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Sports

The Crushers Most Interesting Man? Try Massarelli

Manager blends baseball with a taste for fine wines

Lake Erie Crushers manager meets the normal expectations for a minor-league guy, a natural lover of baseball and competition in general, but a man who has a few more worldly nuances than the stereotypes of his profession would indicate.

The Crushers against the Schaumburg Boomers beginning at 7 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. at .

As a brief background, Massarelli led the Crushers to a Frontier League championship in 2009. Massarelli, a catcher and outfielder at the University of Akron who played 10 seasons in the minors – including five at the Class AAA level – is 158-128 over the past three seasons.

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OK, most of that is normal for a minor-league manager, but his hobbies pull him away from the usual notions about baseball people, including his affinity for high-class beverages and a green thumb.

Massarelli, 46, lives in Massillon with his wife, Kelly, a teacher at Canton Central Catholic High School and daughter, Noel, a sophomore who attends John Carroll and majors in psychology and computer science.

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In a little downtime just before this season’s campaign kicked off, Massarelli had a little time to talk with Avon Patch.com for a quick look into this life.

What are your expectations for the season?

The ultimate goal is the same … we want to win another championship for the City of Avon and our fans.

Who was your favorite athlete growing up?

Pete Rose. (It was) how he played the game. Always played it hard. Always played it right.

Did his admitted gambling on baseball change your mind about him?

He deserved what he got (banned from baseball). But that was in the ‘70s when I was growing up. That wasn’t even an issue then.

What is your favorite personal athletic moment in your career?

Probably the championship seasons (as a player). The one in Taiwan (for the Chiayi-Tainan Luka of the Taiwan Major League in 1997) and the Tucson (Ariz.) Toros (Class AAA Astros in the Pacific Coast League with titles in 1991, 1993).

What is your favorite food?

Filet mignon. It goes well with chianti.

Tell us something that most people don’t know about you?

I like gardening. That’s my hobby, planting flowers. I’m an amateur wine connoisseur and a cigar aficionado. It’s something to do in the offseason or something to do during the season. I don’t like to golf and fish.

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