Tag Archives: Athlete of the Month

Athlete of Month: Richie Grippi

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bucksBy Steve Svetovich

Dunmore senior second baseman Richie Grippi is a natural leader both on and off the baseball field.

Son of Rich and Shannon Grippi, Dunmore, Richie has very strong role models.

Besides his parents, Dunmore baseball coach Mark Finan is a mentor who teaches his players how to win and play hard all the time.

And then there is Richie’s late grandfather, Doug Miele, former staffer for the defunct Scrantonian Tribune. His grandfather attended every one of Richie’s games and before he died five years ago correctly predicted his grandson would be a sparkplug infielder for the Dunmore Bucks right from his freshman year on.

And that Richie has been. A three-year starter at second base, he hit over .300 in his first two seasons and .300 last year as the lead off batter for Finan.

baseballRichie, 18, is also a two-year member and guard on the Dunmore Bucks varsity basketball team. He is a member of the scholastic quiz bowl team at Dunmore.

With math and science as his best subjects, the scholar-athlete has a highly impressive 3.7 academic average.

The scrappy second baseman has great speed and led the Bucks in stolen bases last season.

He is grateful for what he has learned from Coach Finan. “He taught me to compete,” said the senior stalwart. “He is one of the most competitive people I ever met. He will do anything to win a game.”

Richie said the best advice he ever received came from his parents. “My dad once told me don’t do things when no one is looking that you wouldn’t do when someone is looking. That is the best advice anyone ever gave me. And my mom tells me the same thing. She teaches me to show respect.”

Richie talked about what it takes to be a solid second baseman on the high school level. “You need to have a good glove and quick hands. You need to be smart and know what to do with the ball even before the ball is hit to you.”

The steady infielder is busy this summer playing baseball for the Dunmore American Legion team.

A huge fan of the late Elvis Presley, Richie talked about his future goals.

“Well, first of all I want to be a leader on the field while helping my Dunmore team win a lot of games and go far in the playoffs in my senior year.

“Then I want to go to college, get good grades and get a good job. I’m not sure what I want to major in or where I will go. I am thinking Penn State, Temple, Pitt. We will see.”

Richie said the best baseball advice he ever received came from his late grandfather, Doug Miele. “Keep your eye on the ball. He always said that to me. It sounds simple, but it is very sound advice and it sure works.”

Richie’s late great-grandfather, Tony Miele, coached youth baseball for many years in the local area and is a member of the Northeast Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame.

Richie is looking forward to his senior year at Dunmore. “Dunmore is the greatest,” he said. “It is a town where everyone knows each other. It’s the best community, the best town.

“I love Dunmore High School.

“It’s the greatest school in the world.

“I told my parents the best thing they ever did for me was moving to Dunmore.”

 

Athlete of the Month: Jordan White

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jordan whiteBy Steve Svetovich

It’s not easy to be a scholar-athlete at a high level.

Scranton Prep senior right handed pitcher Jordan White has no problem showing how it’s done.

Son of Don and Judy White, Dunmore, Jordan, 18, has a highly impressive 3.8 academic average while fashioning a 4-3 record and sparkling 1.25 ERA on the mound for the Scranton Prep baseball team.

Jordan will be attending a Penn State University Worthington campus in Dunmore in the fall where he may study education and pre law in hopes of entering the field of law as a state policeman or attorney.

He helped his team to a 6-6 record this season under coach Mark Seitzinger.

Prep lost in the opening round of the playoffs to Berwick, 7-3.

Jordan, who played four years of baseball at Prep, finished the season with 40 innings pitched, 38 strikeouts and only 22 hits and eight walks allowed. He pitched a one-hit complete game shutout against Valley View, striking out 10. He fired a four- hit complete game shutout against Abington Heights, striking out six.

Well rounded as a student-athlete, he is a member of student council, the Scranton Prep players group, the mock trial group, the national honor society and director of the annual student retreats.

“I love it at Scranton Prep,” he said. “I love the whole concept of a Jesuit education and existing for other people. That has led me towards law. The service to others aspect gave me a whole new point of view.”

Well spoken and polite, Jordan said he learned three major things about pitching from Joe Ross, his former Scranton Prep varsity coach. “He coached me for two seasons,” said Jordan. “He taught me three things I will never forget. Work fast, throw strikes and change speeds. Those three things I will take with me for the rest of my life.”

Jordan also had high praise for Tony Cimino, his junior varsity baseball coach at Scranton Prep. “He told me to never give up and that you always have to be a team player. He said it’s not about you. You can control only what you can control. He was great as a coach.”

Jordan said his team had a lot of chemistry this season. “This team had a lot of talent and we grew a lot as a team. The defense is the best in the league and is one of the big reasons I had a good year pitching.

“There is an awful lot of character on this team at Prep.”

Jordan played Teener League baseball at West Scranton and American Legion baseball for Dickson City. “I had great experiences,” he said.

Jordan said he likes listening to music in his spare time and particularly enjoys Mumford and Sons.

He talked about his future goals. “I want to go into the field of law and become a state policeman or attorney. I would like to coach baseball someday. I am a huge baseball fan.”

And he has much gratitude for his parents.

“My parents always told me everyone is good at something. You just have to find out what you are good at. They tell me to take advantage of what comes your way in life every single day. And always try to help people. Help them anyway you can.

“My parents helped me a lot after I had my knee surgery in my junior year. I only pitched two games that year prior to the injury, but was able to come back full strength this year. I have to thank my parents a lot for that. They gave me a lot of strength and support.”

Ron and Marilyn Carlonas, Green Ridge, are two of his biggest boosters. “He is just a great kid,” Marilyn Carlonas said.

 

 

Athlete of Month: Vince Rebar

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image_handlerBy Steve Svetovich

Vince Rebar knows he has baseball in his blood, and he shows it through his work ethic and consistent production on the field.

The former Holy Cross All Regional baseball player has been one of Marywood University’s leading hitters in each of the past four seasons.

He has a robust team leading .469 batting average after the first 30 games this season. That includes a team leading 53 hits, six doubles, five triples and four homers. He leads the team in homers, runs with 33, RBIs with 34 and stolen bases with 20. His 20 stolen bases in 23 attempts broke the school record previously held by his current third base coach JoJo Diskin.

“That’s pretty cool,” he said after he was told about the stolen base record. “I didn’t even know. Awesome.”

Son of Vince and Maureen Rebar, the 2012 Holy Cross graduate hit .377, .317 and .374 in his first three seasons at Marywood. He spent his freshman season at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire, but was red shirted after just two at bats and a season ending injury. He transferred to Marywood in 2014 and quickly made an impact.

He played four years of baseball at Holy Cross where he batted.471 in his senior season. He played third base, but made the All Regional team as a DH.

WP_20170429_15_58_29_ProThe scholar-athlete received a B.S. in business from Marywood in 2016. He finished with a 3.4 grade point average. The stalwart infielder decided to play as a graduate student for Marywood this season after he learned he had one year of eligibility left. “It was an easy decision,” he said. “I applied for the waiver this past summer when I decided to go to graduate school at Marywood. I went for the red shirt and was declared eligible.”

A marketing major as a graduate student, Rebar talked about his approach at the plate. “My approach is to get a fastball and try to get out in front of it. I like to go after the first fastball I see as the number three hitter on the team. I don’t want to miss it.”

And the clutch hitting senior does not miss many. He has a .500 on base percentage this season and has two or more hits in most of the first 30 games he played in this season.

Rebar was the starting second baseman for Marywood last season. This year most of his starts are at shortstop, but with a few games at second base.

He looks at the ending of his Marywood baseball career with mixed emotions. “I don’t want to stop playing,” he said. “There are definitely mixed emotions.

“There are a lot of young guys on the team this season. I wasn’t sure how it would all work out. But the chemistry on this team is very close. We all hang out. It’s been a lot better than expected. I know the seniors on this team play the game with all their hearts.”

And while he strokes line drives all over the diamond, Rebar ponders his future. “Well, I have another year of graduate school. Then I want to keep playing baseball as long as I can. I want to be a coach on this team next year. I am hoping that can be worked out. I would like to stay in baseball as a coach.

“I know there is a baseball scouting school in a Florida. I would love to do that. I want to stay in the game.”

He talked about what it takes to be a solid hitter on the collegiate level. “Well, just to be here playing college ball you already have to be a good hitter. But you have to stay within yourself and don’t get out of your zone. Don’t jump out of your shoes.”

And it’s that mental approach that helped him earn two MVP awards in the Hudson Valley League. He helped the Hudson Valley Pirates win two league titles in his three seasons playing in the summer collegiate league.

Well spoken and confident, Rebar said he learned a lot from Sandy Menichetti, his high school coach at Holy Cross. “He is a great guy. I will never forget the first day I showed up at practice. He told me to break down my swing in three sections – stride, hitch and swing. I remember laughing a little about it at first, but then it all came  together. It sure makes a lot of sense now. I learned a lot from him. It took me some time to figure it out, but I did.”

The modest, but talented hitter said he likes listening to European dance music in his spare time. He has eclectic taste and would like to see Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike in concert.

His dad is present at every Marywood baseball game. “I have learned a lot from my parents,” he said. “They always tell me to never give up and always support me. I do a lot of extreme sports, but they are always behind me. They always encourage me to play baseball. They are my biggest supporters.”

And if you want to see a live hitting machine, go to a Marywood University baseball game.

Just watch Vince Rebar.