Many kids want to be a Major League Baseball player when they grow up, but one native Long Islander in Keith Couch actually has a shot at living that dream.
This year, Couch is a starting pitcher for the Pawtucket Red Sox (a Boston Red Sox AAA affiliate), better known as the PawSox. Just one step away from the big leagues, at 25 years old, he still lives his boyhood dream.
“It’s just an accomplishment to be here, to be one step away,” he said. “Big league camp was a fun time this year and hopefully I get to complete the goal and play in the majors.”
Growing up on Long Island, graduating from Holy Trinity Diocesan High School and played college baseball at Adelphi University, the Boston Red Sox turned his world upside down, selecting him in the 13th round of the 2010 MLB draft. He was a standout in his three seasons with the Adelphi Panthers, compiling an 18-7 record with a 2.07 ERA while tossing four shutouts and ten complete games as the team’s clear-cut ace.
A Yankees fan growing up, getting picked by the team’s arch rival was not a concern for Couch. Knowing that a big league team wanted to give him a shot was good enough, even if it was the Red Sox.
“Just to be drafted was a dream come true,” he said. “It doesn’t matter Yankees or whatever, just being able to play pro ball was the goal.”
Despite being a New Yorker, he is thriving in the Boston organization. In 18 regular season outings (17 starts) last year, he went 8-2 for the Portland Sea Dogs (AA) with a 2.96 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 100.1 innings. His best outing of the year however came in the PawSox playoff hunt when he limited the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays AAA affiliate) to just one hit in 6.2 innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
Couch might not be topping out any prospect lists, but the Red Sox thought highly enough of him to invite him to big league camp and even let him pitch in a few spring training games. He let up three earned runs in 6.1 innings of three relief outings, striking out four.
Growing up around the game, Couch credits one person in particular who is quite close to him for his success in the game.
“I’d probably have to give all of the credit to my dad,” he said. “I mean he was my little league coach growing up. He was the one that got me playing ball, playing catch and everything like that.”
Now that Couch is done with his amateur career, his father is now a freshman coach at Holy Trinity high school—a job Keith helped him get.
Pitching in Holy Trinity Titans rotation for two seasons, Couch made a name for himself his senior year (2007) when he was named team MVP, All-County (Nassau) and All-Island. He even pitched in the Long Island All-Star game before heading to Garden City to pitch in the Northeast-10.
Although he is a pro ballplayer now, Couch remembers where he came from and still has ties to Nassau County today.
“I go back, I still help at my old high school,” he said. “I work at a batting cage in Nassau County, do a lot of charity work and stuff like that.”
In the off season, Couch works at Storm Sports Academy in West Hempstead as an instructor, teaching others the game as his father taught him.
