In a packed house at the Greenwich Hyatt Regency, Dr Albert Repicci was inducted into the Greenwich Old Timers Hall of Fame after having been introduced and sponsored by Mike Sandlock former major league catcher and recent inductee in the Brooklyn Dodger hall of Fame. Repicci was known in town as an avid baseball player and was cited for his commitment to practice and preparation. Sandlock noted that Repicci never went to the bench after a game to celebrated with his teammates but instead trotted back out to shortstop to have players (anyone) hit him grounders until it got dark. The tougher the play the better. He would field ground balls near the breaking waves at the beach, on a tennis court or anywhere he could find a wall. This was nothing new,however, since Repicci followed this routine since he was 11 years old playing Little League in Batavia N.Y. He had been captain and MVP of his Little League team and of the the all-stars and well as captain of his Babe Ruth team and also voted captain of the Babe Ruth all stars by his teammates. He completed his baseball career in Batavia as captain and MVP at Notre Dame High school before moving on to an abbreviated career at the University of Buffalo.
Following dental school at The University of Pennsylvania, Repicci enlisted in the US Army and was assigned to Nuremberg, Germany. On the night of his deployment to Germany he was advised that he could only travel with one suitcase in which case the rest of his belongings would be shipped at a later date. Not wanting to leave his baseball glove behind he removed it from his larger trunk and tucked it safely in the vest of his uniform jacket where it stayed for two days until his arrival at his base. In time, while playing for the hospital team in Germany, his commanding officer quipped, I know the only reason you are playing ball in the army is that you know if you hurt your hands, Uncle Sam will taker care of you and I guarantee you’ll never play again after you leave the service and are in private practice. Repicci responded that he had never given any thought to Uncle Sam’s benevolence and said he played merely because he loved the game. He said If he were afraid of getting hurt, he might not ever have volunteered to join the army. After his discharge Repicci sent his annual baseball clippings to his former commanding officer for the next 20 years.
Although Sandlock said he admired Repicci’s skill and work ethic it was also his commitment to never miss a game or practice that impressed him. Known to have chartered a flight to get home for a game or drive 7 hours to play in a make-up game he became an inspiration to teammates and to kids who followed the team.
In his acceptance speech Repicci said he always thought the other guys on the team were better than he was and was always surprised when they voted him captain. He then went on to tell the story about how he became so fixated on commitment. Having never missed a game or practice even as a kid there was one occasion when his family had taken him to Buffalo to visit the University where he intended to eventually enroll and he ended up missing a Babe Ruth game.
Repicci had a close and admiring relationship with his coach, Matty Hamarra whose day-job was as police officer patrolling the beat in front of the M&T Bank at the corner of Main St and Jackson. After every Saturday morning game, Repicci would go down to Main St and look up the coach on his beat and talk baseball under the street lamp . After Repicci missed that one game however, coach Matty was obviously disappointed and at his next game, without saying a word and to teach a lesson, the coach sent Repicci out to start in right field on this the last game of the season instead of to his regular position at shortstop. He was re-positioned back to shortstop in the second inning but again the coach said nothing.
A week later, the league was hosting a banquet for all of the players down at the Moose Club. As Repicci was approaching the building he could see his coach standing on the top step, sifting his eyes through the throng of kids seeking to get Repicci‘s attention. The coach then called him over away from the crowd and said, I have to tell you something. Coach said he hadn’t slept all night because he had to make one of the toughest decisions in his life and it involves you. He said all 12 coaches met last night to assign awards to different players and you were the unanimous choice by every coach to be designated as MVP. He said he paused at first and then interrupted them saying that, Repicci, was captain and most important player of our team, and missed the game last week. I thought that showed a lack of commitment. I therefore told the other coaches that I could not support his getting the award and asked them to retract their vote… which after a lengthy debate, they did. We decided then to give the award to a catcher, Tony’s Sformo. The coach said I want you to understand why I did this. I want you to realize the importance of commitment and for you to carry this one lesson throughout life before you stumble and disappoint others who are depending on you. I’ve watched you make incredible plays all summer: bare handed plays, throws from deep on edge of the outfield grass, 360 degree spin throws from your knees. There’s no doubt you’re the best player in town but I hope this disappointment motivates you throughout your life and understand that it counts when you show up.
Repicci accepted coach’s explanation and said, “That had to be tough for you to do coach but and I think you made the right call and I am OK with it, especially since I think Tony’s was a better player than me.” The coach quietly said thank you, nodded, smiled, patted Repicci on the shoulder and walked him into the banquet hall.
Having aged out of the Babe Ruth league, Repicci went on to other leagues, college , the army, private practice and foreign mission service and never crossed the path of coach Matty again but, he said he was never far from his thoughts. The coaches admonition was basically a challenge to “show up“ whether it was for a baseball game, a friend, or a needy cause… Make a difference! Interestingly, this was the same message, the same moral compass, that his teachers at Notre Dame High School in Batavia preached on a daily basis.
Reflecting back on the craziness of having chartered a flight home for a game , or driving seven hours to show up at shortstop, his foreign service or of the many other things outside of baseball he felt compelled to attend, he found comfort in the notion that if this award had nothing to do with how well he played the game, but merely acknowledged that he showed up… That was enough.
Acknowledging the important role the coach, played in his character development, now 45 years later, Repicci attempted to contact and invite the coach to tonight’s award ceremony in Greenwich, Ct
Sadly, after tracking down, the coaches wife, she advised Repicci that he had recently passed away but she remembered the MVP incident clearly because coach had agonized about it and that she had suffered through it with him. She added, however, that they had taken great comfort years later when reading Repicci’s story, “Bringing Satch Home” in the Batavia Daily News, that highlighted how Repicci never missed another game over the next 30 years, always finding a way to get to the ball park from wherever he was in the country. She said, Matty mused , I guess he took my words to heart. After Matty died, she said she found a team picture in coach’s dresser drawer with coach and Repicci standing in the back row which she mailed to Repicci with a congratulatory note citing his commitment.