CHRIS NEYLAN CLASS OF '01 YEAR OF INDUCTION: 2022 If they gave Most Improved Player awards on a weekly (hourly?) basis, Chris Neylan would've earned a bunch of them. "Lefthanders, who are tall, they have to get all of those moving parts together," Steinert Hall of Fame baseball coach Rich Giallella said with a nod to Neylan. "He was improving daily. There was a high ceiling for his abilities. He lit up the county as a junior and he remained dominating and athletic." Neylan and the Spartans reached some high heights and completed some tall tasks as they won conference, sectional and state championships in 2000 and conference, county and sectional championships in 2001. With Neylan in the rotation, Steinert went 58-6. He finished with a career pitching record of 15-1 as he averaged 10.3 strikeouts per seven innings pitched. Neylan ranks among the all-time leaders with a 0.57 season earned run average and a 1.58 career ERA. On the state tournament trail in 2000, Neylan had an off day and his coach put ace Michael Rogers in. "People asked me, 'what are you going to do (for the next game),' " Giallella remembered. "I said 'don't worry, I have the person.' " The right person for the job was Neylan, who responded by pitching a shutout. "Steinert winning the 2000 state championship my junior year is the biggest memory I can pull from regarding high school," Neylan said. The 6-foot-6-inch (some say 6-foot-7) athlete also played basketball for the Spartans. "Basketball was my favorite sport growing up," said Neylan whose childhood memories are chockfull of games at Sunnybrae Little League and Hamilton Little Lads. "(Eventually) I figured baseball was a better avenue for me." Neylan was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 17th round of the 2001 MLB June Amateur Draft. "It was a wonderful experience," he said. “"I played in all different parts of the country. It didn't turn out the way I'd hoped (his dream of a successful pro career ended in 2004) but it was a wonderful experience and I'm glad I got to have that in my life." His life now includes being a tax accountant and a married father of three in Tampa, FL. With wife Vanessa, who incidentally was the scholar-athlete of the year for her high school in Fort Lauderdale, the Neylans are busy raising Brielle, 13, a volleyball player, Sienna, 12, a soccer player and Marissa, 10, a soccer and softball player. RETURN TO THE HALL OF FAME MEMBERS PAGE