In-depth with our sports seniors
Pat Negrini: Respect everyone, fear no one Strike one. Strike Two. Strike Three, youre out. Pat Negrini had become a little too familiar with those words in a game against tenth-ranked RPI last season.
In-depth with our sports seniors
Pat Negrini: Respect everyone, fear no one
Derek Gibbons
Strike one. Strike Two. Strike Three, you’re out.” Pat
Negrini had become a little too familiar with those words in a game
against tenth-ranked RPI last season.
Negrini had struck out four straight at-bats, and was due up in
the bottom of the ninth. Staying with a positive mindset, a story
from Coach Zavattaro ran through Negrini’s mind.
“Zavy’s story about striking out four times and then
hitting the game winning homer in the ninth ran through my head all
inning,” said Negrini.
With a runner on third and less than two out, Negrini did not
disappoint his team as he hit a sac fly into the outfield, tying
the game at five. The team would later win the game in walk-off
fashion with a hit from Tim Burns.
“It was an incredible feeling winning that game,” said
Negrini. “Not because we beat the tenth-ranked teamed in the
country, but because of the way we did it. It gave me a bigger
appreciation for the game.”
Growing up in the close-knit community of West Stockbridge,
baseball was the first organized sport he participated in. His
father was the one to introduce him and teach him the game, but it
was a close bunch of friends he played the game with growing
up.
“I played baseball with the same kids from when I was young,
all the way up through high school,” Negrini said.
Negrini, his father, and friends would spend eleven out of the
twelve months each year hitting and getting ready for the baseball
season. His friends, who were a year older than him, were on the
Varsity baseball team when he was a freshman. This was the first
time he was not on the same team as his friends. What he
didn’t know, was that it was a blessing in disguise, as he
would meet his future favorite coach and friend Pete Wilson.
“I still go to him for hitting, especially when I am in a
slump,” said Negrini. “He is like a second father to
all the players. We still go to his house and keep in touch with
him outside of baseball.”
Negrini had not only learned about baseball from Coach Wilson, but
also about life. Negrini really came into his own as a baseball
player and learned about the game, rather than just playing it.
There was one quote from Wilson that Negrini remembers vividly in
his mind and has stuck with him to this day:
“On or off the field, you respect everyone and fear no
one.”
Senior season of high school came fast and it was an
underachieving one at that. The team needed to win in order to make
it to the tournament, but they had one problem: pitching. The team
had run out of pitching, and the varsity coach decided he was going
to go down to the JV level and field a few younger pitchers.
Negrini was not having that. He proceeded to go up to the coach,
and tell him he was pitching in tomorrow’s game.
“I wasn’t going to let him throw the season
away,” said Negrini, “and we were playing a D-1 team,
so I knew a JV pitcher would have gotten rocked.”
It was a great move on the part of Negrini, as the team won 3-1
and got into the tournament.
“I hadn’t pitched since freshman year,” said
Negrini. “but I knew I was going to get the job
done.”
The assistant varsity coach had come up with a list of schools
where Negrini could play, and Springfield College was the one for
him. Coach Puleri here at the College had recruited him to play,
but Negrini’s final choice was Springfield College because he
believed it to be better academically than MCLA.
Negrini attended Springfield for two years, but not after hurting
his arm freshman year and having surgery. After, he took a year off
from baseball, and spent a semester in New Zealand.
After studying abroad, Negrini decided to come to MCLA and play
baseball. Negrini knew it was the right choice for him because when
he first called Puleri to tell him he was going to attend
Springfield College, Puleri told him he would rather see him go to
Springfield College and enjoy it, than come here and not. With
Puleri looking out for his best interests, Negrini knew he could
work with the coach.
“I really liked the baseball knowledge and coaching staff
here,” Negrini said.
Now a senior and captain of the baseball team, Negrini expects a
lot from the team.
“I expect nothing but the top,” Negrini said.
“There is only one expectation, that’s to win MASCAC.
It’s the only option. Our team is like a brotherhood,
everyone is close and they know what they have to do to
win.”
Baseball will be with Negrini forever.
“Until my arm falls off, I will play baseball,” said
Negrini. “Then when my arm does fall off, I am going to coach
it.”
