Mike Macchione is entering his first year as a Blue Sox coach this summer. He will be taking over catching coach duties, while also bringing a significant amount of experience to this year’s club.

Many Blue Sox fans may recognize Coach Macchione because he has been a staple in the local community for 50 plus years. Born and raised in Utica, Macchione attended Proctor High School and graduated in 1965. During his time at Proctor, he was a member of the baseball team and played catcher. At this time, he also spent two years playing legion baseball for Adrean Post, the beginning of nearly a lifetime spent with Adrean and legion baseball. Macchione also spent time playing with former big league outfielder Dave Cash who, most notably, played for the Philadelphia Phillies, as well as Pittsburgh Pirates 3rd round pick Richard Grimaldi.

After graduating high school, Macchione enlisted in the Air Force where he was stationed in Guam, Okinawa, Thailand, and Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts. Once he returned, he briefly played in the Utica municipal league before kickstarting a long and impressive coaching career.

In 1971, Coach Macchione suited up as the head coach for Adrean Post, a position he would hold for 52 years. This impressive feat was even further exemplified by his dedication to his team and his love of the game. Under Macchione, Adrean won many league titles including an especially impressive playoff run in the early 1990s when his team was a game away from the Legion World Series. Macchione built a thriving legion baseball program that consistently won 20-25 games a year.

In the past few years, Macchione has taken up an administrative role with the Adrean club, while also becoming the New York State Legion Baseball Chairman. This role has allowed Macchione to help guide legion baseball and spark up interest in future generations of ballplayers.

Off the field, Coach Macchione has been married to his high school sweetheart for 52 years. He and his wife still live in Utica, and are the proud parents of 3 children, a son and two daughters. Macchione is quite proud of his children, his oldest daughter is a deputy assistant, his son is an art director, and finally his youngest daughter works freelance social media work.

Macchione looks forward to the upcoming season. He feels that it represents a great opportunity to stay in the game, while also allowing him to coach at the collegiate level, something that he enjoys. Coach Macchione is an exciting addition to this years’ staff because of his experience and love of the game, nonetheless he is a local coach who has contributed significantly to baseball in the area.