Chris Mackie – Quickball Co-Founder
In the spring of 2020, baseball, like everything else, was benched. The Covid virus saw to that. Quickball, however, continued to take the field by playing nothing but “Home” games.Working through the Quickball Challenge/Bring Baseball Home campaign, Quickball kept the swings coming by connecting sidelined Minor League players with kids who were missing out on their youth season.
The general idea was simple – have MiLB players hand out donated Quickball ball-and-bat sets so kids could continue to practice and play at home. The program worked wonders, not only for the young equipment recipients but also for the pro players.
During the scary and uncertain situation that our nation was facing, it ensured young players that their local heroes were there to support them.Since then, four of those players have gone on to do great things both on and off the field. Considering that they represented Quickball, their sport and themselves in such a positive and generous manner, it’s only fitting that we pay tribute to what they have achieved since their involvement with the Quickball Challenge.
Anthony Volpe
Volpe was highlighted in the Bring Baseball Home promotional video, taking at-home Quickball BP swings with his dad, Michael, providing front toss. Three years later, he collected 76,000 Youtube views when New York manager Aaron Boone informed him that he had earned a roster spot with the Yankees.
A 5-10, 180 lb. shortstop and 2019 first round draft pick, Volpe spent three seasons in the Yankees farm system before making the parent club last year. For us Quickball professionals, it was incredibly rewarding to see one of our own reach the Big Leagues. Volpe, a 22-year old New Jersey native, began training with Quickball as a kid after trying it out at the MLB all-star Fanfest in New York. He has continued to practice with it ever since.
As a Quickball Challenge ambassador, Volpe spent an unforgettable day with Watchung (NJ) Little Leaguers, handing out equipment, signing autographs and throwing Quickball BP pitches during an impromptu Home Run Derby.
This year, the league honored Volpe with a large sign that recognizes him as their most celebrated alumnus.
In the big leagues, Volpe’s 2023 season produced some incredible results as he became the first Yankees rookie in team history to win a Gold Glove award. He also stole 31 bases and blasted 21 home runs.
As a result, he entered this season as one of ‘the’ young players to watch in 2024. As of this writing he is off to a solid start, hitting .267 with three home runs.
Michael Siani and Sammy Siani
The eldest of two Siani brothers playing pro ball, Michael was a promising MiLB outfielder in the Cincinnati Reds organization when the Covid spread began. Along with his younger brother, Sammy, he joined the Quickball Challenge by hosting an autograph signing and Quickball giveaway outside of their family’s well-known business, Ralph’s Barbershop, in Glenside, Pennsylvania. The gathering of kids and families lined the streets outside the shop and included fans of all ages.
Since then, Michael, now 24 years old, has delivered solid performances at the high-A, AA and AAA levels before making his MLB debut as a Reds outfielder in 2022. He appeared in several more MLB games in 2023. After being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals last winter, he has emerged as the starting centerfielder for the Cards. A 6-1, 195-lb. left-handed hitter and fielder, Siani has already made ESPN highlights several times this season with spectacular catches. Sammy Siani, a 23-year old 5-10, 195-lb. outfielder, was a 19-year old, first round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates when Covid hit. He has since turned in three solid seasons for the Greensboro Grasshoppers in Pittsburgh’s Minor league system. He is currently enjoying an all-star caliber season in 2024, hitting .339 with four home runs and 11 RBI through his first 59 at bats.
Jon Rosoff
Rosoff, a West Point graduate and U.S. Army Lieutenant, definitely has the most unique Quickball Challenge story. A member of the Detroit Tigers organization since 2018, Jon was slated to join the big league club for a spring training game when Covid shut down all MLB activities. Three days later, he was serving his country as a soldier at Fort Collins, Colorado.Rosoff was commissioned as a second Lieutenant after graduating from Army in 2018. He left West Point as one of the most decorated Black Knight players in team history.
He was the Patriot League Player of the Year in 2018 and was on the Johnny Bench watch list, an award that is presented each year to the nation’s best collegiate D1 catcher. Rosoff was also a Quickball volunteer long before Covid hit. He continued to stay active throughout 2020, helping to promote the Quickball mission regardless of which uniform he was wearing. Like Volpe, he also appeared in the Bring Baseball Homevideo where he was featured taking Quickball batting practice at his home in Durham, N,C. Due to his miltary commitment, he was unable to participate in a Quickball Challenge event. But he did contribute to the program through equipment donation on his behalf to the Southwest Athletics Babe Ruth League in Clemmons, N.C.
After 2020, Rosoff, a 5’8” 175-lb. strong-armed catcher and second baseman, spent the next three years in the Tigers system, advancing as high as AAA Toledo in 2022. No longer with the Detroit organization, Rosoff is now planning to stay involved in baseball as a professional scout.
