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2018 Free Agent Chris Costantino

 

 

Chris Costantino

USSSA Playing History

USSSA Major Player

Interview conducted on 10/1/2017

2018 Free Agent – Braves297@gmail.com

Who are you playing with in 2017?
Played with SIS Thunder

What positions do you play and what is your best position?
Corner infield I would say first base 

Who is the best softball player you have ever seen play?
Andy Purcell guy is such a game changer 

Why do you like the game of softball?
Still get to compete after my minor league baseball days ended. Always like to compete against the highest skill level in the country!

Who is the best up and coming player in softball and why?
I'm going to say Adam Ussery if he's still considered up and coming lol. Not only is he one of the best guys I've met he's right behind Reyna defensively and dude is just a stone cold hitter whose only going to continue to get better.

What is your nickname in softball and how did you get it?
Dad bod lmao gotta love Kevin Johnson pretty self explanatory even went and had a kid so I truely fit the title.

What is your height and weight?
6'2. 245

Where do you call home?
West Warwick, Rhode Island 

What's your favorite way to spend an off weekend?
With my fiancé and son doing whatever! As long as they are by my side I'm in 7th heaven 

What do you do for a living?
I run my own facility for private hitting and pitching instruction for baseball and softball

Did you play sports in High School / College / Pro?
Baseball was drafted by Red Sox as 3rd baseman out of high school, then went to Walters state cc in Tennessee where I was drafted by the cardinals and signed as a pitcher, shoulder injury later I decided I wanted to hit again, so I went and played Indy ball as a third baseman and was lucky enough to sign a free agent deal with the Atlanta braves. Pretty much a walking injury for those 5 years of proball

How did you get your start in softball and how did you get to the upper level?
My good friend Kirby Murphy! When I got released he asked me to take bp, couple weeks later I was playing in the coed major with Jeff Wallace his friend from their playing days and 3 seasons in the conference later here I am!

What was the most surprising difference between Conference play and non-Conference play when you made the jump?
Only played one or two non conference tourneys before I made the jump , game speed defense and just overall hitter are so much more educated about what they are intending to do at the plate.

Is there a player that you would compare your game to?
Can't really think of anyone in particular 

What would you say is your career highlight to this point? Maybe one play or game that sticks out to you in particular?
Definitely hitting a walk off home run to beat reds at A worlds my first season, it was in the semi finals and we were a Cinderella team making a run

In your career was there a single person (player/manager/coach) who had the most significant impact on your approach to the game? Why?
I would say Jason Kendrick, I was lucky enough to play beside him my first season and then for him the next year when he became the manager of The Scene. Guy is just an absolute gamer, he has zero fear on the field as a player and understands the game just as much if not more from the managerial perspective as well! He held me accountable even though I'm "New" to the game playing on a major team my second year he didn't allow me to make inexperienced mistakes, it made me play on a different level plus I didn't want to give him and ammo to bust my stones about lol

What advice can you give a young player trying to break into the upper level?
Understand your body how it works you'll never be consistent if you don't have some awareness of your kinetic chain!

What type of batting grip do you use and what ounce bat?
Baseball grip and either a 27 or 28 end load 

What do you do in the offseason to prepare for the next softball season?
Last year was tough having the baby in February and all, don't get me wrong my family and life come first before any softball so i didn't really let it bother me mentally not being in the best of shape this year, 5 months of Ben and jerrys with your pregnant wife will surely pack on a few lbs lol. This offseason I intend to get back down to my baseball playing weight, it didn't really affect me on the 300ft fields but I could tell on the baseball fields I just didn't have the distance and was really having to add effort which can really make you have peaks and valleys offensively.

What is your favorite sports team and your favorite sport other than softball?
New England patriots  and definitely football

Do you have any superstitions and if so, what are they?
Hate when people say good luck, in my eyes luck is bs when you prepare your self correctly you usually catch breaks, idk what kind of the the guy who gambles other people's money never wins type of thing 

What would be your "at bat" music selection?
Feeling it Jay Z

What is the best improvement upper level softball could make?
I think that added oz to the bats would really help! If you had to swing a 31-34 oz bat even if it was hot as fire you need to be that much better in order to control your barrel plus it would cut down on bat speed I think there would be far less exit speed from 75% of the players due to the weight difference 

What is your favorite non-World tournament and why?
Windmill cape cod get to spend the weekend in a beautiful place with my family what's better than that

What is the best softball field/complex you have played at and why?
I really really loved playing in Dallas this past year. Awesome atmosphere fields were nice as well 

Where is the best place to eat on the road after a game?
Bag of beef jerky and some sleep lol

What is the funniest thing you have ever seen on a softball field?
Jason branch kicking a groundball while playing third base after he mishandled it and hitting Whaley right in the chest at second to get the out!!! Only JB could pull that off 

Tell us something about you that most would never know about you?
I'm one of the most loyal people you'll ever meet, can be a curse and a blessing. And I played Poker for a living until my son Grayson was born! I guess that's not the norm.

What was your favorite sports related gift you have ever given or received?
I was lucky enough to win a contest where I got to sit face to face with Pete rose and talk hitting for an hour !! Guy is cold blooded
 



 

 

 

 

3 responses to “2018 Free Agent Chris Costantino”

  1. Steve Whaley says:

    Chris is going to be one of the best young power hitters in the game for a long time. It’s a shame Kendo couldn’t keep him and EK together for the next 10 years. Very underrated as a first baseman. Saved us from making a lot of errors last year.

  2. Jb12 says:

    Def one of the best in the game at 1B… Will be one of the best for years to come. Glad I could be such a good influnce

  3. Cc says:

    Love ya jb and whales playing with y’all evolved my game x10

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