While growing up, Guerin senior Mario Navarro learned that the way he played baseball relected on other aspects of his life.
Whether it was putting in extra work, staying focused during the game or picking up a teammate who make a mistake, Navarro always strived to play the right way.
The Chicago resident also tried to carry those lessons he learned from his dad, Homero Navarro, into the rest of his life.
“The way you act on the field determines the type of person you are, on and off the field,” the senior said. “You should always give it your all because you never know when it’s going to be your last game. You should always try to be a leader and you always want a positive attitude. You never want a negative attitude in the dugout.”
When Navarro started playing baseball at age 8, his was coached by Juan Garcia, whose son, Jonathan Garcia, also plays for Guerin.
Navarro remembers long grueling practices, but all those hours on the diamond turned him into the player and person he is now.
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“(Juan Garcia) really made me a hard worker,” Navarro said. “We’d have three-hour practices and my dad would be there helping out, too. They set the example early on of how to play the game right: Hustling, never putting your head down and being able to forget about the last play so you can do your best for the team.”
Navarro’s strong suit has always been pitching and he’s the Gators’ ace this year. He has a 2-1 record and is also contributing at the plate, where he bats fifth and is hitting around .300.
Last year, Navarro earned the win as the team’s No. 2 pitcher in the Gators’ Class 2A regional championship victory over Chicago Academy. He has more responsibility this year.
“We go as far as Mario goes,” coach Dan Mustari said. “That’s pretty much what it comes down to and he could take us all the way through the sectional.”
Mustari likes Navarro’s attitude on the mound and his dependability.
“He gives us seven innings a game no matter what,” Mustari said. “If a kid makes an error, (Navarro) isn’t shaking his head.
“There was a game where the catcher had a passed ball and (Navarro) said to him, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get the next guy.’ That’s the type of kid he is. Every time Mario is out there, his teammates expect us to win and everyone rallies around him.”
“He works so hard and does something to get better every day,” teammate Mario Vazquez said. “That’s just the type of player he is.”
On Saturday, the Gators dropped a Metro Suburban East doubleheader at Timothy Christian, 11-3 and 12-3. Navarro was resting so he could pitch in a big rivalry game against Ridgewood on Monday.
“You have to have a short-term memory in baseball,” Navarro said. “I’m not saying you take this as no big deal, but you have to learn from your mistakes and move on to the next game. We have a big week coming up.”
NOTES
* Tyler Flynn, Julio Roldan, John Szczygiel and John Borghese all had RBI singles for Guerin (4-6, 1-3), while Morris Vazquez had an RBI double.
* Timothy Christian (4-2, 4-0) remained unbeaten in conference play.
Valentin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.