Three local baseball standouts were selected in this year’s MLB draft. Holy Cross H.S., Flushing, senior shortstop Jaylen Palmer was chosen by the hometown New York Mets in the 22nd round.
St. John’s University, Jamaica, junior second baseman Josh Shaw was selected in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Shaw hit .316 in 57 games this season with the Red Storm. He added team-highs in doubles (17) and RBIs (46).
In the 21st round, the Detroit Tigers chose St. John’s graduate student John Valente. The switch-hitting third baseman led the Johnnies with a .360 batting average and 85 hits to go along with five home runs, 40 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.
Chamique Holdsclaw, a graduate of Christ the King H.S., Middle Village, was enshrined in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
In high school, the All-American small forward led the Lady Royals to four straight New York state championships. She then played college hoops at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, under women’s basketball coach legend Pat Summit. Her teams won the NCAA Tournament in 1996, 1997 and 1998 to become the first team in women’s college basketball history to win three straight national titles.
Holdsclaw was drafted by the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. The six-time All-Star also played for the Los Angeles Sparks, Atlanta Dream and San Antonio Silver Stars. She’s also an Olympic gold medalist having played for Team USA during the Summer Games in Sydney.
Frank P. Carbone, the former athletic director, women’s basketball coach and softball coach at St. Joseph’s College Brooklyn, Clinton Hill, was recently inducted into the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
The lifelong Brooklynite oversaw the transformation of the Bears athletic program from three teams when he started to 16 varsity and club sports with 170 student-athletes participating. He also spearheaded the school’s acceptance as a full member of the NCAA’s Division III athletic program. His name adorns the basketball and volleyball court at the Hill Center on St. Joseph’s campus.
Carbone is a parishioner at St. Stanislaus Kostka, Greenpoint, where he serves as a board member and special adviser to the parish’s academy.