Following a two-year hiatus, the East Haven Junior American Legion baseball team has returned under the guidance of new Head Coach Anthony Maggiore this summer. Anthony, who played baseball at North Branford High School before graduating in 1993, is an East Haven Legion alum who currently lives in town. Now, Anthony has an opportunity to give back to the 89ers, and he’s hoping to get East Haven’s top ballplayers to participate in the program.

“My goal is to keep the best talent in East Haven together. The hiatus was due to AAU baseball getting more popular, so a lot of kids took a vacation from the local leagues,” says Anthony, whose squad is off to a 5-1 start. “My goal here is to keep the talent here and showcase it in East Haven. Whether a kid is going to Xavier, Notre Dame, East Haven High School, or Career Magnet, we want to bring them back here and train with them over the summer.”

89ers’ General Manager Lou Ciaramella feels thrilled to have Anthony leading the Junior Legion program as its head coach. Ciaramella has known Anthony since coaching him down at The Pit in the Foxon Recreation League. In fact, Anthony received the John Brady Memorial Sportsmanship Award while playing for Ciaramella nearly 30 years ago.

“He would periodically call me to check in and, finally, this winter he called me, noting he had a group of kids and was looking to make a move into the Legion program. So, that’s how we got together and put the team in,” Ciaramella says. “We’re hoping we can continue the Junior team. After two years of not having one, I’m glad it’s back, and they’re a really good team.”

Anthony was a highly regarded baseball player in the area when he suffered a shoulder injury during the summer between his sophomore and junior years at North Branford. Anthony was a shortstop and had a scholarship offer to play at Liberty University. Unfortunately, Anthony’s aspirations of continuing his career in college took a big hit when he dislocated his shoulder.

“I had the surgery going into my junior year and played with a brace on during my junior and senior seasons,” Anthony says. “I barely got through my senior year.”

Anthony says that his senior season was difficult to deal with. After having been a varsity starter since his freshman year, Anthony struggled while captaining the T-Birds as a senior. He thought that his days in the game of baseball might be finished.

However, Anthony was reintroduced to sport after his first-born son AJ started playing. Anthony began coaching and worked his way up the ladder from tee-ball to Little League to travel ball and, now, the East Haven Junior Legion team.

“It was hard. I went through a period of slight depression about it, because baseball was life. Scouts watching you, a Division I scholarship, it was a big deal,” says Anthony of his injury. “It was hurtful, but I was able to get back on my feet, work through it, and give back to the community. Why give up on baseball?”

Along with his passion for baseball, Anthony is also into martial arts. Anthony was a Grand Champion of New England in forms and fighting and uses what he’s learned from martial arts to shape his style as a baseball coach.

“Martial arts is something that taught me discipline. With it, comes respect,” says Anthony. “You have to have respect for the game and respect for your coaches. That’s a key factor in getting to the next level.”

Anthony believes that baseball is a game of development with a focus on training for the next level, and one of his top priorities as a coach is helping his players reach their next level—whatever that may be. Anthony emphasizes that having the right attitude and good grades can pave the road for them to play in college. Above all, Anthony wants his athletes to succeed in all walks of life, and he gets great pleasure from seeing them mature both on and off the diamond.

“To see them transition into skilled baseball players and call you coach, it’s an honor for me. They look up to you and basically follow your lead,” Anthony says. “We cover it all through baseball. You teach that it cannot only be a sport, but a lesson in life—how to be strategic, how to win, and how to handle yourself. It’s a game of failure, but if you succeed three out of 10 times, you’re doing well. The biggest thing is seeing these kids become men and do something with themselves.”