From the minute he was born, Ryan Houghton knew that he was going to have a life in baseball. He just never knew at what extent it would be.
The Hoboken native played organized baseball in his hometown since he was six years old, playing tee ball.
“Baseball has always been a huge part of my life,” said Houghton. “It was kind of like a self developed thing. I think when I was 10 years old, I really got into it.”
Houghton played for the Hoboken Little League All-Star team and later joined the Dale Murphy League for older players.
“The Hoboken Dale Murphy team was coached by Joe Petrillo and Mike Del Pinto,” Houghton said. “They helped me a lot.”
Right around the same time, Houghton played in a game that was watched by local baseball legend Ed “Faa” Ford.
“The first time I saw him, it was up at Pershing Field,” Houghton said. “He had that big wad [of chewing tobacco] in his mouth. I heard of him and I knew who he was from my grandfather [Butchie Costello, a fine ballplayer in his own right]. When he saw me play, he selected me to play for the Jersey City Diamond Dawgs. I was still very young, but I wasn’t used to being treated that way before. It was amazing.”
Houghton traveled with the Diamond Dawgs to places like Myrtle Beach, S.C.
“I also went to the RBI World Series in California,” Houghton said. “It was a great experience, going across the country.”
Houghton went on to play varsity baseball at Hoboken High School, but was slowed by an injured rotator cuff in his shoulder.
Houghton then went on to Rutgers-Newark to study criminal justice. He gave it a try to play at Rutgers-Newark, but just couldn’t cut it.
“I gave it a whirl, but it didn’t work out,” Houghton said. “I was dying in pain. I couldn’t throw. Playing in college was more demanding than high school. When I couldn’t throw, that solidified it. I didn’t want to try to play at a lower level. I decided to focus on school.”
Houghton thought for a second that his baseball career was over. But then he remembered what he had been doing since he was 14 years old.
“I had been umpiring Little League games since I was 14,” Houghton said. “I thought that I could get into umpiring full-time.”
In 2013, Houghton took the test to become a high school umpire.
“I only did a few games in Hudson County, but I did a lot in Morris and Essex Counties,” Houghton said. “Alex Skandalis gave me the chance to do varsity games there.”
Houghton did varsity games in western New Jersey, with only a sprinkling in his home county.
“I was still learning,” Houghton said.
In 2015, Houghton went to Dodgertown in Florida – the complex formerly owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers – to participate in the Minor League Umpire Training Academy, thanks to the advice from Hoboken native Anthony Aleman.
“I was there for five weeks and I learned a lot there,” Houghton said. “I learned about positioning and mannerisms.”
At that camp, Houghton befriended Brian Miller, a native of Cleveland who worked his way up the ranks to become a professional umpire.
“Brian saw me and gave me some educational advice,” Houghton said. “Meeting Brian opened up a relationship. I wanted to try to better myself as an umpire. I hoped to get [NCAA] Division I assignments. I should be getting Division I assignments on the horizon.”
Houghton also gained a relationship with Darren Sealy, another highly respected umpire. Houghton will attend a clinic run by Sealy at Ramapo College next week.
“It will get my name out there and get more recognition,” Houghton said.
Also on the horizon is the opportunity to become a Hoboken police officer. Houghton started the police academy Friday.
Needless to say, at age 22, Houghton is a shining star in the sport, albeit as an umpire.
“I’m knocking on the door,” Houghton said. “When I went to Florida, I was thinking about pro umpiring, if the opportunity was there. No one was willing to give me a shot, because they told me I was too young. It’s not normal for people my age to move up so quickly. A lot of people either didn’t know me or trust me.
Added Houghton, “I still hope to do Division I games full-time. I still want to do high school games as well. I just hope I can get a chance.”
It appears as if Houghton is ready to take that next step…
Who knew that the Top 25 Sports Characters of the last 25 years would become so popular?
I’ve received countless phone calls, e-mails and even face-to-face questions about the Top 25. Some of the honorees have been flattered by being included. Another was upset that he was listed so low in the list.
But others have asked who the characters already written about are. So here is a recap of the honorees: No. 25 Turk Jordan, Weehawken; No. 24 Joe Reinhard, Hoboken; No. 23 the late Nick “Whizzer” Mastorelli, Union City; No. 22 the late Howie Fink, Jersey City; No. 21 Flash Gordon, Jersey City; No. 20 Mike Rooney, Jersey City; No. 19, Gibby Lewis, Jersey City and No. 18 Guy McCann, North Bergen and Union City.
And now, drum roll. Here’s No. 17, Jim Panepinto, Secaucus, Weehawken and Jersey City.
Panepinto has been a fixture in youth sports coaching for the last three decades. He’s also been a teacher in Weehawken for all that time.
He’s been an assistant football coach at Secaucus and Weehawken. He was also the head football coach at Weehawken, albeit not too successful. He has been the head football coach at Dwight-Englewood in Bergen County. Every season, Panepinto claimed that it was going to be his year, but that hasn’t taken place.
He was also the head coach of the Jersey City entry in the old Build Better Boys Baseball (4B) League in its waning days. There was one game with Panepinto coaching that lasted almost three hours with Panepinto and the opposing coach complaining and arguing at almost every pitch.
Panepinto doesn’t exactly have a stellar winning record as a head coach, but he constantly complained to anyone and everyone who would listen.
Panepinto also had a flair for the dramatic with his complaints.
There is a major positive in Panepinto’s life. His son, Chris, is a rising star in the Secaucus High School coaching staff, especially in cross country and track and field. Chris is well on his way.
The old man is still plugging along. Chances are the phone will ring by Sunday morning because of his inclusion in this list, which has become a lot of fun compiling, especially because of the feedback received since its inception. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.