ROB KAMINSKY: THE NEXT BIG THING SHOULD BE BRONX BOUND

"People keep telling me that I was great last year... but I don't have a (state championship) ring on my finger. I'm not too happy about that and I won't be happy until I get one this year." 

--Rob Kaminsky

You want to talk about a competitive nature, or a future champion?  Talk about Rob Kaminsky.  I know, you never heard of the guy. You will and when you do, you'll think back to Bleeding Yankee Blue and think I'm a genius.  Well, I wasn't the guy who found him. Many Major League baseball scouts already have, many North Jersey residents have, and the local New Jersey media is picking up on it big time. Trust me, this kid's a huge deal from where I'm from.

Jeff Roberts from the Bergen Record (HERE) had a great piece on this kid that will make you all drool.   "The Englewood Cliffs resident throws four pitches consistently for strikes, according to scouts: a four-seamer that has been clocked at 93-94 mph, a two-seamer, a curveball and a change-up. 'What makes Kaminsky so special? He's got an average to above-average fastball. He's got a major-league curveball, a swing-and-miss pitch,' an AL East scout said. If I was a hitter, I wouldn't want to face that curveball. And he's got a tremendous mound presence beyond his years.'"

But that's just a part of it, Roberts writes "Kaminsky is rated as one of the top high school pitchers in the country and the best in New Jersey...  Kaminsky has command. Movement on his pitches. A presence on the mound. And he's athletic." Last year he had 3 no-hitters, an 8-2 record and a 0.20 ERA. He struck out 103 batters in 53 innings... that's not great, it's outstanding and yes, I understand he's young, but it's all relative... the dude's in high school.

Not only that, Kaminsky does charity work too.  Much like my friend Ty Hensley, this kid is starting early, taking whatever small stardom he may have and harnessing it into helping others.  "He is raising money, in conjunction with Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, to fight pediatric cancer with every strikeout he throws."

(In Photo: Ty Hensley)
You want to get your children to latch on to positive role models as they become fans of this great game of baseball? Look at athletes like Ty Hensley, he has his head on straight and never loses focus in fulfilling his dream.  The same can be said of Rob Kaminsky, a kid with focus and a kid on a mission.

You want more? Read (201) Magazine, Brian A Giuffra's piece simply titled "The Natural". It's on newsstands in Bergen County, NJ. A great piece! Also, read Mark Czerwinski's piece on the April 2nd game that Kaminsky pitched the other day.  The place was filled with major league scouts, fans from all over the country.  In the end, St. Joseph's won, beating Don Bosco 10-0, read HERE. Kaminsky tossed a no-hitter striking out 8.  Damn... it doesn't get better than that.

Put it this way, if the Yankees don't have this kid on the radar... they better get on the stick.  I can see it now... 2016.  Manny Banuelos, Jose Campos, Ty Hensley, CC Sabathia and Rob Kaminsky... I just got chills. 

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