There are a lot of reasons why Cole McManimon and Jake Alu have gone from baseball rivals to great buddies, but rest assured one of them isn’t because they can borrow from each other’s wardrobe.
Alu estimates his height at “a high 5-8 or a low 5-9” while the ever-growing McManimon is at 6-foot-4 and counting.
“My neck starts to hurt sometimes when I’m talking to him,” Alu said with a laugh.
Unfortunately (or fortunately) for Alu’s chiropractor, they talk a lot as they have evolved from two guys from the opposite sides of Hamilton Township to comrades-in-arms for both the Princeton Day School baseball team and the Gallagher Mizuno 17-year-old All-Star travel team.
PDS coach Ray O’Brien is counting on the two to provide ample leadership this year along with fellow junior JP Radvany, as the Panthers have just one senior.
“The three juniors and our senior are basically the upper class,” O’Brien said. “I expect Jake and Cole not just to pull the load on the field but in the leadership department. They both bring different stuff to the table. They work off each other, which works well for me.”
It took a while to get to this point, however, as McManimon started his baseball career as an 8-year-old in Sunnybrae Little League while Alu was playing for Nottingham. The two opposed each other in countless All-Star tournaments, won mostly by Nottingham.
“It was always unfair, his team was always incredible growing up,” McManimon said with a laugh. “All their kids from our age group were really good players.”
So, basically, McManimon didn’t like Alu?
“Yeah, I guess you could put it that way,” McManimon said with another laugh.
Truth be known, the two respected each other greatly from the opposite dugouts.
“He stood out,” McManimon said of Alu. “I remember one game we played against him, and I think we lost by 10 runs, and he had three home runs, two were absolute missles. He wasn’t a big kid but he had a lot of pop in his bat and that was always standing out.”
“Our coaches would always talk to us before he was gonna pitch against us, they always knew,” Alu said. “He was never bad. He always had this stuff, he was always the ace of the team. And now, after watching him for so long, it’s amazing how far he’s come with his velocity, his breaking ball.”
After little league, the two remained in different dugouts as Alu played for Nottingham Babe Ruth and McManimon was on Hamilton. Each got some bragging rights during that time.
As 14-year-olds, Nottingham needed one win to wrap up a District One title, but Hamilton won twice on a Friday night at Switlik Park to snatch a championship and state berth away from Nottingham. The following year in states, Nottingham held off Hamilton, 4-3, at Veterans Park to oust the Switlik Gang from the Southern New Jersey state tournament.
“We talk about that game, and I always tell Cole ‘Yeah, you beat us before, but we win when it counts,” Alu said.
And more than likely, McManimon brings up the previous year?
“Well, yeah,” Alu said. “He does bring that up.”
During that time, however, the two started to become friends as both played for the Burlington Blaze travel team. McManimon joined as a 12-year-old and Alu came on board the following year.
“Right when I started playing with him, I could see he was a good kid,” McManimon said, adding with a smile. “I saw then that not all Nottingham kids are bad.”
“It was always a big rivalry with Nottingham and Hamilton, I always looked forward to playing them,” Alu said. “But when we got on the Blaze, we became buds then and that’s kind of when we started getting to know each other. Now we’re like best friends.”
Ironically, O’Brien was there to watch it all develop, as he served as an assistant on the Blaze when his two current Panthers were on the team. O’Brien had known Cole since he was a little kid, as Cole’s brother Connor played ice hockey with O’Brien’s son Clint at PDS.
“That’s when I first got to see those two interact,” O’Brien said. “They were teammates then, and they became really good friends and they both ended up going to the same high school together. It’s great having both of them, and they’re both a little more mature which is great.”
McManimon was the first to register at PDS, and Alu soon followed. He liked the idea of remaining teammates with McManimon, and also found playing for O’Brien an experience he enjoyed and wanted to continue.
The two have been regulars since their freshman year. Alu played a little centerfield along with third base as a freshman and moved to shortstop last year. McManimon has taken a regular turn on the mound both years.
Alu has hit over .300 both seasons, while McManimon went 6-2 last season with an ERA under 3.00. He had 47 strikeouts and allowed just 10 walks.
“It’s really rare you get a kid with that kind of control, usually those kids are all over the place,” O’Brien said. “But one thing he manages to do is throw strikes. He’ll pound that strike zone.”
McManimon was 6-foot-2 as a freshman, 6-4 last year and 6-6 this year. He admits it’s tough to keep his athletic ability in synch with his rapid growth spurts but does so by working out with Connor.
“I lift and stretch a lot,” said McManimon, who is being recruited by Lafayette and Lehigh. “My brother is the same way. He’s taken me under his wing, he loves to work out.”
McManimon is hoping he stops growing, but his size does give him one advantage. Opposing batters feel like they’re facing a giant and it’s an intimidating feeling. When that long arm comes forward it appears like he is just 50 feet from the plate rather than 60.
He uses a fastball with downward action then throws a change-up with the opposite spin, which has batters off kilter as they gear for a blazer from the hulking figure. He’s also working on a slider.
“Every time I see the kid, he grows two inches a week,” O’Brien said. “I don’t even know if he’s done yet. But he’s filled out a little more (at 215 pounds). He’s a legitimate man child. He’s just big. He’s not a skinny, gangly kid anymore.”
McManimon did encounter a setback in January when he fractured his foot while running. He just got back on it in late February.
“I’m hoping it doesn’t set me back at all,” he said. “It feels fine now.”
Alu is certainly hoping McManimon is his usual self, as he loves playing defense behind his pal.
“You know he’s gonna throw strikes and put all the work on the fielders and you kind of trust him,” Jake said. “You know he won’t show any fear and get rattled out there. He keeps his head straight and throws strikes, that gives the fielders confidence.”
McManimon has an equal amount of confidence with Alu playing behind him. Alu used to put on a show in centerfield as a Babe Ruth All Star, but is even better on the infield.
“He has a great range,” McManimon said. “Whenever there’s a pop up I know he’ll get it. If there’s a ball in the hole I have confidence he’ll get it. He’s really quick on his feet.”
Alu is already set for college, having decided on Boston College. While playing for Gallagher last summer, he caught the eye of several schools.
“They just kind of followed me throughout the summer and came to a lot of my games,” he said. “A few schools showed a lot of interest, I liked BC the most. It’s a perfect fit academically and athletically, plus they play in the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) so that’s great.”
“I definitely have to keep my grades steady now, keep them where they’re at. But this will help with baseball at PDS and over the summer. I don’t have to worry. I can go out and play my game and not feel pressure on my shoulders to make a big play or do something I think a (college) coach wants me to do.”
O’Brien praises Alu for his flexibility and feels he will likely be a middle infielder in college. He’s just happy to have him for two more years.
“When we moved him to shortstop, the rest was history,” the coach said. “He played really well there. He’s got a tremendous arm, good range and hands, everything you expect from a middle infielder.
“At the plate his average was down a little bit last year but his power came up. He’s obviously not a tall kid, but he’s got some pop, he’s got some bat speed. He hit a couple of homers. I’m toying where to hit him, he could hit third or lead off for us.”
Wherever Alu hits, and however McManimon pitches, it’s safe to say their relationship has come a long way in nine years.
“We’re great friends now,” McManimon said. “We go to school together in the morning every morning. He comes to pick me up, we’ll bring him home. We have that buddy-buddy mentality.”
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