OCHS Grad Sean Mooney Drafted by Twins

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Sean Mooney during his days pitching for Ocean City High School. (Photo courtesy ESPN Radio)

By Tim Kelly From the time pitcher Sean Mooney began dominating as a high school freshman, Ocean City baseball coach Andrew Bristol knew Mooney had the right stuff to make it all the way to the big leagues. “He was a kid who could throw a baseball through a five-inch hole. He could put the ball exactly where he wanted it. We (coaches) saw that kind of potential the very first day,” Bristol said. “He is also the kind of guy who sets a great example for his teammates and the younger kids coming up in the program,” Bristol added. "He’s probably the hardest worker I’ve been around. The other kids see how hard he works for what he’s achieved.” On Tuesday, Mooney took a huge step toward his goal of pitching in the majors when he was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the Major League Baseball draft. Mooney, 21, was taken in the 12th round by the Twins with the 359th overall pick. He was projected to go higher than that until his junior season at St. John’s University was cut short by Tommy John elbow surgery. The April procedure on his right (throwing) elbow sidelined him after nine starts, a 2-1 record and 2.17 earned run average. He had been experiencing numbness in his fingers, which affected his pitching. He felt discomfort during his last start and decided to undergo the procedure. Last season, prior to his elbow flare-up, the 6-1, 200-pound Mooney went 11-3 with a 2.56 ERA. In 2017, he was 8-2 with a 1.72 ERA. Injury notwithstanding, Mooney said it was “unbelievable” to hear his name called in the draft. “I got a call from the Dodgers that I might go late (Monday in the draft’s earlier rounds) or early in the day today,” said Mooney, reached by telephone on Tuesday night. “This morning I got calls from a few other teams. I knew that I was going to be selected, but it was still an unbelievable feeling when it happened,” he continued. “To sit there and actually hear your name called and know that you are moving closer to (the majors), I really can’t even describe how great it feels.”

Sean Mooney during his days pitching for Ocean City High School. (Photo courtesy ESPN Radio) He doesn’t know that much about Minneapolis or the Twins organization or history, he said, but that will change quickly. He indicated he would sign with Minnesota, report to the Twins practice facility in Florida as soon as possible and continue with his elbow rehab. “Growing up, you followed the Phillies and the Yankees and teams (with more local interest). That’s OK. My pitching coach at St. John’s (George Brown) told me the Twins have a coordinator he knows who is from Columbia University, so I already have a connection. I’m really excited to get going.” He attributes his years at OCHS as a major building block in his development. “Ocean City is a program that teaches you to respect the game and to play the right way,” he said. “The coaches understand and impress on the players the importance of working hard if you really want to improve and always playing hard, never letting up on an opponent.” A Marmora resident, Mooney helped Ocean City win a 2016 NJSIAA South Jersey championship and earned a baseball scholarship to St. Johns, located in the Queens borough of New York City. He was the Big East Pitcher of the Year in 2017 and a finalist for national Pitcher of the Year Honors with the Red Storm prior to his strong 2018 season. He also helped lead the Johnnies to a pair of post-season tournament berths. Mike Adams, owner of the Baseball Performance Center in Pleasantville, where Mooney and many other top local prospects work out, concurred with Bristol’s assessment of Sean’s work ethic. “He learned at an early age how to mix speeds, locate the ball and keep hitters off balance,” Adams said. “Then, as he grew and got stronger, he developed more velocity. He got there through hard work. He had the best understanding of any player I’ve seen of the importance of taking care of all the little things and doing them right.” For Sean, taking care of the little things ultimately led to the one big thing: a shot at a major league pitching career. “This is something that I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid,” he said.