PLAYING
Jeff Tully
Jason Hirsh has been able to fit in comfortably and excel as a
pitcher at St. Francis High, and more recently, in college at
California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.
But when it comes to the place the hard-throwing pitcher will
always call home, that can be found on the grassy fields and
red-brick surfaces of Burbank’s Olive Park.
“I’ve left a lot of blood, sweat and tears on those fields at
Olive Park,” said the 21-year-old Hirsh, a Burbank resident.
“I learned a lot of baseball and spent so many hours playing
there. It will always be a special place for me.”
With his recent success, Hirsh might yearn for the friendly
confines of Olive Park when he’s pitching in parks with a little more
prominence -- Minute Maid, Pacific Bell, PNC and Comerica.
Hirsh took a huge step toward realizing his dream of playing
professional baseball Tuesday when he was selected in the second
round as the 59th overall pick by the Houston Astros in the 2003
Major League Baseball first-year player draft.
“It’s just an honor to be selected, but to be picked so high is
just amazing,” said the 6-foot-8, 250-pound junior.
“We were siting around listing to the draft and I thought it would
be a while before they called my name. But when we heard them call
‘Jason Hirsh,’ we just waited to make sure we actually heard right.
“It still hasn’t really sunk in yet. I am just enjoying everything
right now.”
Although he was surprised at how high he was drafted, Hirsh -- a
product of Toluca Little League -- is used to getting his share of
attention from major league teams this season.
The scouts came out in droves to see Hirsh play, and were no doubt
impressed by his fastball that has been clocked as high as 97 mph.
He also put together a fine season, compiling a 9-1 record and a
3.68 earned-run average with 126 strikeouts and just 22 walks in 100
1/3 innings for a Kingsmen team that went 27-13 (17-4 in the Southern
California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).
Hirsh broke a Cal Lutheran school record in April when he struck
out 18 batters in a conference win against Occidental College.
For his efforts, Hirsh was named to the American Baseball Coaches
Assn. All--West Region Team and was an All-SCIAC first-team choice.
“Jason is a pitcher we can always count on to go out there and
give us his best effort,” Cal Lutheran Coach Marty Slimak said.
“He throws hard and has continued to improve since he came on
board as a freshman.”
Hirsh got one of the biggest thrills of his baseball life a few
weeks ago when he was invited to a workout by the New York Yankees --
a team that had shown a great deal of interest in the right-hander.
The Yankees flew Hirsh to New York and brought him to Yankee
Stadium to see what he could do.
“Just being in Yankee Stadium was unbelievable,” Hirsh said.
“We arrived early and we were just like little kids, walking
around the stadium and looking at all the monuments and stuff.
“They had me throw in front of the Yankees brass. I started out
pitching in the bullpen, but then they moved me to the actual mound
on the field and I was able to throw against some of their upcoming
prospects. That was so great.”
*
During his high school and college career, Hirsh said he’s had the
advantage of working with some outstanding coaches and individuals
who have helped mold his baseball skills.
However, when it comes to the most influential person in the
pitcher’s career, Hirsh said there is one individual who has been
paramount in assisting him.
“Mike Boyd has meant everything to me,” he said. “I really think
they should rename Olive Park ‘Mike Boyd Park’ because no one spends
as much time at the park helping young players as he does. I worked
many hours at the park with Mike.
“I owe him so much. Not only for what he’s taught me about
baseball, but what he’s taught me about life and how to be a better
person. He’s just a great individual.”
The brother of former Boston Red Sox pitcher Dennis “Oil Can”
Boyd, to pigeonhole Mike Boyd as just a personal baseball trainer is
a disservice to a man who is much more to the individuals he works
with.
Boyd -- whose home base is Olive Park -- is a combination of
baseball instructor, confidante, motivator and promoter to his
pupils. Along with physical skills, Boyd helps players build their
self-esteem, self-worth and confidence.
Once a second-round draft choice by the L.A. Dodgers, Boyd said he
is ecstatic about Hirsh’s selection.
“I couldn’t be prouder,” Boyd said. “It is the kind of pride a
mother has for her child. His success is also great for the city.
Here is a kid from Burbank who is making it to the big time and
representing the city.”
Boyd, who has worked with Jason and his younger brother, Matt,
since they were 7, said Jason is a dedicated individual who continues
to improve his skills.
“This is a young man who has worked very hard to get where he’s at
today,” he said. “It’s no mistake that he was picked that high in the
draft. Jason deserves all that has come his way, and even more. And
you can bet that he is going to go as far as he wants to in this game
of baseball.
“One of the reasons why Jason has gotten as far as he has is
because he has a great family that gives him so much support.”
Hirsh’s work ethic has also impressed Slimak, who had three of his
players selected in this year’s draft.
“Jason is the hardest worker we’ve ever had here,” Slimak said.
“He has an unbelievable work ethic and you don’t have to tell him to
do anything like run, he does it on his own.
“During the summer, Jason and the other two players who got
drafted really dedicated themselves to getting better and improving.
Instead of leaving for the summer, these guys stuck around, and for
10 weeks, were getting up at 6:30 in the morning to work out. Jason
is very dedicated.”
Boyd has been able to pass on skills and information to Hirsh
handed down to him through an impressive baseball lineage. One of 14
children, Mike’s father was Willie James Boyd, an accomplished Negro
League player.
Mike Boyd has developed a personal training method that has helped
players excel in baseball. The technique -- Step, Hip, Hands --
consists of seven basic steps that allow an athlete to hit and throw
correctly in order to maximize his or her skills.
“What I have learned are some of the things that have been handed
down to me and come from great players like Satchel Paige, Ty Cobb
and Babe Ruth,” Boyd said.
Although baseball is important in his life, Hirsh also takes pride
in his education. Majoring in multimedia, he said he would like to
finish at least one of the two remaining semesters he has left to
gain his bachelor’s degree before reporting to the Astros.
But even if Jason doesn’t play his senior season at Cal Lutheran,
brother Matt could be the next Hirsh sensation.
“Matt may not be as fast at Jason, be he’s got more pitches,”
Slimak said of the 6-5, 240-pound freshman right-hander, another St.
Francis graduate. “He is going to be a good one.”
Added Boyd: “Matt is going to be better than Jason,” he said. “He
just can’t be beat.”
If you want to catch a glimpse of a potential future star, you can
find Matt working out on a regular basis with Boyd at -- where else
-- Olive Park.