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ALBANY ATHLETICS GM/Head Coach: Joe Altieri (26th season) Assistant Coach: Eric Biehler. 2019 Finish: 20-4 league.
The four-time defending league champion Albany Athletics come into the 2021 season after being the only Twilight League team to compete in 2020. Due to COVID cancelling the ATL season, the A’s joined the Independent Collegiate League last year with the Amsterdam Mohawks, Albany Dutchmen and Glens Falls Dragons—all members of the Perfect Game Collegiate League—and proceeded to dominate the league with a 21-3-2 record in a six-week season as baseball was just opening up late last summer.
For 2021, the A’s will lose 10 players from its 2020 roster but they will return Twilight All-Stars and veterans Chris Salamida, Zach Breen, Nate Novak, Dan Barbero and Greg Sulz in addition to RJ Pingitore, Craig Mastroianni, Steve DeLuca, Nick Bird, Kevin Connolly, Bryan Carr and Ryan Harper. A bevy of college talents will also return from 2020 including Anthony Raimo, Tommy Kretzler, Nick Hansen, Connor Pingitore, Tim Carroll, James Rubino, Nick Zuba, Carson Stewart, and Ryan and Kyle Lambert. Also joining the squad are pitchers Dylan Angelo, Marko Gibbons and Spencer Brown in addition to position players Brett Young, Andrew Pedone, Danny Barbero Jr. and Nate Toms.
The A’s, who won the 2019 league title, have won a record 10 ATL championships and aim for a fifth straight. They have qualified for the playoffs 18 consecutive years and have reached the League Championship for 13 straight seasons. Albany is guided by manager Joe Altieri, who is returning for his 26th year in summer baseball. Altieri currently sports a 394-110 (.780) ATL regular season record since 1998 (most managerial wins in league history). Including non-league games and postseason, he is 871-290 in his career.
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