Wedge preaches passion, respect
Published on July 22, 2009 - 4:22 pm
by Stacy Cardie
Published: January 25, 2009 3:00 a.m.
Stacy Clardie
The Journal Gazette
Matt Zurbriggen flung his catcher's mask to the ground, disgusted. He paced, stopped, put his hands on his hips, squatted, ran his hand roughly through his hair and dropped his head in his hand.
Maybe this is the kind of passion Eric Wedge was talking about at his Eric Wedge Baseball Camps on Saturday at the ASH Centre: A senior in high school so immersed in his baseball future, there was visible disappointment when something didn't go well.
At a camp.
Zurbriggen, who attends Crown Point High School, wasn't pleased with his "pop time," which measures the speed from the time the ball hits the catcher's mitt to the second baseman's glove. He thought the distance may have been too far, and he didn't perform as well as he'd like.
So he was frustrated.
"I was just trying to show my best out here, getting some schools to look at me," Zurbriggen said.
After camp was over, Zurbriggen smiled while talking about why he got so upset.
So did Wedge, the Cleveland Indians manager, when he heard about it.
Wedge finished the camp by spending part of the time talking to Zurbriggen and about 60 other players, many in their late teens, about finding a passion, spending time on it and making sacrifices to fulfill it.
"I think when it comes to this camp, as we've progressed over the years, they are a little bit more serious about it in a good way," said Wedge, a Northrop graduate. "They are working a little harder. They do have a little more of an edge to them. They are a bit more athletic. It's all good."
Wedge also told the group to have fun - but work hard while doing it. He urged them to make good choices off the field, telling them all it takes is 30 seconds to "screw up the rest
of your life." He spoke about the importance of being respectful, not just to the game but to those who offer support in life - parents, teachers, coaches.
The message got through, even if Wedge admitted it can be corny at times.
"You need to hear that once in a while, hear about what you need to do to improve your life, stuff to help make you better as a person and a player," said Homestead sophomore Corey Vebert, who was attending the camp for the first time.
It wasn't bad to get some on-point baseball instruction and evaluation, either.
There were eight college coaches and two professional scouts at the camp, and all the results from the strength testing and the baseball drills will be sent to the scouts who were at the camp and about 250 colleges and pro scouts in the Midwest, camp director Caleb Kimmel said.
Zurbriggen, for one, made sure to take advantage of every opportunity. He spent time afterward chatting with the college coaches, who doubled as instructors, trying to get a gauge on his ability and feel out his prospects. He was the last player to leave.
"To have college coaches come here and a couple professional scouts come here, it's a great avenue," Wedge said. "It's a great resource for them. There's nothing but upside being here. If you're going to spend three hours of your time at that age and you enjoy the game of baseball, there's no better place to be if you ask me."
sclardie@jg.net