SETTING A GOOD EXAMPLE : Toro Third Baseman Cary Windes Is Recognized by Other Players as One of the Team’s Leaders

The rock-solid jaw of Cary Windes juts predominantly from his face in a photograph in the baseball media guide for Cal State Dominguez Hills.

A senior transfer from Fresno State, Windes calls boxer Rocky Marciano his hero and one can’t help but wonder if Windes purposely strikes a Marciano-like pose.

No, say those who know Windes. The 5-foot-11 third baseman is just a confident person whose play in the field is expected to have a lasting effect on the team.

“The impact of a guy like Cary will go far beyond this program for years,” Dominguez Hills Coach George Wing said.

If the Toros (25-19-1), who have been struggling, win one of their remaining six California Collegiate Athletic Assn. games, they will finish above .500 for the first time since 1987. Dominguez Hills, which begins a three-game series against Cal State Los Angeles at Carson today at 3 p.m., is only two games out of first place.

Windes is not among CCAA leaders in any statistical category. He is batting only .278, although earlier this season he hit safely in 14 consecutive games.

It’s a far cry from the offensive prowess Windes displayed during his prep career at St. John Bosco High in Bellflower. He holds the CIF-Southern Section record for most home runs in a game with four against St. Anthony of Long Beach in 1985.

According to Wing, it’s the intangible value provided by Windes that counts. Windes and senior first baseman Darrell Conner, he said, are the team’s leaders.

But Conner, who is batting .400, gets much of the attention because he drives in the bulk of the team’s runs. Batting third, he has 52 runs batted in to lead the team.

It is Windes’ responsibility to move runners into scoring position for Conner. Windes can bat anywhere from leadoff to eighth in the order.

“Cary has definite leadership qualities,” said starting second baseman Miguel Medina. “He plays hard. I admire him. He’s a very good person, not just in his playing, but in his values about life.”

Windes accepts his leadership role and acknowledges that he and Conners have chewed out a few underclassmen when they didn’t like what they saw on the field.

“I’m not a coach,” Windes said. “But I can see flaws. I can help people along--pump them up a bit. It’s remarkable what you can accomplish. You can see the confidence they get.”

But Windes has been one of the first to hand out compliments, too. Early in the season, he confronted Medina, but now is quick to praise the junior’s play in recent weeks.

Freshman shortstop Cory Lintern said he has also learned from playing alongside Windes.

“I feel it’s nothing negative when he has jumped down my throat,” Lintern said.

Lintern batted .400 with 50 RBIs his senior year at Colton High. He also pitched, and his fastball was clocked at 84 m.p.h. Wing recruited Lintern with the intent of letting him pitch or playing shortstop.

In winter ball, Lintern found himself behind two other players who were battling Windes for the starting shortstop job.

Lintern was content to spend a year on the bench, but Windes had other ideas. He didn’t particularly like playing shortstop. “I hadn’t played there since I was a freshman,” he said.

Windes moved to third and Lintern started the season on the bench. But when the Toros opened the year by losing four of five games, Wing put Lintern in the lineup against UC San Diego in early February. Lintern’s solid defensive play and added punch at the plate helped the Toros to a 12-4 victory.

Windes liked what he saw.

“When I went to third, I had no gripes,” he said. “It was natural for me. I figured, let the kid try shortstop.”

Windes has been pleased with Lintern’s contributions.

“He has come a long way,” Windes said. “At first he was really a tight guy--he didn’t talk much. But since that first game he has made a lot of strides and I feel very comfortable with him there.”

Windes left Fresno State because he “thought it was time for a change.” In three seasons at Fresno, he never batted higher than .273 and started only 70 of 143 games he played in.

Wing, who was a community college coach in the Sacramento area in the mid-1980s, first heard about Windes from College of the Redwoods Coach Tom Giacomini. Windes spent last summer playing amateur baseball for the Humboldt Crabs, a team coached by Giacomini.

Windes eventually contacted Wing and decided to transfer.

“I don’t have a problem with (coming down from Division I to Division II).” Windes said. “When I get on the ball field, I’m the same guy.. . . It means nothing better to me than to win. You can have a great day and if the team loses, you lose.”

Toro pitching coach John Verhoeven has also noticed Windes’ positive influence on the team, particularly with Lintern, who came to Carson thinking he could pitch.

“Lintern is a puppy dog,” Verhoeven said. “He’s not quick on his feet. He hasn’t grown into his body yet. But, he has made some of the toughest plays for us this year at shortstop. I’m not really big on position players pitching. And he’s doing such a good job at shortstop for us, I have no plans to play him at pitcher.

“Windes, on the other hand, is quick as a cat. You can see he is experienced and that has rubbed off.”

Although Windes’ statistics may not earn him a place in the Toro record book, his contributions will not be forgotten.