). “He has a good approach to baseball. He knows every aspect of the game.”
Hughes earned seven of seventeen first-place votes. Tom Kenney (Hornell) received five first-place nods. Bobby Bell (Olean) took three top tallies while Anthony Barone (Wellsville) and Chris Haynes (Syracuse Jr. Chiefs) each grabbed a top vote.
Casey Scott (Syracuse Jr. Chiefs) earned the 2012 NYCBL Coach of the Year while Dave Brust (Webster) took the honor in 2011.
2013 Coach of the Year tallies
Joe Hughes (7) 53
Tom Kenney (5) 39
Bobby Bell (3) 25
Antony Barone (1) 15
Chris Haynes (1) 10
The NYCBL is part of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball (NACSB) which oversees the rules and policies of ten different summer leagues: the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, Cape Cod Baseball League, Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, Florida Collegiate Summer League, Great Lakes Collegiate Summer League, New England Collegiate Baseball League, Southern Collegiate Baseball League, Sunbelt Baseball League, and the Valley League Baseball.
Click here to see more NYCBL photos by Dan Hickling.
These ten leagues provide a variety of competition levels that help prepare young players for life in professional baseball. One in every six Major League players has spent at least one summer playing in the Cape Cod League.
Click here to see more NYCBL photos by Brian Horey.
Current major league players Tim Hudson, Hunter Pence and Rajai Davis all spent a summer in the NYCBL. In all, more than 100 NYCBL alums dot rosters in Major and Minor League Baseball.
The NYCBL, sending players to the pros since 1978.
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