P . 10 | JULY 2022 | THE HAMMONTONIAN
Hammonton Hot Shots are town ’ s semipro baseball team
by DAN RUSSOMAN
For more than 135 years , baseball fans around the Hammonton area were treated to games played in the Atlantic County Baseball League ( ACBL ).
For most of that time , the ACBL had a team located in Hammonton , and those squads produced several championships , memorable games and talented players .
Most of the teams in the ACBL featured players from the communities
ATHLETICS
they represented and players and fans took pride in representing their hometown .
In 2004 , Sam Rodio Jr . took over managing Hammonton ’ s ACBL team , renamed it the Hot Shots and began what became one of the most successful runs in the league ’ s history .
“ I took over for B . J . Amoriello in 2004 and it ’ s been a lot of fun [ running the team ]. There have been some frustrating times , and some that have driven me crazy , but it ’ s been worth it ,” Rodio said .
For Rodio , 37 , a Hammonton native , the Hot Shots provide a way to stay connected with the game he loves .
“ I ’ ve always loved baseball . I played and now managing , it keeps me involved in the game ,” he said .
Rodio grew up playing in the Hammonton Little League , and he continues to volunteer with the local league . After a solid career as a pitcher at Hammonton High School , he joined the ACBL team in 2003 , a few years after the team had won the league title in 2001 .
“ Back then , the league was different ,” Rodio said .
“ Our team was made up mostly of local guys , older guys , guys I watched growing up . It was fun to be a part of that ,” he said .
As fewer of the older players came
SAM RODIO JR . HAS BEEN MANAGING THE HOT SHOTS SINCE 2004 .
THE HAMMONTON HOT SHOTS CELEBRATE AFTER WINNING THE 2016 ATLANTIC COUNTY BASEBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP .
out each season , the team became younger , and Rodio took managerial duties in 2004 .
“ A lot of the older guys left for whatever reasons . Some had jobs and family responsibilities , a few others were just getting too beat up every summer . B . J . [ Amoriello ] decided to give up managing , and with all the younger guys , it just made sense for me to do it ,” Rodio said .
Starting with a group of friends and former Hammonton High School teammates , Rodio built the Hot Shots into one of the best teams in the ACBL .
Those early teams included players like Matt Gabrielski , Matt Ingemi , Phil Carr , the Hunt brothers , Greg and Matt , Joe Slater , Mike and Matt Crescenzo .
“ It was a fun group . We had a lot of good ballplayers and some guys who were pretty intense ,” Rodio said .
The Hot Shots made the playoffs in 2006 , then advanced to the ACBL finals in 2010 , losing to Margate in three games .
That season began what developed into an almost decade-long rivalry with the Hurricanes that saw the two teams meet several times to determine the ACBL championship .
“ We had some great games and series with them [ Margate ]. For a long time , we were the best two teams in the league ,” Rodio said .
As the team grew , Rodio was able to add players from outside Hammonton . Brad Mountain , a Cape May native , became one of the team ’ s top pitchers and helped the Shots return to the finals in 2012 and 2014 , as they again fell to Margate both times .
“ Bradley [ Mountain ] was such a great pick up for us . We had solid pitching , but when he came here , he gave us a legitimate ace and he did so much to help all the other pitchers , especially the younger guys .
By the time the 2015 season began , Rodio had built a strong lineup and added some talented arms to bolster the pitching staff behind Mountain .
Trevor Rosenberg , an ACBL veteran , See SHOTS , P . 11