OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

Cusick · 04-05-2020, 09:32 AM

Outfielder Joey Milazzo was a 1995 Reds replacement player.

The photo on the left shows a Little Leaguer named Joe Milazzo in 1977. If the lad was about 11 years old at the time, then he would have been born around 1966, and would have been about age 29 in 1995, still at a playing age. So that's reasonable, even if off by a year or two. The photo is from the Fairbanks, Alaska, Daily News-Miner of August 25, 1977. This Joe Milazzo had made a key hit to bring victory for his Rotterdam, NY team in the Little League World Series in Williamsport.

The photo on the right shows a Joe Milazzo who is the baseball coach for Utica College. Utica is about 85 miles down the Interstate from Rotterdam in New York State. I suspect that it's the same Joe Milazzo who was the Little Leaguer. This Joe Milazzo has been coaching at various places around Utica and the Mohawk Valley for decades. If he was born around 1966, he would be in his mid-fifties now. The photo looks to be of someone of that age. The source of the photo is www.uticaod.com

I've written to the coach to see if I can get confirmation that he was indeed the Reds replacement player. I'll update this post if I receive an answer.

P.S. I don't think the coach is our man. He began coaching in 1981. I found a newspaper article that said he was age 54 in July of 2013, so he would have been born in 1959. Certainly couldn't have been the Little Leaguer pictured below. Would have been about age 36 in 1995 -- not impossible, but improbable for an outfielder with no professional experience. Another article said he had an assistant coach named Dan Bollana, who had been his sidekick since Little League days. Through Bollana's name, I found an article which indicates that the two graduated from the Thomas R. Proctor High School in Utica with the class of 1976. So coach was from Utica, not Rotterdam. This still leaves the possibility that the Little Leaguer pictured on the left is OK. I've learned that he went on to do well at the Babe Ruth League level. The trail ends there at this point.

04-05-2020, 09:32 AM	#3308
Cusick Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 4,298 Blog Entries: 1	Joey Milazzo - reasoned guess Outfielder Joey Milazzo was a 1995 Reds replacement player. The photo on the left shows a Little Leaguer named Joe Milazzo in 1977. If the lad was about 11 years old at the time, then he would have been born around 1966, and would have been about age 29 in 1995, still at a playing age. So that's reasonable, even if off by a year or two. The photo is from the Fairbanks, Alaska, Daily News-Miner of August 25, 1977. This Joe Milazzo had made a key hit to bring victory for his Rotterdam, NY team in the Little League World Series in Williamsport. The photo on the right shows a Joe Milazzo who is the baseball coach for Utica College. Utica is about 85 miles down the Interstate from Rotterdam in New York State. I suspect that it's the same Joe Milazzo who was the Little Leaguer. This Joe Milazzo has been coaching at various places around Utica and the Mohawk Valley for decades. If he was born around 1966, he would be in his mid-fifties now. The photo looks to be of someone of that age. The source of the photo is www.uticaod.com I've written to the coach to see if I can get confirmation that he was indeed the Reds replacement player. I'll update this post if I receive an answer. P.S. I don't think the coach is our man. He began coaching in 1981. I found a newspaper article that said he was age 54 in July of 2013, so he would have been born in 1959. Certainly couldn't have been the Little Leaguer pictured below. Would have been about age 36 in 1995 -- not impossible, but improbable for an outfielder with no professional experience. Another article said he had an assistant coach named Dan Bollana, who had been his sidekick since Little League days. Through Bollana's name, I found an article which indicates that the two graduated from the Thomas R. Proctor High School in Utica with the class of 1976. So coach was from Utica, not Rotterdam. This still leaves the possibility that the Little Leaguer pictured on the left is OK. I've learned that he went on to do well at the Babe Ruth League level. The trail ends there at this point. Attached Images Last edited by Cusick; 04-05-2020 at 10:42 PM. Reason: Add P.S.