Chris Medeot Sure Knows How to Make a First Impression
Very few high school athletes can say that in their first game started at the varsity level they played a significant role in helping their team win, but White Plains sophomore starting pitcher Chris Medeot will always have that distinction. Medeot, a right handed thrower, made a sudden impact by throwing a seven-inning complete game in his team’s 3-2 victory against The Keio Academy Unicorns on Saturday.
He threw just over 100 pitches, allowing two earned runs on seven hits while striking out eight Unicorns batters. Not a bad effort when you consider he’s just a sophomore and he only found out he was starting the game several days beforehand. Medeot, throughout the game, acted like a veteran and his pitching seemed to get stronger as each inning progressed. He was able to overcome the nerves of making his first varsity start very early in the game.
“I was a little nervous but once you get out on the field and actually step onto the mound they sort of go away and you feel a little more comfortable as the game goes on,” said Medeot after his stellar pitching performance on Saturday.
Medeot has a very simple philosophy when he he’s on the mound facing opposing hitters.
“One of the important things with pitching is that you can’t be afraid for the other team to hit it,” said Medeot. “You have to trust your fielders to make a play even when you make a mistake on a pitch and I think that’s a big thing on the team. I really trust my teammates with everything.”
He throws a fastball and a curveball. Medeot said after the game that his curveball is what some people have described as a “slurve,” half curveball and half a slider. Whatever people call it Medeot – for a young pitcher – showed tremendous confidence in throwing his breaking ball. By being able to throw a lot of strikes, spot his fastball in the right areas of the strike zone and have an effective off-speed pitch to use in difficult situations, he kept the Unicorn hitters off-balance and earned his first win at the varsity level.
This is not his first time playing for Coach Marcel Galligani. Medeot played on Galligani’s summer team for several seasons. His favorite pitchers to watch in the major leagues include Any Pettitte and Marino Rivera of the Yankees and San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum.
Medeot looks like he will provide the Tigers with another solid starting pitcher to go with Stephen Schiavone.
Opening Day Memories- Remembering ‘The Kid’
There is something very sweet about the first week of the baseball season. When regular season baseball begins every year I feel like I’m back in elementary school when the game was constantly on my mind. I couldn’t wait to see watch the Mets on WOR-Channel 9 or listen on the radio with the beautiful voice of the immortal Bob Murphy calling the play-by-play.
While on the subject of opening day baseball please allow me a moment to revisit my favorite opening day memory. In April of 1985 the Mets opened up their season at home versus the St. Louis Cardinals and this was the first game for Gary Carter as a Met after being acquired in a blockbuster trade from the Montreal Expos.
On that brisk April day the Mets would go on to win the game when Carter, an all-star catch, slammed a Neil Allen pitch over the left field fence to win the game. It was such a thrilling moment as a Mets fan. I remember watching the game in the basement of my friend’s house in Yonkers and starting to think Carter was going to make the Mets a World Series contender after that game. That he did and he played a vital role on the 1986 Mets team that would win The World Series.
Carter died from complications from cancer recently and was honored on Friday at Citi Field in a touching pre-game ceremony. For those too young to see Carter play I suggest if you love baseball and want to learn how a catcher should play the game, Carter’s career is positive one to research. He wasn’t the most talented player on the 1986 championship team but they wouldn’t have been victorious without him on the roster. Rest in Peace Gary. Mets fans will always remember and love you.
Peter Gerken is a Westchester County native and has published previously with The Patent Trader and the Bronxville Review Press. While attending Boston College he was the sports editor of the university’s newspaper, The Heights, and served as a staff writer for the Boston College sports publication Eagle Action. He can be reached at pgerken@theexaminernews.com
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