NEWS

By Don Leypoldt

The Newport Gulls have combed the ends of the earth for hitting talent.

It was worth the search.

Yale Rosen hails from the island town of Oak Harbor, WA.  It’s 3103 miles from Whidbey Island, in the middle of Puget Sound, to Newport yet the Gulls are thrilled that the freshman outfielder from Washington State has made the trip.  Already a winner of the NECBL’s Player of the Week once this season, lefty Rosen was hitting .367 with 10 home runs and 31 RBI in Newport’s first 25 games.  If hitting were an academic track, Yale would be an Ivy Leaguer.  He recently fielded some questions from NECBL.com. 

NECBL.com: How long did it take you to get from home to Newport?

Rosen:“It was a two hour drive to Sea-Tac airport and then a six hour plane ride from Seattle to Providence.  I took the red eye.”

NECBL.com: Is this your first time out East?

Rosen: “This is my first time east of Idaho.  I love it.  I got placed in a really good spot, probably the best place in the NECBL in my opinion.  You hear the quote, unquote “fairy tales” of former players who came here.  I couldn’t have been placed with better players or coaches. 

“Derek Jones, our right fielder in front of me this year, played here his freshman year.  Kyle Johnson and Tony Richards played here last year and loved it.  They got me excited to come over here.  It’s been a lot of fun.  It’s everything I expected it to be.”

NECBL.com: You are finally getting consistent reps this summer.  How has that helped you?

Rosen:“It’s helped a lot.  During the season at Washington State, I got a bunch of pinch hit at-bats late.  It was kind of hard to get into a rhythm or get into a groove.  Here, getting the consistent reps has been a lot more fun.  I’m into that groove and it helps.  Rhythm and timing are so important with hitting.  I’m getting to see every pitcher, every pitch.”

NECBL.com: What has been clicking for you here in Newport?

Rosen: “The second week I was here Al Leyva, our hitting coach, made one minor adjustment so I don’t change my eye level when I’m hitting.  That has helped me square up balls.  I’m sticking with that approach, trusting the process and not really worrying about the results.  It’s been helping.”

Newport Gull GM Chuck Paiva:“The other day, Yale came to me out of the blue just to thank me for giving him the opportunity to come here and play here.  What kind of a kid does that?”

NECBL.com: You were a standout swimmer in high school.  Are there any parallels with swimming and baseball?

Rosen:“It’s different in a way, but at the same time it is similar because you have the mental aspect of swimming being an individual sport but baseball is an individual sport played by a team.  Especially with this team, everybody is hot and everyone hits the ball really well.  I come out here and try and get myself ready individually but at the same time, I try to help the team win.  That’s the end result, is helping the team win.  Even if I have a bad day, if the team wins, I’m happy.”

Off the Diamond with Yale Rosen:

Favorite Food:“Barbequed ribs.”

Favorite Band/Music genre: “I listen to a lot of hip-hop but country is definitely up there as well.”

Person you really admire:“There are a lot of coaches who have helped me along the way and I try to take something from every coach I’ve ever played for.  I credit every single one of them, from my last summer coach to my coaches at Washington State to my high school coach to even the coaches here who are helping me a lot every single day.”

Favorite baseball player:“I don’t have one I pattern my game after but the swing I have a similarity to is Dustin Ackley’s.  I get a lot out of my front foot sometimes and am still able to hit the ball.  I watch him and parallel my swing after that.”

Favorite movie: “A lot of people might say a comedy but I go with Ladder 49.”

Hardest course in college:“I’d have to say Sociology, just because I wasn’t in it with traveling.  I missed a lot of the discussion groups.  It’s almost like hitting: when you’re not there it’s hard to get in that groove.” 

What are you asking your parents to bring you from home: “Just themselves.  I haven’t seen them in a long time.  I live 6 ½ hours from home and have been home for maybe three weeks this entire year.  It’s different, but I’m not homesick.  I love it here.”

If Congress banned baseball tomorrow, what kind of job would you want?:

“I’d like something in Economics.  That is what I’m going to major in and that is something I’d like to look into.  I like to look at the news and I really get into politics.  Right now, the economy is down and my goal in the future would be to find a way to bring it up and help the people I’ve worked for or my friends’ Dads who need the jobs, find them a way to get back those jobs.”