Neal Heaton doesn’t give many interviews nowadays. The Sachem alum from the Class of 1979 is relatively quiet and enjoys his gig as a pitching instructor at All Pro Sports Academy in Bellport.
With the 84th annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game coming to Citi Field on Tuesday, Heaton opened up recently in an interview with Newsday about his All-Star experience in 1990 as a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“From Sachem to the All-Star Game, you absolutely think about where you came from,” Heaton told Newsday. “You think about all the great players that you’ve seen who go there every year, and now you’re in the locker room with these guys. It’s really incredible.”
Heaton pitched in the majors for 12 seasons and made his only All-Star team in 1990.
He was joined by area natives Frank Viola (Twins, East Meadow) and John Franco (Reds, Brooklyn) as all-stars that season.
Of the handful of athletes in Sachem to play professional sports, Heaton joins Jeff Ruland (NBA All-Star, 1984) and Jumbo Elliott (Pro Bowl, 1993) to make the all-star teams of their respective sports.
Read the full story on Newsday.com
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro