Player Profile

American League Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey

To read the full article, make sure to keep an eye out for December's issue of Diamond Nation Magazine:

Andrew Bailey's Rise to Stardom

By Ben Masur

Andrew Bailey is 25 years old and he already has a long list of "never-forget" moments in his baseball career. His most recent one came on November 16, when Major League Baseball announced that Bailey had won the American League Rookie of the Year. Bailey, who was born in Voorhees, NJ and played high school baseball at Paul VI in Waterford, NJ, set an Oakland A's rookie-record with 26 saves (in 30 chances). He posted a 6-3 record with a 1.84 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP while adding 91 strikeouts compared to just 24 walks in 83 1/3 innings over 68 appearances. Part of what makes Bailey's story so captivating is not just his great success, but the disappointment, letdown and long odds he has overcome in his journey to becoming a star.

In high school, Bailey was anything but a superstar. He played freshman baseball and then junior varsity his sophomore year. His last two years, he played on the varsity team but he wasn't exactly a top prospect. He was a starting pitcher and got people out, but didn't throw hard enough to turn heads. Bailey wanted to play in college, but he didn't receive a lot of offers. He wasn't picky: he would go anywhere that offered him a scholarship. When Bailey graduated high school, he still was undecided about his future. Finally, Bailey got an offer from Division III Rutgers-Camden. But then Division I Wagner University swooped in and offered more money and Bailey made his decision. Three months later, Bailey would be attending Wagner.

Bailey made nine starts in 12 games as a freshman and led the team with 53 strikeouts while ranking second with 57 innings pitched. Sophomore year, Bailey broke out as Wagner's ace, leading the staff and placing top five in the Northeast Conference (NEC) in ERA, wins, innings pitched, strikeouts and opponents average. Bailey had three games with 10+ strikeouts while setting the Wagner single-season strikeout record with 84, breaking a 40-year record. Bailey's strikeout success was due in part to a growth spurt. He entered college about 5-foot-8 and after his sophomore season, he was standing at 6-foot-2.

"The combination of growing and working out constantly and dedicating a lot of my time to baseball all helped me increase my strength and velocity," Bailey said. "I just kept on gaining miles per hour as I grew. I already knew how to locate and mix pitches, and then once I was able to throw harder, that's when the success started."

The success didn't stop. After his dominant sophomore year, Bailey played in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), one of the top summer leagues in the country. Right away, Bailey started and continued where he left off after his sophomore season. Bailey dominated and was named the top pro-prospect on his team. While he was honored by the accomplishment, Bailey made sure to stay humble. He didn't put any additional pressure on himself to perform in his junior season. He just wanted to prove to himself that he didn't just get lucky.

In 2005, Bailey was named the top pro-prospect in the NEC by Baseball America in their annual preseason predictions and it was then that Bailey started to realize he had a shot to get drafted and play professionally. His career was getting ready to take off. Bailey went 3-2 in seven starts with a team-leading 3.46 ERA while striking out 47 batters in 41.2 innings, an average of 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Bailey was named NEC Pitcher of the Week thanks to a 4-2 win against Boston College on March 13 in which he struck out six while yielding two runs in six innings. Bailey was well on his way to another incredible season and becoming a high draft pick.

But halfway through his junior year in 2005, Bailey's road to success hit a speed bump. Bailey blew out his elbow and required Tommy John Surgery. It was an unfortunate situation for Bailey, one that he at times struggled with. Whether it was a question of throwing too many innings over the summer in the NEBCL or whatever the cause, he believes that everything happens for a reason.

Local Boy Takes LSU to National Championship

Anthony RANAUDO a former Diamond Jack Leads LSU Tigers to National Championship

By D.P. Benjamin

   Anthony Ranaudo began to realize five years ago that he might actually be able to play major league baseball some day. It was the summer after his sophomore year at St. Rose High School in Belmar, New Jersey. But it wasn’t because he had tossed consecutive no-hitters that spring, and it wasn’t because he pitched his team to a state championship.

   It was because of Jack Cust Baseball Academy.

   “If not for them,’’ he said from campus earlier this month, “I wouldn’t be where I am today. And that’s just the truth.’’

   Where he is today is down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is a junior at LSU, playing baseball for the Tigers. Last season he led his team with a 12-3 record, won four games in the NCAA tournament and was the winning pitcher in LSU’s victory over Texas for the national championship.

   He finished his sophomore year with a 3.04 ERA, striking out 159, walking 50. At 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, he has a curve ball and changeup to go with a fastball that a year ago was clocked as high as 96. His confidence and aggressive approach in challenging hitters are at an all-time high. According to Jack Cust “ We are very proud of Anthony’s accomplishments both on the field, especially pitching LSU into the National Championship. I look forward to 2010 draft were he is projected to be a first round pick”.

 “They offered me a spot on the Diamond Jacks,’’ said Ranaudo, who turned 20 on Sept. 9. “I also went for individual lessons, and made a big jump after that. I knew if I kept my head on straight, kept working hard and doing the right things that I’d be up there and probably have an opportunity to play.’’

   He played two to three games on weekends and also made the trip from home in Jackson to Flemington a couple of times during the week. The following summer he was on Diamond Nation’s Super 17 squad, where he traveled south to take part in tournaments.

   “There’s no way I would have gotten the exposure the way I did, no way scouts would have known me the way they did, there’s no way college coaches would know me the way they did without Keith (Dilgard) and Mr. Cust’s help; without everybody’s help there. Just working hard and working with those guys encouraged my development and made me into a good pitcher.’’

   Ranaudo is now taking part in six weeks of fall practice, balancing that with school while majoring in Sports Marketing. He shut down over the summer after a college season in which he threw 125 innings. He spent about five weeks in New Jersey, mostly hanging out with his niece and nephew at his sister’s beach house in Belmar.

    “I’m a big family guy, and a big reason I’m here is because of them. Everyone in my family has supported me and is real proud of me, and that’s really something that gives me a little motivation and stability.’’

   He’ll now be supporting his buddies on the football team in their quest for a national championship. Winning a national title remains a feeling he still can’t describe.

   “In the championship game, for me, it was a grind. I didn’t have my best stuff whatsoever,’’ he said. “”I was fatigued more than I can even describe, but I had to go out there and give my team a quality start. I knew the bats would hit, because Texas was thin on pitching too. Those guys were going through the same stuff as us. I went one inning at a time and pushed through the best I could.’’

   LSU won the game 11-4, with Ranaudo lasting 5.1 innings. He allowed all four runs, walked four and gave up eight hits.

   “By no means is that good, but it was good enough because our offense took a lot of pressure off because they were swinging the bats that day,’’ he said. “I think we played our best ball all year in Omaha. There was so much pressure to get there, that when we got to Omaha it was like we played like we could, and it was a lot of fun. It was just us playing baseball.’’