It has been said that time heals all wounds.
The high school baseball season was canceled four months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But the pain of not playing is still evident in Thomas Fitzgibbons’ voice.
And it has nothing to do with the Tinley Park graduate missing out on a chance to earn a scholarship or trying to prove he was worthy of one.
“I realized in sixth or seventh grade that I wasn’t good enough to go to college to play sports,” Fitzgibbons said. “I played baseball to have fun and to be with my friends. To have that taken away was heartbreaking.”
Fitzgibbons’ senior year was full of heartbreak.
In Week 4 of the football season against Oak Lawn, the senior outside linebacker suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee.
His season and competitive football career were over.
“I had a chance to make a one-on-one tackle,” Fitzgibbons said. “I planted my right leg and my knee buckled.
“I didn’t feel a pop or pain. The next morning it swelled up, and I had surgery a few days later.”
Fitzgibbons managed to find a silver lining from the incident.
“I made the tackle, though,” he said.
Fitzgibbons persevered through an arduous rehab to get ready for the baseball season.
He had visions of starting in center field and helping the Titans to a third straight Class 3A regional championship.
Those are fairly high expectations, considering Fitzgibbons received just four at-bats as a junior. He almost didn’t have any. He had strongly considered not playing that season.
But a talk with coach Josh O’Shea, who doubles as Tinley Park’s football coach, altered Fitzgibbons’ decision.
“We were a senior-heavy team and I knew I wasn’t going to get much playing time,” Fitzgibbons said. “I figured I would just concentrate on getting stronger for the football season. Coach O’Shea said the team was going to have a chance to do something special and he wanted me to be a part of it.
“I’m so glad I went out. I had a blast even though I didn’t play much. We were co-conference champs and won a regional for a second straight season. It was one of the best years of my life playing with those dudes. I was able to get better by just watching and practicing.”
In one of those four at-bats, Fitzgibbons connected for a double. His loyalty was rewarded.
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O’Shea believes every team is better because of players like Fitzgibbons.
“Even though he didn’t play much, he always had an amazing attitude,” O’Shea said. “The other players see that. All of our kids are bummed we didn’t get to play baseball this spring.
“But for a kid like ‘Fitz,’ it was about putting on that Tinley Park uniform one last time with his buddies. That’s the type of kid he is. A total team guy.”
He’s also a shining example of being a student-athlete. Fitzgibbons ranked No. 15 in his class of 220 students and scored 1360 on the SAT.
Those are the numbers — not his batting average or total tackles — that helped him get accepted by the University of Illinois. He will major in kinesiology.
He confirmed it still hurts to not have a final chance to wear a Titans jersey.
He’s a Tinley Park kid through and through, having played football and baseball for the Bulldogs’ youth sports program since age 6.
Next summer, he intends on playing in the Bulldogs’ collegiate summer baseball league.
“You have to move on with life,” Fitzgibbons said. “It’s not just me that this happened to. It was no one’s fault. You have to make the most of things and try to have fun.”