Garden City Men’s Baseball Hall Of Fame



Roger receives honor from manager John Sorensen

Roger receives honor from manager John Sorensen

Greg Rooney, Roger Tusiani-Eng, Babe Ruth, Tom Seaver, Yogi Berra, Mike Piazza, Willie Mays. What do these people all have in common? If you guessed that they have all played baseball in New York and that they are all in the Hall of Fame, you would be right. Well, five of them are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. And the first two names…?

…Welcome to the Garden City Men’s Baseball Hall of Fame, Greg Rooney and Roger Tusiani-Eng.

Since the inception of men’s baseball played in Garden City in 1995 (the team originated in 1989), there have been many ballplayers who have exemplified hard work, teamwork, and good sportsmanship along with a long-term dedication to the Garden City Men’s Baseball program. Two of those players exemplify those qualities and have also been outstanding performers on the field. That is why both Greg and Roger have earned their rightful place in the hall, joining former GC resident and Texas native son, Dan Bautch.

Greg Rooney adds crystal to the mantelpiece

Greg Rooney adds crystal to the mantelpiece

Roger Tusiani-Eng has been with the men’s team over the past 16 years, and has proven to be the most versatile player in the long history of the team. Having played all nine positions, he has also excelled as the team’s ultimate leadoff hitter. In fact, it would be hard to imagine Roger batting in any other spot, as his speed has truly defied the passage of time. It is no small coincidence that his musical hero Bruce Springsteen’s most recognizable song is “Born to Run.” It is rumored that the first pressing of that album has a note on the back cover, where Bruce thanks Roger for the inspiration for the song. Of course, that version is out-of-print and, unfortunately, hard to find (well, impossible to find anywhere).

MembersGC-CHERRYof Championship1-8 Page - 12-04-team17.qxp_withLayoutJohn1 12/Mierzejewski4/17 8:27 PMandPageJorge1 Guerra

Members of Championship team with John Mierzejewski and Jorge Guerra

And the beat continues for Roger. In 2017, he batted a league leading .548, with 52 hits and 21 stolen bases in his past 33 games. His 2017 OPS was 1.213. He has led the team in batting multiple times and has been a top pitcher, having won over 40 games. His 2012 opening day four hit complete game was the springboard for the team’s championship run.

As Roger is to the top of the lineup, Greg Rooney is a mainstay as a power hitting, middle-of-the-order catcher. He has been with the team since 2009 and has caught every pitcher who has taken the hill over the course of that time. A great example of his resiliency is when he caught nine innings in the championship game and then competed in a triathlon the following day. That season, he led the team in several offensive categories, including 32 hits and 12 playoff runs scored. If stats were kept for blocking runners from scoring, Greg would have that locked up on an annual basis.

Greg has been the team’s number one run producer during his time with the club, and has continued that trend with 18 rib eye steak’s in 11 games in 2017. This past season saw Greg average two hits per game, compile an OPS of 1.397, bat .537 and finish second in the league in batting. His catching duties have also expanded to stellar infield and outfield play.

Congratulations to Roger and Greg on a job well done!

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