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Diary of a Senior Season

B bigjd39100+ posts
As is customary, I keep a diary of the highschool baseball season from the first preseason game until the last out. Sophomore year read like a fairy tale as John Jr. won a spot in the starting lineup and the team rolled to a state championship. Junior year had it's drama also, until a loss against Nova in the regional final kept St. Thomas from another trip to Tampa. This year I will share my diary with Highschool Baseball Web.
It didn't seem like a pre-season game. Piper and St. Thomas wouldn't draw much of a crowd on a Thursday night during the season. But the bleachers behind the plate were packed and the rest of the crowd scattered down the left field line. Piper had a respectable season last year and a number of starters were returning. But what caught everyone by surprise was the number of MLB scouts at the game. I counted 27.
John Jr. met Dennis Raben on the first day of school. The pair hit it off, became good friends, and started talking about what it would be like hitting 3 and 4 in the St. Thomas lineup. They would get a preview during an abbreviated fall season. It was scary.
I knew Dennis signed a letter of intent with UM so I was cautious when he said he pitched. There was no way I was going to throw him more than a couple of innings in a fall season game. After just a couple of innings I thought, "That's our big game guy".
Dennis hadn't made much of a splash in Broward. The 2004 season was packed with as much talent as the county had seen in years. A few junior players were flying under the radar. Raben was one of them.
Being at St. Thomas would make Dennis a better player. The strict discipline, intensive conditioning, and the championship enviroment were a perfect fit for a kid we all began to realize was not only a great player, but a fine young man.
Coach Lawson doesn't like the fuss. It causes distractions. He's intensely focused on getting to the finals. He did what he has done the past two pre-seasons; took a look at five different pitchers, and played the bulk of his 30 man roster. Piper played like it was the state final, leaving their starters in the entire game. We lost 3-2.
John looked great behind the plate, throwing out Jason Tenyck, one of the county's premier basestealers. No one else ran after that. He went 0 for 2 at the plate before being removed.
The boys were dissappointed. Piper was a win if the starters play the entire game. They like to puff out their chests and let everyone know who's better. Coach Lawson prefers a more humbling approach.
The Douglas game Saturday morning was no different. To the dismay of the MLB scouts who watched him hit BP at St. Thomas and then traveled to the other end of the county to see him play, Dennis Raben wasn't in the starting lineup. In fact, it was a total bust. David DiNatale was nursing an injury and did'nt play for Douglas.
The highly touted Douglas team, with their ace on the mound, came back from a 3-0 deficit only after St. Thomas put their reserves in.
John went 1 for 3 in the DH role, collecting a double in the middle of St. Thomas' 3 run rally.
The scouts, who were literally in line to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Raben, were somewhat satisfied when Raben entered the game at first base in the forth inning.
The conclusion after two pre-season games. This is the best St. Thomas team since I've been at the school. Raben will equal Sean Gallagher on the mound. He throws 89-90 from the left side and is very efficient. The rest of the pitching is good enough to get us to the promised land. Junior Ryan Ditthart is the real deal. He hits everything hard. He collected 4 hits in the two games. The middle of the order is loaded with Raben, Daly, Ditthart and Cardullo. It looks like it's going to be a fun season.
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B bigjd39100+ posts
Game day at St. Thomas. Tues, Feb. 22. John gets out of bed a little earlier on game day. He's methodical in how he prepares his equipment and other belongings. It'd be nice if it was like this with everything. Today everything counts--the season opener against Austin Jacobs and Taravella. There's a hearty breakfast, a trip to the chapel for a prayer, team dinner at 2 pm. Light practice at home, bus trip. Game time 7 pm. Everything like clockwork.
It's an 11-3 win for St. Thomas. Raben looked good in his first start at STA. 3 for 3 and a win on the mound. John is off to a good start, 2 for 3, with a double, 2 RBI. Next, the vaunted Douglas team, Thursday night.
B bigjd39100+ posts
David DiNatale looked every bit the All American when he crushed a 400 ft HR that hit the scoreboard beyond the leftfield fence with a loud thump that ehcoed through the park. He was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI in Douglas' 7-4 win over St. Thomas.
St. Thomas pitchers looked rough, hitting 5 batters and walking another half-dozen. If not for a couple of stellar defensive plays, the score would have been a lot worse.
Today was the day 150 lb. senior STA shortstop Mike Marseco was officially discovered with the Red Sox being the first to introduce themselves to the Marseco family.
John had another solid performance, lining a double into the left-center gap in the first to drive in STA's first run. Defensively he through out a basestealer, was in the middle of a 5-2-3 double play, and saved a run with a great block and tag at home.
B bigjd39100+ posts
You know what, you're probably right. Nobody wants to read this #@%*. And besides, it's becoming a little bit burdensome to write these posts. For the record, I only meant "equal Sean Gallagher" in the sense that he's our ace who will pitch our big games. I meant no disrespect to the 2003 team when I said "this is the best St. Thomas team since I've been at the school." It's probably a little early to make that kind of a statement. My bad. So this is it--I'm done. Here's the last post on this site...

Junior Corey Weech pitched a 2-0 shutout against Cooper City today. John knocked in both runs. Have a nice season everyone. JD signing off.
F fabeets10+ posts
So, are you going to let one naysayer knock you off stride? One of the best things about the internet is that it provides a forum for such things as a Dad's senior year diary of his son's baseball career. You are (hopefully) going to write it anyway; why not share it? If other people don't want to read it that is their prerogative.

After watching today's STA-CCHS game I have to agree with you; this St. Thomas team (and I have been watching them for about 8 years) is superior, especially in the field, to the 4A state championship team. I mean absolutely no disrespect to any of the kids on that 4A team. I know many of them, and rooted for them, (as I did their predecessors and do their successors). In my opinion, having an opinion about the relative merits of different teams from different times is one of the things that makes being a baseball fan so enjoyable. I have no interest, (nor, I suspect, do most of the rest of us) in any internecine squabbles involving St. Thomas, its coaches, and so on. What does interest me is the confidence and epsrit de corps that St. Thomas always has. However this is achieved, it should be respected, so I will continue to read your posts if you choose to make them.

As for today's game... I have watched about 14 games so far this year involving many different Broward/Dade County teams. This was the first "game" I have seen. It was the third game in 5 days for both teams; neither had their big guns on the mound; the weather was bad; and, under threatening skies, a blustering wind blew variably in, out, and across the field. As an unexpected, afternoon, tournament game, there may have been more scouts in attendance than parents.

I sat for the entire game with a coach from the Northeast. As he watched, each team had 5 hits and 1 error. Each team seemed to get the leadoff hitter on almost every inning before the defense came into play. St. Thomas had at least 3 and possibly 4 DP's, (I lost count) while Cooper had at least 2. Mike Marseco, the St. Thomas SS, was not only involved in all the DP's, he made some spectacular plays to keep runners off base. St. Thomas scored its runs on a misplayed bunt and a misplayed base hit to center. (The line drive was by Mr. Daly Jr., I believe, and would have scored 1 run regardless of the misplay). Dennis Raben was next up after the line drive and hit a towering drive to the right field wall about 370 from home plate. The Cooper city outfielder caught the ball against the fence and threw it, in the air, to third base to catch the runner tagging up from second, for the 3d out. And so it went. One great play after the next. At games end my friend left shaking his head, saying that there was no way his kids could do what the boys on the field did today. Offense is one thing, but defense...

There is a saying the kids use, "it's all good." Writing about your feelings, and your son's travails as you go through the process is all good. For those who have no interest in the "senior digest" so be it. But, if you post it, they (and I) will read. Good luck, whatever you decide!!
B bigjd39100+ posts
Your support inspires me. I can't thank you enough. The purpose of the diary was not only to follow the travails of the STA team as it moves through the 2005 team but to possibly gain exposure for highschool players at STA and the teams they play. Fabeets, you have done more in a single post than I could have accomplished the entire season. Thank you. I did not have the opportunity to see the Cooper City game as I was working, trying to scrape up next month's tuition payment for the 2 kids I have at STA. I did get cell updates. As I write this post this morning I have one thing to add: After complaining about the Sun-Sentinel's high-school baseball coverage last year to a writer there, my son's name does not appear in the box scores. Just a coincidence? I subcribed to the Miami Herald for the baseball season this year and his name has been printed under key performers in two of the 3 games this year. There are gatekeepers all around us whose motives I can't comprehend. The internet is just one way of skirting them. Coaches read these pages, and as I have found, there are many people on this site willing to help young players. In fact, I'm astounded at the number of people who have stepped to the forefront in helping me. Especially Coach Pincus. You'll hear from me again, I promise. JD
B bigjd39100+ posts
When he swings and misses you see the bat speed. Some say he overswings. The radar gun read 89 when he drove a rising line drive past the centerfielder. The ball touched down and one-hopped against the fence at the 380 sign. John eased into second with a standup double.
The scout put down his gun, picked up his notebook and wrote, "John Daly # 10."
It's nothing new to see scouts around STA. The school has had it's share of notable draft picks. Chad Mattolla was the highest Broward pick ever, a first rounder out of college. Troy Cameron became the first Broward player to be selected in round one out of highschool. Tyler Greene, Sean Gallagher, and Chris Niesel would follow. There were numerous others, some who are still playing professionally at different levels. This year's gem is Dennis Raben.
They were all there watching Sean Gallagher pitch last year. But it's different when your watching a pitcher. You get the radar gun out and you chart the pitches. You look for command, presence, stamina, demeanor and all the other intagibles that go along with the live fastball and the sharp breaking pitch. When he leaves the mound you take a break, BS with the other guys, and wait for your boy to come back out. The best scouts sit alone, talk to no one, and watch everyone. Their field of vision doesn't blur below six feet and they find guys that others miss. You've heard the story: "I went to look at this guy and I found this other guy."
No one would have written John's name down last year. He was a slow footed outfielder who DH'd half the time. But now he's a lefthanded hitting catcher with quick feet, a good arm, and a fast bat. He's 5'8" with thick muscle around the haunches. When he stands in line during the national anthem you notice the width of his upper body compared to his peers. He's 18 years old and 185 pounds. If you have vision you think 10 to 12 lbs more muscle and take it from there.
Good people have told me that with John's swing, he can hit anybody. They are consumate professionals who have made baseball their life. They have pitched him to some of the top programs in the country, staking their reputation on my son's ability to hit a baseball. They don't patronize; there's too much at stake. They've seen him play and they've made the calls. But nobody ever comes to see him play in a game that means something. They simply don't have the resources. So you have to go to them. You go, you pay money. They see a kid who's 5'8", runs a slow 60, nice grades, swings a good bat pretty good. End of story. No phone calls, no interest. Thank you, have a nice day.
So when the scout wrote John's name down, a door may have opened just a crack. It could slam shut just as quick. We waited for the July 1 calls that never came. It hardens you; puts a chip on your shoulder. Maybe it's better that way. Strong wind make strong tree.
B bigjd39100+ posts
At 5:21 am my alarm clock sounds. John is already out the door. 6:00 am bp and some running. With the 15 minute rule, you have to be there by 5:45. The schedule is rigorous. He won't be home until 7 pm. Take a shower, eat, do some homework, go to bed. It's a light week at STA. Plenty of time to sharpen the saw. No games until Thurs.
B bigjd39100+ posts
It was one of those games you don't forget. When things happen that stick in your mind. Everyone knows who Robby Conver is; he's played all over the place and with just about everyone in the county. He was always the smallest kid on the team, but he was always on the team because he was, to put it simply, a good baseball player. He could make a play and get a hit. Or, as a good friend often says to me: "he can hit, he can throw, and he can catch."
It's not unusual to find yourself routing for a kid on the other team. You get to know kids through the years, you get to like them, and you always wish them the best. So when Robby came out throwing all kinds of stuff from the left side, I was kind of enjoying it. Mid 80's fastball that was jumping all over the place, a curve that broke a good foot and half, and a floating change.
STA picked up 9 hits along the way but Robby hung in there until the 7th and kept his team in the game. When he walked off the mound with one out in the 7th, the score was 3-1 St. Thomas. I couldn't help but applaud. Way to go Robby.
Robby's not so small anymore. Probably 5-9 now. And he is his team's leader. They'll beat some teams this year because Robby is there. They could've beat St. Thomas tonight if not for a couple of those moments that stick in your head.
DJ Polistina made a spectacular diving catch deep in the left-center gap with two outs and the tying and go ahead run in scoring position.
In their final at bat, Northeast put the tying runs on first and second with no outs. With Dennis Raben still on the mound, the batter attempted a sac bunt and missed. John Daly fired to second and picked the runner off for the first out. The batter struck out for the second out. On the first pitch to the next batter, Raben's curve bounced in the dirt. Daly blocked it, and seeing the runner take an extra step towards second, he fired to first picking him off also. Game Over.
B bigjd39100+ posts
Friday night under the lights at STA. First home game of the season. Perfect weather. What a difference a day makes as far as the weather is concerned. There was a nice crowd on hand to watch the Raiders take an 8-2 lead over a young American Heritage squad and then barely hold on, winning 8-7. Steve Cardullo continues to bang the baseball, hitting a towering homerun past the portables beyond the left-field fence. Coach Lawson continued tinkering with the lineup, giving players an opportunity to show their stuff. If you've watched Lawson the last couple of years you know that's how it goes. As a parent it's difficult. Your kid is in there and you think he did a great job and then next game he's on the bench. You wonder what he did wrong and you wonder if he'll ever play again. It's nerve racking. John's in the lineup every game, even when he's not catching, he's the DH. But the younger kids who are competing for spots are getting bounced in and out. I watched one parent who brought a grandparent to the game, probably with the expectation that her son would be in the lineup, since he had performed well in previous games. I couldn't help but feel for her when her son did not appear in the game. Sometimes highschool baseball just isn't fun. But I believe in what Coach Lawson does. It's not my style, but then again I've never won anything. He'll take a game to the brink of defeat, surely knowing that he could make a change to stop the bleeding and shut the door. But he doesn't do it. He'll give a kid the opportunity to get it done. If he fails, he fails. If he succeeds, the player gets a little better. If you want to win that bad this early, you might miss something that will help you later. Or you might tax a player early, leaving him with nothing in the tank later. He keeps everyone on edge, and when you operate on the edge, you find the players that can handle the heat. Those are the players that take you all the way. Of course, I'm only speculating on his motives. I could be completely wrong. All I know is he gets you to the edge of the season. When a lot of teams are done, STA is still playing. I get the feeling when crunch time comes the Raiders will answer the call.
B bigjd39100+ posts
Last night's 10-0 win over Cooper City says more about the level of competition in Broward than anything else. It is becoming clear that there are only 4, maybe 5 top caliber teams and a lot of sub-par pitching. Senior Anthony Cruz pitched well in completing the shutout. STA is now 5 and 1. As usual, the schedule will give a better indication of just how good STA is. With games against, Cypress Bay, Nova, Cardinal Gibbons (2 games), Port St. Lucie, Pace, Arch Bishop McCarthy, Barron Collier, Miami Columbus, and Douglas, the team will get it's chance to shine. The A-game has yet to be played. The A game is defined as our best pitcher against another top quality team's best pitcher. If you can win in that situation you are a legitimate contender for a state championship. It's a late season thing. You want that to click in the final 8 to 10 games. Our last 4 games of the season are Nova, Miami Columbus, Cardinal Gibbons, and Douglas. John was officially 0 for 1 with an RBI on a sac fly and a base on balls. He nailed his fourth consecutive base stealer and has now played all six games without an error or passed ball. Meanwhile the questions continue: "So, what's John's plans? Where's he gonna play ball?" I hear it a minimum of 5 times a night at every game. The answer is always the same. "Right now it doesn't look like he's going to be playing anywhere. Nobody's interested." To those who know John and have watched him play over the years, the reaction is always the same. Disbelief. Personally, I'm beginning to accept the idea that this could be his final season so I'm actually beginning to enjoy it. There is still hope that something dramatic could happen, but hope, as nice as it is, has to be tempered to avoid dissappointment. A friend recently said to me: "Good things happen to good people." I keep playing that line over and over in my head. I believe it with every bit of my heart. But now may not be the time, but the time will come, and frankly, baseball might not have anything to do with it.
B bigjd39100+ posts
A Tale of Two Catchers. It was the summer of 1997 and the place was an old stadium called Floyd Hull in Fort Lauderdale. The event was the Big League World Series, which attracted some of the best teams from around the country. I had watched this young man through his senior season and was convinced he was a major league prospect. At 5'11" and 210 lbs. he was thick as a brick, strong as an ox, and tough as nails. Through 10 games I had not recorded a game pop time over 2, and had not seen a single defensive mistake. Late in games he would shed the gear and close for his team, lighting up the gun at 90+. His home to first speed was 4.2, well above average for a catcher. He rarely struck out, hit the ball long, and had a nose for RBI's. And so this would be his chance to shine in front of college recruiters and MLB scouts. I took my place among about 15 MLB scouts who sat in a cage above one of the dugouts. My guy was listed in the program as a catcher. He was in the starting lineup in rightfield. The kid who was catching was a good player who I had seen frequently while scouting two pitchers from his school. He was good, but he wasn't close to my guy. There was a light, misty rain falling not hard enough to stop the game. With a runner on third and less than two outs, the batter lifted a medium depth pop fly to my guy in right. This would be his time to shine. He would fire a shot from his cannon arm and nail the runner for an inning ending double play. The eyes of the scouts would light up and some of them would scribble his name in their books. I knew it and my guy knew it. My heart was pounding waiting for the ball to drop in his glove. He set up nicely under the ball, gloved it, crow-hopped, and unleashed his throw. The throw sailed high into the air and flew over the stadium wall behind third base. Not into the crowd, but out of the stadium. The large crowd erupted in what sounded like laughter and some of the scouts beside me chuckled. My guy walked back to somebody else's position with his back to the crowd and his head down. I had never felt the pain of another person more deeply than I felt his pain at that moment. The ball was wet, it could have happened to anyone, but it happened to him--at the wrong time. I turned to the other scouts and said, "he's not an outfielder, he's a catcher." One of the scouts answered, "Why isn't he catching?" I said, "Ask the coach."
The player later went on to play briefly at a community college where the coach, upon seeing his cannon arm, decided he was a pitcher. But he wasn't a very effective pitcher because his 90+ fastball was flat and hittable. His mechanics produced what was essentially a great throw for a catcher, but not so great for a pitcher. The other catcher who started in front of him is still playing baseball in a minor league organization. So to all those who may wonder what my motivations are, I say this: I love my son deeply, but I'm honest about his talent, and confident in my ability to judge it.
B bigjd39100+ posts
Port St. Lucie moved to 8-0 with a 4-2 win of STA yesterday. Port St. Lucie pitcher, Phil Rorabaugh was the hardest throwing pitcher we have faced all year, lighting up the gun at 90 through 7 innings. Although we outhit St. Lucie 5-3, a three run homer in the first did us in. Dennis Raben showed everyone why MLB scouts are at every game by crushing a ball that traveled about 450 feet (yes, that was 450)for his first homerun of the season. Junior Corey Weech pitched well giving up only 3 hits. He was relieved by junior Alex Benson who pitched lights out. John Daly was 1 for 3. We face another 5A contender, Barron Collier tonight.
B bigjd39100+ posts
The Barron Colleir game was rained out, but was rescheduled for later in the season. Like St. Lucie, they're a top 5A contender that will test our metal. So it was Cardinal Gibbons at their place on Saturday morning. I'll be honest; if it wasn't for the money, I wouldn't go to work. It's tough getting cell updates from my wife. Here's how the updates went:

We're losing 3-1 and John was hit by a pitch.
John was hit by a pitch, again.
John grounded out to second.
John was hit by a pitch again. Can you believe it.
We're winning 9-5.
John struck out.
Game over, we won 12-5.

From my perspective in the cab of my truck, that's how it went. My wife's next call came about an hour later. She asked, "How long before you get home? John said he's going to shave his head." When I arrived home, John had shaved his hair up both sides of his head, leaving just a thick crop on top. I asked, "Is everything OK?"
"Not really" he answered. "I need you to finish this." I said, "I think you need a professional."
We had a long talk before he finally decided to go to the barber. Here was my message to him. "No matter how hard you work, or how much blood and sweat you put into something, don't ever expect a single ounce of appreciation or respect from anyone except the people who truly and honestly love you. You do what you do for your own self-respect and sometimes that's a very lonely place. I've worked over 70 hours a week for the last 20 years building a business that's made some people a lot of money and have never heard so much as a thank you. I got over that about 10 years ago when I realized that earning the love and respect of your family is all that really matters. That fulfils me and in time it will fulfil you."
I won't elaborate on why he was feeling as bad as he was, because as I told him, no one really cares about how he feels. Anyway, he went to the barber and came back looking like he's heading off to war. Maybe he is.
B bigjd39100+ posts
Behind the numbers. Some of you have asked privately for John's numbers. So here they are: 32 plate appearances, officially 7 for 20, .350, with 2 doubles, 5 singles, 6 RBI. He has struck out 4 times, hit into 1 double play, has 4 base on balls, was hit by pitch 5 times. He has 2 sac flys, and his on base average is .500 on 16 for 32.
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