The Crushers have remained lurking for a spot in the Frontier League postseason. A good reason they aren’t an also-ran can be found at the shortstop position where a young man fresh off a Pennsylvania college campus has brought stability to the left side of the infield and as a result, helped keep the Crushers close to .500 and in the playoff hunt.
Eric Callahan is a slick-fielding middle infielder who fields at a major league level, according to Crusher manager Dan Rohn, who played and coached in the big leagues.
Callahan’s solid glove plugged a defensive hole that plagued the Crushers during the first weeks of the 2021 campaign. For a team built around a strong pitching staff, that was somewhat challenged offensively, they needed to be solid on defense to remain competitive. Callahan has six errors in 23 games and third baseman Javier Betancourt has just four and together they have shored up a left side of the infield that early in the year was a big-time trouble spot.
Callahan’s arrival solidified the Crusher defense, manager Dan Rohn said.
“Very much so. He’s done a very nice job defensively and made most of the plays,” said Rohn, who himself was a major league infielder in the 1980s and later coached in the big leagues.
Rohn said Callahan has major-league ability at shortstop.
Callahan played collegiately at Millersville University, located in Lancaster, Pa., an hour or so west of Philadelphia. He came there by way of Bexley, Ohio, where he went to high school.
After his collegiate season his college coach, Jon Shehan asked him did he want to explore going pro early or wait until the Major League Baseball Draft. There was no guarantee he’d be selected.
“I’m kind of like getting the itch to play,” Callahan told Shehan.
There was a tryout for the New York Boulders of the Frontier League that went nowhere.
“They had 40 or 50 guys and they signed a catcher and pitcher,” Callahan said.
Soon the Crushers would come calling after Dan Rohn learned of Callahan’s ability with the leather.
The 6-foot-2 Callahan is athletic. He’s stolen six bases and displayed power with his eight doubles and two home runs since joining the Crushes, although his batting average hovers just above the .200 mark. But even that’s improved. As Callahan has become more comfortable, he’s hit better.
“He’s coming along. He’s been taking better swings, hit a couple of homers,” Rohn said.
So just how did Callahan end up in Avon?
Callahan said Crushers’ hitting coach Ryan Powell reached out to him and asked him would he be interested in coming to Avon for a tryout. Callahan jumped at the chance. A couple of hours later Powell called back and told Callahan to just come up and play, the Crushers were going to sign him.
His first day in Avon he started. The pro grind of game-after-game wore on the young shortstop, Rohn said.
“It’s a big adjustment going from playing college to pro. In college you play Friday, Saturday, Sunday, maybe Wednesday. Here, it’s six days in a row. He was a tired puppy,” after his first stretch of games.
Callahan said playing for someone so experienced in the game like Rohn has been a great experience.
“He doesn’t put too much pressure on you. But he’s been around the game a long time. He’ll give you hints to help you adjust mid-game and between at-bats,” said Callahan.
Callahan made an impact from the start. The team went 10-7 in his first 17 games and he hit .250 and didn’t make an error in his first 64 chances.
“How else are break him in,” Rohn said when asked why he decided to insert Callahan into the lineup upon his arrival.
Playing behind Ryne Feierabend, who pitched for several teams in the major leagues, has been an education for Callahan.
“It’s awesome. He’s played with and against so many big-name guys and hall-of-famers. He tells great stories. He knows the game so well that like Dan Rohn he’s always giving little hints, or veteran moves, he has a lot of them,” Callahan said
Callahan, 23, hit .292 with 6 home runs and 31 RBI in his senior year at Millersville. His adjustment to the pro game has been aided by Betancourt and second baseman Trevor Achenbach, who are 26 and 27 respectively and veterans of pro baseball. It was Achenbach who was struggling at short before the arrival of Callahan.
“It’s been fun. I enjoy it,” Callahan said of his first weeks of pro baseball. “It’s definitely a little different. There are unwritten rules, about what you are supposed to do and how you carry yourself.”
So far, Callahan seems to be doing just fine fitting in as a pro.
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