By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, NY — Fifty-five minutes remain before first pitch of Wednesday night’s International League game at Frontier Field between the visiting Scranton /Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and the Rochester Red Wings.
Dan Fiorito relaxes in the dugout leaning back on his elbows thoughtfully answering questions. The 22-year old rookie just finished taking batting practice and some additional infield work. Now it is time to sit back. Having just been called up four days previously, he accepts being out of the lineup for the evening.
He talks about the luxuries made available to him at this level of professional baseball. There is the clubhouse attendant who takes care of his laundry and carries his bag. His locker is prepared for him and spikes are cleaned. The post-game buffet is plentiful.
Suddenly, everything changes. Fiorito hears his name called and turns to the runway leading from the visitors’ clubhouse. He is starting at third and batting sixth.
The native of Yonkers, New York smiles as he looks at the dugout floor. Eyes wide he is a picture of a young man still trying to figure out if it is all real.
The situation of the late insert into the lineup should be expected. After all, Fiorito has gathered an impressive collection of pleasant surprises over the past twelve months.
In one year, the 6-foot-4 infielder has gone from being an All-Conference player at D3 Manhattanville College to league All-Star with the Syracuse Salt Cats of the New York Collegiate Baseball League to the Tampa Yankees of the Class-A Advanced Florida State League and now a spot in Triple-A.
He shares a locker room with players who have shuffled back and forth from the big leagues to the minor leagues, and the rookie keeps it all in perspective.
“I try to make the most of it every day because this is a dream of mine,” Fiorito said. “I know the odds. The odds are against you. It’s as simple as that. This could all change quickly.”
A glance at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre lineup sheet offers an understanding into the improbability of Fiorito’s meteoric rise. Under the column of 2012 Club there are listed a variety of AAA teams (Reno, Sacramento, Norfolk) and several of his teammates played at Double-A Trenton.
Next to Fiorito’s name: Did Not Play – indicating his lack of professional experience last season. Fiorito skipped over Rookie ball, Short-A and Long-A in starting his professional career with Tampa. Most players need at least a season and a half to get to that level.
The significance of this is not lost on the Fiorito.
“It’s something I don’t take for granted at all,” Fiorito stated. “I have so much support back home. I think about all that my school has done for me. I think about where I was a year ago and how far I’ve come, and all they did for me.”
Last summer, in his second stint with the Salt Cats, Fiorito earned First-Team All-League honors hitting .328 with 15 extra-base hits including seven home runs and 29 RBI. He also stole 17 bases without being caught once while finishing with a fielding percentage of .932 at shortstop.
While some players stay one season in the NYCBL and move on the next, Fiorito knew he wanted to come back. The NYCBL’s association with Major League Baseball which includes Scout Day workouts and the list of alums from the league who playing professionally were enough to convince him to return.
“It almost became a second home to me,” Fiorito said of Syracuse. “The coaches were like family. I had a great time playing there, and I was getting good exposure. They treated me great.”
When the 2012 NYCBL ended, Fiorito heard from two teams: the Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. He attended a workout for New York on August 20th and signed the next day with his boyhood favorite team.
“Growing up I was a diehard Yankee fan,” Fiorito explained. “Yankee baseball was like part of the family – going to all the games, watching it on tee vee. I find myself in the organization now. It’s a crazy experience.”
Fiorito was in extended Spring Training when he was notified of his assignment with Tampa. He responded with two hits in five trips to the plate during his first professional game.
On June 15th, he received his call up to Triple-A. Two plane trips later he was on the field in front of 8-10,000 fans in Allentown. His first challenge was to find his parents in the crowd.
“It’s not like your college game where they’re one of the few people I see as soon they walk in.”
A foul ball off his own bat which almost struck them helped Fiorito spot his parents in the crowd.
“That’s the only reason I knew where they were.”
Fiorito delivered a double in that first trip to the plate – a fitting gift for his dad on father’s day.
“The best part about it was that my parents were there. My dad was up there in the crowd. I know he loved it.”
Fiorito reached on a fielder’s choice in his first at bat Wednesday night. He stole second and scored on a Cody Grice home run.
He lined a single up the middle in the fifth and scored on another Grice bomb.
“It’s the same game no matter where you go. It just moves faster. The pitchers throw a little harder. Guys on defense are just a little bit better, a little bit stronger arms, a little quicker. It’s a step up, but when you slow the game down, and the more you are around it, the more you realize it’s the same game you’ve been playing since you were six years old.”
Starting with Wednesday night’s game, Fiorito has made five straight starts for the RailRiders. He collected two hits and a stolen base in Friday night’s loss to Norfolk.
For now, Fiorito’s career is moving forward. Just don’t expect him to lose track of where he’s been. He knows he’s an inspiration to former teammates and other players who are currently in a role he occupied just one calendar year ago.
“I’ve had a lot guys contact me that are in the same shoes I was in a year ago. I keep telling them to just keep working. You never know who is watching. You get that one opportunity. That one door opens. It’s something you got to make the most of.”
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre plays five games in Syracuse between Tuesday, June 25th and Friday, June 28th. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights. Wednesday’s double-header begins at five o’clock.
The Salt Cats host a doubleheader Sunday against the Oneonta Outlaws. First pitch at Falcon Park is slated for 4:30.
Founded in 1978, the NYCBL is a summer wood-bat league which provides eligible student-athletes the opportunity to develop skills over the course of two months in Upstate New York. Current major league players Tim Hudson, Hunter Pence and Rajai Davis all spent a summer playing in the NYCBL. More than 100 NYCBL alums currently play Major and Minor League Baseball.
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