Hall of Fame
What makes for a perfect baseball player? Many would argue it starts with the five basic tools: the ability to hit, the ability to hit with power, running speed, arm strength, and fielding ability. Possessing one or two of the tools have landed players on teams, three or four can make them unique. Having all five are incredibly rare, and when these players emerge it makes them extremely valuable. From 1997-00 one player had all five tools at the College of Staten Island and was the best at all five: Frank Sansonetti.
A New Dorp High School alum, Sansonetti made a mark in his first competitive game and never looked back. A left-handed outfielder, pitcher and first-baseman, Sansonetti batted .423 his freshman offering, spreading 55 hits, 36 RBI, five home runs, and a .685 slugging percentage with 11 stolen bases, helping lead the team to a CUNYAC Championship.
The next year, Sansonetti trumped his freshman performance with a season for the ages. In five less games, Sansonetti garnered another 55 hits and set a school single-season record, still standing, with a .509 batting average. His 53 RBI placed him second all-time in a single season, as did his eight triples that year, a testament to his blazing speed. Pitchers were baffled, as Sansonetti would only strike out five times in 108 at-bats. Sansonetti would not only bring home another CUNYAC title in 1998, but also the conference’s Player of the Year honor.
By the time Sansonetti entered his junior season he was already getting long looks by pro scouts. The junior never flinched, rocking opponents to the tune of a .425 batting average with 13 extra base hits and six stolen bases. In limited time on the hill, the southpaw boasted a blazing fastball that averaged him more than a strikeout per inning pitched. Still, a tough loss in the CUNYAC Championship broke up the postseason run he was enjoying, and a vow to regain form ensued.
Sansonetti then saved his final season for last. Despite nagging injuries, the slugger posted 45 hits in just 89 at-bats, good for a .506 batting average, second only to his sophomore record in CSI single-season history. Sansonetti belted 30 RBI, slugged a career-best .798, and set school career records for batting average with .462, hits with 200, RBI with 153, triples with 21, on-base percentage at .525, and put-outs at 653, all records that still stand today. In the age of wood bats at the collegiate level, the numbers are simply outstanding.
On top of all the single-season and career annals, Sansonetti collected a third CUNYAC Championship in 2000 and a second CUNYAC Player of the Year honor. On top of all the gaudy numbers at the plate, Sansonetti also finished with a 9-2 record with a 4.01 ERA in 92 innings of work as a pitcher.
A little over a month after his final game at CSI, Sansonetti became CSI’s first baseball player to be drafted by Major League Baseball, as he was taken by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round. To date, he remains the only CSI student-athlete to be drafted to play professionally.
