By Troy Modlin
On June 10, at approximately 11:40 a.m., in West Palm Beach, FL, a Perfect Game was pitched by a 14 year old with a legacy that started in Great Neck in 1951.
It all began when Charles and Constance Frankel moved to Great Neck in 1951 and had two children, Sherry and Van. Decades later, Sherry and her husband, Bobby, moved into their new home in Kings Point in August 1978 with their two children, Troy and Tara. The couple specifically purchased a home that had a large enough backyard so they could play baseball in it every day—and that is exactly what it was used for until it was sold in June 2001.
Troy became a very successful baseball player, making it to Division I at Boston University as a pitcher and also coached at Great Neck North in 2003 and 2004. During his senior year at Great Neck North High School in 1990, he pitched a one-hit shutout against Great Neck South. That was certainly a highlight for him, but even more so for his father, Bobby, who still lives on the North Shore of Long Island.
I am sure you are asking yourself why is this article being written and why is it important or interesting enough to be in the Great Neck Record? The answer is to follow but, in short, it is because everyone who lives in Great Neck and moves away passes on a legacy of their own to their children about Great Neck and how important it is in their lives, even today.
Charles “Charlie” Modlin, who was named after his great-grandfather Charles Frankel, was born at Long Island Jewish on Oct. 25, 2003. Charlie moved to Weston, FL, in June 2004. His father, Troy, picked Weston because of the baseball fields, which were numerous.
Charlie has been playing baseball since he was 6 years old and, for the last five years, he has played travel baseball—or about 70 games a calendar year. He has been hitting the ball 300 feet since he was 12 and has been pitching a knuckleball since last year. He recently made a Summer Showcase team, which are professionally directed by college coaches and former professional baseball players, called the South Florida Breakers.
On Sunday, June 10, Charlie was facing the Charlestown River Dogs from South Carolina. The game ended in five innings due to the score being 8-0, and there is a run rule in place. He proceeded to pitch what is called a Perfect Game, which is a rarity on any level. In the game there were no hits, no runs, no walks and no errors. Not one player from the opposing team ever got on base. He pitched five innings with only 44 pitches or an average of 8.8 pitches an inning or 2.93 pitches per batter.
This outstanding performance made his father, Troy, proud and his grandfather Bobby even more so.
Bobby recalled the event at Great Neck South during the spring of 1990 in which Troy pitched a one hitter. Great Neck will always be in the hearts of the Modlin Family. The legacy continues.
