On Saturday March 10, over 50 baseball hopefuls took the field at Taft High School, looking to catch on with a team for the summer. After a day of drills, bullpens, and batting practice, several players found homes within the NYCMBL, while others, still unsigned, have at least managed to wrangle a future workout after the second annual NYCMBL outdoor tryout.

            Eschewing the traditional draft format this year, the NYCMBL allowed coaches to approach players on the field to provide them with some insight into their team’s operations and allowed the “draftees” to pick between several potential suitors. With this new format the NYCMBL board hoped to better help players find the right match for both their playing ability and geographic location. According to NYCMBL President Joel Marcano, this would also expose would-be players to more organizations within the league.

            “We think that it worked out well,” says NYCMBL president Joel Marcano. “Even those players who didn’t get signed on Saturday, they’re on somebody’s radar. Coaches have their numbers, and if they want a tryout, or if they need to fill a hole somewhere down the line.”

            One player who wassigned by the day’s end was catcher Rich Recar, a California native who recently relocated to the east coast.  Looking to get back into the game, Recar found the NYCMBL website in December, and was notified by email about the draft.

            Once on the field, Recar wowed a number of managers in both the AAA and AA divisions with his presence behind the plate and his ability to handle the bat.

            “To be honest, it was a little awkward with coaches coming up to me,” he laughs. “But the event was run very well, it was very well-organized.”

            After some deliberation, Recar decided to sign that day with the Wingbar Warriors, a AA team in the Brooklyn/Queens division. First-year manager Tom Hiro, looking to rebuild the long-running Warriors franchise, knew his squad was missing a backstop and Recar seemed like a perfect fit.

            “The biggest thing for me was him telling me about the history of the team,” says Recar. “How they had a bit of a down year last season and how that’s not indicative of how the team usually is.

            “He talked about how he took over and made some changes, and I really just wanted to be a part of that process.”

            Recar will get his first taste of NYCMBL action when the Warriors scrimmage with the Downtown Bulls on March 17.