No Better Way To Spend The Summer
By ADAM ADKINS The Tampa Tribune
Published: Aug 1, 2006
TAMPA - For Tommy Toledo, it just wouldn't seem right to spend his summer any other way. Baseball is such a big part of his life, a summer on the diamond is the best summer possible - even if it means stepping away from his family to pursue it.
For the past two summers, that's exactly what happened. The Alonso senior, along with fellow Hillsborough County senior standouts Michael Burgess of Hillsborough and Todd Brazeal of Chamberlain, shed Tampa for Amelia, Ohio, home of the Midland Redskins.
They scrapped any normal sense of a high school kid's summer to play for the successful travel team - based just outside Cincinnati - that has seen countless major leaguers flow through its system in the last 30 years.
Throughout the time with Midland, the trio that grew up playing together in the early AAU days has grown to be close friends, using the diamond as a chance to bond while playing nearly 950 miles away from their hometown.
"We're like brothers," Toledo said.
Added Burgess: "We basically know each other like the back of our hands."
The Midland staff, which recruits players coast-to-coast, spotted the trio during a Perfect Game showcase. Having liked what they saw, the organization's coaches extended invitations to each player to join the 16-and-under team for the 2005 summer, despite the fact they were from the same area.
"It's pretty much a rarity [to take three players from the same area]," said Midland recruiting coordinator Brian Hiler, who noted the program is for MLB draft prospects and top-level college recruits only. "But they've been great."
Deciding to play baseball all summer was never hard. Deciding to leave their family behind, however, wasn't as easy.
Knowing they wouldn't be alone in a group of strangers made the decision to go easier, and having each other around made the transition away during the two-plus months much smoother.
"It was hard being away from home the first year, being away for so long," Burgess said. "But it was easier being around people you've known for so long."
Toledo and Burgess have spent the last two summers living with Steve Dethy, whose son, Cramer, plays for the Redskins' 16-and-under team. While Dethy and his family have filled the void Burgess and Toledo deal with being away from home, Dethy also has reaped some benefits.
"We're such a baseball family. It's really been a benefit to both us and them," Dethy said. "Them coming in just solidifies the baseball world we live in."
Now playing for the 18-and-under team, which was 51-5 through July 25, the trio has done its part in the team's success, including helping the Redskins win the BCS Perfect Game Finals in Atlanta on July 21.
The right-handed Toledo had a team-best 8-0 record, coupled with a 1.07 ERA. Burgess was second on the team in average (.381), triples (4), home runs (9), RBIs (40) and slugging percentage (.720), while Brazeal was hitting .330 and had 31 RBIs on 31 hits.
Though teammates in the summer, they still find time to work in their local baseball connections, all while making new friends with players from around the country.
"We do a lot of bragging," Burgess said. "It seems every year we get beat by Alonso, and then Hillsborough and Chamberlain, we always have our little arguments on the field. It's like fun and games. We can't be enemies. I know when I play against those guys [in the regular season], I'll always be laughing at them and smiling at them from the dugout and whatever."
With a dream of one day playing professional baseball, Midland seems like a good place to be. The organization boasts MLB alumni like Corey Patterson, Mark Mulder, Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey Jr., David Bell and Mike Matheny, according to the team's Web site.
But the decision to hit the road during the summer all goes back to simply spending time doing something they love - playing baseball. And for Toledo, Midland provides the best chance to do it.
"Baseball is a big part of my life and I love it," Toledo said. "High school baseball is great, but we don't get to play too much. Here, we play every day, basically. So I can't think of a better way [to spend my summer]."
Reporter Adam Adkins can be reached at (813) 657-4533 or aadkins@tampatrib.com.
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