NEWS

NEWPORT, R.I. – The Newport Gulls will induct five current players – including two Major Leaguers – and one current staff member to the Third Class of the baseball club’s Hall of Fame on Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom in Newport. Kicking off with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m., the 2014 Hall of Fame Induction will include dinner, a silent auction, video presentations, special guests, and of course, many players, coaches, host families, sponsors, volunteers and staff members both past and present in attendance.

Media requesting access to the event or interview time with inductees should contact the Newport Gulls Front Office in advance by phone at 401-849-4982 or by emailing media@newportgulls.com.
Join the entire Newport Gulls family on Saturday, Jan. 25 for a fun night together as we talk hot stove baseball, auction off baseball memorabilia and entertainment packages to raise funds that support our non-profit organization’s operating costs, and honor these six gentlemen for helping build Newport Gulls baseball into what it is today – the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball team.
Tickets for the event are $60 each and on sale at newportgulls.com or can be purchased via credit card by emailing ron@newportgulls.com. A table of 10 is available for $600.
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Don O’Hanley – Volunteer Public Address Announcer, 2002-Present – Don has been the “Official Voice” and Public Address Announcer for the Newport Gulls since 2002. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1934, his love for the game of baseball started with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Over the next 50 years he accomplished many of his personal achievements both in business working on Wall Street for 36 years and in his passion for baseball research, writing and reporting.
He is considered the premier PA Announcer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League and respected throughout the country by everyone who has attended a Gulls game since 2002. TEAM USA once said that Don was the best PA Announcer they heard in the country. 

Don has unparalleled ability to announce a game with his signature flair for pronunciation and game theatrics. His knowledge of baseball history adds to his commentary approach to announcing games at Cardines Field. He has not missed a single game since taking over the position. Don is so passionate about his responsibility, he arrives early for every game to make sure his line-up is prepared and his pronunciations are correct. He has been a host family and also assisted in writing baseball articles for the Gulls media guide and website. Don turned 80 years old this month, has been is married to Carol O’Hanley for 43 years and currently resides in Middletown, R.I. They have five children and 12 grandchildren.    
Mitchell Boggs – 2004 Newport Gull – He played his college baseball at the University of Georgia. Mitchell was a reliever at Georgia and really stepped it up with the Gulls in 2004 as a starting pitcher. After arriving late from the College World Series, he immediately became the ace of the staff, going 4-0 in the regular season with a miniscule 0.91 ERA while striking out 45 batters in 29.2 innings of work, and opposing batters hit .178.
Mitchell had a fastball that reached into the mid-90s but his out pitch was an unhittable slider. In the playoffs he was just as effective, going 2-0, while striking out 23 batters with only three walks. For the season he was a perfect 6-0, with 68 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. 
He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 5th Round in the 2005 draft. Boggs made his Major League debut on June 6, 2008, and on June 10 earned his first MLB start, beating the Cincinnati Reds. In 2011, Mitchell won his first World Series ring as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, making two appearances in the World Series. He pitched for the Colorado Rockies in 2013. Mitchell resides in Dalton, Georgia with his wife Lele.
Danny Otero – 2005 Newport Gull – Danny played his college baseball at Duke University and finished at the University of South Florida. In 2005, Dan put together one of the most impressive seasons as a starter in NECBL history. Dan was like a surgeon on the mound, with outstanding control. As the ace of the staff, Dan led the Gulls with a 5-1 record, 1.87 ERA, and in 57.2 innings he struck out 49 batters with only three walks.
However, in the playoffs he was even more impressive. In two starts he went 2-0, with a 0.53 ERA giving up one earned run in 17 innings while striking out 20 batters with only one walk. In the NECBL championship game in Vermont in front of 3,100 fans, he pitched a complete game, giving up one earned run with 11 strikeouts and no walks, bringing home the Fay Vincent Sr. Cup for the Newport Gulls. 
For the 2005 season he was 7-1 with a 1.18 ERA, and in 74.2 innings he struck out 69 batters with only four walks. Danny was named to the 2005 All-NECBL 2nd Team and was selected to pitch in the NECBL All-Star game. In 2007, Danny was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 21st Round of the draft. Dan made his Major League debut for the Giants on April 7, 2012 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2013, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics, making three appearances in the ALDS. Danny resides in Coral Gables, Florida with his wife Tiffany and his daughter.
 

Vito Chiaravalloti – 2002 Newport Gull – Vito played his college baseball at the University of Richmond, finishing his career as the all-time home run and RBI leader for the Spiders. In 2002 at Richmond, he hit 23 HR and had 86 RBI, helping his team advance to the NCAA Super Regionals. 

As soon as Vito arrived in Newport he became as instant hero, hitting prolific home runs when they mattered the most. He had that unique ability to focus and zone in when the pressure was highest. For the season, Vito hit .257, scoring 19 runs on 26 hits, hitting 8 doubles, while leading the Gulls with 4 homers and 28 RBI. 
In 2002, Vito was selected to participate in the NECBL All-Star Game. However, it was in the 2002 playoffs when Vito literally carried his team on his shoulders to the NECBL Championship, hitting .345 with 4 homers and 11 RBI in just seven games. Vito was the “saltant of swat” for the Gulls, as his star status was bolstered by his charismatic personality. 
In 2003 he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 15th Round. He won the Triple Crown in the New York Penn League, hitting .351 with 12 homers and 67 RBI in his first year of professional baseball. Vito played eight seasons in the minors and advanced as high as AA for the Toronto Blue Jays. Vito currently resides in Hazlet, New Jersey.
Richie Lentz – 2004 and 2006 Newport Gull – Richie played his college baseball at the University of Washington. He was a high-profile pitcher out of Washington in his freshman year, however it was the summer of 2004 that propelled Richie to elite status. 
Richie, a physically imposing pitcher, instantly became the best closer in the NECBL, and his legend grew with each outing, consistently hitting 94-98 MPH as witnessed by many MLB scouts. For the season, Richie was 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA with 9 saves in 17 appearances. He pitched 21.2 innings, giving up only nine hits while walking 13 and striking out 32, allowing opposing batters a miniscule .123 batting average against him. In the playoffs, he was equally as impressive, going 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA, pitching 7.2 innings while walking three and striking out 12 with three saves. For the season, Richie had an impressive 3-1 record with 12 saves in 25 appearances, pitching a total of 29.1 innings, giving up 12 hits while allowing 16 walks and 44 strikeouts. His bulldog approach to finishing the game usually with a strikeout was his trademark. 
Richie was selected to the NECBL All-Star Game and was named 2004 Co- Top Relief Pitcher of the Year. He suffered an injury in 2005 but returned to the Gulls in 2006. Although he had limited action, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 19th Round. In one minor league game he struck out Julio Franco with a 100 MPH fastball. He played three seasons in the Boston Red Sox minor league system, making it as high as the AA Portland Sea Dogs. Richie lives in Snoqualmie, Washington with his wife Kelli and daughter Melissa.
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Pat McAnaney – 2006 Newport Gulls – Pat, a left handed pitcher, played his college baseball at the University of Virginia. After a solid year at the University of Virginia in 2006, posting a 5-1 record with a 2.79 ERA, he came to the Gulls on a mission to get better – and he did. He could throw all his pitches for strikes, but when needed he could over power hitters with his 90s-plus MPH fastball with movement complimented by his arsenal of quality off-speed pitches. 
Pat put together one of the most impressive seasons ever as a Gull, posting a league-leading perfect 7-0 regular-season record with a 1.74 ERA. He pitched 51.2 innings giving up only 33 hits with nine walks and 55 strikeouts while allowing a .189 OBA. In the playoffs, Pat had two no-decision appearances, pitching seven innings walking three and striking out 11. Pat was named the starting pitcher in the NECBL All-Star Game and was named to the NECBL 1st Team. 
Pat was drafted in the 28th Round by the Pittsburg Pirates in 2004 and again by the Pirates in the 38th Round in 2007, but did not sign. He returned to Virginia and was drafted for the third time in 2008 in the 8th Round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went on to pitch for three minor league seasons, making it to AA with the Mobile Bay Bears of the Southern League. Pat currently lives in New York City with his fiancée Virginia Hart.
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While this is the third Hall of Fame Induction since 2010, this is the 10th year in a row the Newport Gulls have held a winter event to raise funds for off-season operations, beginning with the first Hot Stove Dinner and Auction in 2005. A list of 2010 and 2012 inductees into the Newport Gulls Hall of Fame is available on the team’s website, newportgulls.com.
For more information, or to order tickets, you can also visit the Newport Gulls Hall of Fame page: http://pointstreaksites.com/view/newportgulls/front-office-1/team-history-21/newport-gulls-hall-of-fame