A family move made it possible for Potsdam senior Jerry Coleman to make history, becoming the first athlete to ever be named a Most Valuable Player by the Times in two different leagues.

After being the Frontier League MVP on the all-north baseball team last spring, Coleman now has that distinction for the Northern Athletic Conference on this year's All-North squad.

Coleman grew up in Potsdam, but his family moved to the Indian River school district when he was 13. The family moved back to Potsdam over the summer, and Coleman was reunited with old friends. He also rejuvenated a dormant Potsdam squad.

"They definitely both have their distinct characteristics," Coleman said of the Frontier League and NAC. "You can tell the difference being in one from the other. The (NAC) has more of a team history versus one another. They know if they haven't beaten a team in 'X' number of years. Over in the other league, no one really knew."

It didn't matter what side of the ball Coleman was on this season; he was dominant either way.

He went 9-0 with a 0.92 ERA and struck out 95 batters. On days he wasn't pitching, he either caught or played first base, and he hit .686 with four home runs, eight triples, four doubles and 21 RBIs.

Coleman was so impressive that in a state playoff game against Chatham, one of the opposing players was overheard after an inning saying, "I wonder where No. 11 (Coleman) is going to school next year."

It turns out Coleman enjoyed his homecoming so much that he has decided to enroll at Clarkson and remain in Potsdam for college. It also helps that he's a solid student with plans to study engineering.

"I wish we could have had him another year," Potsdam coach Chris Donah said. "I think academics is really important to him and he's going to a school where he really wants to have a career."

Coleman was valuable on the field for the Sandstoners, but he also helped turn around the attitude of his teammates. Losing games became no longer acceptable, and the squad made its first state playoff appearance in 12 years.

"We didn't know what to expect when he came," Donah said. "I hoped we'd have enough guys to support him to make a difference. Obviously we did. He picked everybody up and that was the difference. I didn't realize how much it would pick everyone up."

Coleman also was a standout in football and basketball, but baseball is his favorite sport. He competes on an American Legion team in Brockville, Ontario, during the summer.

"From the outside (baseball) looks like a really low-key game with a lot of standing around," Coleman said. "It's definitely appealing to me. I can't say why."