New Bloomfield Baseball Coach
Big On Stressing Fundamentals

BLOOMFIELD- Jose Aponte, Jr. has a plan, one which may not include talking about winning and losing in the early going as much as focusing on three key areas in a sport where all the little things can definitely add up, either for something positive or just the opposite.

“Discipline, accountability and fundamentals, and I’m big on fundamentals,” said the brand-new Bloomfield head baseball coach. “What I’ve seen working around the state with travel teams, and at the high school level, is that there needs to be more of a focus on those three areas.

“I will look to spend 30 to 40 minutes each day at practice on the discipline needed for success, including not kicking the ball around, knowing when to make the extra throw, when to steal, or having the discipline to know when to have the initiative to steal or take that extra base.

“Just being smart and disciplined to also hold each other accountable, including arriving on time, and all that you need to do in developing a strong foundation in order to set the tone for what can eventually be a strong program.

“I’ve been around the game for a long time now, and with a lot of really good coaches at different levels, and I’ve always tried to pick up knowledge while learning as much as I can about every aspect of the game of baseball, a sport that I love!

“I’m thrilled to be the Bloomfield baseball coach and we’re going to work extremely hard to get this program back to its winning ways.”

Bloomfield finished 7-20 last spring, including 3-7 in the Super Essex Conference Colonial Division, which is the third of five baseball divisions in the SEC.

Aponte, who will turn 43 on Oct. 25, will be assuming his first high school head coaching position after serving the past five years as an assistant varsity coach and head JV coach at Union City High School.     

“I know that a lot of people tend to hire people with head coaching experience, but in Jose’s case he’s been involved with some very solid baseball programs, including Joe Wladyka Baseball, and he comes to us highly recommended,” said Bloomfield’s 22nd-year Athletic Director Steve Jenkins. “He obviously has big shoes to fill. Michael (Policastro) was there for 20 years and had a lot of great moments and a very commendable job.

“Jose reminds me of Michael when he came aboard here as our head baseball coach and I see him hitting the ground running. He is enthusiastic, is very organized, and has what I think is a solid plan taht he’d like to instill in our baseball program.”

While Aponte - who teaches physical education at Union City High School - will be making the daily commute during baseball season up to Essex County each afternoon, just in case he might occasionally get hung up in that familiar North Jersey traffic there will be a very familiar face on hand to make sure the Bengals are always set to go with the start of practice as longtime Bloomfield head football coach and former baseball coach Mike Carter, Sr. will be one of the new assistant coaches on staff who will be available during and right after the school day.

“We wanted someone to be available who is already in the building, and Mike, who knows everybody, said that he’d happy to help out with Jose and with the players in any way he can.”

Aponte said one of his immediate goals in continuing to build his new staff is to find a pitching coach, and to also determine who will work the JV and freshmen teams.

And, he hopes to get off and running with encouraging his players to get in extra work this winter with the coaches available at The Rig Training facility in Nutley where players from Wladyka and other organizations get in off-season training.

“It’s a first big step, and to also show the kids that I care about investing in their development; plus we’ll also look to fund-raise as we look forward to our first spring season together.

“I’m very excited to be Bloomfield’s baseball coach and can’t wait to get started!”

NOTES- Aponte, who earned his undergraduate degree from Montclair State University and a Master’s in Education Leadership from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz., was a 3-sport standout (soccer, basketball and baseball) at St. Joseph’s of the Palisades High School in West New York, N.J….He says that one of his mentors is current Hoboken coach Chip Benway who was Union City’s head coach during his first two seasons on the staff at the Hudson County school…Aponte also spent two years as a coach of the Complete Game Colonials and is now in his second year working with Wladyka Baseball in Rutherford…Union City finished 12-15 this past spring under third-year head coach Jimmy Walsh, seeing its season end with an 11-1 loss to state power Passaic Tech in the North 1, Group 4 state sectional quarterfinals

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