The Yastrzemski Award

Dating to 1968, The Yastrzemski Award is presented annually by the Suffolk County Baseball Coaches Association to the outstanding high school baseball player in Suffolk County, New York.

Guess who won one?

It's a simple play, one that he perfected not long after taking up baseball in East Islip almost 20 years ago.

Catch grounder. Pull ball from glove. Toss ball to second base.

Catch, pull, toss.

He booted some balls and fumbled others, but not many. He played four years on the varsity at East Islip High School and won the Yastrzemski Award as Suffolk County's finest in 1990, his senior season. He was drafted in the ninth round by the Braves and right after graduation was sent packing for Pulaski, Va., and later Idaho Falls and Macon and Durham and Greenville, honing his skills while waiting for the big-league call-up. All along, he kept turning the simple play.

Catch, pull, toss.

"I've made that play 1,000 times," Tony Graffanino said yesterday.

The complete list of Yastrzemski Award Winners:

2005 - David Collado, Copiague
2004 - Brian Johnson, East Islip
2003 - Estee Harris, Central Islip
2002 - Scott King, Connetquout
2001 - Tim Layden, Deer Park
2000 - Jason Gouge, East Islip
1999 - Dominick Ambrosini, Connetquot
1998 - Rick Riccobono, Commack
1997 - Rob Rizzo, Half Hollow Hills West
1996 - Mark Frole, Lindenhurst
1995 - Mike Cabales, East Islip
1994 - Ross Gload, East Hampton
1993 - Bill Koch, West Babylon
1992 - Mike Ciminiello, Smithtown East
1991 - John Garside, Glenn
1990 - Anthony Graffanino, East Islip
1989 - Brady Forseth, Smithtown West
1988 - Jim Mecir, Smithtown East
1987 - Keith Osik, Shoreham-Wading River
1986 - John Thoden, Patchogue-Medford
1985 - Ron Witmeyer, East Islip
1984 - Ron Witmeyer, East Islip
1983 - Rich Vichroski, Northport
1982 - Chris Bayer, West Islip
1981 - Raf Cepeda, Comsewogue
1980 - Kevin Baugh, Deer Park
1979 - Boomer Esiason, East Islip
1978 - Neal Heaton, Sachem
1977 - Jim Walker, Whitman
1976 - Victor Nicotra, Islip
1975 - Mike Heiser, Whitman
1974 - Al Willet, Patchogue
1973 - Len Locascio, Commack South
1972 - Neal O'Hara, Northport
1971 - Tom Veryzer, Islip
1970 - Don DeMola, Commack South
1969 - Richard Walsh, Central Islip
1968 - Skip Borowicz, Huntington

Boomer Esiason?

It ain't over till it's over. I'm not sweating it. Bosox in 5.