A New Haven odyssey: from Eli to Raven

The home run race is neck-and-neck, the Yankees are on the verge of an American League record for victories, and the wildest of wild-card races is coming down to the wire. With all the action this baseball season, you might have missed the story of David Feuerstein, SY '95.

COURTESY SPORTS PUBLICITY OFFICE New Haven Raven David Feuerstein, SY '95, has gone from Eli baseball captain to minor league outfielder.

Feuerstein, a former Yale standout in football and baseball, returned to New Haven to play left field for the Class AA New Haven Ravens this year. The Ravens, formerly a minor league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, play their home games at nearby Yale Field.

Though it's rare to play college and professional baseball in the same place, Feuerstein's return to the Elm City wasn't an epic event. "The professional facility is not nearly as glamorous as it was to a collegiate athlete," Feuerstein said. New Haven does have its advantages, though. "It's a lot nicer when you come back from spring training and you're familiar with the area," he said.

The Ravens' season ended Mon., Sept. 7.; Feuerstein will move to his fifth city in as many years next season. The Ravens announced on Tues., Sept. 22, that the Seattle Mariners are their new parent team.

This leaves Feuerstein, and the rest of his former Ravens teammates, temporarily without a team. The Carolina Mudcats, Colorado's new AA affiliate, may be Feuerstein's next stop, but he's not making any predictions. "One of the things about the minor leagues is that they don't tell you anything," Feuerstein said. "You kind of play the season out, see what they do, then wait until spring training and see what they do again."

At least he knows where he'll be until spring training--living at home in Scarsdale, N.Y. and attending the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in Manhattan. Feuerstein takes a commuter train to campus every week. He doesn't anticipate many of his teammates will have similar offseasons.

"Not too many [players] have the educational background that I have," Feuerstein said, though he insists this never prevented him from getting along with teammates. "It's what kind of intelligence you have on the baseball field that really matters," he said.

Feuerstein admitted, however, to missing the intellectual atmosphere he left to play professional baseball. He doesn't write research papers for fun, but he does find ways to stay sharp during the season. "I do little things...I try to read the paper as much as I can get hold of one, try to stay up with what's going on in the world when I'm in my own psuedo-world of baseball," he said.

The Rockies drafted Feuerstein in the 33rd round of the June 1995 free agent draft. Feuerstein worked his way through lower levels of professional baseball, playing for three Class A teams before being promoted to the Ravens this year. "It's a good way to see the country," Feuerstein said of playing minor league baseball.

Eli baseball coach John Stuper had nothing but praise for his former captain. "He probably played harder than any player I ever had," Stuper said of Feuerstein. The coach was quick to add that he didn't mean to slight Feuerstein's ability, calling him the best centerfielder and leadoff hitter he's ever coached. "I'd take 25 Feuersteins any time, and I'd win," Stuper said.

Feuerstein said his work ethic comes from self-inflicted pressure. "You're pushing yourself to work harder than the next guy," he said, adding that he doesn't want to look back on his career and wonder if he would have made it had he'd just worked harder.

Stuper, who also played minor league baseball, sees a bright future for the Yale alum. "I'd love to see him get a chance to play in the big leagues," he said. Though Feuerstein is not a power hitter, he is multitalented. According to Stuper, his former captain has speed and can play defense, hit the ball in the gap, and pinch hit. "I would envision him as a fourth outfielder," Stuper remarked.

Feuerstein, who hit over .275 for the Ravens, is confident he can hack it in the Show. "I'm sure I can play at that level," he said. "It's just a matter of how long I want to wait around." Feuerstein also wouldn't rule out the possibility of becoming a starting outfielder in the majors. He said that every year he starts out as a fourth outfielder, "and I end up getting 500 at bats."

Feuerstein may never get 500 at bats in the big leagues--the vast majority of professional players never get one. At least he has a backup plan. He can always become a lawyer.

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