NJ state trooper goes to bat with Sussex Miners for a good cause. Here's how it went

FRANKFORD − In his first at-bat as a pro, Miguel Hidalgo struck out. He saw four pitches and two of them could be described as: "Welcome, rookie."

Hidalgo, a detective with the New Jersey State Police Major Crimes Unit, was on a "one-day" contract Thursday with the Sussex County Miners; the culmination of a personal dream, a friend's position as general manager and an idea to do something for the community.

What came about was an evening of entertainment for the fans with a softball game between New Jersey and Pennsylvania troopers followed by a baseball game between the Miners and the New Jersey Jackals who are battling for playoff spots in the Frontier League, made up of independent professional baseball teams in Canada and northeastern U.S.

Proceeds of the game, as well as funds from a silent auction and 50/50 raffle, went to Sussex County youth Cash Klem, and the families of two troopers from Pennsylvania who were shot − one fatally − by a sniper earlier this year.

After the game, as youngsters gathered around with baseballs and pens in hand seeking Hidalgo's autograph, he rated his "fun" quotient high as his uniform number of No. 10. "I had had a great time."

Asked for a similar rating of his "on-field performance," he declined to give it a number.

"I played in high school and college (Rutgers) so I wanted to try," he said. "My goal here was to do that. I honestly would think (of doing it) again."

Hidalgo was playing under a league-approved one-day contract with incentives for offensive numbers, such as $100 for a single up to $400 for a homer. He donated all his pay from the ballclub to the beneficiaries..

Although Hidalgo has been working out with the Miners as his police duties allowed, he had not faced real game pitching since his college days.

On the first pitch he saw, he swung, tipping the ball. The second pitch was, in baseball parlance, "up and in" or "Welcome, rookie."

The third pitch Hidalgo saw resulted in a foul pop.

The fourth pitch could also be described as a "Welcome, rookie' deception - a breaking ball in the ground inches in front of the plate.

The "trooper-turning-pro-for-a-day," swung and missed.

The official scorer put a "K" in the book.

On his second at-bat in the fifth inning, Hidalgo hit a pop foul caught by the first baseman.

His official batting stats: 0-2.

The Jackals struck early, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning.

Hidalgo had thought he would play shortstop, but was put at third base.

The inning ended with bases loaded and a Jackals batter hitting a two-hopper to third. Hidalgo, wearing #10, fielded it cleanly and made an accurate throw to first.

The detective's fielding stats also included making a tag-out of a runner trying to advance to third and a throw to get another batter who attempted a bunt.

The tagout came in the fourth inning when he dove for a hot shot down the line, coming up short. With the ball shooting down the left field line, the runner from first tried to make it to third.

The left fielder's attempt to get the runner was off the mark slightly, but Hidalgo fielded the throw, turned and made a lunge at the runner, tagging him out.

The next batter laid down a bunt, but Hidalgo, wearing No. 10, fielded it cleanly, and made an accurate throw to first.

Hidalgo was taken out of the game at the top of the fifth inning after he took his place at third.

That move would be highly unusual in a "normal" game since the replacement would take the field with the rest of the players.

Hidalgo said field manager Chris Widger, a former major league player with several years of managing experience, came to him between innings and told him to take the field, but he would be replaced.

The move gave the chance for Hidalgo to leave the field in front of the crowd, which responded with a mostly standing ovation.

Miners general manager Vinnie Sangemino was a Rutgers teammate with Hidalgo and they have remained friends. It was during an early spring get-together that Hidalgo, now 34, wondered how he would have done at the professional level.

Sangemino arranged for Hidalgo to participate in some Miners workouts and the idea mushroomed into a "benefit" game for someone from Sussex County. That recipient was Klem, who needs a specialized wheelchair. He has cerebellar ataxia, a degenerative disease which attacks the central nervous system and affects the ability to walk, talk and use fine motor skills.

As the search for a recipient began, came the June 15 shooting in Pennsylvania. State police there said Trooper Jacques Rougeau Jr., 29, was killed and Lt. James Wagner, 45, was critically wounded in separate encounters by Brandon Stine who was later killed by police.

The "simple" grew in interest and, as someone in Thursday night's crowd remarked: "When the troopers get behind something, they go all out."

Pennsylvania State Police were contacted and they put together a softball team, "answering the challenge" of New Jersey troopers who put together their own team. That was the 4 p.m. preliminary match.

As an aside, the foul lines and batters boxes, normally drawn on the field with white paint, were changed to a bright blue.

The final line for the seven-inning game was Pennsylvania 16 runs, 21 hits, no errors. For N.J. the line was 22 runs, 29 hits and zero errors.

"We got together through word of mouth," said Shawn McCormick, who served as manager/spokesman for the visiting team. He said the players came from M, N, K and R troopers, all located in eastern Pennsylvania.

Asked about practice, he said, "I think maybe we got five, six guys together to hit."

While Pennsylvania supplied a softball team, and members of the joint Color Guard, New Jersey's troopers also supplied the official Motorcycle Corps, the Pipe Band and an above-field appearance of a State Police helicopter.

Two members of a search-and-rescue team rappelled down to the field and presented the "first pitch" baseball to State Police commander, Col. Patrick Callahan, who threw out the first pitch.

And, for the record, the game went to extra innings with the Jackals winning on a two-run homer in the top of the 10th by Josh Rehwaldt, who is second in the league in home runs.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Sussex County Miners serves as fundraiser with NJ state trooper