John Flaherty began his baseball career in the West Nyack Little League. As a 12-year-old John pitched eight no-hitters and averaged 17 strikeouts per game. He went on from St. Anthony’s Elementary School in Nanuet to star at St Joseph’s Regional High School in Montvale. John was awarded a baseball scholarship to George Washington University, where he went on to be the star attraction of the team.

In 1988 John was drafted on the 25th round by the Boston Red Sox and after toiling in the minor leagues for four years made his professional debut with the Red Sox in 1992, playing in 35 games. During his 14-year-career John played for the Boston Red Sox, the Detroit Tigers, the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the New York Yankees.

John had an outstanding career. During that time, totaling 1,047 games, he had a batting average of .252 with 80 home runs and 395 runs batted in. John’s best season came in 1999 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays when he hit .278 with 14 homers and 71 RBI. After that season John signed a three-year, $9 million contract. Some of the highlights of John’s career include hitting safely in 27 straight games in 1996, the second-longest hitting streak by a catcher in major league history. John also appeared in the Major League playoffs with the San Diego Padres in 1996 and in the World Series with the New York Yankees in 2003.

During his 14-year-career in the Major Leagues, John was behind the plate for some of the game’s all-time greatest pitchers. They include Roger Clemens, Fernando Valenzuela and Mariano Rivera, and he was the pers al catcher for the future Hall of Famer, Randy Johnson. His teammates

have included Rickey Henderson, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Kirk Gibson, Jose Canseco and the world-renowned New York Yankees, including Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

In addition to his accomplishments in the field of professional baseball, it is important to note that John Flaherty has an impeccable reputation as a gentleman, sportsman and professional. Immediately upon his retirement, John was hired by the YES Network to do baseball commentary and is currently a part of the network’s coverage for the New York Yankees. John is also an active part of the Major League Baseball Mentoring program that counsels future professional baseball players in such areas as drug awareness and financial planning.

John currently lives in Pearl River with his wife, Allyn, and their children Kristen, 9, Brian, 7, and Logan, 5. John is an active part of the Pearl River community, participating as a featured speaker in fund-raising events for the Pearl River Little League and local law enforcement groups. John also finds time to help coach his son’s T-ball team.