Getting to Know Knights Catcher Gino Bellantoni
Gino Bellantoni is a returning catcher for the West Palm Beach Knights. Bellantoni was born in Charleston, Illinois, and graduated from Pullman High School in 2020. He then attended Walla Walla C.C up until the summer, where he plans to continue his academic and college baseball career at Florida National University. Recently, Bellantoni was able to tell us more about his baseball background as a child, what teams and players he admires, how he became a catcher, what he considers to be his biggest accomplishment, and the objectives he wants to fulfill for the summer.
On why he appreciates baseball:
“I really enjoy the gradual improvement I make through baseball. It’s a sport where you need to continually work on your craft, and I appreciate that.”
How Bellantoni became a catcher:
“I started catching because it was a way for me to get a lot of playing time early in my high school career. The starting catcher got hurt my eighth-grade year, and the coach asked if I wanted to come up and fill in. I had never caught before, but I was pretty good at it after a few years so I kept doing it.” Bellantoni attended Boca Raton Christian school, a private K-12 school when he began as a catcher.”
Bellantoni’s favorite baseball team and how that decision was influenced:
“I’m a Yankees fan. My dad’s from New York, so I didn’t really have a choice in that matter, but growing up and watching guys like [Derek] Jeter, [Jorge] Posada, [Mariano] Rivera, and [Alex Rodriguez] A-Rod play was a lot of fun.”
Favorite player to watch today:
“I really enjoy watching Mike Trout play. He’s a walking highlight reel and always gives 100 percent.”
Bellantoni describing what it takes to succeed as a catcher:
“A great catcher is a leader who can discern an opponent’s plan and execute a strategy to combat that game plan. Yadier Molina is a great example, he always knows what the other team is doing and attacks them accordingly.”
Goals for the summer:
“I want to improve my approach at the plate. I was too anxious to write my own name into the lineup by hitting bombs during my school season, and didn’t execute in every opportunity I was given. Staying simple and getting good pitches to hit is my focus for this summer.”
Bellantoni’s top achievement so far:
“I would say my biggest achievement is simply getting to the college level. So many players never get a chance to experience this, I’m thankful every day that I get to keep playing the game I love.”