Piteo is one driven prodigy

Before anyone noticed, Chris Piteo was gone, disappearing with his father Pat, on to another game.
He had just put together one of the finer Little League performances anyone had ever seen - 5-for-5, four homeruns, one grand slam, 13 runs batted in, as part of RGMVM’s 22-0 shellacking of Rockaway Little League in the semifinals of the District 27 tournament.
The impressive power display left many in attendance in awe. Piteo tomahawked his first homer over the concession stands in left field. His second shot went into the bleachers in left center. He blasted his third just left of dead center, into the trees, and mashed his fourth down the line in right, flicking a pitch well off the outside corner well over the wall.
“It was unbelievable,” said Pat, who serves as the league’s president.
While his teammates celebrated the easy victory - and a berth in the District 27 final - Piteo, a rising eighth grader, was already en route to his next game with the New York Stars, a travel team made up of the best 12-year-olds in New York City.
This is nothing new for the 12-year-old Middle Village native. He has already played 60 games with the Stars, and will play 40 more. He plays in RGMVM during the regular season too, and is usually at Seither Stadium in Woodhaven, the West Queens Little League’s home field, in the evening with his father taking extra batting practice.
“It’s to get better,” he said. “I always want to do it.”
Added Pat: “He knows whatever you put in, that’s what you get out of it. He’s one of these kids that’ll do it and will sacrifice his time.”
Despite such a heavy workload, he does not look to be slowing down. In fact, he is only getting better. Piteo is the top hitter for RGMVM and the Stars, as well as the ace of each staff. Pat only lets him pitch once a week with a strict pitch-count to protect his arm.
He led RGMVM to the 10-11-year-old city and state championships last summer, winning the final game on the mound and blasting five homeruns in the tournament. Schools such as St. Francis Prep, Archbishop Molloy and Poly Prep have already taken notice, Pat said, expressing interest in his son, who in addition to his baseball exploits is an honor roll student with a 95 average.
“I’ve coached high school for seven years now,” RGMVM Coach Steve Adams said, “and I haven’t seen a better talent than him.”
Pat could tell his youngest son has a special knack for the game at an early age, as soon as he picked up a bat at the age of four. He started playing travel ball four years later. Pat himself was not a particularly gifted athlete; he did not play high school baseball. Somehow, genetics blessed Chris.
Despite the recognition, Piteo is still your regular 12-year-old kid. He goes to the movies with friends, hangs out after school and plays video games. He gets nervous while being interviewed, gazing skyward, and gets upset when he has a bad game.
“I know I’m capable of so much more,” he said.
Indeed, he was. But who knew that meant four home runs and 13 runs batted in?