There are few things that dedicated high school coaches like more than to see someone they’ve mentored staring at them from the other dugout, or the other bench.
It happens often, and it’ll happen again Sunday when the North takes on the South in the annual Agganis All-Star Baseball game, which will be held at Fraser Field (2) Sunday afternoon.
In one dugout, coaching the North squad will be Swampscott’s Joe Caponigro, who, before taking the job with the Big Blue, coached for more than a decade at Lynn English.
One of his players at English was a speedy second baseman named Esteban Paula, who later went to Western Oklahoma junior college and then Faulkner University in Alabama. Paula will be in the other dugout Sunday, coaching the South.
“This is awesome,” said Caponigro. “Every one of my players who I see coaching — they make me proud. I just get a sense of pride.”
“He’s such a good kid,” said Caponigro. “Just a wonderful young guy.”
As far as Paula is concerned, it’s “right back atcha.”
“I learned a lot from coach Cap,” said Paula. “I just think this is going to be a blast — having a person like him around.”
Mullins was English’s coach prior to Paula being named. He died of cancer in 2020.
Paula will not only coach against Caponigro Sunday, but he will play in Caponigro’s North Shore Baseball League — the Swampscott Sox — this summer.
“He’s a terrific player,” said Caponigro. “He was the MVP of the league last season, and he can still play at a high level.”
“He helps me run the team,” Caponigro said. “At English, he got an award for just being a good kid.”
Paula says Caponigro had a good way of connecting with his players when he coached at English.
“I think the biggest thing he has going for him is his connection to his players,” Paula said. “That’s very important. It’s a key to success in high school. Players were comfortable playing for him, and he gave us a lot of confidence.”
Paula said that he tries to emulate Caponigro in some respects, but he also takes a lot from the coaches he played for at other schools.
The Agganis games open Sunday with a 9 a.m. awards ceremony at Manning Field, followed by girls lacrosse (11, Manning), softball (noon, Fraser Field), boys lacrosse (1, Manning) and baseball (2, Fraser Field).
