Still having a blast
Bethlehem Catholic’s Mike Grasso has spent 44 years in the dugout and will soon reach 1,500 games coached
Since he started coaching 44 years ago, Bethlehem Catholic’s Mike Grasso has tracked each game spent on the sidelines.
His next milestone will carry added meaning.
Weather permitting, Grasso will reach 1,500 games coached across multiple sports and levels this week. He sits three games shy of the milestone with Bethlehem Catholic’s baseball team scheduled to face Central Catholic, Nazareth and Pocono Mountain West this week.
Grasso, in his 32nd season leading Bethlehem Catholic’s baseball program, has never missed a game. He wasn’t sure that streak would continue in 2019.
Grasso had January surgery to repair back damage he sustained after an August fall. He also endured partial seizures that would cause him to lose focus.
Grasso praised his doctors for allowing him to start the season on time.
“It was emotional for me, thinking about being eight games away and not reach this personal goal,” Grasso said. “It was something I was shooting for for a long time. When I reached 900 in baseball, I figured 1,000 in baseball was there too, and I’m close to that 1,500 mark [overall].
“I was really blessed. My wife [Kathy] was my biggest fan. To do something like this, you have to have people behind you. I’ve worked for wonderful principals over these years, and truly Kathy has been such a great impact in my life.”
The always energetic Grasso has needed to adjust to changed dynamics on the baseball field. He now wears a helmet at all times on doctor’s orders. He no longer coaches third base, as his doctors want him protected from errant foul balls.
Grasso said he feels like a caged animal since he’s in the dugout and not on the field when Bethlehem Catholic hits. The move hasn’t diminished his passion for baseball.
The Golden Hawks endured a tough week, losing three straight after a 2-0 start. Grasso said his seniors have provided great leadership win or lose.
“They pick people up,” Grasso said. “I can’t say enough about our whole senior class. It’s been a wonderful experience having those seniors around.”
Grasso has seen a bit of everything in 44 years coaching baseball plus the 21 he spent with soccer, five with girls basketball and 10 with football. He welcomes whatever the rest of this season brings.
“I come into school every day or on the fields every day, and it feels like my birthday,” Grasso said. “I have so much fun doing what I do. I’ve been really blessed in my life.”
College corner
Northampton Community College climbed to fourth in the latest NJCAA Division III rankings. The Spartans carried a 19-4 record into a Sunday doubleheader against Monroe Community College (New York).
Bangor High School graduate Carson Freeman, the Morning Call’s 2016 baseball player of the year, has slashed .338/.427/ .631 for East Stroudsburg University. He had 12 extra-base hits in 20 games entering Sunday.
Junior second baseman Ian Csencsits (Northampton) became the 35th player in Moravian history to reach 100 career hits with a sixth-inning RBI single Tuesday against Albright. He entered Sunday hitting .349 with 25 runs and 14 RBIs in 23 games.