Baseball

Orange Park High School head baseball and boys golf coach Michael Johns is leaving the Raiders for a coaching position with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays professional baseball organization.

Johns informed the Raiders of his decision during Monday afternoon’s practice. Athletic Director Clayton Anderson announced the move to the media Tuesday morning.

During a prepractice meeting Tuesday afternoon, Orange Park Principal Mike Wingate named assistant coach Fred Matricardi the Raiders’ new head coach.

Johns, 33, is in his fifth year teaching and coaching at Orange Park. He had coached the Raiders for four baseball seasons, compiling a 50-55 overall won-loss record. Last year, however, the Raiders went 17-10, missing the playoffs by just one game.

His main job will be as an assistant coach with the organization's Single A, short-season affiliate in Princeton, N.J.

"It's Single A, but it's mainly for the guys that just got drafted," Johns said. "They'll go straight to short-season A ball. I'll be in spring training in March, and then extended spring training in April and May, and then I'll be in Princeton, N.J., in June, July and August and half of September for single A."

"I've had an opportunity over the past few years to go with them [Devil Rays]," Johns said. "And this was the right fit for me. The scouting area and that kind of stuff just wasn't for me. But this was a good opportunity. I hated the timing of it though. I hate to leave these kids. It was tough telling them last night, just because I tried to put so much into it, and I hate to leave. I feel like they are my own kids. I love them so much. But, at the end of the day, you've got to try to figure out what's best for yourself, and this is a good opportunity for me to move up the ladder. You know, everybody's goal is to be in the big leagues, whether as a player or a coach, and that's what I tried to explain to them. You guys want to play in the big leagues, and I want to manage in them some day."

Raider senior Tony Voiro could understand that. Sadness at losing his coach quickly gave way to opportunity, and humor.

"I asked him if he could get me drafted," the first-baseman joked.

More seriously, Voiro said of his coach, “I really liked the intensity he brought. Of course, he always made it hard. But it was like fun for us. He always made it seem tough, but not over-the-cliff tough, you know what I’m saying?”

Capitano wasn't the only one on the road last weekend.  On my own dollar, I ditched plans to stop in Orlando for the Braves/Cardinals games in favor of being a part of history. 

My travels took me down to Vero Beach and Dodgertown. The Dodgers have called the sleepy little beach community their spring home since 1948, back when they were the Brooklyn Dodgers. That will all come to an end next weekend as the Dodgers play their final spring training games at Holman Field.I don't follow the Dodgers, or the Houston Astros, who the LA visitors played Saturday, but I enjoy baseball history.

It's time to put Clay County in the rearview for a little while and visit some old friends.
I, like a lot of fans, may have been estranged from our national past time for a little while, but I can't stay mad when spring training is so close. It's a different atmosphere during the lazy days of spring.

It's just like going to Cooperstown. If you are a fan of baseball, then you have to take a trip to a spring training game. I'm not going to travel any great distance. Just a short jaunt down to Orlando to see the Braves play the Cardinals.

We had a great Spring registration.  We have over 200 players in our 4 leagues.  We offer baseball for kid's bewtween 5-12.  

Right now we are playing at local schools here on Fleming Island.  We are getting ready to present some ideas to the County for some real baseball fields on Fleming Island.

Please go to www.FILittleLeague.com for more information.