As an introduction to their newest season, the Malden High Baseball team took part in Malden’s citywide baseball winter clinic on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 at the Salemwood school.
The baseball clinic contained batting cages where the players were able to practice their hitting. The baseball team brought with them a portable pitching mound for the pitchers to practice their skills.
Baseball team member and attendee of the clinic, Senior Shai Cohen, found the clinic beneficial to his training. “I was able to get in the reps I needed to prepare myself for the upcoming season,” stated Cohen. He added that “it was nice to see all of the new faces and get acclimated to the atmosphere we are trying to build.”
Junior Brandon McMahon agreed with Cohen that “building chemistry with the team and being with the guys and having fun playing baseball,” was something that was beneficial during the clinic. McMahon also found that being able to “work on baseball even when the season hadn’t started,” has prepared him for the season’s beginning.
While Cohen has played baseball before, he believes the clinic was also beneficial to those who were just starting out playing baseball. “We have older players practice together and the rookies working with coach Phil Cook, who teaches them the fundamentals.” The clinic was open to Malden residents of all ages, and the attendees ranged from the fifth to 12th grade. Coach Stephen Freker added that he believes “everyone who took part got better in their skills and also got better prepared for the upcoming season.”
Along with other skills to develop their baseball playing abilities, the coaches and the team focused mainly on hitting drills and reps revolving around being up at bat. McMahon believes that because of this focus, “hitting is gonna be really good this year.”
In the six years that Freker has participated in this event as a baseball coach for Malden High, he found that this year had “been a good one” in regards to the participation and efforts put forth by the players who attended the clinic. He added that “we had gotten players from all over the city of all ages and skill levels and they had been very enthusiastic and committed to attending each Wednesday evening.”
Freker noted that they “started out slowly and grew in numbers every week.” Ending the clinic, there had been around 30 players who attended. He went on to say that “it’s hard to guess how many players will come, so [the coaching staff is] happy with the turnout.”
While the COVID-19 pandemic is still around, Freker mentioned it did not have much effect on the operation of the baseball clinic, “since the participants were familiar with the CDC, state and city safety protocols,” regarding the pandemic. In January after winter vacation, the Department of Recreation decided to take a break from all activities held inside the school buildings, which put the clinic on a two-week hiatus.
Freker mentioned that the team is “grateful to have the support of the Malden Recreation Department and coordinator Joe Levine, and his staff Laura Perez and Mike Boyd, for allowing us use of space at the Salemwood School,” for the baseball clinics that took place over the winter. He added that the team “also thanks Malden Public Schools Director of Athletics, Charlie Conefrey, for his support.”
After two and a half months of baseball training through this winter clinic, the baseball team is officially starting their season on March 21st. Their first game of the season will be at home (Pine Banks Park) against Everett High on April 2nd, 2022.
