Special_K19
05-08-2004, 02:47 PM
Had to post this article, Walsh Jesuit is my alma mater.
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05/07/2004 8:11 PM ET
Field of Dreams in Cleveland
Cleveland area H.S.ers take to Jacobs Field
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
CLEVELAND -- They got to play on a Major League field, sit in a Major League dugout and see their team's names lit up on a Major League scoreboard.
But the members of the Walsh Jesuit and Hoban High School baseball teams didn't get to experience all the accoutrements of playing in the Major Leagues during their game at Jacobs Field on Friday.
When a 2 ½-hour rain delay that preceded their game finally ended, the players were responsible for pulling the tarp off the field.
Nonetheless, playing at The Jake was a thrill for the high school kids. Their game was the first in a tripleheader billed as the first-ever High School Hardball Classic.
"I saw it on the schedule early in the year," Walsh Jesuit pitcher Matt Benton said of the game. "We had some other nice fields we were playing at, but nothing like this. You watch the big league guys and always dream about playing here."
For one day at Jacobs Field, the crack of the bat was replaced by the ping of aluminum.
All proceeds from the event, which also included games between East Cleveland Shaw and Mentor and St. Ed's and St. Ignatius, benefited Cleveland Indians Charities. The Indians hope to make the High School Hardball Classic an annual event, said Bob DiBiasio, vice president for public relations.
"It's exciting to provide these young athletes with an opportunity to play on Jacobs Field," DiBiasio said.
Rain nearly canceled the games, but the skies finally cleared, the sun peeked through the clouds and the players' dreams of taking the field came true.
Sure, it was still 60 feet to the pitcher's mound and 90 feet to first base. But the atmosphere was unlike anything the players had taken part in before.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Hoban first baseman Steve Ross said. "You don't get to do this every day."
Playing on the big stage was certainly a change of pace for the players. The outfield, for instance, was devoid of the rocks, dandelions and weeds often found at a regular high school park.
Walsh Jesuit center fielder Dan Sherwood had to get accustomed to the vast dimensions of the outfield.
"It's a lot bigger," he said. "That's for sure. It's real nice. It's nice how the ball hops around."
Looking out at the field, Walsh Jesuit first baseman Doug Snider was inspired.
"It's a little overwhelming at the beginning," he said. "It's just going to make us strive that much harder, once we get the taste of it, to get here again."
The game was just one part of a big day for some of Walsh Jesuit and Hoban's players. Both schools held their senior proms later in the night.
In scheduling the games, the Indians tried to focus on local rivalries. Hoban and Walsh Jesuit have a long history against each other. Renewing that rivalry at The Jake just added fuel to the fire.
"This is a fantastic setting for a game like this," Hoban head coach Ted Guscoff said. "Going into the year, we were supposed to be the top two teams in the area, so this is a good setting. It's a great experience for the kids to see what it's like to be in the big leagues."
The players weren't the only ones relishing the experience, though.
"This is one of the greatest thrills of my coaching career to be here at Jacobs Field," Walsh Jesuit head coach Chris Kaczmar said. "This is a very special day for area baseball. I think that it promotes the sport very well in Cleveland. We couldn't be more appreciative of what the Indians are doing for us."
Anthony Castrovince is an intern for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
-----------------------------------------
05/07/2004 8:11 PM ET
Field of Dreams in Cleveland
Cleveland area H.S.ers take to Jacobs Field
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
CLEVELAND -- They got to play on a Major League field, sit in a Major League dugout and see their team's names lit up on a Major League scoreboard.
But the members of the Walsh Jesuit and Hoban High School baseball teams didn't get to experience all the accoutrements of playing in the Major Leagues during their game at Jacobs Field on Friday.
When a 2 ½-hour rain delay that preceded their game finally ended, the players were responsible for pulling the tarp off the field.
Nonetheless, playing at The Jake was a thrill for the high school kids. Their game was the first in a tripleheader billed as the first-ever High School Hardball Classic.
"I saw it on the schedule early in the year," Walsh Jesuit pitcher Matt Benton said of the game. "We had some other nice fields we were playing at, but nothing like this. You watch the big league guys and always dream about playing here."
For one day at Jacobs Field, the crack of the bat was replaced by the ping of aluminum.
All proceeds from the event, which also included games between East Cleveland Shaw and Mentor and St. Ed's and St. Ignatius, benefited Cleveland Indians Charities. The Indians hope to make the High School Hardball Classic an annual event, said Bob DiBiasio, vice president for public relations.
"It's exciting to provide these young athletes with an opportunity to play on Jacobs Field," DiBiasio said.
Rain nearly canceled the games, but the skies finally cleared, the sun peeked through the clouds and the players' dreams of taking the field came true.
Sure, it was still 60 feet to the pitcher's mound and 90 feet to first base. But the atmosphere was unlike anything the players had taken part in before.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Hoban first baseman Steve Ross said. "You don't get to do this every day."
Playing on the big stage was certainly a change of pace for the players. The outfield, for instance, was devoid of the rocks, dandelions and weeds often found at a regular high school park.
Walsh Jesuit center fielder Dan Sherwood had to get accustomed to the vast dimensions of the outfield.
"It's a lot bigger," he said. "That's for sure. It's real nice. It's nice how the ball hops around."
Looking out at the field, Walsh Jesuit first baseman Doug Snider was inspired.
"It's a little overwhelming at the beginning," he said. "It's just going to make us strive that much harder, once we get the taste of it, to get here again."
The game was just one part of a big day for some of Walsh Jesuit and Hoban's players. Both schools held their senior proms later in the night.
In scheduling the games, the Indians tried to focus on local rivalries. Hoban and Walsh Jesuit have a long history against each other. Renewing that rivalry at The Jake just added fuel to the fire.
"This is a fantastic setting for a game like this," Hoban head coach Ted Guscoff said. "Going into the year, we were supposed to be the top two teams in the area, so this is a good setting. It's a great experience for the kids to see what it's like to be in the big leagues."
The players weren't the only ones relishing the experience, though.
"This is one of the greatest thrills of my coaching career to be here at Jacobs Field," Walsh Jesuit head coach Chris Kaczmar said. "This is a very special day for area baseball. I think that it promotes the sport very well in Cleveland. We couldn't be more appreciative of what the Indians are doing for us."
Anthony Castrovince is an intern for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.