BASEBALL – Last summer, three local ballplayers got full-time jobs playing baseball. Now, Dale Stanavich, Luke Gold and Mike Kennedy are on the cusp of beginning their first full season as professionals, as they set out on their first spring training.
Stanavich, a graduate of Amsterdam High School, was drafted in the 10th round of the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft by the Miami Marlins. After his collegiate career took him to Marshall University, Herkimer County Community College and Hudson Valley Community College, he settled in for his final two years at Rutgers University before being drafted with the 232nd overall pick.
A left-handed pitcher, Stanavich made 10 appearances between two of the Marlins’ minor league affiliates last summer. He started out in Rookie ball, playing two games for the Florida Complex League Marlins, before receiving a promotion to Miami’s Low-A affiliate, the Jupiter Hammerheads.
The reliever began his professional career with five straight scoreless outings over 5.2 innings. However, three subpar outings put a damper on his stats, while also providing the Amsterdam native something to work on over the offseason, developing a new pitch.
“They want me to develop something else, just in case my slider is off a little bit, there’s something else I can turn to,” Stanavich said. “Last year, I kind of got in some trouble. My slider was off, and my fastball was getting hit around.”
Stanavich pitched in his first spring game on March 13.
“I’ve been working on a changeup,” Stanavich said. “I’ve been making good strides with it so far.”
Stanavich is currently in Jupiter, Florida, where he is living in a hotel. He expects to remain there after spring training concludes, playing for the Hammerheads.
“They’ve got me in the Jupiter group right now, which would be the Low-A team,” Stanavich explained. “That’s not final though, so that could change. If I start in Jupiter, I’ll take advantage of that opportunity.”
Ultimately, Stanavich said that his goal would be to reach the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos by the end of the season. In order to make that happen, the left-hander would first need a promotion to the Marlins’ High-A affiliate, the Beloit Sky Carp, which would require him to leave the warm confines of Florida.
“Hopefully I can get sent up to Beloit, which is the High-A team in Wisconsin,” Stanavich said, noting that his goal is to have an ERA under 3.50 and a WHIP around 1.3. “I know that sounds crazy, but I want to get moving.
“It’s amazing how far I’ve come and I’m truly grateful to be here. I know I have to keep working; I want to play for a long time and this is just the start.”
KENNEDY IN NO RUSH
Kennedy, another left-handed pitcher, was drafted out of Troy High School in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. A starting pitcher, Kennedy was committed to Louisiana State University before Pittsburgh selected him with the 110th overall pick.
After dealing with a leg injury during his senior year with the Flying Horses, the Pirates have been taking it slow with Kennedy, who signed a $1 million signing bonus with the club.
“When you get down here, you’re going through assessment after assessment, testing your body’s capabilities,” Kennedy explained. “From there, they find a ‘healthy plan’ for you. For me, coming off my knee injury, that was an awesome part to see. Not only were they going to help me continue to rehab from it, but show me the blueprint to prevent things like that in the future.”
After choosing to join the Pirates organization over LSU, Kennedy decided to move to Florida full-time, where he has access to Pittsburgh’s facilities in Bradenton, Florida, year-round.
“Even though I’ve had to bite the bullet of paying rent for the first time in my life, I feel like there’s a small window of opportunity here and I’m going to invest in the best training and coaching to accomplish my dreams,” Kennedy said, noting that he gets three free meals a day, provided by the organization.
“I wanted to get some new experiences and get away from home a little bit, growing as a person and as a player,” he said. “I’ll be facing live batters pretty soon for the first time. I feel like I’ve been here for months and months, and am now just getting to face batters. They’re taking it slow and making sure I’m ready for the moment.”
Kennedy concluded his high school career by pitching to a 0.60 ERA over 35 innings during his senior year, with a 65-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. New York’s 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year threw a complete-game no-hit shutout over Albany Academy in the Section II Class A quarterfinals, his final appearance on a high school mound.
“I’m just excited to get started in my first full year of pro ball,” Kennedy said, who expects to remain in Bradenton most of the year, where Pittsburgh’s Low-A affiliate, the Bradenton Marauders, are located. “I thought I was going to be a lot more anxious about it than I am. The Pirates have been very open about what they have planned for me. You have to trust the process and trust there’s a plan for you. As long as you embrace it, you’ll be good.”
GOLD READY TO ROLL
Gold, the only non-pitcher of the group, was drafted in the fifth round by the Detroit Tigers last July with the 147th overall pick.
A graduate of Ballston Spa High School, Gold spent three years at Boston College before declaring for the draft.
The Tigers rookie-ball camp is located in Lakeland, Florida, where Gold reported to two days after signing his contract. He was initially assigned to the Florida Complex League Tigers before being promoted after three games to the Low-A Lakeland Flying Tigers, of the Florida State League.
The second and third baseman played 22 games between August and September, going 13 for 65 (.200) at the plate, with two doubles and 11 RBIs.
“It was a little taste of professional baseball,” Gold said of his first few months with the Tigers. “What a day-to-day life is like, traveling and playing six days a week.”
After the 2022 season ended, Gold returned to Boston College intent on finishing the remaining credits for his degree in business management and now just has a few online courses remaining.
A member of Ballston Spa’s 2019 Class A state championship squad, it’s still setting in for Gold that he gets paid to play baseball.
“I’m not sure it really has,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but I think once I get into my first full season. it’ll probably start to sink in.”
After reporting back to Lakeland on Feb. 26, Gold’s routine begins every morning with warmup and mobility workouts at 7 a.m. He then works on defensive drills and hitting drills with the full squad reporting at 9 a.m.
“This is a dream come true, and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “All I’ve ever really wanted is a chance, and I’ve got that now and I’m trying to make the most of it.”
While Gold could remain in Florida after spring training with the Flying Tigers, he may also be sent to Detroit’s High-A affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps.
“It’s definitely something that’s crossed my mind, wondering where I’ll spend the next six months after spring training,” Gold said. “Ultimately, that’s out of my control, so all I’m trying to do is show up everyday and be the best player and teammate I could be.”
While the job of being a professional baseball player is physically demanding and requires many sacrifices, there’s still a good amount of down time.
Gold spends some of that time utilizing his subscription to ESPN+, following his sister, Ana, with the Duke softball team. He also keeps up with Boston College, and former Ballston Spa teammate Evan Fox, who plays for Stony Brook.
Similarly, Kennedy keeps tabs on some of his friends from Troy: Austin Francis with NJIT, and Eddie Yamin (La Salle Institute) with the University of Dayton.
Stanavich has a bit of a different way to spend his free time.
“I’ve got an electric scooter I like to cruise around on,” Stanavich said. “I’ve been exploring the city a little bit. There’s a lot of nice things to see and places to explore.”
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