Rain ruins Upper Deck coaches’ reunion with Collette
Mello, Allard left Post 10 in 2016 to run Upper Deck
PAWTUCKET – Thanks to recent St. Raphael Academy graduate Pat Fleming’s two-run, two-out single in the bottom of the third inning of a R.I. American Legion Senior Division League tilt against Upper Deck Post 14/86 on Friday night, Collette Vacations/Riverside Post 10 snared a 2-1 cushion.
The way Bishop Feehan High senior-to-be and southpaw Colin Gauthier was commanding the strike zone, Collette seemed destined to earn a second consecutive victory, but the umpiring crew and the 75 or so fans on hand saw lightning at 6:58 p.m., and the officials immediately called a standard 30-minute delay.
Perhaps 20 minutes later, the umps signaled Upper Deck assistants Matt Allard and Mike Murphy to the plate at Slater Park’s Ted McConnon Memorial Field along with Post 10 skipper Jim Russo and assistant Chris Licata for a meeting. Following an approximate 10-minute chat, the game was called on account of the somber forecast.
But that’s only half the story. While neither Allard nor Russo knew whether the contest would resume – the two
foes will face off again on Friday, July 14 (6 p.m.) at Chet Nichols Memorial Field in Lincoln – or they would start anew, all spoke of the long-awaited reunion.
The reason: Last late August, Collette manager Jim Mello, Allard and Murphy decided to jump from Post 10 to coach Upper Deck, the defending state and Northeast American Legion champion. Former mentor Steve Reynolds Jr. and his assistants had decided to step down after a third-place showing at the American Legion Worl Series, and UD GM Steve Reynolds Sr. asked Mello and Co. shortly thereafter if they’d be interested in the new gig.
According to Allard, Mello couldn’t make the showdown due to an important family obligation, but he admitted seeing his former players provided a truly emotional reunion.
“It was a little odd,” Allard grinned after the postponement. “I mean, Jim, Mike and I had coached those guys for 14 years, and (Friday) we were on the other side of the (dugout) fence, the diamond. It’s funny because you’re on the other side, but you know all of the (Collette) kids’ tendencies.
“Look at Flem,” he added with a laugh. “I knew he was going to spray (that go-ahead hit) to right because he’d do that when we were coaching. You have to give him credit; it gave them the lead at the time.
“I will say this: If we had lost, 21, I’d be kicking myself for pitching to him. I shouldn’t have because he’s a really good hitter.”
After pausing, he noted, “Jim has coached some of them in high school (at St. Raphael), and Mike and I know them from Legion ball. They become like your kids; they’re like family, but now we’re part of a new family. These kids with Upper Deck, they’re a great group, and you could see from Day One why they’ve been so successful. It’s the mentality of the guys coming from the two towns (Lincoln and Cumberland, for the most part.
“They’re so disciplined. They come to every practice and every game early and work really hard. It’s a typical Upper Deck team. We were down, 2-1, but we never felt out of it, even though Gauthier pitched a great (almost half a) game.
“Despite all that, it was great to see our old guys again.”
When asked how he felt about Mello and his staff’s departure, Collette shortstop and East Providence High 2016 grad Adam Duarte stated, “It was their choice, and you’ve got to respect it. Jim told us why, so you just deal. They were really good coaches.”
Stated Fleming, who indicated he’d be a bit miffed if league officials decided they’d have to replay the game from the start: “It was a little weird facing them again. Jim sent us a text last year and wrote that it wasn’t anything personal, that they loved coaching us, but it was better for his family, and for Matt’s and Mike’s, too.
“Jim’s a good manager,” he continued. “He was my assistant at Saints. I saw Murph on the way in and said, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ We talked a little, but we were thinking about the game.”
During the postponement chat at home, UD assistant Zach Mitsmenn and Post 10’s Licata greeted each other with a hug. The two had faced off when the former was at SRA and the latter a Townie.
“It was good to see him again,” Mitsmenn said. “I didn’t know he was with Collette.”
Offered Licata: “We’re old baseball friends, and we’ve played some basketball together, too.”
As for the clash itself, Gauthier scattered a mere three hits and a walk while whiffing five in 3 2/3 frames. Post 14/86’s lone run came in the second, when Trevor Marques, a 2016 Lincoln grad now representing Wheaton College’s squad, ripped a leadoff hit to right, took second on a wild pitch and scored on LHS sophomore Connor Benbenek’s ground single to left.
On the play, it appeared catcher Dylan Boisclair had received third baseman Ray Aponte’s relay toss and tagged out Marques (who didn’t slide), but the home-plate ump saw it differently.
“I thought he was right on,” Licata stated of his lefty. “He got ahead of a lot of batters.”
Russo explained Gauthier’s curveball “was awesome. We don’t know yet if we’re going to resume play or do it all again from scratch. We have to contact the league office and see what they say.”
At that point, Fleming wasn’t thinking about baseball.
“Hey, tell Mello he still owes us tickets to the Mike Stud concert!” he smiled widely, referring to the former SRA standout righty who attended and played for Duke and is now a rock star with his own cableTV show. (Mike “Stud” Seander and Mello, a Saints’ grad himself, have been buddies for several years).
“He told us before he left he’d get them for us, and we’re still waiting!”