Connecticut in the 2014 draft

There were 23 players picked in the MLB draft from Connecticut this year and I am particularly pleased because two were picked by the Yankees  and two were picked from my alma matter Central Connecticut State University. For Central its the first  MLB draft picks since Evan Scribner was picked in 2007, so congratulations to J.P Sportman who was picked in the 27th by the Athletics and Nick Neumann who was picked in the 28th by the Pirates, best of luck to both of them. The Yankees two Nutmeg draft picks are RHP Austin DeCarr and 3rd baseman Will Toffey, The Yankees already signed Austin DeCarr for double his slot money so he takes home $1,170,200, which is good for him, but apretly Toffey will be a tougher sign as he is committed to Vanderbilt and it might be hard to pry him away with 23rd round money; fun note though both of these guys go to the same High school, Salisbury School.

DeCarr. (@Xaverian_Hawks)

 Austin DeCarr was the Yankees third round draft pick and because they took Jacob Lindgren in the second round, who is more of a relief arm that could have a quick impact and had no first round pick DeCarr is the Yankees highest drafted true prospect which is a bit of a letdown after last year in which they had three first round picks, its nothing  against DeCarr he is a good pitching prospect but when the first prospect you are drafting is in the third round then its probbaly not the best draft for the Yankees. I really do not know anything about draft prospects but mlb.com describes DeCarr with "He'll pitch at 92-93 mph, but can reach back for 95 mph when he needs it. His curveball shows flashes of being a plus offering, and his changeup gives him the chance to have a very effective three-pitch mix." Its also apparently only his second year as a full time baseball player but is apparently more polished than some other High schoolers, which may have something to do with the fact that he isn't actually a high schooler because he only went to Salisbury academy as a post graduate because he did not get drafted last year and is now 19, still a good prospect just kind of a weird not high school or college guy, so still technically a high school guy. Honestly though I am excited to see what this guy can do.
DeCarr was actually the second Nutmeger drafted, although he is really from Massachusetts but we will take him nonetheless,  Sean Newcomb was taken 15th overall by the Angels and is a junior at the University of Hartford and I wish him the best of luck on behalf of all Nutmegers. Best of luck to all of the Nutmegers who got drafted, you can see the full list here.

Tragedy in Connecticut

I need to write this, but at the same time I know that I cannot really sum up my feelings about this because it hits close to home. Obviously I live in Connecticut, less obviously I am a teacher so this hits really close for me. I was in class, 6th graders, when the reports first started coming in and at the time none of the teachers really knew what was going on, but as the day went on more information started coming in and the picture began to emerge of just how horrific this was. By the end of the day I was in the library and all the teachers were talking to each other about any news that was coming in and at the same time we were trying to keep the students from finding out, so they did not start to panic.
I didn't know anybody directly who was affected by this, but I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if I knew anybody who was teaching there and thankfully I did not. Its Sunday now and I have to think about what the students will be like when I come in. Will they be scared, will they be upset or will they just push it out of their minds and pretend it didn't happen.
Obviously baseball cannot pay tribute to the victims, but highlighting the diversity of Connecticut in sports terms, all six sports teams in action between Boston and New York have or will pay tribute to the victims and the president will speak in Newtown today. Nothing can be said to bring these 26 people back and I do not know if we will ever know exactly why Adam Lanza killed these people, all we can really do is remember those who were killed.

The Yankees and Red Sox Rivalry In Connecticut

Despite being born in New jersey I have lived in Connecticut since I was five and I hope to live here once I finish my graduate degree. Living in Connecticut I have learned several things, people from outside the northeast think everyone from New England speaks with a Boston accent and people seem to think that everybody from New England supports only Boston sports teams, despite Connecticut also being part of Metropolitian New York (ok so only really fairfield county is). Connecticut is a lot more in the middle than people seem to think, which is odd seeing how we are the state that everybody drives through to get from Boston to New York or vica versa. Connecticut even perplexes our fellow New Englander's, almost my entire family now lives in New England and they support all the Boston sports teams and have often asked my brother and I why we like the Yankees. The answer is not a simple one as I have no idea what made me be a Yankees fan, but my brother insists that its because he supported the Yankees and that's why I did. The answer is actually a lot simpler than even I thought, when you grow up in Connecticut the rivalry gets really intense so much so that you essentially have to take a side which is especially true when your a kid and when I was in middle school the 2003 and 2004 ALCS's occurred. For the most part it was a friendly rivalry with a lot of smack talk but I believe there may have been a fight or two. I really followed Hockey and Football a lot more than baseball at that point but I did have a Hideki Matsui jersey but you really start to become a lot more attached to a team when people are smack talking that much. And lets be clear I'm talking about Nutmeger  Connecticut not fairfield county which is more New York than Connecticut. Every bar in Connecticut has to cater to all fans because even the bar owner may have divided loyalty, there's one bar here that has Red Sox and Jets stuff on the walls with a Patriots light on the window and Yankees tall glasses. Its impossible to find a bar that doesn't try and cater to everybody and the only pure Yankees place I know of near where I live is my barber. Its something that really bugs me when people like Joe Buck think that Boston represents all of New England, its the BOSTON Red Sox. It probably wouldn't annoy me if I didn't live in New England but there is a reason that a direct line runs from New Haven to Yankee stadium. The oddity of Connecticut will continue to be something that only we who cannot buy alcohol after 8pm or Sundays will understand, as I am just as much of a divided loyalty Nutmeger who is both a Die Hard Yankees Fan and Die Hard New England Patriots Fan. The Hartford Courant wrote a piece about a poll about the rivalry which you can check out here. They are right the rivalry is probably more intense here than anywhere else, there was a stabbing last year.