The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 7

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 7

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 7

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the Bobby Valentine Sport Show. I’m your host, Frank Ramppen, like always. If you can’t tell yet, we’re in a little different setup this time. I actually just moved back into school. I’m back down in West Palm Beach, Florida, so I’m in my apartment room now, not my dorm room. It’s a little different setup. We don’t have all the pictures on the wall, but we’ve got a nice little setup now. A little bit different because the NFL season is so close. We’re gonna get our Raider stuff to go, so we’ve got a bit of both. We’ve got some Raiders, we’ve got some A’s, we’ve got some little Baseball Classic, and we’ve got my map of my road trip that I want to take of all the stadiums starting in Florida, going all the way around. So, we’ve got a nice little setup here, but we’re going to jump right into it.

Also, I got a new A’s shirt. If you haven’t noticed, but if you’re an A’s fan, you might know what this is. It’s not a very happy one. It’s kind of a sad one. My friend down here gave this to me yesterday. Shout out to Kadina if you’re watching this, brother. Thank you, dude. He got me the Fuji shirt, but if you know, Fuji’s gone already. He only spent about half of his first MLB season with the A’s, and now he’s already back or he’s already gone. He’s with Baltimore. Sad for A’s fans because he was pretty exciting. He throws 102, but I mean, he was very wild, very, very raw player. So hopefully, he can turn it around in Baltimore, see if they can do better with him. But that makes their bullpen even more dangerous-looking.

Now that we’ll get past that, new setup, new place. This is where we’re gonna be for the next couple of months. Get used to it. This is a new place for me doing baseball and football soon. A little preview here. Alright, so now we’re going to get into our weekly recap, like always, and we’re going to start it off with the hottest player on the planet right now, the absolute freak of nature. Something happened to this guy after the All-Star break. Something happened to this team as well after the All-Star break. Julio Rodriguez just had 17 hits in a four-game span over this past week, as the most hits ever in a four-game span. 17 hits in four games. Think about that. He had nine straight hits at one point. Nine straight hits, nine at-bats in a row, a hit. Tied a franchise record, four straight four-hit games, and one of those games obviously was a five-hit game. If you factor in the math, four times four is sixteen, plus one is seventeen. So, four four-hit games in a row with a five-hit game. He was the first player with four-plus hits in four consecutive games since Milt Stock in 1925, almost 100 years ago, about 98 years. He’s the 13th player since 1900 with three straight four-hit games, and he’s the only person to do it with four stolen bases during the span. And during this time, his average went from 256 all the way up to 278, 22 points. It’s August. Your average is not supposed to move that much in August. What are we talking about? Julio is on a different planet right now.

So, 17 hits in four games. During that same exact four-game stretch, the New York Yankees, who we’re going to talk a little bit more about in the future of this episode—oh boy, they had 17 hits in those four games as a team. So, Julio Rodriguez had the same number of hits as the entire Yankees team for four games. In those four games, Julio scored five runs himself, and the Yankees scored four. So, Julio Rodriguez by himself was a better offense than the Yankees for the entire week since last time we talked. Guys, what’s going on? Wow. So, Julio Rodriguez just is on an absolute tear right now, just tearing it up, ripping the cover off the baseball, and the Seattle Mariners are the hottest team in the league now. The Seattle Mariners are 8-2. They’re on an eight-game winning streak, and they don’t look like they’re stopping at all. They’re not even in the Wild Card hunt right now. They’ve put themselves into the American League West race too, and we’re going to talk about that more in our standings update. But the top of the American League West right now, three teams are separated by one run, or one game, think about that. Texas, Houston, and Seattle, all within one game of each other, headed into the last month of the season. That’s going to be a very wild race in the American League West. It’s gonna be fun to watch.

For more on the continued playoff race for the MLB click the video below!

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. If you don’t know who Bobby V is, it’s worth a quick google search. We teach a proven curriculum which has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. BVSA was founded in 2006 and has been growing steadily ever since.

We have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Check out our valued partners section above to learn more about them. Parties and events for all ages, we do those too!

There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email [email protected] 

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 6

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 6

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 6

Alright, hello, hello, hello, and welcome back to the Bobby Valentine Sport show. I’m your host Frank Ramppen, as always, and we’re going to dive into another week of this year’s baseball season as we’re about halfway through August. Now, getting to the nitty-gritty of the baseball season, with about a month and a half to go, let’s start with our weekly update. So, let’s start with our weekly recap, and we have a little bit of a different section to start this off, and it’s the “What Just Happened” segment.

Wednesday night in Boston at Fenway Park, Red Sox versus the Royals. Kyle Isbel comes up, and got the video here right for you. Kyle Isbel comes up and smokes one to left field over Masutaki Yoshida’s head. He doesn’t see the ball; he doesn’t catch; he’s like, “What, where’s the…?” If you notice, the first out light is shattered. The ball went right through the first out light, shattered right through it, and it’s just sitting in there. A run scored from first, mind you. It was a ground-rule double. The runner had to go back to third, and the run ended up not scoring. The Red Sox ended up winning by one run. So, the green monster comes into play, swallows up a ball, the monster it is, and saves the Red Sox, keeps the Royals off the board, saves them a run, and ends up winning them the ball game.

Fun fact, I’ve been talking about Hernandez, the bobblehead night. That was Hernandez bobblehead night, so I was there. If you’re listening, you commented before, “Hey, home now, home now. Are you kidding me? Get him in there, get him in there.” Look at that, gotcha brother right here. He wasn’t playing in that game, obviously, because he’s on the Dodgers now. Pretty interesting stuff. Masutaki Yoshida, I thought I was at the game. I was sitting down by the pesky pole in right field on the right field line. I thought he caught it from my angle. It looked like Yoshida jumped up and made a nice catch at the wall. I thought the noise was him smashing into the wall. After he got up and started looking around like, “Oh, he didn’t catch it,” I thought then it hit off his glove and went into the little slit in the wall where the guys with the camera and the guy who does the scoreboard is sitting at. That’s what I thought happened, but then you could tell that the first outlet was a little bit off. It was broken, a little bit shattered. You could tell that the lights had a little bit of white in it. You could see the actual light coming through the red, and sure enough, Yoshida reaches into the wall and grabs the ball out, ground-rule double. After the game, Alex Cora had this to say: “We go over the rules, and they always ask about if the ball gets stuck in the monster. I’m like, ‘That’s not gonna happen,’ but it did. So, that may be a first, and I was there for it.” So pretty cool thing to see Hernandez bobblehead night. Let’s go, baby. Love you. Let’s go, baby, even though you’re killing my A’s. You just smoked my A’s in a series last week, but it’s all right. Don’t worry about it.

Next part, we’re going to go with MLB’s hottest team, keeping that trend going. Instead of this week, last week, it was the Baltimore Orioles. Now we’ve moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers. They’ve regained their regular-season dominance. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are just so good at baseball. Like, they’re just so good at baseball. They’re like, they’re so good. Freddie, with over a 25-game span, was hitting 500 for a 25-game span. Freddie Freeman was hitting 500. That’s unheard of. And I mean, like I said, the Dodgers look like the normal, regular-season dominant Dodgers that they do every single year. And I mean, it’s really absurd. It really is. I’m sorry. I can’t get over how much I love this. One. It’s such a great addition. Now, look at this. Look at this guy we got. We got Chapman. We got Madio, who we’re going to talk about a lot today. Are you kidding me? We got Bobby with the mustache. We got Nestor, Captain America. Derek Jeter, Bucky Dent, you kidding me? And then we got Severino. Oh, boy. I’m going to talk about that one. And then now we’ll move on. I say it every week, my favorite part of the weekly recap, the outfield play of the week.

Making his outfield play of the week segment return, by the way, this is episode six, right? Hi, Valentine Sports Show, episode six. This is going to be the third appearance by this man in six weeks. So he’s accounted for 50 percent of our outfield plays of the week. Just putting that out there. But here we go. Cedric Mullins. Oh, my God, this guy seems like he’s making a ridiculous play every other time I watch the Orioles play. He did get hurt. He spent a little bit. He spent about a month, maybe three weeks to a month down in the minor leagues, but he’s back, and oh, boy, is he back. So we’re going to jump to Seattle, where the Orioles are taking on the Mariners. Bottom of the ninth inning, three to two lead for the Orioles. And Ty Francis hitting with one away in the bottom of the ninth inning. And we’ll pump it up. So Francis gets one and smokes it to deep right-center field. Cedric Mullins back to the wall, leaps, and oh, my goodness, are you kidding me? He pulled this thing about two feet over the fence, yanked it back. It would have been the tying run home run right there, and he just yanks it back. Are you kidding me, Cedric Mullins? We got to look at this one more time. Are you serious right now? Oof, Ty France really getting into that one. Cedric to the track and oh, like how many times has he robbed the home run? Instagram. How many times do you have the home run this year? That’s the third time he’s been on this. And all three of the plays have been him robbing a home run. He robbed Byron Buxton of two homers earlier, and then he just robs Ty France at the time, a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

So two away now, right? Two away. Next batter, two pitches later, Dominican zone with the bat flip. Oh, my goodness. Off the windows of the suites back there at T-Mobile Park. Oh, my God. Are you kidding me? So Cedric goes out there and makes a ridiculous home run robbery to prevent the tying run, and then two pitches later, up again, this time an absolute no-doub

ter. Cedric, nobody in the world has a chance to rob that one. Are you kidding me? That ball is smoked off the facing of the sweets in the second deck. You kidding me? Let’s add the Richmond territory from last year from this year’s Home Run Derby. Look at this. Oh, look at that backflip. Are you kidding me right now? Jeez. And that’s his first home run as a mariner.

So Cedric Mullins almost saved the game one out away, and then a home run. But guess who comes up in the top of the 10th inning? Cedric Bones. And after working a 3-2 count and ripping an absolute moonshot that just went fast, just went foul, three-two count, about an eight, nine-pitch at-bat, foul homer. Cedric goes and does this, blast off two-run homer, top of the 10th inning. Cedric Owens robs a home run. Cedric Mullins hits a home run. Orioles win 5-3. Are you kidding me right now? This is the Cedric Mullins game. This guy is just a regular. He’s a regular on our outfield play of the week segment. He comes, oh, he’s 50 of the time, et cetera, willing to drop in home run. So he robs a home run, comes up in extras, and absolutely tees off on a 3-2 pitch to win the game for the Baltimore Orioles.

For more MLB updates and a look into playoff implications click the video below!

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. If you don’t know who Bobby V is, it’s worth a quick google search. We teach a proven curriculum which has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. BVSA was founded in 2006 and has been growing steadily ever since.

We have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Check out our valued partners section above to learn more about them. Parties and events for all ages, we do those too!

There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email [email protected] 

Lady Titans – First County Bank Athletes of the Month

Athlete of the Month - August 2023
Athlete of the Month - August 2023

At Bobby Valentine’s Sports Academy, we believe in celebrating the achievements and growth of our young athletes. This August, we have something truly special to share with you as we honor not one, but five outstanding athletes who have graduated from high school and are taking the next big step in their academic and athletic journeys. These remarkable individuals have been a part of the Lady Titan’s program, and their dedication and passion have shone brightly throughout their time with us. Without further ado, let’s meet our August, First County Bank, Athletes of the Month.

Gia Scortino:

Gia Scortino has been a vital part of the Lady Titan’s program since she joined us at 14u. Over the course of four years, Gia showcased her skills on the field, primarily as a first and third baseman. Her journey reached a significant milestone when she graduated from Norwalk High School. Gia’s leadership qualities were recognized when she was named softball captain during her senior year. She’s not only a fantastic player but also the “mom” of the team, offering guidance and support to her teammates. Gia is now furthering her education at Keene State College in New Hampshire, where we have no doubt she will continue to shine.

Analise Trani:

Another Lady Titan’s stalwart, Analise Trani, joined the program at 14u and played as a third baseman for four years. Analise graduated from Greens Farms Academy and has made the exciting decision to continue her athletic and academic journey at Western New England in Springfield, MA, where she’ll be playing Field Hockey. Her two-year stint as a softball captain at GFA showcased her leadership skills. Analise is known for her team spirit and creative team nicknames like “St. Joes” and “Stormy.” Her pre-inning tradition of gathering the team for a game of rock, paper, scissors is a testament to her ability to bring positivity and camaraderie to the field.

Christina Zinicola:

Christina Zinicola, who joined the Lady Titan’s program at 14u, spent four years primarily playing second or shortstop. After graduating from Stamford High School, Christina has taken the next step in her academic journey at Manhattan College. Her senior year at Stamford High saw her being named softball captain, reflecting her leadership on and off the field. Christina is known for her fearless playstyle, never shying away from taking the extra base or making a spectacular diving play. We can’t wait to welcome her back next summer.

Jenna Soltis, aka “Jenny from the Block”:

Jenna Soltis, affectionately known as “Jenny from the Block,” joined the Lady Titan’s program at 18u and played as the starting centerfielder for two years. Graduating from Wilton High School, Jenna has decided to further her education at Ohio State. Much like her namesake, Jenna was a speed demon on the field, always taking the extra base and being an aggressive base runner. Her leadership qualities were recognized when she was named softball captain at Wilton High during her senior year.

Cassie Robotti:

Last but certainly not least, we have Cassie Robotti. Cassie started her journey with the Lady Titans at 14u, initially playing baseball before transitioning to softball. As a middle infielder, primarily at shortstop, Cassie displayed exceptional skills and dedication. Currently pursuing her education at Penn State, Cassie graduated from Stamford High, where she served as a softball captain for two years.

We are immensely proud of each of these talented athletes and their achievements both on and off the field. They exemplify the values of teamwork, dedication, and leadership that we hold dear at BVSA. While they may be moving on to new adventures, they will forever be a part of the BVSA family. Congratulations to Gia, Analise, Christina, Jenna, and Cassie, our First County Bank, August Athletes of the Month! We can’t wait to see the incredible feats you’ll achieve in the future, and we look forward to welcoming you back whenever you’re in town. Good luck, and keep reaching for the stars! 🌟🎓🥎

Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from BVSA, where we celebrate the excellence of our young athletes month after month.

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 5

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 5

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 5

The Bobby Valentine Sport show is back, and this week’s baseball action has been nothing short of spectacular. A highlight from this week includes a brawl between Jose Ramirez and Tim Anderson, possibly one of the greatest MLB fights in history. They both went all out, and Jose Ramirez laid Tim Anderson out. It was an intense showdown.

Moving on to another exciting topic, the Chicago Cubs are on fire. They’ve won 13 of their last 16 games, and they recently beat the Atlanta Braves in a series. Their offense is looking formidable, and they’re currently in the mix for a wild card spot and even a shot at the NL Central.

Additionally, the July Players of the Month were announced. In the American League, Shohei Ohtani received the Player of the Month award for the second consecutive time, showcasing his incredible hitting and pitching abilities. He hit .282 with nine home runs and had an OPS of 1.152. He’s a strong candidate for the AL MVP. In the National League, Cody Bellinger was named Player of the Month for July. He hit .400 with an OPS of 1.122, eight home runs, and 24 RBIs. His performance has been instrumental in the Chicago Cubs’ recent success.

For the pitchers of the month, Tyler Glasnow received the award in the American League. He made six starts in July, posting a 2.11 ERA with 51 strikeouts. He held his opponents to a .186 batting average. In the National League, Corbin Burns of the Milwaukee Brewers was named Player of the Month. He had a 1.85 ERA, a 0.72 WHIP, and opponents hit only .115 against him in July.

Finally, the Rookie of the Month award went to Tristan Casas from the Boston Red Sox in the American League. He turned his season around in July, hitting .349 with an OPS of 1.199 and seven home runs. In the National League, Francisco Alvarez, a Mets catcher, made an impressive impact with eight home runs, 16 RBIs, a .623 slugging percentage, and a .974 OPS.

These players and teams are making waves in the baseball world, and it’s an exciting time for fans of the sport.

For more from this wild week of baseball click the video below!

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. If you don’t know who Bobby V is, it’s worth a quick google search. We teach a proven curriculum which has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. BVSA was founded in 2006 and has been growing steadily ever since.

We have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Check out our valued partners section above to learn more about them. Parties and events for all ages, we do those too!

There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email [email protected] 

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 4

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 4

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 4

Welcome back to another episode of the Bobby Valentine Sport show, and I’m your host Frank Ramppen. We’re going to get into another episode of the MLB recap. We’ll go into a weekly recap, as we do every week, a game of the week, and then we’ll discuss the biggest trades that have happened because the trade deadline was yesterday (August 2nd).

This week, we’ve seen some unexpected things happening in Major League Baseball. For instance, the Yankees entered August in last place for the first time since 1990, and the Reds entered August in first place for the second time in the last 25 years. The Orioles lead the AL East for the first time since 2016, and the Texas Rangers lead their division for the first time since 2016. The Cardinals, usually contenders, entered August in last place for the first time since 1995. This season has been full of surprises.

One interesting trend is that the top four teams in payroll in the MLB are the New York Mets, the Phillies, the Padres, and the Yankees. However, three out of these four teams are not in playoff contention at the moment. The Mets, with the highest payroll ever, just had a fire sale, and the Padres and Yankees are also struggling this year. It’s a stark contrast to what was expected at the beginning of the season.

In terms of player performance, Shohei Ohtani continues to dominate. He was named the American League Player of the Week for hitting .300 with three home runs and a 1.282 OPS. He also threw a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts in one game. On the National League side, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets was named Player of the Week after hitting .304 with four home runs and a 1.197 OPS.

Now, let’s discuss the game of the week. On July 28th, the Cardinals faced the Cubs, and it was a thrilling contest. Lars Nootbaar of the Cardinals hit two home runs in the early innings, but the Cubs made a comeback. There were incredible defensive plays, including a spectacular throw by Tyler O’Neill and a game-saving catch by Mike Tauchman to rob a walk-off home run.

It was a back-and-forth affair with great defensive plays throughout, and the game ended with an unforgettable robbery of a potential walk-off home run. The Cubs celebrated the win as if they had won the World Series. It was an incredible game.

For more of the recap and new information from the MLB click the video below!

 

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. If you don’t know who Bobby V is, it’s worth a quick google search. We teach a proven curriculum which has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. BVSA was founded in 2006 and has been growing steadily ever since.

We have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Check out our valued partners section above to learn more about them. Parties and events for all ages, we do those too!

There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email [email protected] 

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 3

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 3

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 3 

Frankie – Back to the Bobby Valentine Sport show. I’m your host Frank Rampen, and I’m here with my dad, Frank Ramppen III. I’m Frank Ramppen IV, as you can tell. So today, we’re going to do a little bit of a different type of episode here. We’re going to do kind of a recap of when this account pops up on your feed. You see me talking about sports, you see me sitting here yelling, watching Shohei almost hit a home run, freaking out, and then you see Bobby Valentine at the top, and you’re wondering, who is this kid? Why is his name Bobby Valentine out there? Why is this? So today, me and my Dad, we’re going to go over the story of how we are connected to Bobby Valentine, and we’re going to go over the whole story of that. 

Frank – So, okay, let’s start with our real names. Yes, I’m actually Francis Ellsworth Anthony Ramppen III, and unfortunately, he is Francis Ellsworth Anthony Ramppen IV. Almost didn’t want to do that to him, wasn’t going to keep the tradition alive and name him the fourth, but my wife Michelle when she was pregnant, she was in the what was called the breach position, upside down, and like a week before her due date, they said, ‘Yeah, we’re going to have to have a caesarean because he’s in the Frank breech position.’ So I had to do it to the kids. Sorry about that. 

Frankie – Hey, it’s okay, it’s all right.

Frank – So the Bobby V story, yeah. So let’s get into it. Let’s start from the very beginning. We’re going to talk about when you were younger, getting out of high school, trying to become a college athlete, and just talk about your first interactions with Bobby and how you ended up meeting him. We both grew up in Stamford, and we both went to Rippowam High School. Bobby’s nine years older than me, and I had never met him. I went off to the University of Tampa to play baseball after my junior year. I was told I was getting drafted, and I had no idea what that meant. My parents knew nothing about sports. So I went to my summer league coach, Bob Kennedy, who was the sports editor of the Stamford Advocate at the time, and his dad was the ex-commissioner of the NBA. Do you know that? Yeah, he did not know that. I said, ‘Hey, Skip, you know, they’re telling me I might get drafted. I don’t know how that happened. You know how that happens.’ He goes, ‘Uh, go ask Bobby V.’ And I said, ‘I don’t know Bobby V. He’s the legend of our town. You know, I’ve known all of what he’s done and accomplished, and I didn’t know who he was.’ He goes, ‘I was just up Bobby, fifth overall pick out of high school out of Rippowam High School.’ Just to keep that into context, fifth. Unbelievable part of that legendary atmosphere around Bobby and recruited for the Collegiate and major league in NFL for baseball and football. I mean, you go to his restaurants, and that’s part of this whole story, and the letters on the wall of his recruiting process were absolutely unbelievable.

So, you know, Bob Kennedy tells me, ‘Go see Bobby Valentine.’ I don’t know Bobby Valentine. You know, a little intimidating. He’s a man, he’s a star. He goes, ‘Ah, he’s a great guy, blah, blah, hey, bro.’ He was just up at, it’s called, it’s not a high school anymore, but it was Trinity Catholic for the last bunch of years. It’s called Catholic High. He was up at a Catholic High baseball game. So I go wandering up there. I’m 20 years old at the time. I go wandering up. I know what he looks like, and I see him, and he’s got, of course, a bunch of people around him as always. I go up to him, and I say, ‘Hey, Bob, I’m Frank Ramppen.’ He goes, ‘Hey, hey, you know, Bobby’s charismatically, I know who you are. How you doing?’ And we, the two of us, still don’t know this story, but he got a piece of paper with my name written on it in his hand. Now, Bob Kennedy didn’t call him because there were no cell phones back then. It was the horse and muggage. This was the 1980s. There were no cell phones. Neither one of us understands that. But for some reason, he had my name written down and introduced myself. We talked for a couple seconds. I told him I was hoping to get drafted, and he, yeah, all excited. Bobby’s such a charismatic individual, as you know. I just asked him how the whole thing works, and he took me under his wing like a brother from that point on. That’s 43 years ago, and I’ve had a journey with him. And now, your experience in that journey and have been with Bobby V, and it’s been amazing. And I mean to complete that portion of it, he told me at the time, you know, now you watch it on TV. Back then, you get a telegram, really, a Western Union Telegram. So he says if you get drafted, you get notified by a Western Union Telegram, and a few days later, I go to the mailbox, and there it is from the Minnesota Twins that I got drafted. I remember, nobody was with me. I went jumping around all over the front lawn, and my mother was, ‘What are you, what are you doing?’ So I got drafted, and blah, blah, blah. So I notified Bobby that I got drafted. Congratulations, the whole deal. The big scout from the area, Herb Stein, came to our house to sign me, and he was actually the same person who signed Rod Carew. 

Frankie – Oh, really? 

Frank – Yeah, which there’s another little Rod Carew story there. I’ll get to that. So he comes to my house. It’s me and my mom. I think my sister was there, and Bobby and her were sitting there, and we’re talking about the whole thing. I got drafted in the 30th round. You know, there’s not a lot of money at that late round, and there wasn’t as much money in baseball, 30th round anymore. Yeah, and it’s not even a thing. Right? There was only 20 this year, and a couple years ago, what, they’re only six or something. I think there’s only ten. So this was funny. They offered me a $2500 signing bonus, and I’m sitting over there. My mom’s over there, and Bobby’s sitting right here, going like this, waving for me to ask for five, which I did, and they gave it to me, actually. So I have to make a decision at this point whether I’m gonna sign professionally to go play for the Minnesota Twins or go back for my senior year of college. So Bobby and I take a long walk down K-More street, and we’re talking about the pros and cons of the whole situation. You know, he’s giving me every bit of insight that he has from his life’s experience, and which was unbelievable. And we go back home, and I signed and became a Minnesota Twin that day. And then that night, Bobby invites me and my family down to Bobby Valentine’s Sports Gallery Cafe, which I ended up working, which is more part of the story. Legendary sports bar in Stamford, which had just opened a few months earlier, and we go down there. The place is packed, and he gets on the microphone. ‘Hey, I want to tell everybody, local guy Frank Ramppen gets drafted by the Minnesota Twins,’ and champagne and everything and picked up our tab. And it was just an amazing night, an amazing memory, but Bobby V was all over that thing. And that’s where it all began. 40, actually, the draft was, I think, was July 6th, so almost, you know, a couple of weeks away from 43 years. 

Frankie – Wow, yeah, that’s crazy. Pretty, pretty cool story there with, with Bobby. That’s really the first real Bobby story that you have him being there the whole time for that. That’s really cool. Yeah, so then you get drafted, you play for the Minnesota Twins in the minor leagues for, well, how many years? For four years, and then after that, you stay down in Florida for a couple of years and then end up coming back here and reconnect with Bobby. 

Frank – Yeah, but the story, the connection happens before. So while I’m playing, I’m taking classes at Sacred Heart because I didn’t graduate. So I’m taking classes and trying to make some money. I look in the newspaper, the Stamford Advocate, and I see an ad for a bartender wanted at Bobby Valentine’s. So I call up, and Bobby answers the phone, which is kind of unusual. And he says, ‘Hey, Bobby, it’s Frank Ramp. Hey, Bob. We’d stayed in touch through my playing days. I think he got, we actually hit a couple times in the off-season. Um, and how you doing? Blah, blah, blah.’ He said, ‘Hey, I see you got an ad in the paper for a bartender.’ He goes, ‘Yeah, you know how to bartend.’ He said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Come on down.’ So, I go down to the place, and he basically, he and I sat there behind the bar, leaned against the bar, up against the beer cooler at the end of the bar, and he was talking to me about stuff and showing me some ins and outs. And the next night, I’m bartending up, Bobby V’s this hopping place, which I ended up running when, like you said, when my career ended. I stayed down in Florida for a couple of years, living with my buddy Lou. 

For more from Frank on his history with Bobby Valentine click the video below!

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. If you don’t know who Bobby V is, it’s worth a quick google search. We teach a proven curriculum which has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. BVSA was founded in 2006 and has been growing steadily ever since.

We have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Check out our valued partners section above to learn more about them. Parties and events for all ages, we do those too!

There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email [email protected] 

 

 

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 2

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 2

The Bobby Valentine Sport Show: Episode 2

A pretty interesting and fun week in Major League Baseball, right? There’s a new team that has taken over the top spot in the American League. Instead of the Rays, who have been the team of the first half or the first two-thirds of the season in the American League, the Baltimore Orioles have stayed consistent over the past year. They have finally taken over as the best team in the American League East and the best team in the American League as a whole. They just took three of four against Tampa Bay, which is a tough place to play when they’re doing well. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson are leading this young Orioles team, and it’s very fun to watch. They also have Jordan Westburg and a lot of young stars making significant contributions.

Let’s talk about Ryan O’Hearn for a second. His batting average is over .300, and on July 27th, he’s arguably the Orioles’ most clutch hitter. It’s pretty ridiculous, and he’s been having a great season. The Orioles have a bunch of other players contending as well, like Jorge Mateo, Anthony Santander, and Ryan Mountcastle. This Orioles team is fun to watch, and they’ve already made significant moves in the American League by jumping over the Rays.

Moving on to something else I wanted to mention. I’m wearing my A’s shirt today, the “Sell the Team” shirt that I received. It’s a bit big on me because I got a double XL, but I’ve been trying to shrink it down by washing and drying it on high heat. This shirt is from the original reverse boycott game on June 13th in Oakland, and it was a ridiculous atmosphere with fans chanting “Sell the team” and “Stay in Oakland.”

The A’s scheduled their third fan-organized boycott, this time called the “Unite the Bay Boycott” because they were playing in San Francisco against the Giants. They called for Giants fans to unite with them to keep the A’s in Oakland. This was the third fan-organized protest of the season, with the first one being the reverse boycott on June 13th, and the second one happening during the All-Star Game. A’s and Giants fans are coming together to protest and show their support for their respective teams.

The Giants starter, Alex Cobb, couldn’t hear his pitch comm during the fifth inning when the “Sell the Team” chants came in. It was so loud that it affected the game, which shows the impact of these protests.

Now, let’s move on to our Outfield play of the week. This week, we’re featuring another center fielder, Riley Green from the Detroit Tigers. He made an incredible play in left-center field when Jake Cronenworth hit a ball that seemed like it would be an easy catch. However, the ball sliced away from Riley Green, and he had to make a last-second dive, making an awkward, but amazing, catch. It’s a fantastic play by Riley Green in center field.

That’s the recap for this week in Major League Baseball!

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. If you don’t know who Bobby V is, it’s worth a quick google search. We teach a proven curriculum which has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. BVSA was founded in 2006 and has been growing steadily ever since.

We have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Check out our valued partners section above to learn more about them. Parties and events for all ages, we do those too!

There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email [email protected] 

Ava Quinlan – First County Bank Athlete of the Month

Ava Quinlan - July Athlete of the Month

“At BVSA, Coach Matt and I do a ton of birthday parties… probably close to one hundred parties per year. They all vary in sports played, competitiveness between the kids, and time spent on each of a minimum of 2-3 sports.

Ava had her birthday party here last year and her and her teammates played ninety minutes of a legit softball game. We were blown away, we could not believe this is what the girls wanted to do and it was some of the most fun we ever had as coaches working a birthday party.”

Joe Wanderlingh, BVSA Instructor

Bobby Valentine’s First County Bank Athlete of the Month for July is Ava Quinlan! Ava is going into fourth grade at Springdale Elementary School,  and currently plays for the Stamford Stars 8u Red team. This isn’t just any 8u softball team, this team just recently earned a spot in the Babe Ruth World Series in Jensen Beach, Florida. Surprise, surprise, Ava was just awarded Player of the Game during the World Series Tournament!

Ava has played for the Stars for the last five years, starting at just four years old. This is her second year playing travel softball, and it has certainly been a successful one. She is hitting .614 and leading the team in RBIs with 26. She leads the team with 15 extra base hits, including her first career home run in the State Championship game. She ended up hitting for the cycle that game and took home MVP honors along with the championship trophy. 

Ava trains at BVSA in the offseason with Coach Danielle doing both hitting and pitching, and she has already verbally committed that she wants to work here when she is older.

Other than softball, Ava loves dancing at Center Stage Dance Studio and plays basketball for the Stamford Young Timers. Her favorite baseball team is the New York Yankees, with her favorite player being Aaron Judge. In ten years, you can find Ava starting at second base or on the mound for the University of Florida, as she already knows she wants to be a Gator.

We here at BVSA want to congratulate Ava Quinlan once more for earning this honor of First County Bank Athlete of the Month for July. She has made history as the youngest BVSA Athlete of the Month we’ve ever had, and we cannot wait to see her continue to grow into her game. Congratulations, Ava!

BVSA Sports Show: Episode 26

BVSA Sports Show: Episode 26

BVSA Sports Show: Episode 26 

Frank – Alrighty hello everybody and welcome back to the Bobby Valentine Sports show. So this week we’re going to be doing a little bit of a different type of episode because this week I was actually this past week I was actually in California with the man himself Bobby Valentine so I’m going to give you a little bit of a rundown of the past week that I was out there. I went to so from July 14th to the 21st, I went to that is eight days, an eight day span I went to seven MLB games, so pretty crazy stuff. I’m gonna break down all of those games for you and I actually was able to do an on-field interview at Angel Stadium with Bobby V and I’m going to show that to you. I haven’t watched the full thing back yet, so I’m gonna be watching it for the first time too with you guys so we’re gonna get that going. I’m gonna pull that up and then we’re gonna get into the seven games that I watched over this past week.

Alright so here’s me and Bobby on the field Angel Stadium we’ll get into it right now.

Bobby Valentine Interview:

Frank – Alright welcome back to the Bobby Valentine Sports show and we are here not in the regular studio today we’re in a different little PG we’re in Anaheim California at Angel Stadium and we’re here with the man himself Bobby Valentine. So Bobby was a 10-year professional baseball player, 23-year manager in the big leagues, two in the minor leagues, 16 years here in America and seven years in Japan. So Bobby thank you so much for taking the time to do this today.

Bobby – Right good to be with you dude let’s do it because everybody back there at BVSA wants to know what the Angels are doing because we’re playing against the Yankees right now.

Frank – Yeah alright so Angel Stadium is the fourth oldest stadium in all of baseball it’s only behind Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Dodger Stadium. So given the long history of this field and that you played here from 1973 to 1975, how has the stadium changed at all or stayed the same now that you’re here in 2023?

Bobby – Well a lot of it stayed the same, the entire horseshoes basically the same but when Disney bought the team from Gene Archie the old singing Cowboy they put on the field the ambiance with the big scoreboard. They moved the big “A” out in the parking lot now it’s just being left there but it’s all cool you know it’s a nice stadium. It’s old but it’s friendly.

Frank – Very nice very nice, I think it gets a bad rap personally. I think for most three; Fenway, Wrigley and Dodgers Stadium, it seems the newest of all those.

Bobby – It’s you know the 60s is a long time ago and that’s when it was built so it’s probably time for a new one soon.

Frank – Alright so now that you are working for the Angels yeah and the general manager of the Angels, Perry Minasian.  So I know that you have a relationship with Perry you work with him all the time but what is your background with Perry Minasian and the Minasian family throughout the years and would you like to elaborate on that story?

Bobby – Yeah Perry was a bat boy for me matter of fact at nine years old he was a bat boy for Nolan Ryan’s sixth no-hitter. We’re in Oakland against your favorite team and Nolan Ryan was throwing a no-hitter, his dad was by clubhouse guy in 1968. His dad’s dad was a very good friend of Tommy Lasordas that’s why he had the job as the clubhouse guy in 68′ then it became a clubhouse guy in Texas for 33 years his kids grew up in baseball. Perry’s one of them, his brother Zach is a vice president with the Giants, his brother Calvin is the head of equipment for the Atlanta Braves so it’s a real baseball family. 

Frank – So pretty cool stuff there a lot of history between Bobby V and the Minasian family. Obviously he’s active Clubhouse manager and the bat boy Perry and now the GM of the Angels so pretty cool kind of a circle wrap around story coming back in the beginning so cool stuff there. So moving on to the Angels team the inevitable question that I have to ask what do you think the future holds for Shohei Ohtani. So I’m going to jump in here and pause it for the first time. I don’t know if you guys notice here but I mean obviously we’re on the field and it was about 95 degrees on the field that day and obviously Bobby’s a pretty well-known icon, pretty good pretty famous face. As more and more people were filling up the stadium more and more people were gathering around and watching what Bobby was doing right here so I’m a little nervous here if you can’t tell. But I think this is kind of funny to watch back but if you can’t tell here I’m a little nervous so let’s get into the next question here.

Bobby – Yeah greatness is in his future he’s already spectacular and he’s going to be great for many years hopefully he’s going to be great for the Angels, no telling what will happen if his agent decides that he wants to stay here obviously we’ll get a contract done in the winter time. But if the agent says in the next 10 days then he wants to go somewhere else that a trade has to be made and some lucky team will have this great services for probably the next 10 or 12 years.

Frank – And it’s going to be interesting to see what teams are willing to offer for that generational talent that he is or what teams we willing to pay for the generational talent that he is.

Bobby – They have to pay the Angels, they have to pay in players and then they have to pay him in yeah dollars or Bitcoin or something that he wants or whatever you want. 

Frank – Yeah so continuing with the Shohei Ohtani theme, so in your opinion Bobby how long do you think that Shohei will be able to keep up his dominance as both a hitter and a pitcher.

Bobby – There’s no reason to doubt anything about Shohei Ohtani, people doubted him coming in and he’s proving everyone wrong and I think he’s just that special guy. He sleeps better than anyone ever recorded you know goes into deep zen like that sits so he can recover better than anybody I’ve ever been around and he runs faster, throws faster, hits it further does the whole nine yards better than anybody else on the planet so I don’t doubt him. I think he could do it as long as he wants to and I think he wants to do it for as long as his contract stays so no one could ever duplicate what he’s doing.

For more from Bobby and this awesome interview click the link below!

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. If you don’t know who Bobby V is, it’s worth a quick google search. We teach a proven curriculum which has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. BVSA was founded in 2006 and has been growing steadily ever since.

We have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Check out our valued partners section above to learn more about them. Parties and events for all ages, we do those too!

There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email [email protected] 

BVSA Sports Show: Episode 25

BVSA Sports Show: Episode 25

BVSA Sports Show: Episode 25

Hello everyone and welcome to the Bobby Valentine Sports Show. I’m your host Frank Ramppen, and we’re going to do another solo episode this week. So this week, we got a couple of things to talk about, a lot of things to talk about, actually, a very eventful week in the world of baseball. We’re going to talk about the All-Star break, talk about the Home Run Derby, talk about the All-Star Game, those surprise events that happened, those surprise winners of maybe one of those things, the MVP of the All-Star game, that’s for sure. We’re going to talk about the MLB updates at the halfway point as this is the All-Star break going into the second half of the season. We’ll talk about a bunch of those different division matchups going into the second half, and then I’ll make a prediction for each division at the end of this episode. So stay tuned for that one.

So we’ll start off with our past week recap, and well, the first thing we’ll talk about is the All-Star break. The first thing that happened on this All-Star break, obviously, was Monday night was the Home Run Derby, and the winner of the Home Run Derby, if anyone hadn’t seen, was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. So great job to Vladi. Actually, his dad, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., won the Home Run Derby in 2007, making it the first time ever that a father-son duo has won the Home Run Derby. So pretty cool stuff there. We’ll get more into that later. We’ll talk about the Home Run Derby. We’ve got a whole All-Star segment. And then the All-Star Game MVP is Elias Diaz of the Colorado Rockies. The first time a Colorado Rockie has ever won MVP of the All-Star Game and the fourth most long-shot player of all the players listed as All-Stars to win MVP going into the game. So pretty crazy stuff, pretty unexpected stuff. And the National League came home with the win, obviously, on the Elias Diaz two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning. This was the first win by the National League in the All-Star Game since 2012. So nine years in a row, it was the second longest streak by any team in All-Star Game history by the AL, nine years in a row. So the first time they won since 2012. And a couple of things that were going on in 2012: that was the first year that Bryce Harper and Mike Trout made All-Star appearances. So think about that. They were both, I think, 19 years old when that happened. They’re both going into their 30s years old now. Mike Trout, to dad. So that’s pretty crazy to think about. That’s how long it’s been since the National League has even won the All-Star Game. So pretty cool. We’ll get more into that later.

So we have the first combined no-hitter in Detroit Tigers history that happened the other day. So the Tigers and their storied franchise, they’ve had nine no-hitters in their history, and this is the first time that’s ever been combined. So that’s pretty crazy to think about that the Tigers have had nine in total, but this is the first time that the starting pitcher didn’t go the distance. So that shows you how baseball’s changed over the years. Probably it’s been a while since the last actually Spencer Turnbull threw one a couple of years ago. So good stuff there for the Tigers. Matt Manning started that game off with six and two-thirds innings without a hit before he was taken out with two outs in the seventh inning. Jason Foley stepped in to get the final out of the seventh, followed that with a hitless eighth as well. And then Alex Lang, the Detroit Tigers closer, came in, and he was forced to face the top of the order. So that top of the order of the Toronto Blue Jays is not so easy, like we talked about before. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in that top three. He had to face him, last Home Run Derby winner. Bo Bichette led off, so that’s another All-Star right there. And those two guys hit around Brandon Belt, so another solid hitter. So he faced Bo Bichette, got him, Brandon Belt, and then had to face the Home Run Derby champion, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., got him to ground out to third to complete the first-ever combined no-hitter in Detroit Tigers history. So pretty cool stuff there, great stuff for Matt Manning, Jason Foley, and Alex Lang, as it’s been a pretty tough season for the Tigers overall. But I mean, who knows? They’re only five games out of the hunt in the Central, and the AL Central is completely up for grabs, so anything can happen there, and that could kickstart them to go in the right direction.

Another headline we have here in our past week recap is, of course, Elly De La Cruz, because he just again does the unthinkable whenever he steps on a baseball field. He’s truly becoming a must-watch talent every single night. It’s getting to be ridiculous. So they were playing a huge series against the Brewers that I touched on last week, last week’s episode, starting Friday, they played a three-game set. They actually ended up losing the set two games out of three. But on Saturday, with the game tied 5-5 late in the game, I believe it was the seventh inning, Elly De La Cruz had it was in an 0-2 count, and he ripped an RBI single into left field to score TJ Friedl from third base. So then he’s on first after he just drove in the go-ahead run late in the game. What does he do two pitches later? Takes off without a very, very close play. He was in there. He’s the fastest man, quote-unquote, in the world, so he steals second base two pitches into the next at-bat. What does he do next pitch? Gets an unbelievably huge jump, takes off for third, right? Takes off for third. There’s not even a throw made to third. He’s just there standing up. He’s got no chance. So the catcher, William Contreras, looks at him. I’m pulling up the video right here. We’re gonna have it for you too. So he takes off for second. This throw from Willy Contreras is pretty good, one-hop throw on the bag. Elly De La Cruz is in there safely, no chance, not a chance. So after that, he’s like, “All right, I’m gonna just chill out here for a sec, fix my hair, do a couple of this.” William Contreras is like, “Oh, geez, what am I doing now? Oh, boy.” De La Cruz brushes off the pants, get himself ready, and what does he do now? The next pitch, he gets an absolutely ridiculous jump. And he would have beaten Brian Anderson to the bag anyway because they were shifted slightly. But Brian Anderson didn’t even try to go to third base. He beat him to the bag, and William Contreras didn’t even have a chance to make a throw. Ridiculous stuff, and Elly De La Cruz just decides to round third, fix his helmet a little bit, fix his hair, do a little bit of this, put his helmet back on, and he sees William Contreras flip the ball back to the pitcher, and he sees the pitcher kind of just turn around, not really paying attention to him. He sneaks off a little bit more, a little bit more, and then he just breaks for the plate. And the pitcher turns around, he’s got no chance, throws it wild home. Eli De La Cruz slides in safely. So he just drove in the go-ahead run, stole second and third, and home in two pitches. People don’t do that. The things that he does, nobody does them. He’s an absolute freak of nature. Nobody does the things that he does. He’s an absolute freak of nature. So we’ll get more into the Reds, we’ll get more into Elly De La Cruz, but what a ridiculous highlight from the 21-year-old. Like, what a ridiculous… And he became the second player in the expansion era to steal three bases in one plate appearance, and he was the youngest player ever to do that. So what he’s doing is just ridiculous.

Moving on to the last couple of segments of the past week recap. The first one will be the AL Player of the Week. This past week, Logan Gilbert was the AL Player of the Week. He made two starts. In both starts, he got the win, was 2-0. He pitched 16 innings in those two games, a 0.56 ERA with 13 strikeouts and no walks. So, wow, crazy week there for Logan Gilbert. And on the 4th of July, he had his first career complete game, CG. So, nice job there. And then we’ll move on to the NL Player of the Week was Manny Machado. In the six games this week, Manny Machado hit .478 with four bombs, 13 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.599, basically 1600 OPS throughout the week. So, what a ridiculous line there for both Logan Gilbert and Manny Machado. Great job for both of them to win their respective leagues Player of the Week.

For more on this past All-Star Weekend and some updates on the MLB standings click the video below!

Contact Us!

Here at BV Sports Academy, we are a passionate group of dedicated baseball and softball instructors with some pretty impressive resumes. More importantly we have been educated by Bobby Valentine himself. If you don’t know who Bobby V is, it’s worth a quick google search. We teach a proven curriculum which has developed some of the finest talent in our area, and we’re just getting started. BVSA was founded in 2006 and has been growing steadily ever since.

We have been blessed to be joined by some of the top programs around when it comes to other sports like lacrosse and soccer. Check out our valued partners section above to learn more about them. Parties and events for all ages, we do those too!

There is something for everyone at BVSA. We look forward to helping all athletes become the best they can be. If you would like to book anything or have any further questions, please email [email protected]Â