Mets Pitcher Offers CGI Campers Some Tips

Greenwich, CT, Aug 8th ’07 — Stamford’s Ephraim Zucker stepped into the batter’s box yesterday against New York Mets lefty pitcher Scott Schoeneweis.

With a mighty swing of a plastic bat, the 8-year-old smacked a single. After a teammate’s hit, Ephraim raced past third base to try to score, but he couldn’t elude the tag by Schoeneweis.

It was just a fun game of softball at Camp Gan Israel, but with a Major League Baseball player involved, everything seems more exciting.

“You just got tagged out by Scott Schoeneweis,” a camp counselor told Ephraim. “Not too many people can say that.”

Ephraim nodded in agreement, although he was clearly disappointed he didn’t score. But he was excited about Schoeneweis, who is Jewish, spending the morning teaching campers how to play baseball. The camp, now in its 10th year, is for Jewish children in Greenwich and Stamford and includes a variety of activities in athletics and the arts.

Schoeneweis’ son, Hudson, attends the summer camp. Schoeneweis, 33, a relief pitcher from Scottsdale, Ariz., who has spent eight years in the majors with five teams, was signed to a free agent contract last winter by the Mets.

Schoeneweis gave lessons to several groups of campers and pitched — underhand — during a softball game on the Westchester/Fairfield Hebrew Academy campus on Lake Avenue.

“He can teach us how to be baseball players,” Ephraim said.

As for his base hit off the Mets hurler, Ephraim wasn’t impressed. “He’s not going to throw as hard as he could,” Ephraim said. But if he did throw his 90-mph fastball? Ephraim said he could “probably” still get a hit.

Schoeneweis told the aspiring ballplayers that he was more likely to be impressed by their sportsmanship than by their throwing and pitching abilities as he made sure everyone got high fives all around each time they finished an exercise.

“That’s sportsmanship. That’s what I want to see,” Schoeneweis said.

But he did spend time explaining the proper way to pitch, demonstrating to the campers how to keep their heads steady and maintain a smooth delivery.

“My belly button, my nose, my eyes are all pointed toward the target,” Schoeneweis said.

As a professional ball player, Schoeneweis, who has a home in Greenwich, said he must condition and practice year-round, but he encouraged the campers to try many different activities, even those that are non-sports related.

“You don’t have to eat, sleep and drink baseball to be a baseball player. But when you do practice, you have to practice hard,” he said.

After one of the baseball lessons, Schoeneweis signed autographs and fielded questions from the children.

“Does Jason Giambi use steroids?” one camper asked about the New York Yankees slugger who has been dealing with allegations of using banned performance enhancing drugs.

“Jason and I are good friends … nothing has been proven. Remember that,” Schoeneweis said. “From now on, we’re going to think about Jason Giambi as a really good baseball player and a really good man.”

A much easier question came soon after, as one person wanted to know if the Mets will win their series against the visiting Atlanta Braves. The three-game series ends tomorrow.

“I think the Mets will be victorious,” Schoeneweis answered.

Greenwich’s Menechem Deren, 10, was excited to interact with a professional athlete, but between lessons said he was disappointed about what team the pitcher was from.

“I’m a little upset because he’s a Met. I’m a Yankees fan,” Menechem said. Before he could run back out to play third base during the softball game, Menechem was asked if he thought the Yankees or Mets would win the World Series this year, but he thought neither would. Instead, his bet is on a team in the area tonight.

The Atlanta Braves.