After longtime Westhampton Aviators General Manager Tom Pisaneschi stepped down at the end of last season, Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League President Sandi Kruel and Commissioner Jim Pereira knew they had to get to work to fill a position for what has been one of the league’s most successful franchises.
Enter John Halloran.
Halloran is the father of Jack Halloran, who graduated from Westhampton Beach High School last year after playing four years of varsity baseball. Jack played his freshman baseball season at Emory University this year and will be playing for his hometown Aviators, along with fellow grad Ryan Miller.
Westhampton Beach Athletic Director Kathy Masterson actually brought up the GM vacancy to John Halloran, and Masterson mentioned him to her friend Kruel. Halloran accepted the position this past December.
“With my son being on the team, it just felt like it made sense,” he said of taking the job. “That’s basically what it came down to. I’ll be watching all of his games. With him being down at Emory, it wasn’t like I could fly down and watch every game, so with this, I was going to be here anyway.”
Halloran joked that when he took the job in December, housing wasn’t an issue then, of course. But as Opening Day creeps up closer and closer, and the need to house players becomes an increasing need, as it does for all of the league’s seven franchises, the pressure builds for Halloran — as he’s quickly learning.
“It’s definitely been a dog fight to get this off the ground,” he said. “You really want to make sure everyone gets housed. The GM’s job is more administrative and making sure there is housing, working for sponsorship, food, making sure ice is there, the pregame stuff, paperwork for field use, all that stuff.
“Running the team, who plays, all that’s up to Jason,” Halloran added. “There’s a pretty strict no-GM-in-the-dugout rule.”
Halloran was referring to Jason Jacome, the team’s new manager, another vacancy when Alex Brosnan, who had managed the team the past few summers, stepped down at the end of last season.
Pereira said Pisaneschi left a big void when he stepped down, but he’s confident Halloran will do an exemplary job.
“We’re really happy with John,” he said. “Tom Pisaneschi was the longtime GM there in Westhampton and did an outstanding job. He just felt it was time to move on and give someone else the opportunity.
“Tom leaves a big void — Westhampton was one of our most stable franchises — but John is going to do a great job. He’s conscientious enough. I think he’ll do just fine.”
