>> MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS ARE IN SPRING TRAINING BUT FOR A
COUPLE OF LOCAL ATHLETES, THE WORK STARTED LONG BEFORE THEY
HEADED OFF TO CAMP, THEY SPENT THE WINTER STAYING IN SHAPE AT
POWERHOUSE TRAINING IN EAST LONGMEADOW.
OUR PRODUCER, DAVE FRASER HAS THEIR STORY AND THE IMPACT
SEEING THEIR WORKOUTS AND DEDICATION IS HAVING ALONE LOCAL
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER.
>> THEY HAVE A DREAM JOB, AND MINE WAS BASEBALL, AND WHATEVER
THAT IS, IF IT'S NEXT YEAR OR THREE YEARS FROM NOW,
PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL HAS BEEN MY DREAM, AND I WANT TO REACH
THAT ONE DAY.
>> SO WE HAVE HAD 100 ATHLETES GO ON TO PLAY AT THE COLLEGIATE
LEVEL, AT ROUGHLY 70 COLLEGES, A LOT OF THOSE WERE D1 SCHOOLS,
AND WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO ME.
THAT'S A BIG NUMBER FOR THIS AREA, NOT LIKE TEXAS OR WHERE
THEY TURN OUT ATHLETES LEFT AND RIGHT.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAD DIAZ DRAFTED IN THE SECOND
ROUND, AND SCOTT BARNES, A TEAMMATE OF MINE AT CATHEDRAL
HIGH SCHOOL, PLAYED PROFESSIONALLY, AAA LAST YEAR
FOR THE INDIANS AND IF ALL GOES WELL HE'LL PLAY IN THE MAJORS.
WITH THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS.
SHEAMUS, I HAVE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH OVER THE PAST YEAR
AND A HALF, AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, SHAMEUS, IF HE HAS A GOOD YEAR
WE COULD GO IN THE TOP TEN.
I FEEL PRIVILEGED TO WORK WITH GREAT ATHLETES BUT WHAT REALLY
SETS THEM APART IS THEY ARE GREAT PEOPLE, AND THAT WORK
ETHIC AND THE WAY THEY WERE BROUGHT UP REALLY KIND OF
CARRIES OVER TO THE WAY THAT THEY DO THINGS, THE WAY THAT
THEY INTERACT WITH OTHERS.
THEY WORK WITH THE YOUNGER KIDS AND REALLY GIVE BACK EVERYTHING
THEY LEARN, THEY PASS ON, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
>> I TURNED THE CORNER WHEN I WAS 12, I DID THE TOURNAMENT,
AFTER THAT DAY, I KIND OF -- IT SUNK IN A BIT LIKE I HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY.
I WANT TO BECOME THIS, WHICH WAS TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL
BASEBALL PLAYER, AND MY GRANDFATHER, WHO TAUGHT MY
FATHER TO PLAY, SO IT WAS LIKE A PASSING ON, YOU KNOW, A
GENERATION TO GENERATION.
SO, THAT'S WHERE THE LOVE CAME FROM, AND EVERY DAY WE TALK
ABOUT IT, AND A NONSTOP THING.
I WAS WITH THE ARIZONA D'BACKS, A ROOKIE BALL TEAM, IN
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA.
RIGHT NOW, I ACCOMPLISHED GOAL NUMBER ONE, TO GET TO THE MINOR
LESION AND GET TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER,
-- TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER, SO NOW I LISTEN
TO MY BODY AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS INTACT.
I WANT TO MAKE IT TO THE BIGS.
>> I GREW UP LOVING THE SPORT, AND MY FATHER WAS ALWAYS THERE
IN THE BACKYARD WITH ME JUST RELENTLESS, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
THAT'S ALL THAT I WANTED TO DO.
GROWING UP, AND JUST GOT FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO, YOU KNOW,
TAKE A LIKING TO THAT AND HAVE A TALENT IN BASEBALL AND NEVER
LOOKED BACK.
>> THE GOAL IS TO JUST MAINTAIN MY HEALTH AND JUST PITCH AS WELL
AS I CAN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T TEND TO HAVE MANY EXPECTATIONS, AND I
JUST TEND TO TAKE IT DAY-TO-DAY, AND JUST GOING OUT THERE AND
COMPETING, LEAVING EVERYTHING OUT THERE.
GRADUATED FROM CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL IN 2005, AND I WENT TO
ST.
JOHN'S, AND I WENT THERE FOR THREE YEARS, AND GOT DRAFTED IN
2008 BY THE GIANTS, AND PLAYED UNDER THEM FOR ONE YEAR, AND
TRADED TO THE INDIANS IN 2009, AND WHERE I CAME UP THROUGH THE
MINOR LEAGUE AND IS MADE MY DEBUT IN 2012.
THIS OFFSEASON, WENT THROUGH FOUR TEAMS IN ONE MONTH.
FROM CLEVELAND TO BALTIMORE, AND TEXAS, AND NOW TO TORONTO.
AND I WILL BE GOING TO SPRING BH THE BLUE JAYS.
IT HELPS YOU WANT TO REACH YOUR GOALS MORE.
THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND YOU WANT TO EMULATE
THEM.
HOW THEY GO ABOUT THE BUSINESS, AND HOW THEY REACHED THEIR GOAL,
AND YOU HAVE THE SAME GOAL AS THEM, YOU KNOW.