It’s not always easy being the coach’s kid.
Dh’Mari Wright, who plays for the Hammond Optimist Bulldogs 14-and-under Babe Ruth team for his dad Donte, can relate to that.
“It’s frustrating at times when he yells at you,” Dh’Mari said of his father.
The father and son agreed they don’t argue too often, but when they do, the younger Wright understands why.
“I know he’s harder on me, but he’s just trying to help me improve my game,” Dh’Mari said. “He knows what he’s talking about.”
With a baseball background that includes a high school career at Hammond and some time with the Hammond Chiefs before playing in college, Donte has been a coach with his son’s team since Dh’Mari was 10.
“He thinks I’m picking on him all the time,” Donte said with a laugh. “At the end of the day, he realizes I’m just trying to put him in the right spots and push him in the right direction with what he needs to work on.”
Having been to the Babe Ruth World Series as a player, the elder Wright hadn’t been there as a coach until this season when Hammond Optimist won the Ohio Valley Regional to advance to the World Series in Eagle Pass, Texas.
“We’d place well and just couldn’t get over the hump,” he said. “You can tell when we won that the boys just accomplished one of their dreams. All the boys were crying and everyone was really emotional.
“It’s been a long road to get here.”
The team’s first World Series game is Thursday.
“All the hard work finally paid off,” Dh’Mari said. “It was our time.”
The 6-foot-4 Dh’Mari, who recently turned 15, also plays football and basketball. But he knows baseball is his game. He patrols center field for the Bulldogs.
“I love tracking the ball down and running into the gaps,” he said.
Dh’Mari, who bats third in the order, believes that aspect is the strength of his game.
“I’ve always liked to hit and hit as far as I can,” he said. “I’ve always been a pretty good power hitter, but I really just try to drive guys in any way I can. Sometimes that means going to the opposite field and finding the gaps.”
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While the physical tools are clear, Dh’Mari confirmed he can get down on himself or teammates after a strikeout or an error. Donte emphasized that’s something they’re still working on.
“Being his age, he’s just going out there playing, but when he’s focused and paying attention to details, that’s when you can see his talent level even more,” Donte said. “It’s all about the mental side for him and learning the game more.”
Dh’Mari will soon start high school at Andrean with aspirations of playing for Dave Pishkur and the 2018 Class 3A state champion 59ers.
“He’s such a good coach and I want to see what he might have for me so I can maybe go to a good college,” Wright said of Pishkur.
CJ Peters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.