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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to play?
Players must be 19 or under for the Senior team. Players must be 17 or under for the Junior team. Players must be 15 or under for the Rookie team. Non returning players must live in North Rockland, Nanuet,Pearl River, Spring Valley, or Suffern school district areas. Students of Don Bosco, St. Joes, and Albertus Magnus are eligible as long as they live in the areas outlined above....contact us for further information.
What should I do first, if I want to play Pirates?
Contact us using the form right on this website. Let us know your age (including birth date), where you live, which school you attend, what level school ball you are playing, what position(s) you play. Also do you bat L/R, throw L/R?... and give us a phone number where we can reach you.
Is there an advantage to playing with players from around the county?
We think so..you will playing with some of the BEST players from the county. At this age you are still growing and learning. We feel that being teammates with other premier players helps your game and development. You grow as a person and a player. In the long run we feel that's best for you as well as your school team. When you go to college, you don't bring your high school team with you...but you do bring the experience of playing with talented players from all areas..this is an adjustment you face in college, and the Pirates help you prepare for that adjustment
If I don't make the team ,should I not try out anymore?
NO! Every season, all players must make the team again. Young players especially should not be discouraged by not making this years team. Players change and so do our needs. Many times a player can be victim to what we call a "numbers crunch". We might need an extra pitcher and have to let a good outfielder go. The following season the situation could be reversed.
What if I'm a high school senior...can I play?
YES..depending on your age, you may have two years of Pirates eligibility left. Unlike some summer teams that don't want seniors, American Legion Baseball welcomes players who will not turn 20 during 2009. So if you want to come out and you are turning 18 this year(or 19 for that matter) try out..it's not too late!
Where do the Pirate teams play?
Home games are played at the Rockland Community College field. Away games are played at various area fields Rockland, Orange Dutchess counties and also road trips to Utica NY, Boyertown Pa, Connecticut, Delano Hitch Stadium in Newburgh as well as the senior road trip to southern California. But the majority of games are played right here at RCC, so you don't spend time and money traveling all over to play baseball. We have lights and instead of spending time driving, you'll be playing double headers!
Is there a certain kind of player the Pirates look for?
Yes. The Pirates look for players that play team baseball,and play several positions. In addition to that we are looking for players that work hard both on the field and in school. Slackers and team clowns as well as players only concerned with their own 'stats' won't be here long, if at all. We prefer to have quality people that play good hard baseball with quiet confidence.
Why play Pirates, and not somewhere else?
American Legion ball is a better brand of competition than most summer leagues. You will face better pitchers, and pitch to better batters. We want players that look for that challenge. You will meet new teammates and skilled players from across the county. Similar to what you would do in a college atmosphere(meet new talented players from all over). When you return to your high school team, you are better and your team will be better off because of it. This is nothing new.. the Pirates have helped players improve their game since 1986. The Pirates also schedule games against the tougher 'non legion' teams from upstate and the New York metro area. The senior team trip to the San Diego area is a great prep for college ball and beyond. Everything is geared to make you a better player, and to return a better player to your high school. Local teams usually have a few good players, and several lesser skilled, their competitors feature the same..Does this sound like the environment to attain your highest skill level at?? Little League is great for playing with your friends..school ball usually combines several little leagues and is the next step up. The Pirates combine several school districts and is the next step, in a logical progression. Often we will have college freshman on our senior roster!
I've heard it's too hard to make the Pirates... Is that true?
Obviously the degree of difficulty changes with each season. But we will say this :the coaches have no children playing here, so all our roster spots are really up for grabs. Yes you'll need talent, but as we all know hustle and desire can beat talent sometimes. Always see for yourself.. contact us(use the form on this website) so we can watch you play on your school team, attend the interest meeting and the tryouts. We have cut returning players, and kept new ones in the past..and we are sure it will happen in the future.
Do you sit "the bench" alot on the Pirates?
Nothing could be further from the truth. We schedule so many games, and double-headers for the sole purpose of giving everyone playing time. At season's end it is often difficult to define who the starters were because everyone plays so many innings!
With so many games, is the pitching staff over burdened?
Our rosters (senior and junior) always look to have a good percentage of players that pitch (as well as play another position) Example..last years junior team had 15 players and 11 had the ability to pitch. We count pitches (although the numbers are not "strict" we are conservative. We have our pitchers(and all players)do a lot of running. We feel that a strong foundation for any player starts with strong legs. Between starts you'll be playing whatever other positions you play besides pitcher! You will be using all of your baseball ability and skills when you play here.... because we want you back next year, skilled, sound and ready to go!
How are the practices run? Do you practice alot?
The practice schedule before the season starts works like this: we all practice together (junior and senior) individual postition drills, situations, hitting, pitching, baserunning, mental aspects, conditioning...it's all covered at the direction of Nick Farese who has coached at several county high schools as well as 19 years at the head of the Pirates (with 9 NYS titles!)The staff assists and meets after every pre- season practice to evaluate the team and discuss any changes or recommendations we may have....Once the season starts we play so often that practices are only scheduled if we really need them, or for special needs such as playoff preparation. ..Conditioning drills are done throughout the season. Players are worked with on an individual basis when needed, from day one until seasons end.
What about the little league team I'm on..do I have to quit?
NO! If you are on our JUNIOR team, we allow you to finish your junior/senior little league season including ALL-STARS. BUT, we do reserve the right to keep you on a conflicting day if we really need you. It's a rarity, but it could happen. Pitching is different...we usually don't want our pitchers throwing in non Pirate games. In general we don't mind working with local little leagues.
Summer travel teams are different. We don't allow players to miss games or practices to play with travel, pick up, or any teams of that nature.
SENIOR TEAM PLAYERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MISS GAMES OR PRACTICES TO PLAY ANYWHERE ELSE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF YOUR SCHOOL TEAMS. AT BOTH LEVELS YOUR SCHOOL TEAM COMES FIRST. WE NEVER HAVE AND NEVER WILL EXPECT A PLAYER TO MISS SCHOOL PRATICE, PROM, OR SPORTS DINNER. WE ALSO WORK OUR TRAVEL AROUND EXAMS. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE THINGS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BASEBALL. WE DON'T WANT PLAYERS THAT SLACK IN THEIR STUDIES BECAUSE OF SPORTS. WE HELP YOU LEARN TO BUDGET YOUR TIME. IN SUMMARY, WE THINK YOU SHOULD ALWAYS FINISH A CURRENT OBLIGATION.
Is there alot of travel, and travel expense?
All junior and senior player overnight accommodations (hotels) are paid for by the team. We stay at clean quality hotels when we travel. Senior team airfare to California is paid by the team, as well as continental breakfast and lunch in California. Senior players that drive their own cars to overnight venues such as Utica NY or Boyertown Pa, will be given a gas allowance as well. Parents who wish to travel to games must make their own arrangements. When you compare the Pirates fees to other teams (besides being a great program)it's a financial bargain!
The majority of our games are played at Rockland Community College so the out of pocket expenses are kept to a minimum.
Do the Pirates play in any tournaments?
The junior team will play in three tournaments this year, one at RCC, also at Delano-Hitch stadium in Newburgh as well as travel to West Milford, Ct. to play in a weekend tournament.
In addition to traveling to California, the Seniors will play in tournaments in Boyertown Pa, West Milford,Ct. and Utica,NY . All these tournaments fit well with our regular schedule, and provide additional experience to prepare both teams for district, state and regional playoffs.
What if I play also play football?
We start playing June 1st.. we play double headers, play at night, and in general get our approx. 60 games and playoffs over before football starts. We finish up in early August so football is not a huge conflict. We believe when it's baseball season you concentrate on baseball and when it's football season, you should concentrate on football.
How can parents be involved?
Last year one of our "team parents" ran a snack stand at home games. It helped generate income for the team as well as provided refreshments for players, parents and fans. It was a huge undertaking that we are so grateful for. We have had parents help secure fields away from RCC. One year we played a playoff game at Bowline Park in Haverstraw, because one of our "team parents" did all the work needed to book the field at a very busy time for field usage. He even worked to manicure the field! At seasons end another of our "team parents" provided a team picnic at their house with SO MUCH GREAT FOOD it is hard to describe!! I don't think the NY YANKEES could have had a better spread!! Also parents have kept additional scorebooks,provided drinking water, hauled equipment and have been so supportive that it helps keep us going! The Pirates not only feature the best players, but some truly great parents and families as well.
We are always looking for sponsors on our website. In 2009 we plan on having a yearbook with ad space and we will be looking for help with that and some other things. Feel free to mention your ideas on how to help to one of the administrators or coaches. Of course parents are not allowed to coach on either team.
**WE ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT US IN ANY WAY YOU CAN... USE OUR SNACK STAND....TAKE AD SPACE ON OUR WEBSITE (even parents wishing good luck!).REVENUE IS IMPORTANT. IT KEEPS COSTS DOWN AND ALLOWS US TO DO MORE FOR THE KIDS.(remember our staff DOES NOT get paid)
What will the 'rookie' team be like?
We are planning a smaller squad (15 or 16 players) and a reduced schedule (approx 25 games). Most of the games will be played at home (same as our other divisions) with perhaps a tournament at seasons end to give the players a taste of playoff baseball. The competition will be excellent, and the team will focus on playing the 'pirate way'. Which is throwing strikes, getting ahead in the count (as a hitter or pitcher), good defense, situational hitting, and smart base running,just to name a few.
Overall it will be a great opportunity for 15 and some 14 year old players to become part of the pirates family and improve their game.
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