Hall of Fame
Michael J. Fennell ’82 – Class of 1994
Power…
Crack. The sound echoes across sandlots and stadiums; and those who love the game can savor the delicious arc of the ball with eyes closed. They know from the timbre of that sound whether it’s a rope or a can of corn; whether it’s gone or playable; and somewhere in their mind is the echo of Mel Allen, or Vince Scully, or Harry Caray: “Going…Going…Gone!”
Power. The ability to transfer maximum energy from a bat to a ball. No athletic attribute is more complex. It requires the subtlety of reflexes and exquisite timing; the brute strength of a sturdy frame; the discipline of endless hours of practice to perfect the art.
His coach remembers him as the first player he ever saw park a ball on the roof across Springfield Road.
A teammate calls him the “heart and soul” of a series of Dolphin baseball teams that complied a four- year record of 132-26, earning post-season berths each year, including two trips to the College World Series.
Anyone who watched Le Moyne baseball in those years understood the thrill of the possibilities as he stepped into the box. He had power. Catching and playing first base, he drove in more than a run a game as a Dolphin. His four-year average was .368, and 40 percent of his hits were for extra bases, including 25 round-trippers. In his senior year, he was selected catcher on the Baseball Coaches Association All – America Team after hitting .433 with nine homers and 40 RBI in 33 games.
Five seasons of pro ball followed Le Moyne, and then three as the bullpen catcher for the New York Yankees. He continues to coach and volunteer his talent.
But his coach and fellow players recall he meant something more to his team than the ability to rocket a baseball. They recall his dad, with a knot of other members of the Dolphin family, at virtually every game…They recall an openness, a wit that enlivened many a trip and made the games fun…They recall a polish and charisma that simply translates: class.
The power behind some of the finest teams to wear green and gold on the diamond, Michael J. Fennell ’82 is inducted into the Le Moyne College Athletic Hall of Fame.
February 5, 1994
