Dan Bids Farewell

I put off writing this for as long as I could because I didn’t want the end to come. Well, the end is here and it has made me think about everything I have been through in this program. I came in as a freshman not having a clue to now the captain of collegiate baseball team. From the time I picked up a ball and a bat until now, I have never been part of better teams than the ones I’ve played on as a Saint Mary’s Cardinal. We may not have come up with the amount of W’s as we wanted but we always enjoyed going out there next to each other and competing. I first want to thank my parents and my brother. I remember going across the street from my house with my mom and brother while my dad was at work and taking batting practice with my mom pitching and my brother and I switching off shagging balls. We would be out there for hours and kids from around the neighborhood would come and join us and by the time it got dark, there would be 15 or so of us out there playing ball. Thank you, Mom. I will never forget all you did for me growing up. Dad, you come up big day-in and day-out, whether it is figuring out a way for me to get my glove restrung the day before a big game or finding a way to get to one of my games for a little while during your work schedule. I consider myself lucky to have you at every one of my games and it gives me that extra motivation to succeed every time I go out there. My brother David, whether we were beating the crap out of each other or giving each other knucks, I’ve always seen you as my best friend. It is your drive and competitiveness that has made me the competitor that I am today. I also want to thank my cousin, Annemarie, for being my No. 1 fan. Even though you go to Winona State, you wear your SMU baseball gear around campus and make it to almost every home game I have. To my coaches: Benji, thanks for allowing me to unleash the knuckleball and making me run so much with the pitchers. Coach Trewick, thanks for giving me laughs, I’ll miss those off-the-wall conversations at practice or on the bench during games. Coach Whaley, thanks for teaching me how to play the game of baseball the right way. I have so much more respect for the game after playing four years for you. To my current teammates, all my past teammates — Jake, Jose, Rinker, Rhino, Juice, Pugh, Cic, Schmopic, Kittles, Dustball, and all the others — you all made my college career an absolute blast. To my fellow seniors: Boys, it has been a tough, but fun, four years of baseball with you guys. We came in and never had a chance to go to the playoffs, but we sure made the best of it. Danny, when you’re not one-upping, you are making me laugh my butt off. Leetch, you are the best dancer on the team, which amazes me because you are actually a 60-year-old man. Reits teets and a couple three beats, I admire your heart and willingness to go out and compete and always want the ball. My current teammates: Winecke, my other chubby brother what can I say, except we love food, Matty, there are only two words I have for you “Flom Bomb.” Kriegs you are the only other guy on the team that can challenge me when it comes to facial and chest hair. Brady (bash brother), I don’t think there is a person out there that can pimp a base hit better than you. Toshi, I want you to take over as the team knuckleballer, because you are straight naaaaaaasty. Mizz, “no way man, we’re prime.” Kuhn, I’ve never known another person that enjoys getting fined more than you. To the rest of my teammates, I don’t mean to leave anyone out, but I gotta wrap this up — I want you guys all to know that I’d do anything for all of you. To my roommates (past and present): TMac, oh man, the stories that we have are endless. I know you’ll never forget the famous “double kick” or both of us being “3-for--4.” Scotty Scotty Scotty, you have been our superfan. Every home series you’re there and afterwards whether it was a win, loss, or split, you were there to help celebrate or forget it. Your all-time quote has to be, “well I got him” (referring to Troy Williamson during the fantasy draft). Stevo (Dad), I will never forget the look on your face on the night of your first Halloween here at SMU — you looked like a lost little boy. Kevy, I am looking to you to take over for Leetch and myself as the next great dancer on the baseball team. I hope all of you have enjoyed living with me as much as I have enjoyed living with you guys. A final thanks to Donny Nadeau and our trainer Kevin for all of your hard work that we all take for granted. I found a perfect quote to end on and it goes … “You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.” ~Jim Bouton, Ball Four, 1970