By Rich Bockmann
Like most young baseball players, all George Carroll ever wanted was to play in the professional leagues.
“It’s been my dream ever since I was a little kid, for as long as I can remember,” said Carroll, who was signed as a free agent earlier this month by the Toronto Blue Jays. “I’m living the dream.”
“Growing up in Bayside, there was a lot of good baseball talent around me,” said the 23-year-old catcher, who is currently playing for the Dunedin Blue Jays in Florida, Toronto’s minor-league affiliate.
Carroll developed a love for the sport and a natural talent beginning with the Bayside Little League, where he played until he attended high school at Holy Cross in Flushing.
It was there that baseball Coach Doug Manfredonia recognized Carroll’s natural talent and strong work ethic.
“He was kind of wiry, but he always had an above-average arm,” he said of his young protégé, who was an All-City catcher. “His arm strength advanced through every level.”
Manfredonia, who had played minor-league ball himself, said that as the young Carroll’s body started to fill out, college scouts started to take notice, based primarily on his arm strength and defensive abilities.
“I’m a really good defensive-minded player and an average hitter,” said Carroll, who played five summers with the Bayside Yankees. “I’m a catcher who can play.”
By the time he was ready for college, Carroll had eight scholarship offers. He started playing for Hofstra and then went to the New York City College of Technology, maintaining his relationship with his high school coach.
“He was a local kid, and I’m local so we maintained a friendship. The relationship continued beyond high school,” said Manfredonia, who would mentor Carroll every winter to help him improve his hitting, fine-tuning his swing. “I felt by the time he was 20 years old, he was a pro prospect. He was known for his release time, getting rid of the ball to second [base].”
Carroll said he had been in contact with the Blue Jays for the past two years, and during this year’s draft they invited him to work out in New Jersey. On the last day of the draft, the team signed him to a free-agent contract.
“I think they rolled the dice on him. As a senior, you have no leverage, and a lot of times they get overlooked,” Manfredonia said.
He added that now that Carroll has reached this level, he thinks his growth will be exponential.
“Hitting’s not going to come easy to him, but his defense will take him. He’ll stick around,” he said.
For his part, Carroll said that now that he has reached this level, he plans to work hard and apply his strong work ethic.
“Once you’re here, you have to work your butt off to progress,” he said.
And he already has a strong fan base.
“Everyone’s ecstatic. He played varsity as a sophomore, so he played with older kids. He helped kids after graduation,” said Manfredonia. “Besides being a great catcher, he was popular — leading by example. A lot of people are rooting for him.”
Reach reporter Rich Bockmann by e-mail at rbockmann@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4574.
