Dear Baseball Factory Friends:

Having benefitted from Coach Jim Spooner’s advice and teaching on several occasions while I participated in Baseball Factory development programs, I was deeply saddened to learn of his recent death.  None of us who admired him and learned from him as part of our Baseball Factory training had any idea he had leukemia because he was always so vigorous, energetic and genuinely enthusiastic.  As a player who started with the Baseball Factory as a high school freshman and stayed for the full four years, I attribute my current position as a Division I college pitcher to the very special people at the Baseball Factory who went out of their way to help and guide me, with Coach Spooner as one of the important members of that group.  I will remember him both as a gentleman and as a coach who cared about his players and the people he touched.  His wife and family should know that there is a world of baseball players out here who will never forget him and will always be able to look skyward and whisper “Thank you Coach.”

With warmest regards and sincere condolences,

Sean Darsee
Iona College Starting Pitcher