Columbia star gets shot at ‘next level’
Odds are, the rookielevel Gulf Coast League has never seen a prospect like Joey Falcone.
He’s 28 years old, served three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as a medic with the Marines and went undrafted — but the former Columbia University star was given a shot by the Yankees following a breakout senior season in which he led the Lions to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year and to within one win of the Super Regionals.
“I always had it in the back of my mind that I hoped it would happen,” referring to a potential professional career. “I’m excited and happy to play at the next level and keep on improving, working my way forward. I didn’t know if it was possible. I hoped it was possible.”
Falcone, the son of former Mets pitcher Pete Falcone, made his professional debut Wednesday with the SingleA GCL Yankees. He went 1for4.
“It’s something he wanted a long time, even when he was with the military, the itch to play baseball,” Pete Falcone said. “He’s going for it. He’s going to give his 100 percent and better. We’re all happy and grateful.”
For him to even get to this point is remarkable.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 17 — academic woes eliminated Division I baseball at the time — and spent much of the next six years serving overseas. When he returned home to Brooklyn, he walked on at Division III College of Staten Island. He hit .336 that year, was the City University of New York Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and led the Dolphins to the conference title.
After transferring to Columbia and enjoying a solid first season after sitting out a year, Falcone hardly played as a junior, struggling immensely at the plate. He was benched. He considered quitting.
Instead, he played summer baseball with the Monmouth Monarchs of the Atlantic Baseball Confederation, and rediscovered his swing under the tutelage of former Yankees prospect Eric Duncan. He hit .323 with 11 homers and 54 RBIs for Columbia last season on his way to unanimous first team AllIvy League honors and spot on the ABCA/Rawlings AllNortheast Region squad.
Still, professional baseball seemed like a long shot. So Falcone began sending out letters to teams and the Yankees were the first to respond, bringing Falcone to their minor league complex in Tampa, Fla., for an extended tryout before eventually signing him. Now Falcone, a decade older than several of his teammates, is getting his shot.