Instructor Spotlight: Keith Falcone

In the All Star Baseball Academy Instructor’s Spotlight, ASBA presents Keith Falcone. Keith is the Assistant Manager of our Downingtown facility. Keith also gives lessons on pitching, hitting, and fielding, and has been doing so for the last four years.

“What I enjoy the most about giving lessons is watching a player progress not only physically, but mentally as well,” said Falcone. “I also enjoy hearing about some of the great results that occur due to their hard work.”

In high school, Keith played four years of Varsity for Bishop Shanahan, and graduated from there in 1998. He was one of the top starting pitchers for a squad that made it to four District 1AA title games, winning two of them. When he wasn’t pitching, he was the team’s starting shortstop as well. On top of this, he was a member of Delaware Valley’s 1997 Bronze medal team in the Keystone State Games.

After high school, Keith went on to play three years of college baseball at York College, where he majored in Marketing. He was their number 2 starter in his junior and senior years. During his junior year in 2002, he was named the All-South Region Pitcher of the Year. That same year, the team was ranked 14th in the nation, and was one win away from claiming the South Region title. As a senior, he was named a team captain.

Keith joined the ASBA family in August of 2007, and has created a great reputation as a teacher of the game at all age levels. Along with giving lessons, Keith has also coached teams ranging in age from 9 to 18 year olds.

When asked for a fun fact about himself, Keith noted that he was a member of the first ever Uwchlan Eagles Jr. Legion Team in 1994. This was the team that he hit his first career home run for, which was a walk-off grand slam.

To schedule lessons with Keith, contact our Downingtown facility at 610-518-7400, or stop by the academy to sign up in person.

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Charlie Manuel Day

July 7th, 2011 will be forever known as Charlie Manuel Day for several young ballplayers. Manuel, the manager for the Philadelphia Phillies, was on hand at West Chester East’s Price Fields for a special one day hitting clinic for kids who played on All Star Baseball Academy’s spring teams. After touching down in Philadelphia around 3 A.M. the previous night, Manuel was in top form while dishing out hitting tips, answering questions, and signing autographs for the young fans.

Overall, it was a great day for the kids, which several parents noted that this was a great opportunity for their children.

“It’s a fantastic way to end the All Star Baseball Academy season. The kids got to see each other again. The event was extremely well organized, and each kid got to experience one on one time with Charlie, and they’ll never forget that. Thank you to everyone at All Star Baseball Academy for making this happen,” said Tom Dodds.

Brian Andresen was just as pleased, saying “It was good, and it was a fun experience for my son. He was able to interact with his pals and with Charlie Manuel. I didn’t expect Charlie to spend as much time with the kids as he did. I think it’s good they had different stations so they could work on other parts of the game.”

“I thought it was a great opportunity for the boys to meet Charlie,” Lil Nase said. “I think it’s great that All Star Baseball Academy sets up events like this for the boys. My son has said that All Star Baseball Academy makes him feel like part of the ASBA family, and the coaches and staff always treat the boys with respect, and we’re looking forward to the next one.”

To view more pictures, check out the All Star Baseball Academy Facebook page.

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ALL STAR BASEBALL ACADEMY TEAM OF THE WEEK: West Chester's 14U Team

This week’s Team of the Week award goes to the 14U Elite Team for their performance at the Bayside Bash at Sports at the Beach in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. They went 2-3 for the weekend. After winning their first two games 7-4 and 11-1, they dropped their next two by scores of 5-4 and 12-8. This gave them the 15th seed for the championship bracket and netted them a first round game against the third seeded team. They played a tough extra-inning game that they would eventually lose 5-4, but they were able to hold the top-scoring team in the tournament to just 5 runs.

The 14U Elite Team averaged over 6 runs per game, with Michael Deitz leading the offensive outburst. He was 10 for 17 on the weekend with 7 extra-base hits and 10 RBI’s. Patrick Meenan was 6 for 12 with 3 RBI’s, while Tyler Kight and Sean Philips each contributed 5 hits to the potent offense. Accompanying the hitting attack was a display of situational baseball, which head coach Creighton Gubanich noted as the main reason for the team’s success on the weekend.

“The kids are starting to learn how important situational baseball is, such as moving the runner over so the guy behind him can drive him in. They’re not being selfish and trusting each other. They’re preventing extra bases by hitting the cut-off men, and really just playing fundamentally sound baseball. They’re starting to learn what baseball is really like.”

On the mound, the team got stellar performances from Charles Bears and Daniel Schupper. In 9 innings, Bears held his opponents to 4 runs, 3 of which were earned. He recorded 9 strikeouts while scattering 10 hits. Schupper was just as sharp, allowing only 2 earned runs in 6 innings of work. He limited his opponent, the team that scored the most runs in the tournament, to just 6 hits while racking up 5 strikeouts.

The 14U Elite Team is off until July 16th and 17th. They play at Ripken Baseball in Aberdeen, Maryland.

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ALL STAR BASEBALL ACADEMY PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Billy Greenfield

This week’s Player of the Week award goes to Billy Greenfield, a left-handed pitcher for the ASBA Futures Team. He is coached by Brian Walker. Billy will be entering his junior year at Radnor High School.

Billy went the distance in his start this weekend, giving up just 2 runs on a pair of hits and a walk to earn the win. He also recorded 9 strikeouts in his 7 innings of work.

“Billy has been working with me since the fall on improving his delivery and he showed off his hard work this past weekend with a masterful performance,” Coach Brian Walker said about Billy. “His fastball sat in the low 80’s, which is very good for a left-hander, and he was able to mix in his breaking ball and change up effectively as well. Billy has a bright future ahead of him, as long as he continues to work hard.”

Billy has been very pleased with both his experience with the team and his lessons with Brian.

“Playing with the team’s been a ton of fun and I’m really looking forward to our next 2 tournaments. I was happy that the team pulled out a few wins in Maryland, and I hope that our success continues. Brian helped me make a mechanical change before my last start and it really helped me out.”

Billy’s father, Jim Greenfield, has also been impressed with how much the lessons with Brian have helped his son, and with the team.

“Brian made some mechanical adjustments to use his legs more, and apparently it worked well. Using his lower body has really helped him. The team is starting to come together, and it’s a pleasure to watch them play, and we’re looking forward to watch them play in the 16U Impact World Series in North Carolina.”

Billy and the ASBA Futures Team play again in East Cobb, Georgia, from July 16th to the 23rd.

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