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Sports

Tom Koehler, New Rochelle High School Grad, Named Southern League's Top Pitcher

The 24-year-old finished a championship season with a 16-2 record and 2.61 ERA.

Patch caught up with Tom Koehler, a New Rochelle High School graduate and star pitcher in the Florida Marlins system, who recently finished his second full season in the minor leagues, this one with the Double-A Jacksonville Suns in the Southern League. He led the league in wins and was second in ERA and strikeouts, earning the Most Outstanding Pitcher award and helping the Suns win the championship.

I hear you recently got engaged. How did you propose?

She played softball at Stony Brook and I played baseball there. At our homecoming there was a game between some of the softball alumni and the current team. During one of Ashley's at-bats, I had the coach call timeout and talk to the pitcher. I walked up behind her and said, "I know this might be embarrassing but will you marry me?" If she had said no, it would have been pretty embarrassing for me, but luckily she said yes.

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Well, congratulations to you both. Congratulations on winning the southern league pitcher of the year award, too.

Thank you. If you had asked me earlier in the year if it were possible, I would have said there was no shot. To win was a great feeling because it's voted on by coaches, beat writers and announcers—people who see every game. It still hasn't hit me. I did get a chance to look at the previous winners of the award and a lot of those guys have gone on to have good major league careers, so I'm hoping that's in store for me as well.

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How do you top that? What are your goals for next season?

Getting an invite to spring training with the big league club is something I would like to have happen. If it doesn't happen I will be a little disappointed, especially with the year that I had. I'm not expecting to go in there and make the team, but I'd like to be on their radar. At spring training, you can learn so much in a two- to three-week span. But if it doesn't happen it won't throw me off my ultimate goal of working hard to move up in the ranks.

Tell us about the Suns' playoff run. What was it like to be part of that and eventually win the whole thing?

The whole year was just incredible. Our team never got into a streak where we started losing consistently. From top to bottom we played well. That made it more fun. Every playoff game was a nail-biter. My nerves were tested every game. But I think a key to our success was how well we got along with each other. There were never any locker room issues. I don't know if I'll ever play on a team that gets along as well as this team did.

What was it like to see some teammates get the call up to join the Marlins?

There's obviously a little envy, because you think, "Maybe next time it will be me." But at the same time it's exciting, because you see you're really not that far away from reaching your goal. It also makes watching a major league game a lot more personal since I know a lot of the guys.

Have you learned anything from some of those guys?

My roommate, Alex Sanabia, got called up this year. I've always been a very emotional and intense guy on the mound. He's one of those Southern California guys who is very relaxed all the time. Nothing seems to faze him. Watching him made me realize that I don't need to be fired up on every pitch. I spent a lot of time with Andrew Miller also, and he taught me hitters aren't as good as people give them credit for. When they get hits it's often because pitchers make mistakes.

You aren't the only athlete from New Rochelle who is making a splash in pro sports. Obviously there is Ray Rice on the Baltimore Ravens, but right there in Jacksonville you have Courtney Greene, a safety for the Jaguars. You two were in the same graduating class, correct?

Yes. Courtney got to see me pitch a couple of times and I got see him play in a preseason game. Some guys on my team met him at a practice. A lot of people claim to know Ray, so it was tough when I tried to tell guys on my team I went to middle school with him. With Courtney it was a little bit easier since they got to see we knew each other.

I'm hoping one day I can be as well known as Ray. Maybe we can join forces in New Rochelle and give back to the community. I want to be the first major leaguer from New Rochelle High School. When I'm home I do lessons and clinics to help players get to the level I'm at. I follow the New Rochelle baseball program and like hearing when they do well.

Finally, a lot of people think professional athletes live a glamorous life. Can you tell us what the minors are really like? I've heard the bus rides can be brutal.

One time we were on our way to Mobile, AL, after a home game. It's a seven-hour ride and that's our shortest trip. We were about 30 minutes outside of Jacksonville when our bus completely breaks down. The alternator stopped working. We're on the side of the road on the on ramp to the highway. It's midnight and we're told a mechanic is on his way. We had no air conditioning and it was 90 degrees and humid. Somehow down south it gets hotter as it gets darker out. We're sitting on the side of the road until 6:30 in the morning, when a new bus arrives and takes us to Mobile. We arrived at around two in the afternoon and had to play at seven.

Did you guys win that game?

No. It wasn't even close.

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