Wins first game in Section tourney in Lyndhurst as well
Castaldi Garcia was away from coaching Little League baseball in West New York for a little while. After coaching youngsters for more than 10 years, Garcia decided to walk away and concentrate on coaching older players, taking on the rigors of coaching a travel team called the New Jersey Rockets for a few years.
“I decided to coach at a higher level,” Garcia said.
But after a few years, Garcia realized that he missed working with the younger kids: the Little Leaguers, the 11-and-12-year-olds who can be nurtured, taught and developed.
“I decided to come back and start a program with the younger kids,” Garcia said. “We started having baseball clinics every day, just to help keep the kids off the street and to help develop their baseball skills.”
And as everyone knows, it doesn’t take a lot to encourage kids from West New York from playing winning baseball. It’s been the hotbed of baseball talent for what only seems like forever and the town’s kids play baseball all the time and win at practically level imaginable.
Garcia remembers the days when a West New York Little League team captured the District 7 11-and-12-year-old All-Star tournament every single year.
“We won it eight years in a row,” Garcia said. “Our kids always play very hard and are fundamentally sound.”
So when the District 7 tournament began a few weeks ago, Garcia had a good feeling about the West New York American All-Stars.
“I knew they needed some work, but I really thought they could do well in the District,” Garcia said. “I knew they had talent. They just needed to refine it. But they were nice kids who were willing to work and willing to listen.”
Garcia also knew that the team had solid pitching, a potent 1-2 punch in left-hander Michael Martinez and right-hander Victor Guzman.
After the WNY Americans lost their first game in the District 7 tourney, they have not suffered a single glitch, winning all eight of their next games.
The last of the eight came last week, when the WNY Americans defeated North Bergen to capture the District 7 tourney title. The winning continued Monday night in the opening round of the Section 2 tourney in Lyndhurst, when the WNY Americans defeated Ridgefield Park, 6-1.
The Section 2 tournament, which is double elimination, was set to continue Wednesday night, after all action was washed out Tuesday due to the rains. WNY American is slated to face Nutley East in the tourney’s winners’ bracket.
The Section 2 tournament will continue through the weekend with all action at the Lyndhurst Little League complex on Riverside Avenue near Breslin Field.
Martinez was brilliant in the District 7 tourney, hitting four homers in the tourney and hit the game-winning homer against North Bergen. He was also the winning pitcher in that game, striking out nine in the process.
Guzman fired a shutout in the semifinals against North Bergen, winning 4-0. Guzman was also on the mound for the win against Ridgefield Park, a game where the WNY Americans slugged four homers, one by Martinez, one from Guzman and two from catcher Derrick Fernandez.
“We have some kids who have been dominating,” Garcia said.
The team features two other pitchers in Chris Fernandez , Derrick’s brother, and Ardelis Borbon . Shortstop Daury Genao , who is one of four 11-year-old players on the team, also serves as the team’s closer, a resident Mariano Rivera . Genao shut the door on Ridgefield Park Monday, after Guzman surrendered just two hits over the first five innings, striking out nine.
Derrick Fernandez has done a fine job behind the plate and he certainly displayed his power swing Monday night in Lyndhurst, unleashing two major bombs.
Martinez plays first base when he’s not pitching. Guzman, Borbon and Eli Lewis share duties at second base. Genao, the team’s leading hitter, is solid at shortstop.
Chris Fernandez mans third base, but when one of the infielders takes the mound, everything gets changed.
“We move everyone around,” Garcia said.
The left fielder is Anthony “Cito” Martinez , no relation to the pitcher/first baseman.
“Cito is our leadoff hitter and a good contact hitter,” Garcia said.
Centerfield is manned by Gregory Cuevas , who is the younger brother of current Memorial standout Bryan Cuevas.
The right field duties are shared by a set of twin brothers, namely Mario and Giovanni Palos, who are identical twins.
“They are both very powerful hitters and share time there,” Garcia said. “I like what they give us.”
Fernando Valdez is a reserve player who sees time in the outfield.
Needless to say, Garcia is pleased with the way his team is playing. A nine-game winning streak will do that for a team.
“I like our chances in the section tournament,” Garcia said. “We’re playing very well right now and our kids are prepared to take the whole thing and go on to the state tournament.”
It had been 20 years since a Hudson County team made a trip to the state tourney, between Roberto Clemente’s appearance in 1988 and North Bergen’s journey last year. Maybe there could be another local participant this season. The state tournament begins next week in Garfield.
“That’s our plan,” Garcia said.
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