Attending Saturday’s ceremony at Kevin Williams Memorial Field were assistant coach Ray McAgly, center, Mike O’Reilly, Tyler Osick and Joe O’Reilly, father of Brian Morrell. (Image credit: Bill Landon)
Numbers are big in baseball. They can be found in statistics, tables, line results. But hearing the flesh and blood behind sacred numbers Saturdays at Shoreham-Wading River High School’s Kevin Williams Memorial Field — 00, 15, and 23 (twice) — is much more than just baseball numbers.
There was much laughter on a hot, sunny day as three former SWR players and a long-time assistant coach shed their shirt numbers, but there were also moments when some choked on the emotions, and tears must have shed here and there.
Ex-SWR players Tyler Osick (No. 15), Brian Morrell (No. 23) and Mike O’Reilly (No. 23) have been retired, as has No. 00 for assistant coach Ray McGaughley. A framed jersey with his name and number was presented and a jersey-shaped cutout was unveiled on the back of the dugout in his honor.
How many McAgley exits will be announced at the celebration before the SWR alumni game was kept secret.
Macaugli laughed at the assembly with his reaction. “You shouldn’t do that to an 82-year-old,” he said. “You know it’s funny because for the last five or six years I’ve had to have major surgery and for some reason I haven’t always gone in with a lot of fear, trusted my doctors and hoped that I can get through this. “I’ll come from you, but you intimidate Bezus from me.”
With these new additions, SWR has dropped 13 numbers in the program’s 46-year history for the first time since 2014, when Buddy Gengler (No. 12) and Matt Milheiser (No. 9) kept their numbers separate.
Sal Mignano, who was SWR’s first and only coach (and whose No. 1 is retired) until his retirement after the 2014 season, organized the event and was the master of ceremonies.
Osick was joined by his father Keith Osik, a former major league player whose number 10 was retired by SWR. Elder Osik was present at the ceremony.
Other SWR retirement numbers include Julio Vega (7), Jared Janowski (13), Kevin Williams (16), Brian Sabtella (17) and Eric Strovink (44).
Tyler Osick (Class of 2014) was a two-time All-State player as a third baseman for the Wildcats and a Central Florida graduate who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2019. He currently plays in the White Sox system as one. High Class-A catcher for Winston-Salem.
Tyler Osick said: “It was the best time of my life at Shoreham playing to date.” “The only main goal here was to win. We tried to win the championship every year.”
As pitcher and shortstop for SWR (Class of 2017), Morrell made the varsity team as an eighth grader.
“I actually wore it in the first game as an eighth grader,” Mignano said. “It’s like moving on from eighth grade? What do you do? But I think we did it right.”
Morrell was a five-year varsity player, three-time All-State nominee, and two-time winner of the Carl Yastrzemsky Award, which goes to Suffolk County’s top high school player. He threw six no-hitters in high school and set multiple offensive and pitching records. Morrell dropped out of high school from the Philadelphia Phillies and chose college. After joining Notre Dame and St. John’s, he retired from college as an outfielder/pitcher for Hofstra last spring, leading the team in batting averages and home runs. He played in the famous Cape Cod Baseball League this summer.
“I just want to say that my biggest memories were definitely at the Shoreham-Wading River playing with these guys, my teammates,” Morell said. “Community representation was definitely something that was very important to me.”
“I’m really honored to be on that wall with all these guys, certainly great players,” he said.
It was no coincidence that Morrell ranked No. 23 in O’Reilly attire before graduating in 2012. A leading pitcher, O’Reilly was a two-time All-State player and became the second recipient of SWR’s Karl Yastrzemsky Award in 2012 (Keith Osick was the first in 1987). After playing for Flagler College (Fla.), he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals and played four years in the club’s minor league.
Mignano discusses O’Reilly’s last game for SWR, an 11-inning loss to Plaines in the Long Island Finals. The official pitch count was not held back at the time, but Mignano said O’Reilly turned well and looked good. How many pitches did O’Reilly throw that day?
“Let’s say 130-plus,” Mignano said.
O’Reilly coached a traveling team in Ohio on Saturday. His father Joe spoke for him: “This is the house. This is his most special place ever. It’s an honor to have his name and number.”
Mignano recalled the time he was told that a school psychologist he didn’t know at the time had applied for a job as a junior varsity baseball coach. At first, Mignano hesitated to interview the applicant, who was Macaugli.
“Well, that interview was the best move I’ve ever made as a coach,” Mignano said. “Not only has he been on the program since 1983, he’s been one of my best friends for over 40 years.”
“Ray may be the smartest person I’ve ever met in my life, not just in baseball but in life, period,” he continued. “And as a friend to me and the program, he clearly means a lot more than baseball. I love this guy.”
Macaugli’s comments were also heartfelt.
“I’m glad if I could give some of you, some of you, some wisdom, some baseball knowledge, some good times, but I gotta tell you guys, what you guys gave me is more important,” he said.. ” You gave me so much joy, joy, excitement, sometimes trouble, but it’s part of life. But you gave me a lot.
“So I’ll end by saying, thank you so much for giving me so much joy, so much joy and so much meaning in life. Thank you thank you.”
SWR retirement numbers
The Shoreham-Wading River baseball program has retired 13 numbers in its 46-year history.
0 smelled macagli
1 Sal Mignano
7 Julio Vega
9 Matt Milheiser
10 Keith Osiko
12 buddy Gangler
13 Jared Janosick
fifteen Tyler Osiko
16 Kevin Williams
17 Brian Sabtella
23 Brian Morell
23 Mike O’Reilly
