Rick Saggese

RICK SAGGESE

PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL MENTOR

(Established In 1996)

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"If it's gonna be, it's up to me" Rick Saggese, Sr.

Rick Saggese started with a goal when he was six years old and kept his eyes on that goal to become the best baseball player he could become. He was fortunate to have two parents that supported his baseball goals and formed a special relationship with his coach/father in Rick Saggese, Sr. He grew up in Andover, MA where he would practice everyday for hours in his basement of his home when the weather didn't permit him to be outside. During the summer months, Rick had his own personal batting cage in his backyard where he took swing after swing daily to form one of the best swings in the area. He took that swing to Bristol, CT in August of 1988 where he hit the game winning grand slam to take his team to the Little League World Series.

By the time Rick was 14 years old, his family moved to Naples, Florida so he could play baseball year round in the south. He made an impact his freshman year at Barron Collier High School in Naples, Florida becoming the first ever in school history to start for the varsity. During his sophmore year, his family went through a tragedy when Rick Sr. was hit in the head and killed by a line drive while pitching batting practice for Rick's high school team. If that wasn't enough during his junior and senior seasons Rick suffered two torn ACL's (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) in his knees and battled thru rehabilitation. Though this tested Rick, he kept his goals in sight. In 1992 he was invited to take batting practice at Fenway Park with the Seattle Mariners, as Rick hit a few off the famous Green Monster. While at his four year tenure at Barron Collier, Rick was a high school baseball All-County, All-Southwest Florida, All-State, and All-American four-year starter for the Barron Collier Cougars. He then went on to play baseball at the University of Miami; one of the top collegiate baseball programs in the nation.

At Miami, Rick battled back from his third knee injury while getting hurt in Honolulu, Hawaii to open the season. He kept his goals in sight once again and became a three-year starter, played in three College World Series, was an Collegiate All-American, and accumulated a career .302 batting average with 21 home runs and 101 RBI's. In 1996 Rick played in the National Championship game against LSU which was arguably the best College World Series title game in history, as LSU won in the ninth inning on a walkoff home run. During the 1997 & 1998 summers Rick started for the Hyannis Mets in the Cape Cod Amatuer Collegiate Wooden Bat League and played with players Eric Hinske (Rays), Eric Brynes (Diamondbacks), Jason Lane (Astros), & J.J. Putz (Mariners). In 1999 Rick transfered to FIU (Florida International University) for his senior season. He finished his collegiate career by hitting a game winning homerun against South Alabama at the Houston Astros AAA stadium. He played with Pat Burrell (Phillies), Aubrey Huff (Orioles), Jason Michaels (Pirates), & Alex Cora (Red Sox) during his playing days at UM. Rick was coached by some of the finest coaches in the country including Jim Morris (Miami), Turtle Thomas (Florida International), Gino Dimare (Miami), Lazer Colazzo (South Florida) & Mark Calvi (South Carolina) to name a few! Rick is currently scouting for the Cleveland Indians, and mentoring his clients and teams in weekly baseball instructional sessions.

Rick currently resides in Naples, Florida with his beautiful wife, Lisa, and their two wonderful cats.

*CLICK HERE TO PLAY VIDEO: RICK HITS HOMERUN IN CWS~(LOAD TIME APPROX. 1 MIN)

WHY TRAIN WITH RICK?

Rick Saggese was born to be a teacher for the game of baseball it's as simple as that. How do I know this? Just see him work in action and your answer to your question will be answered period! I have had my son train with professional coaches and they don't compare to Rick. See, he gets the most out of his clients. A wonderful motivator. Similar to when he was a player he got the most out of his ability thru hard work and dedication. He engages and motivates his clients as he teaches them the proper fundamentals. As they progress and master the fundamentals you think he's done right? Wrong, he continues his development thru visual training, mental conditioning, strength and core development designed for baseball players, he mentors you into finding the right college as well putting together a showcase video to market yourself as a player if you desire playing in college. This guy is the true package when it comes to training. To make this even sweeter he has helped my son Travis become a better person. Yup, that's right a person, not only a ball player. He has mentored him in making the right decisions, time management, relationships etc. Our family loves you Rick. You are the absolute best! Don Ruston; Lehigh Acres, Florida.

Click On Picture To Read Article

Rick Featured In The Sun-Sentinel News~ 02/11/96

Q: Does it really help to have a personal trainer/mentor these days or can I train just as effective by myself?

A: This is a great question. If you asked me this 10 years ago, my answer would be different than I will answer this today. As athletes, we are not only competing from players in the USA. Sports, especially baseball, has gotten pretty much global. This is proven by the players we see now playing in the big leagues. They have players from many different countries, so this means one thing for you...more competition. When you are playing against more competition, you need to be that much better and with over 50% of the players now a days training with some type of trainer/mentor, you would be at a disadvantage if you did not as well. So can you train by yourself...absolutely. Can you train more effectively and get the most out of your ability with a specialist in your field, such as a trainer/mentor... no question, YES. The reputable trainers/mentors, not only motivate, we know exactly what areas need developing to make the most of the players' ability. If you are not training with a professional trainer/mentor in your sport, you are, no question at a disadvantage in today’s sports arena.

"Do not worry about what you can't control. What we can control is how we respond. Character is greater than fame. Fame can be 15 minutes or a 12 year stint in the show but character is a lifetime contract."

Bruce Thompson

Former Hurricane BB Player