This version of Warren’s Tony Font is the complete package.
The senior infielder is a tough out for pitchers and is rock-solid in the field, helping the Blue Devils establish themselves as one of the top teams in Lake County.
But as recently as the offseason, there were still significant parts of Tony Font’s game that needed to be addressed.
“Last year, I was trying to be perfect and do too much, especially at bat,” he said of his junior season, when he hit just .224. “It really affected my confidence. But now I’m having fun playing.”
A particular low point came after a game last year when Tony Font said he was so disjointed that he struggled to get out of his car in his driveway. A heart-to-heart with his father, Orlando, followed, laying the foundation for his turnaround.
“He told me that baseball is a game of failure,” Tony Font recalled. “I always knew I had the ability, but the mental side is so important. I don’t know if I’d be this successful without him.”
Orlando Font plays an outsized role in his son’s life out of necessity. Tony Font’s mother, Maribel, died of ovarian cancer in August 2018. The family moved from South Florida to Chicago’s northern suburbs soon after. The funeral and burial were held in her native Nicaragua, and the Font family makes an effort to visit on each anniversary of her death.
“I’ve had to play both mom and dad, so I try to be compassionate and patient,” Orlando Font said.
Tony Font’s mother is rarely far from his mind. He said one of his fondest baseball-related memories is from the day she died. The first game of his fall travel season was that day, and he said he surprised his teammates by not only playing but also going 2-for-3 and earning the win on the mound.
“I’ll never forget that day. It was a cool moment,” Tony Font said. “If I had a bad game, she would make me feel better. And even though I don’t have a chance to talk to her, she’s always in my heart, and I’m OK with that.”
Tony Font has been better than OK for Warren (21-7), which will open the postseason against Highland Park in the Class 4A Warren Regional semifinals on May 24. Batting second in the lineup, he started the week hitting .376 with 24 RBIs and 21 runs scored.
He also hasn’t blinked when called upon to shift across the diamond from second base to third.
That hints at the intangibles Warren coach Clint Smothers noted. Smothers pointed to Tony Font’s willingness to help clean the dugout or prep the field as examples of his overall contribution to the program.
“He’s just always plugged in,” Smothers said. “He’s a kid you don’t notice, and I mean that in a good way. He knows what to do and just does it without any reminders. He’s the kind of kid you want on your team.”
Even so, Tony Font finished last season believing he needed to do more on the field. After suffering a rotator cuff injury over the summer, he committed to extensive late-night workout sessions.
“He felt he had something to prove after his junior season and didn’t want the coaches to give up on him,” Orlando Font said.
In March, Tony Font traveled to Miami to watch a World Baseball Classic game between the teams from Puerto Rico, where his father is from, and Venezuela. Tony Font, who is planning to study biomedical engineering at Purdue, saw the exuberance and joy Puerto Rico exhibited during the game.
“Seeing the passion they all played with really inspired me,” he said. “They played so loose, no matter what the circumstances were in the game. That flipped a switch in my head.”
That allowed Tony Font to fully tap into his considerable ability, which first surfaced at Warren in 2021, when he played well at shortstop after a midseason promotion.
“I always knew he had the talent, but he lost his confidence last year,” Orlando Font said. “To see him playing so well this year is very rewarding.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.