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Photo Credit: Jim Godlewski
On Saturday August 16, three King’s College students took part in an experience that will be shared with generations to come.
King’s senior baseball players Phil Moskowitz and Matt Van Stone along with junior Jeremy Bonser joined some of baseball’s best as sunshine poured onto PNC Field that Saturday for the Yankees-Red Sox Legends Reunion. The five-inning game featured New York and Boston greats from the 70’s and 80’s. Recent Hall of Fame inductee, Rich “Goose” Gossage highlighted the group of players brought together to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Bucky Dent’s epic three-run home run off Mike Torrez in the 1978 one-game playoff between the Yankees and Red sox.
“My favorite players happened to be Jim Rice and Dick McAuliffe,” King’s college baseball coach Dr. Jim Godlewski said. “Rice was a great home run hitter with Boston and McAuliffe was an absolute vacuum at second base.”
The game got off to an entertaining start when two batters reached base to bring up Dent with two on against Torrez – the same situation as that fateful day in 1978. Dent did all he could to replicate the historical shot when he blasted a fly ball to the left field fence.
The three King’s players along with players from other local colleges were called upon to play the field and pinch run for the aging superstars.
“Anytime I have the opportunity to be at a professional baseball park and be on the field is a great feeling alone,” Bonser said. “Then when you add all of these legends who have played more ball and done more spectacular things in their careers than I could ever imagine, it gives a tingling feeling down my spine.”
It was a sight to be seen as legends acted like college players and the college players felt like legends. While some of the greatest baseball players of all time were asking to borrow gloves from college students, the younger players were signing autographs from numerous eager young fans in the stands.
“At first I was apprehensive about signing the autographs because I did not feel like I was anyone significant,” Bonser said. “After some time passed by, I remembered when I was a kid and whenever I saw someone on the field, I didn't care who they were. I just wanted their autograph.”
Moskowitz lent his leather to Torrez and in return received some free lessons. While playing catch and warming up together, Torrez worked with the King’s pitcher/outfielder on a slider, teaching him the grip that contributed to Torrez’s 18-year career in Major League Baseball.
The Legends Reunion was a day which everyone involved will never forget. The legends were all laughs for the five innings of baseball and the fun continued to the Mohegan Sun casino for a VIP after-party.
The college players involved sat in the dugout starstruck for some time after the game, before signing a few final autographs and leaving the stadium with ear-to-ear smiles.
“Seeing Matt, Jeremy and Phil on the field actually playing and running with the pro's was amazing,” Dr. Godlewski said. “I kept telling them ‘Imagine telling your kids some day that you actually were on the field with Hall-of-Famer, Goose Gossage.’ It was priceless. Simply priceless!”
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