GETTING TO KNOW THE GULLS
NEWPORT, R.I- The Newport Gulls have recently begun checking in with alumni to see what they have been up to since their time as a Gull and what their time in Newport meant to them personally and professionally. Interviews have been conducted by Newport Gulls Director of Baseball Operations Mike Falcone over Zoom to ensure the safety of each participant. There have been three interviews released on the Gulls’ Social Media Accounts; Episode 1- Blaise Salter, Episode 2- Brett Graves, Episode 3- Frank Holbrook.
Episode 1- Blaise Salter
Blaise Salter was a member of the 2014 Newport Gulls in between his junior and senior years as a Michigan State Spartan. While speaking to Mike Falcone, Blaise discussed the fact that he came to Newport with a bit of a “chip on his shoulder” after being named an All-American that spring and not getting drafted.
Salter’s desire to prove to Major League scouts that he deserved a shot at being drafted fueled one of the most impressive seasons a Gull has ever had. The Bloomfield, MI native took home the NECBL MVP and was named the league’s Top Pro Prospect after hitting .340 with nine home runs and a Gulls single-season record 42 rbi.
After returning to Michigan St. with a summer to remember in his rearview mirror, Salter had another successful collegiate season and was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 31stRound of the 2015 MLB Draft. He rose to Double-A within the Tigers system before retiring in 2018 from professional baseball. Currently, Blaise works as a Sports Agent with Jet Sports Management.
“Newport will always hold a special place in my heart, and I can’t wait to get back and see everyone who has been a part of the organization”- Blaise Salter
Watch the full interview via link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbOJdsKGCQ4
Episode 2- Brett Graves
Brett Graves is one of 24 Newport Gulls alumni to have played in the Major Leagues. He spent two seasons with the Gulls (2012 & 2013) and pitched for the Miami Marlins for the entirety of the 2018 season after the right-handed pitcher was selected in the Rule 5 Draft from Oakland. Graves pitched well for the #1 Ranked Summer Collegiate Summer Team in 2012 but upon his return in 2013, he was nearly unhittable. In 50.1 innings pitched that summer, Graves struck out 51 batters faced and finished the summer with a perfect 6-0 record and 1.43 era. He was drafted out of the University of Missouri- Columbia in the 3rdRound of the 2014 Draft by the Oakland Athletics.
He spent 2019 in Triple-A with the Marlins and finds himself training at home during this shortened MLB season as there is no minor league baseball being played this year and accredits much of his successes to the time spent in Newport.
“In 2019, I took my journey back to the minor leagues and had the best season ever- actually aside from that 2013 season in Newport. I don’t think anything can top that”- Brett Graves
Watch the full interview via link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Yf0Wxi4XY
Episode 3- Frank Holbrook
Frank was a teammate of Brett Graves on the 2012 NECBL Champion Newport Gulls and like Graves, has continued to have a professional career in baseball. However, Holbrook has done so as a coach after his time playing was complete. He was born and raised in Newport’s bordering community of Middletown, attending Portsmouth Abbey for High School just minutes from Cardines Field in Portsmouth, RI.
The Holbrook Family became a host family for the Newport Gulls which exposed Frank to collegiate student-athletes at a young age. He eventually went on to pitch for Wheaton College in Norton, MA, leading the Lyons to the Division III National Championship his junior season. Upon graduation, Holbrook joined the Newport Gulls coaching staff for the summer of 2013. Spending time under manager Mike Coombs and the rest of his staff convinced Holbrook to pursue a career in coaching. Since that summer, Holbrook returned to his alma mater to begin his collegiate coaching career as the Wheaton College pitching coach and accepted the position of head coach at Rhode Island College prior to the 2019 season.
“I think it all started with the Gulls, going to games, as a batboy, and host family”- Frank Holbrook
Watch the full interview via link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ffzJsNJ8LU
You can watch all of the Getting to Know the Gulls interviews on the Gulls YouTube Channel: www.YouTube.com/NewportGullsand stay tuned to the Newport Gulls Social Media Accounts, @NewportGulls, for the latest alumni in which Mike Falcone checks in with.
