Stanley Susana during MLB Skills workouts at the NYCBL All-Star Game in Geneva. (Photo by Dan Hickling @DanHickling)

By Paul Gotham

ROCHESTER, NY – Statistics don't always tell the whole story.

That is the case with 2013 New York Collegiate Baseball League Defensive Player of the Year, Stanley Susana (Syracuse Jr. Chiefs/St. Thomas Aquinas).

The Jr. Chiefs third baseman didn’t lead the league in assists or put outs, but he did leave a lasting impression.

NYCBL fans got a taste of Susana’s defensive prowess at the 2013 All-Star game at McDonough Park in Geneva.  The Bronx, NY native brought the fans to their feet in the third inning with a spectacular catch on a hit off the bat of Carlos Guzman (Syracuse Salts Cats/Molloy).  Guzman sent a flare over third base. Susana turned and raced into shallow left field. He looked over his inside shoulder, but the twisting hit looked destined to land just inside the foul line. Susana tracked it down, went to one knee and slid to make the catch with his back to home plate.

The play didn’t surprise Jr. Chiefs head coach, Chris Haynes. The first-year skipper grew accustomed to spectacular defensive plays from his man at the hot corner. Haynes recalled a similar play in Hornell where Susana outdid his effort in the All-Star game.  Like in the Geneva, Susana turned and sprinted into shallow field. This time he went airborne and made the diving catch.

“All we saw were his back and his numbers the whole time he was running,” Haynes recalled. “It reminded me of the Jim Edmonds catch in center field a couple of years back. He was way down the left field line, and he dove straight out and caught it in foul territory.”

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