Good things come to DeLucia
By Brian Rosen
The adage, “good things come to those who wait,” often appears cliché and trite. In the case of recent Detroit Tigers draftee and former Ohio State pitcher Dan DeLucia, it may just be spot on.
Overcoming ligament transplant surgery, DeLucia heard his name called on June 6 as a 35th round selection in the 2008 MLB draft. DeLucia joins teammate J.B. Shuck, who went in the sixth round to the Houston Astros.
“I am ecstatic,” DeLucia said in a release. “This has been a dream of mine for years — to get drafted and have an opportunity to play professional baseball — and I am just so grateful that the Tigers are giving me that opportunity.”
DeLucia, who compiled a career record of 24-13 with a 3.91 ERA in 317 1/3 innings pitched, nearly had his career cut short in 2007. In only his third appearance of the season, DeLucia hurt his elbow in a game against Georgetown. What followed was Tommy John surgery and an expected recovery time of over a year.
The lefty needed to beat the odds to return in time for a fifth season in scarlet and gray. Ten months after surgery, the Bishop Watterson product took the mound as the first three-year captain in the baseball program’s 125-year history.
“He’s definitely a role model for me and the other guys on the team,” said Brian DeLucia, Dan’s brother and an incoming junior infielder. “He was supposed to do rehab once every two days, but he ended up doing it every day. He never made his elbow an issue; he just wanted to pitch.”
“We were always telling him that we didn’t want to set a time table [for his return],” OSU Pitching Coach Eric Parker added. “It was a testament to Dan and his work ethic that he was ready to play.”
Though his final season in Columbus, a 3-3 record with a 4.70 ERA in 51 2/3 innings pitched, paled in comparison to his distinguished career, DeLucia remained manager Bob Todd’s Friday night starter. His selflessness resonated both in the locker room and on the field of play.
“A lot of pitchers are individuals on the mound, but Dan always made sure he knew everything that was going on in the game,” Brian DeLucia said. “He always supported his teammates and never went to the locker room after a start, like some other pitchers.”
Assigned to the Oneonta Tigers, Detroit’s Short-Season Class A team in the New York Penn League, DeLucia now begins the long journey toward an appearance in a major league uniform. More long odds await the new Tiger, but past trials should only serve as further motivation for the goal-driven Columbus native.
“The main thing with Dan is that if you look at one thing with him pitch-wise, he doesn’t have a great fastball, a plus changeup or a great breaking ball, but everything is pretty good, and he knows how to pitch,” Parker said. “He’s what we hope that all of our players can become.”
Originally Published: Issue 657 - July 2, 2008
 |
Share on Facebook |
