Porter Baseball Newsletter ISSUE 13 HOLIDAY- 2013

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PORTERS WISH EVERYONE A

VERY JOYOUS Holiday 2 The Porter Baseball family would like winter sport, would work out on their Many of our players participated in to take this opportunity to extend own. Then around late January or fall and winter sports. Those not holiday greetings to everyone. We early February the team would come participating haveCoaches been Corner working out hope that this coming year will find together, hold meetings and officially with coachesIn this issue led Assistant by Head Varsity Coach and you healthy and prosperous. start conditioning by lifting weights AndyHitting Satunas. Coach Matt Bartley finishes and “running the halls at East”. his article on batting tips. 4 In keeping with our program’s Remember that pre-2000 guys! philosophy of giving back to the Also, former Notre Dame and profess- sional athlete, Nick Setta has been in community, Coach Satunas and the Getting ready for baseball changed Porters have been busy helping those charge of an extensive and compre- some more and Thanksgiving then hensive physical conditioning, speed4 in need this holiday season by became the official start date for participating in food and toy drives. and strength program. All of this is working and getting ready for the leading up to the week of March 3rd We are so proud of our guys for all season. But soon that wasn’t good that they do. when baseball season officially begins enough and more changes began to with a week of tryouts. Getting ready for baseball has grad- slowly occur during the 90’s. That ually changed over the years. Usually brings us to the present where But until then………. 5 the fall and early winter has been a strength, conditioning and speed busy one for the Porters. In past training is pretty much an on-going years, baseball players not playing process year round. The 2014 squad is HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!! football, basketball or another fall or no different. SPECIAL EVENT COMING UP 8

Lockport Youth Coaches Clinic When: Wednesday 1/29/14 and Thursday 2/13/14

Where: Mullets Sports Bar and Restaurant 14903 S. Bell Road, Homer Glen

Time: 6:30-9:00 p.m. (Registration 6:00 p.m.)

Cost: $5.00 The Porter Baseball program invites all area youth league coaches to our annual clinic where a wide range of topics will be presented by our coaches and guest speakers. Food will be provided.

1 Porter Baseball Newsletter ISSUE 13 HOLIDAY- 2013 22001133 PPoorrtteerr WWIINNTTEERR IINNDDOOOORR HHIITTTTIINNGG LLEEAAGGUUEE NNEEWWSS

Winning Team Second Place Team 1. Vytas Valincius Team Results Sam Bellair Brendan O’Conner Top Individual Hitters 2. Johnny Gallet Johnny Gallet Bryan Fox 3. Matt Johnson Vytas Valincius Chad Beebe 4. Sam Bellair 5. Tony Blazekovich Porter Baseball would like to thank all of the following participants: Chad Beebe Tony Blazekovich Jacob Hinchley Jack Mladic Declan Ruane Sam Bellair Nick Costello Jack Hoh Nathan Moore Dylan Smith Declan Bentley Bryan Fox Matt Johnson Brendan O’Connor Luc Starnge Luke Bentley Johnny Gallet Chris Maude Nick Quattrochi Alek Trafton Vytas Valincius

Vytas Valincius 108 60 32 85 64 95 37 481 Johnny Gallet 102 66 24 93 45 74 47 451 Matt Johnson 92 85 31 32 69 107 26 442 Sam Bellair 96 37 33 88 55 85 40 434 Tony Balzekovich 118 33 76 40 89 41 27 424 Bryan Fox 92 43 58 41 79 89 20 422 Dylan Smith 121 61 42 29 59 61 25 398 Jack Mladic 89 69 90 0 0 83 32 363 Nathan Moore 70 96 29 35 34 90 6 360 Brendan O’Connor 66 21 43 35 71 85 38 359 Alek Trafton 107 55 53 32 54 39 17 357 Nick Quattrochi 84 61 39 30 42 66 16 338 Josh Bentley 115 55 65 0 0 061 39 335 Jack Hoh 39 49 76 36 66 63 4 333 Jacob Hinchley 90 35 30 27 36 85 21 324 Chris Maude 57 18 75 32 84 46 10 322 Chad Beebe 88 59 53 0 071 0 0 271 Declan Ruane 79 50 58 0 0 53 4 244 Luke Bentley 49 58 83 0 0 43 7 240 Luc Strange 78 55 32 0 0 0 0 165 Nick Costello 61 0 0 0 0 0 0 61

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The Porters were extremely busy this November and December. In addition to preparing for the 2014 season conditioning after school with Coach Setta, the Porters got into the “spirit of Christmas giving” as well, by collecting canned goods and toys. These charitable community efforts should be recognized and commended.

2013 Fish Pantry Food Drive

Porter Baseball players donated 502 items to the Lockport Fish Pantry Food Drive sponsored by the LTHS ROTC

2013 Toy Drive

Porters donated 231 toys to the Mark Staehely Toy Drive. This beat last year’s total of 191!!!

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?? He’s back! Porter Baseball’s own Ron Coomer has been announced as the new analyst for WGN Cubs Radio broadcasts. He will partner with long time play by play announcer Pat Hughes. According to MLB.com, Coomer received a 2 year contract. Ron had been a finalist along with another former Cub Todd Hollandsworth to replace in the radio booth. Recently we printed an article on Ron in issue # 8 earlier this year. We thought it appropriate to reprint it. ------After graduating from LTHS in 84’ Ron went to Taft College in California and continued playing baseball. Coomer was drafted by the in the 14th round of the 1987 amateur draft. He was signed as a free agent by the White Sox in 1991 and then was traded to the LA Dodgers in 1993. In 1995, Coomer was traded to the for and . Ron spent 5 seasons with the Twins, with whom he made the All-Star team in 1999. In 2001 Coomer signed with the . He then signed a one-year deal with the in 2002 and finally returned to the Dodgers in 2003. He retired from baseball in 2003. In 9 years he played 911 games and has a career BA of .274.

He signed with Fox Chicago and then Fox Sports North in Minneapolis broadcasting Twins games. In 2010-11 he won 3 Emmy awards for his work on Fox. He says;”it wasn’t a SICA Conference championship but it was great to be recognized for my work…..” He continues with that work today broadcasting 120 games for Fox. He also has a daily radio show on 96.3 KTW in the afternoon in Minneapolis. He is also Sales/Marketing Manager for BIG Athletics. In his own words, “my life is very busy and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I still get paid to go to the ballpark…….this is my 24th season in pro ball and it’s been a real privilege to do what you love”.

He has some great memories of when he wore the Porter uniform. Ron was a part of the 1984 team that finished 32-5 and advanced to the IHSA state tournament in Springfield. “We had a great season. The regional tourney will always be a memory because of the way we won it. We came back against Joliet West in the last inning to tie that game with 2 outs and went on to win in extra- innings and then beating Providence in the championship game was just unreal. My friendships with my teammates, Coaches Hall and Clyde Odle will always be some of my best memories I’ve had in the game.”

His relationship with former Porter Head Coach Jim Hall is special to him. “I can’t put into words the impact Coach Hall has had on my life and my career. He has seen the ups and downs. He is one of my best friends and for sure would not be where I am today if it weren’t for Coach Hall and his family”. Coach Hall says of Ron, “He led our team to conference, regional, and sectional championships and downstate. He added, “I’ve never seen a player have a bigger impact on a team with his leadership traits”.

Ron has always been there for the Porter program and his desire to see it successful continues today. He has these words to say to all of those players in our program today. “I have been in baseball all of my life. The building blocks for all of my success in sports and broadcast- ing came from home. I think my motto in life has been, “I just don’t take no for an answer. If you want something bad enough, GO GET IT!” Finally, he wants to say this. “To Coach Dobson, Bob Meader, Rollie Bolattino, Dick Dystrup (all former LTHS teachers and coaches) and all of the teachers and coaches who helped me along the way in Lockport….THANK YOU!!!!” CONGRATULATIONS RON…WELCOME HOME!!!

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Porters head coach Andy Satunas will be speaking at the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association annual clinic on Saturday, January 25th at 1:20 pm. His topic will be “Summer Baseball Organization”.

The clinic is held each year and will be at the Westin Hotel Yorktown Center in Lombard, Illinois.

5 PORTER BASEBALL NEWSLETTER HOLIDAY ISSUE- 2013

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PPoorrtteerrss!!

Porter Baseball

Coach Andy Satunas

([email protected]) Lockport Township High School 13333 East Seventh Street Lockport, Illinois 60441

Website: www.porterbaseball.org

Contact us: [email protected]