BY JEFFREY EISENBAND

The MHS baseball team has seen a plethora of star-studded siblings come through the program over the last few years: the Hagans, the Mezanskys, the Denyssenkos, the Chiapparellis, and more. But perhaps no sibling duo can compare to the grit and determination that two particular brothers have exhibited this spring on the baseball field.

Joe and Tommy Muratore may very well be the hardest-working players ever to come through MHS. Joe ’11, a switch-hitting catcher on the varsity team, has been playing baseball since he was three or four years old. “I’m probably as committed a person you’ll ever find when it comes to baseball, and baseball is something I plan on continuing to play in college,” he said. As of May 24, the power hitting backstop had a .426 batting average, .638 slugging percentage and 13 runs batted in. He also belted a clutch grand slam in an April win over the rival New Rochelle Huguenots. In the field, Joe has gunned down four potential base stealers from his lair behind home plate. He has entertained the idea of playing after college. “I plan on playing and going as far as my abilities will let me,” he said. “If college baseball is where the road ends, I won’t be disappointed, but if I get the chance to continue after college, I will be ready for the challenge.”

On the Freshman Baseball Club, Tommy ’14, a pitcher and centerfielder, isn’t afraid of his older brother’s shadow. “I’ve been playing baseball for as long as I can remember,” he said. “Ever since I started, I’ve been deeply committed to baseball, and each year, the commitment gets bigger and bigger.” Tommy’s hard work has allowed him to become a strikeout artist and MHS’s knuckleballer of the future, succeeding Sam Wallach ‘11. “I hope to keep working with it, trying to get it to work,” he said. “ I hope to work with Sam and hopefully it comes out to work.” Tommy has also smoothly transitioned to a role in the outfield after a Little League career dominated by infield play. With superb tools on the mound and in the field, Tommy, like Joe, is ready for whichever direction his baseball career may take him. “I want to go as far into baseball as I can go, but wherever it leads me, I’ll follow.”

Both brothers agree that Tommy has benefited from the teachings of his older brother, while Joe has benefited from the ability to teach his younger brother. “Joe has more of an influence on me than I do on him because he’s my older brother and I try to follow in his footsteps and learn from his mistakes,” Tommy said.

“I have more of an influence over Tommy because he’s younger than me and has the ability to learn from me, as well as my experiences and my mistakes,” Joe said.

Perhaps the greatest asset to Joe and Tommy’s game play comes in the form of their father, Steve Muratore, a former high school baseball stud, who has coached many local youth teams. “My dad coaching for me has been the biggest influence on me for baseball,” Tommy said. “He’s taught me a lot and I thank him for everything. I always go to him for advice and things to make me a better ballplayer.”

Joe is also thankful for his father’s impression on his career. “My dad’s coaching has been very influential in how much I’ve grown not just as a baseball player, but as a person,” Joe said. “I’m sure that without him I probably wouldn’t have the chance to be able to play baseball in college next year. All the hours he put in to help me get better when I was younger are now paying off.” Steve has not just influenced the baseball lives of his children, but those of many other players in the community.

Over the years, Joe, Tommy, and Steve, as well as the rest of the family, mother Diane and sister Patricia, have been referred to as the “Baseball Family” of Larchmont/Mamaroneck. Tommy himself referred to his father as “Stevie Base” in this interview. “It’s what Larchmont/Mamaroneck calls us and we kind of roll with it,” he said.

Joe, on the other hand, is a bit more skeptical of the nickname. “I wouldn’t consider my family to be the ‘Baseball Family’ of Larchmont/Mamaroneck. There are other families and people that have accomplished, by far, more than we will ever accomplish. But I won’t stop other people from calling us ‘The Baseball Family’.”

The Muratores, or Baseballs, whatever they may be called, have had a successful baseball career and will continue until their Jorge Posada gene kicks in and forces retirement. Right now, both are focusing on fulfilling their requirements in the MHS Baseball Program. “Mamaroneck Baseball means a lot to me and every year we have some big shoes to fill and we work hard to get there,” Tommy said.

Joe expressed his appreciation for MHS Baseball in the final month of his high school career. “Mamaroneck Baseball means pride, commitment, and success,” he said.