North Ward Center Newsletter

This article originally ran Jan. 29, 2009 on nj.com

As youngsters growing up in and around Newark, Hector Santiago, David Genao, Burt Reynolds, and Trevor Reckling spent their summers playing for the North Ward Center's RBI All-Star team.

Now, as young adults, they're living their dream of playing professional baseball.

All four have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams and are playing in the farm-team system as they hone their skills in preparation for the day they are called up into the majors.

 

"Our goal has never been to create professional baseball players. Our goal is to teach children about the values of practice, commitment and teamwork," said Rashard Casey, the director of Youth Development and Recreation for the North Ward Center. "But it's still great feeling knowing that four of our players have made it to professional baseball."
Santiago, 21, pitched last season for the Kannapolis Intimidators, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. After the season, he played winter ball for Criollos de Caguas in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League.

Santiago, of Puerto Rican descent, played in the Ironbound Little League, the Roberto Clemente Little League and the Rick Cerone Little League, (now called the North Ward Center Little League).

During the four years he played for the North Ward Center's RBI All-Stars from 2002-06, the team, coached by Edwin Ortiz, made it to the national World Series two times. In 2002, the All Stars traveled to Chicago, losing a close game to a team from Atlanta. In 2005, the team again made it to the World Series, this time in Pittsburg, where it lost to Los Angeles.

Santiago said playing with the North Ward Center's All Stars gave him opportunities he otherwise wouldn't have had.

"We had a lot of chances to travel and go places where there were professional scouts," Santiago said. "We played in big tournaments and had a lot of chances to showcase ourselves. Instead of going to scouts, the scouts came to us."

Santiago said playing for a farm team is not easy, but he wouldn't trade it.
"The pay isn't great, but you are getting paid to do something you love," Santiago said.

Santiago attended Essex Catholic his freshman year before transferring to Bloomfield Technology High School. He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 30th Round while attending Okaloosa-Walton College (now known as Northwest Florida State College). During his first year in professional baseball, he played for the Bristol Sox in the Appalachian League.

Genao, 22, a catcher, played in the Ironbound Little League before joining the North Ward Center's RBI All Stars. Like Santiago, he played on the All Stars from 2002-06.

Genao, of Dominican descent, is a 2004 graduate of St. Benedicts High School in Newark, where he batted .578 as a senior. He attended Globe Institute of Technology in New York and continued his education at Oral Roberts University, where he played in 39 games for the Golden Eagles during the 2007 season.

In the summer of 2007, he played for the Haymarket Senators in the Valley Baseball League and the Peninsula Oilers in the Alaska Baseball League. After graduating from Oral Roberts in 2008, he was signed by the Tampa Bay Rays.
He spent the 2008 season with the Princeton Rays, the Appalachian League Rookie affiliate of the Rays and is expected to return to the team this year.

Reynolds, 20, a third baseman, also spent last season on the Princeton Rays. Born in San Pedro de Macoris and raised in Newark, Reynolds played in the Rick Cerone Little League as well as the North Ward Center's All Stars.

A 2006 graduate of Bloomfield Technology High School, he was signed as a "draft and follow" by the Washington Nationals and attended Okaloosa Walton college for one year. But he was injured and couldn't play. In 2007, he returned to his birthplace to play baseball. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008. Reynolds' cousin, Robinson Cano, is the second baseman for the New York Yankees.

Reckling, 19, a left-handed pitcher, played in the Irvington Little League before he won a slot on the North Ward Center's All-Star team when he was 14.

A 2007 graduate of St. Benedicts, Reckling was drafted in the 8th round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He played his first year with the Rookie level Angels in the Arizona league. Last season, he played in Iowa for the Cedar Rapids Kernals, the Single A affiliate of the Angels.

This upcoming season, he is expected to play for the Rancho Cugomungo Quakes, the Angels' High A affiliate.
The North Ward Center fields about 30 teams each year for boys and girls ages 5-16. Games are played at a new, state-of-the-art facility at Branch Brook Park.

The North Ward Center also runs the RBI program for Newark. RBI or Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities, is sponsored by Major League Baseball as a way to provide disadvantaged youth an opportunity to learn the game. The program has a junior level for players 13-15 and a senior level for players 16-18.