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FAMILIAR NAMES IN OUTFIELD ROUND OUT ALL-DECADE ROSTER

By New York Boulders Baseball, 06/09/20, 9:30AM EDT

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In the eighth and final week of voting to fill out the New York Boulders’ All-Decade team, fans selected the outfield of Stephen Cardullo and Joe Maloney flanking centerfielder Jared McDonald.

Additionally, added as a broadcaster’s choice as the Designated Hitter was Mike Fransoso, selected by Vice-President of Business Development and voice of the Boulders Seth Cantor.

As part of the New York Boulders’ Bould Decade celebrating the franchise’s first 10 years of play, fans have been voting to fill positions on our All-Decade team each week for eight successive weeks. 

This past week, fans were presented with the opportunity to select the team’s best outfield. Fans chose a centerfielder from a candidate list of five, as well as one corner outfielder from a roster of nine. The outfield voting was sponsored by 16 Handles of New City, NY.

Fans cast their votes from Friday, May 29, through Thursday, June 4, with the centerfielder with the most votes earning a spot on the All-Decade team, as well as the top two corner outfield vote-getters.

Stephen Cardullo played three full seasons, 2013 to 2015, with Rockland and remains the lone Boulders’ player to reach the Major Leagues. In his time in Rockland, he batted a combined .299 with his best season coming in 2015 when he hit .331 with nine home runs, 76 runs scored and 76 RBI. In 2015, he also boasted a .928 OPS and a .410 on-base average – all of that adding up to signing a contract that off-season with the Colorado Rockies’ organization. In 2016, he was promoted to the Major League roster by the Rockies. 

“I am honored and humbled to be selected to the All-Decade Team,” Cardullo said.

Cardullo was recalled by the Rockies on April 26, 2016. Five days later, on his 29th birthday, he homered in both games of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers, including a grand slam in the second game.

Joe Maloney spent the 2014 and 2015 seasons in Rockland, then returned for the 2017 campaign. Over his three years in Rockland, Maloney hit .298, but it was his last season, 2017, after returning from a year in the Minnesota Twins’ organization, that was his best, seeing him hit a Cam-Am League record 35 home runs while batting .282 with 101 RBI and 84 runs scored and a .997 OPS. After the 2017 season, Maloney was recognized by Baseball America as its Independent Leagues Player of the Year.

“I had some of the best years of my career while I played in Rockland,” Maloney said. “It’s a great honor to be named to the team.”

Jared McDonald played in Rockland for three-plus seasons from 2015 to 2018. Over that time, he batted .299 for the Boulders with his best year coming in 2015 when he hit. 337 with 84 runs scored, 60 RBI, eight home runs, an .867 OPS and a .444 on-base average. Spanning the 2015 and 2016 campaigns, McDonald reached base successfully in 75 consecutive games, a professional baseball record.

“This is definitely an honor,” McDonald said. “And to have guys like Joe (Maloney) and Stephen (Cardullo) to my right and left is incredible.”

Meanwhile, Mike Fransoso was tabbed as the team’s DH. Fransoso, whose versatility allowed him to play second base, shortstop and third base during his two years in Rockland, 2016 and 2017, batted a combined .282. Fransoso posted 43 RBI in 2016 and 38 the next year. Batting near the top of the order both seasons, he scored 112 runs over the two seasons.

“This is awesome,” Fransoso said. “Rockland was the first place I played in independent ball and I could not have asked for a better situation.”

Other candidates for the centerfield position on the All-Decade team included Chris Valencia (2012), Donnie Webb (2013), Antone DeJesus (2014) and Chase Harris (2019).

Meanwhile, the list of corner outfield candidates also included Tommy Giles (2011), Norm Hutchins (2011-2012), Keith Brachold (2012), Jon Smith (2012 and 2017), Ryan Stovall (2014-2015), Mike Montville (2016-2018) and Kevin Krause (2018).

Cardullo, Maloney, McDonald and Fransoso join catcher Marcus Nidiffer, starting pitchers Richard Salazar and Bo Budkevics, closer Adrian Martin, first baseman Jerod Edmondson, shortstop Junior Arrojo, second baseman Matt Nandin and third baseman Ryan Mollica as fan selections over the first seven weeks of voting.

The final results of the outfield balloting were announced during a Podcast on the Boulders’ Facebook page on Sunday, June 7, at 8 p.m. hosted by Cantor.

Altice cable television in Rockland County will rebroadcast this week’s All-Decade team announcement on the morning of Thursday, June 11, at 9:30 a.m. on channel 76, except for channel 77 in Ramapo and channel 15 in North Rockland. 

Debuting in 1993, the Frontier League is the largest and longest-running of the modern independent leagues and features teams stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway.  More information and the complete 2020 schedule can be found at www.frontierleague.com.