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08/25/2016 12:00 AMAfter catching just one game and mostly playing the designated hitter position during the high school season, Tyler Leone had a bit of a chip on his shoulder when he took the field for the East Haven Senior Legion baseball team this summer. Tyler worked hard so that he could hold down the starting catcher’s spot for the 89ers and wound up having a great campaign both behind the dish and in the batter’s box.
“I like going out and proving people wrong,” says Tyler. “I think this summer was my best season and I did really well behind the plate. I worked really hard.”
Tyler compliments the play of Sam Loda, who was the Yellowjackets’ catcher as a junior this spring, saying that Loda is “great behind the plate.” However, even with some stiff competition at the catcher’s position in the high school ranks, Tyler enjoys catching so much that he isn’t looking to change. Instead, Tyler says he’ll keep working hard with hopes of getting a few more starts in 2017.
“I like the responsibility of being a catcher. I like being involved in as much as I can and I like how it’s the captain on the field,” Tyler says. “I’m definitely going to work on my catching more to get prepared for next season, but I’m also going to focus on my hitting, since I might just be the everyday DH.”
East Haven Senior Legion Head Coach John Longley says that Tyler turned it on in all areas for the 89ers this season. Not only was Tyler flawless behind the plate, he was also one of the team’s best hitters. Tyler batted .429 with five doubles, two triples, and 21 RBI for East Haven, which won 14 games and qualified for the State Tournament.
“He did it all for us this year. He played great defense, really improved defensively blocking the ball and throwing runners out, he handled the pitchers, called the games, all while leading the team in hitting, RBI, and extra base-hits. He was solid all year long and I don’t think he had a down period,” says Longley. “Things worked out for him and he was tremendous. I’ve coached him since Little League, so I’ve seen him grow from this five-year-old kid to an 18-year old-man. He’s a good person, plays hard, and I couldn’t ask for anything more. He’s a great leader for the team and has a desire to win. He leaves it all out on the field.”
Getting to choose what pitches the 89ers’ hurlers threw this summer was one of Tyler favorite aspects of playing catcher. Tyler likes how calling the pitches allows him to have control over the game.
“In Junior Legion, my coach would tell me here and there to look in if I didn’t know what pitch to call. Doing that, I learned what pitches to call in certain situations,” says Tyler. “I enjoyed calling games. It felt like I was in control and I like that. I like how the coach can count on me and not be worried I’m going to call a bad pitch.”
Even though Tyler needed a little time to get reacquainted to playing catcher, the fact that he was on the field every day helped him find his stride. Ultimately, both Tyler and the 89ers put together a summer to remember.
“At the beginning of the year, I was a little rusty because I basically hadn’t caught since last year, but throughout the season, I definitely got better,” says Tyler. “I like going in and knowing I’ll be playing every day. It allows me to get into a groove. In high school, I caught only one game, so I was a little out of it.”