Times Herald-Record
William Montgomery
June 18, 2012
FISHKILL — Marty Gantt sat in the visitor's dugout at Dutchess Stadium, wedged among a few teammates during Hudson Valley Renegades media day Thursday afternoon.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the stares. Over the past 48 hours, he had gone through the awkward handshakes with two dozen new teammates.
Gantt was born with an undeveloped right hand. The fingers on that hand are shorter than those on his left hand, which is fully developed.
"I think some people notice it, but they're too scared to say anything to me," Gantt said. "It doesn't bother me. I can't change it. People are going to talk about it, so the way I look at it, I can have fun with it.
"I want people to be able talk to me about it like you could anything else," he continued. "I don't want anybody to be scared to mention it or anything like that. I figured some people will get around to it eventually."
Gantt, a speedy outfielder from the College of Charleston, the same school that produced Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner, is planning on having plenty of fun with the Renegades this summer. Picked in the seventh round of the 2012 draft, No. 242 overall, Gantt figures to spark the top of the Renegades' lineup.
The only thing he can't do on the baseball field because of his hand is check his swing as a right-handed batter. Defensively, he wears his glove on his right hand and throws with his left.
Aside from the difficulties in checking his swing, Gantt says his hand hasn't in any way been a detriment in his journey to become a professional baseball player.
"After I got through first grade, that's when most kids started picking on me," he said. "But when it came to baseball, it was never a challenge. People, they knew I could play. 'His hand's not a factor at all. If the kid can play, he can play.' That's the way people treated it back home."
He was a good enough player in high school to verbally commit to the University of South Carolina. Gantt's SAT scores however, prevented him from meeting NCAA clearinghouse standards, so he played for two seasons at Spartanburg Methodist, a junior college.
South Carolina, national champion in 2010 and 2011, still wanted him after his sophomore year at Spartanburg, but Gantt picked College of Charleston instead.
"I think that was the greatest decision I made, going to College of Charleston," he said.
Gantt was concerned South Carolina would use him exclusively as a pitcher and he was excited by the opportunity Charleston offered to play the outfield.
Gantt did a little bit of everything in two years as a starting outfielder at Charleston, hitting for average, hitting for power and stealing plenty of bases.
However, as a senior this spring, Gantt had little leverage in the draft. After being picked by the Rays, he signed a $17,500 bonus, well below the slot value of $142,700.
As he's done his whole life, Gantt is out to prove he can play. With his speed on the bases and the lack of expense it took Tampa Bay to select him, Gantt could be a steal.
"I kind of figured I'd go somewhere around the 10th round, so when I got the call that they were taking me in the seventh, I was really excited," Gantt said. "That's obviously an exciting point in my career. I'd never been drafted and always wanted to play pro ball. That was the most exciting two minutes of my life, sitting there and watching my name pop up on the screen."
Post and Courier
Cougars finish strong in sailing nationals; coach Greg Fisher up for national award
June 15, 2012
The No. 2-ranked College of Charleston closed out the season with a fourth-place finish at the three-day ICSA/Gill Coed Dinghy National Championship in Austin, Texas.
Several team members were named All American — Mac Mace, Perry Emsiek, Alyssa Aitken and Zeke Horowitz.
Additionally, C of C was honored for the fifth time in program history as the winner of the Leonard M. Fowle Trophy, awarded annually to the best overall collegiate team in the nation based on a compilation of results from the ICSA Women’s Singlehanded, Men’s Singlehanded, Match Racing, Women’s Dinghy, Team Racing and Coed Dinghy National Championships.
“Winning the Fowle Trophy is such a thrill for our tremendous team and coaches,” C of C director of sailing Greg Fisher said. “(Head coach) Ward (Cromwell) and (assistant coach) Mitch (Hall) did a superb jobs. These results are indicative of the depth our program has developed and what we have to look forward to in the future.
“But perhaps one of the most impressive attributes of our program, and how these results were achieved, is how strong our team spirit truly is.”
Last, but not least, Fisher is one of 64 finalists up for U.S. Sailing’s Greatest American Sailor. The winner will be selected through web votes, and the announcement will be made July 16. To vote, go to www.ussailing.org.
Post and Courier
Charleston Classic basketball tournament field complete
June 13, 2012
Auburn and Murray State have been added to the Charleston Classic basketball tournament to be played at the College of Charleston in November.
The eight-team tournament field, which includes College of Charleston, is now complete. The other teams playing are Boston College, Baylor, Colorado, Dayton and St. John’s. The tournament is set for Nov. 15, 16 and 18.
“The Charleston Classic is a first-class event held in a terrific location,” Cougars coach Doug Wojcik said. “Having been a visitor here last year (as the head coach of the University of Tulsa), the weather, the hotels, the hospitality and the arena are second-to-none. It will be a wonderful opportunity for us to participate against a really tough field in front of our own home crowd at TD Arena.”
For ticket information, go to www.cofcsports.com/tickets or call the College of Charleston ticket office at (843) 953-2632. Charleston Classic ticket packages will go on sale to the general public on July 2 at 9 a.m.
Post and Courier
College of Charleston pitcher Josh Renfro signs free-agent deal with Cardinals
June 13, 2012
College of Charleston pitcher Josh Renfro has signed a free-agent contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, the school announced Tuesday.
Renfro, a senior left-hander from Bradenton, Fla., was 15-11 with an earned-run average of 3.56 during his career with the Cougars.
Renfro is the fifth College of Charleston player to be drafted by or sign with a Major League Baseball team this year. Outfielder Marty Gantt (Tampa Bay), pitcher Christian Powell (Minnesota) and pitcher David Peterson (Atlanta) were drafted, and pitcher Kyle Owings signed as a free agent with Arizona.
Gantt, a seventh-round pick, has signed with the Rays and will begin his pro career with Hudson Valley of the short-season New York-Penn League.
