Joe Calfapietra

In 2009, Calfapietra was named the Can-Am League Manager of the Year after guiding the Jackals to the league’s first-half title and a playoff appearance. He also garnered Manager of the Year honors in 2004 when he led the Jackals to a Northeast League championship.

Calfapietra, 39, began his coaching career with the Northern League’s Duluth-Superior Dukes in 1994 before spending the 1995 and 1996 seasons with the Aberdeen Pheasants of the Prairie League.

In 1997, Calfapietra joined manager Ed Ott’s coaching staff with the Allentown Ambassadors as Director of Baseball Operations. Calfapietra was named the Ambassadors manager in 2000 at the age of 29, making him the youngest manager in Northern League history. After posting an 85-90 managerial record in two seasons with the Ambassadors, Calfapietra left Allentown after five years to guide the expansion Gary SouthShore RailCats in their inaugural season in 2002. Calfapietra led Gary, which played its entire schedule on the road while waiting for its ballpark to be constructed, to a 35-55 team record and was named the Northern League Manager of the Year.

Calfapietra joined the Jackals in 2003 and earned his second Manager of the Year award in 2004 when he guided New Jersey past the North Shore Spirit for the Northeast League title.