LEADING BY EXAMPLE: PLETCHER AND LESLIE TEACHING MORE THAN BASEBALL

It’s hard to argue with facts. When you look at the rosters of the Astro Falcon organization from 10U up, you see the talent that is raw and moldable. The chief artists among the top of the franchise are two men who have finally been afforded the opportunity to work together to build something special in Youngstown. Astro Falcon General Manager, Steve Leslie, and Big B Astro Manager have been friends for years, but just this year have they become teammates.

Pletcher brought his successful reign as a manager of the Baird Brothers franchise to the Astro organization in 2019, along with his band of brothers, Emil Bertolini, and Pitching Coach, Billy McCartney. The only thing missing was a seasoned coach who bled Blue and Orange and had ties to Astro Falcon yesteryear, and Leslie fit that mold perfectly.

So this year the Astro Falcons returned to glory with the championship of the Class B League, as well as a proud victory in the Bob Cene Memorial Tournament, and capped off with a trip to Laredo, Texas for the Palomino World Series.

“Our goal first and foremost was to create a great culture for our players from the bottom up, and Pletch understands and strives to give our families in the organization the best experience possible,” says Leslie. “To give these young men an opportunity to represent their country, their state, their neighborhoods against the best competition in the world is something they’ll never be able to replicate.” added the Astro GM.

Our Mark Franken caught up with both gentlemen for a special YSN Coach’s Corner presentation from Laredo, Texas.

Astro Falcon Manager- Don Pletcher