3/26/2023 0 Comments Bill masse![]() ![]() "His ability to run was the difference-maker, he really got down the line. ![]() He had something to prove in every at-bat. ![]() Stankiewicz recalled Gardner's attitude, one of a player who hadn't forgotten about being snubbed in college. 284 on a team that included five other future Major Leaguers, most notably infielder Eduardo Nunez, who reached the Bronx a year after Gardner helped the Yankees to the 2009 World Series. Gardner, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored in the Yankees' 3-2 walk-off win over Auburn to win the crown that September, batted. There, he helped the Baby Bombers go 52-24 and claim the New York-Penn League championship under Stankiewicz, a former infielder who spent the first two of his seven big league seasons with New York. He began his pro career in 2005 in Staten Island, a few miles and a ferry ride away from Yankee Stadium. Gardner joined the Yankees after the organization scouted him as a senior, when he led all of college baseball in hits. He was a thin, speedy outfielder with no power, and yet last year, he at times led the historically high-powered Yankees in homers and stolen bases.īrett Gardner, a walk-on, was the College of Charleston's highest-drafted player in the school's history. Gardner's story is rare and heartwarming, a tale that countless Little Leaguers and high school kids believe can be their path to the Majors some day. "I was fortunate enough to get called back several weeks later to work out with the team, and it ended up working out." "If I was a coach, I'd be like, 'This kid's not going to cut it,'" Gardner told The New York Times in 2009 of his failed tryout at Charleston. Gardner, at 5-foot-10 and 135 pounds, didn't leave the team again until the Yankees selected him in the third round of the Draft four years later. Gardner got a second chance at his career several days later when Charleston's coach, moved by the note, invited the outfielder to show up for practice, with no guarantee of sticking around. So the legends goes, Gardner was aided by a late-night letter penned by his father, Jerry, who'd reached Double-A with the Phillies. One of 26 aspiring players, Gardner - not recruited in high school - tried out for the College of Charleston as a walk-on. "He was a little bulldog in the way he approached the game," Stankiewicz said.īut long before Gardner arrived at a tiny ballpark in Staten Island, New York, he was a 17-year-old kid with the goal of playing college baseball. Masse is driven to ensure that our rural communities will be a place where his own children, grandchildren, and future generations can continue to thrive.Stankiewicz, who made his Major League debut with the Yankees in 1992, was Gardner's first professional manager after the 21-year-old outfielder from South Carolina was drafted by New York in 2005. His volunteer service extends to many other community Boards as well, and he is a huge supporter of local youth sports and 4-H. During his time on the Solvista board, he has championed efforts to launch a new Child & Family location on South Ninth Street and The Pulse school-based health center at Cañon City Middle School, as well as the recently completed crisis stabilization facility in Salida. Masse consistently advocates for preserving the local voice in behavioral health and healthcare and is a staunch advocate for rural Colorado communities. ![]() Masse retired from his work as a pharmacist in 2019 but continued his volunteer service on the Solvista board. He saw first-hand in his 43 years at Palace Drug how critical it is that individuals with behavioral health needs have compassionate and dedicated treatment providers to meet their unique needs. As the long-time owner of Palace Drug and a pharmacist, he has brought years of valuable experience to his service on the Solvista Health Board of Directors. Masse has been a dedicated member of Solvista Health’s Board of Directors since 2009. CBHC is the statewide advocacy organization for community mental health and substance use treatment. As a result of his accomplishments as a Solvista board member, Masse was also recognized at last week’s Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council (CBHC) 50th Annual Conference with the Mover of Mountains Award. Solvista Health recently announced Bill Masse was named 2022 Board Member of the Year. ![]()
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