Baseball has held a special place in the hearts of Americans for decades. The first official game happened in 1846 between cricket players and the N.Y. Knickerbockers, one of the first organized baseball teams in the U.S. The game took off when played as a recreational sport during The Civil War, and the sport has grown exponentially since its inception. Throughout the 1850s, African Americans would play baseball on plantations eventually leading to the team known as the Lancaster Barnstormers. Through these teams, African Americans were eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame and allowed to play in the MLB (Major League Baseball) Association. Throughout both World Wars, soldiers would play baseball in different branches, leading to over 500 Major League players fighting in WWll. Even through the distressful war times, President Franklin D Roosevelt encouraged players to continue as an incentive to “boost morale”. To this day, baseball is one of the most popular sports, both on the professional level and in schools across the country.
Saint John’s own Josh Skowronski recently committed to playing baseball at the Univerity of Kentucky. For this junior, his life revolves around baseball and has been since he started playing at seven years old. Besides being a Varsity baseball player at SJCP, he plays for Stinger United, which travels to games up and down the East Coast. Josh even debuted on ESPN, when he was twelve years old, in the Little League World Series Regional games with his teammates E.J. Lowry and Griffin Puvel. This was an experience he will never forget. When describing what motivates him, he recounts his dream of playing in the Major Leagues and how he would do anything to achieve it. Josh also stresses the importance of addressing the tendency to procrastinate while still maintaining focus on your goals as a player. When asked to share advice with younger student-athletes about the importance of balancing athletics and school he says, “Being able to get home from practice and games, to get straight to school work takes some discipline.” According to this future Wildcat, it is well worth the countless hours.
Josh would like to thank many people including friends, family, coaches, and teammates. Without them, none of this would have been possible.
The Viking Journal 