Baseball Factory Staff Q & A: Rob Naddelman, President

Q: Where did you attend college?
A: I attended the University of Pennsylvania. I only applied to Penn and Rutgers, and I didn’t even look at Rutgers for baseball. I really wanted to play at Penn.

Q: What factors ultimately led you to choose the University of Pennsylvania?
A: Well I wasn’t recruited heavily in high school. My high school team was terrible. Although I was a four year starter and made the all-county, all-region and all-state teams I wasn’t getting a lot of looks. However, my brother was currently attending the University of Pennsylvania and spoke with the head baseball coach and got him to come see me play. He came to a couple of my games and I applied to Penn through their early decision program. I got in and that was that. If my brother did not help me with getting the coach to take a look at me I may have not been able to play.

Q: How did you meet Baseball Factory CEO, Steve Sclafani and how did you decide to start Baseball Factory?
A: We both met at the University of Pennsylvania where we went to school. However it was only by chance that we met again after graduating, and that is when I started working with Steve. I had just finished my undergrad with a pre-med degree, and was working in a Medical Reserach lab in New Jersey when I randomly bumped into Steve. We caught up and he told me that he was leaving his job to pursue a concept that he had. That concept was Baseball Factory and I have been here ever since.

Q: Describe your college recruitment experience.  Did you receive any assistance in the process other than from your brother?
A; He really was the only help I got.  I sent out a few letters to other Ivy League schools. I knew based on my grades I wanted to go to an Ivy League school. I was fortunate to get to play in college because I didn’t have a lot of help with college recruiting.

Q: What position did you play at the University of Pennsylvania?
A: I played shortstop for one year and then mostly third base in my remaining three years. I was a two time All-Ivy League third baseman.

Q: What is your fondest memory of playing college baseball?
A: My fondest memory was during my senior year. In order to earn a birth in the Division I regional tournament, the champions of the Ivy League play a best of three series against the champions from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Penn won the Ivy League title that year and we played Rider University. We split the first two games of the series and in the third game we were all tied going into the ninth. I came up with a man on second and two outs. I had two strikes against me and I managed to get a single and drive in the go ahead run. The run held up and we went on to earn a bid into the Division I championships.

Q: If you were to repeat the recruitment process today, is there anything you would do differently?
A: I would try to work with an infield specific instructor. I was a strong hitter but lacked a little bit defensively. My high school coach, who was a great guy, couldn’t help me out the way I needed. If I could have taken lessons with Coach Schilling or Coach Bernhardt here at Baseball Factory I may have been recruited by more teams. I also wish I had the ability and opportunity to send a video out to different baseball programs. Even if I still ended up going to Penn it would have been nice to have more options and interest.

Q: What advice would you offer to high school baseball players interested in competing at the college level?
A: Work as hard as you can in class. The college recruiting process and trying to play college baseball is so competitive that the better students have the best shot because they aren’t going to be a liability in the classroom for a college coach. Also they need to be open-minded. The perfect school may be a school you have never heard of before. If you keep your options open you are more likely to find success.  Don’t catch D1-itis.

Q: What is your favorite Major League team?
A: I grew up in New Jersey so I have loved the New York Yankees since I was little.

Q: What do you love about baseball as a whole?
A: I like the unpredictable nature of the game. It’s truly a team game, the best team on paper doesn’t always win. Teams that do the little things right and use strategy make the game fun to watch.

Q: Who was your baseball role model growing up?
A: New York Yankee great Bucky Dent. He did all the little things right. I also liked Don Mattingly.  He was such a good clutch hitter and an incredibly hard worker. Both of these players were guys that I looked up to as a kid.

Q: What current Major League player do you believe best represents the professionalism, talent and character upon which the “American Pastime” was established?
A: Derek Jeter. He just embodies the game. He always says and does the right thing. He leads his team by example and is an inspiration for players coming up. He is a positive role model.

Q: How does the current image of Baseball Factory compare with the original vision for the company in its early development?
A: It has remained pretty consistent. Our goal has always been to help high school baseball players get the opportunity to play college baseball. Despite the growth of the company, that vision has remained at the forefront of everyone’s mind that works at Baseball Factory.

Q: What further developments and changes do you foresee in the future for Baseball Factory?
A: I believe in the near future we will start expanding to younger age groups. This would allow our great scouts and instructors to work with the players longer and start teaching proper fundamentals earlier.