Even before he was selected in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, right-handed pitcher Sean Carley was making media headlines.  It wasn’t for his pitching though, it was for his uncanny look-alike to Eastbound and Down’s Kenny Powers.  A comparison he embraced during his college career at West Virginia.
 
“It was a lot of fun for me in college,” Carley said, “the Yankees had me shave everything off so it is kind of dying down.”  The 6-4 240lbs right-hander is no stranger to the clean shaven look the Yankees upheld as prior to pitching at West Virginia he played for the Air Force Academy Falcons in Colorado.  And with the mullet and goatee gone he is looking to show the baseball world what he can do.  “It’s a good look for me, cleaned up a little bit and it is definitely more professional.  Now I can finally make a name for myself, instead of constantly being called Kenny.”
 
Carley was sent down to Tampa to get some work in before being officially assigned to the Staten Island Yankees.  “I came here first so I was pretty stoked to get out here and get into the atmosphere. I haven’t thrown in quite a few weeks so they sent me back to Tampa to get some work in.”  Down in Tampa he found out one of the little nuances that is different in the pros, the ball.  “I am getting a little more life on my fastball now with the new ball and it was really helping me.”
 
Don’t expect the ball to change how he pitches though.  The big right-hander is still planning to attack batters and throw strikes.  In his own words he plans on, “Throwing strikes, commanding my fastball and throwing my off-speed with aggression.”  As a four-pitch pitcher he has the chance to do well in the NY-Penn League.  His arsenal includes a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, slider and changeup.
 
Sean will get to show off his talent tonight as he pitches for the Staten Island Yankees in a double-header against the Aberdeen IronBirds.