NAME: Michael Leavitt

NUMBER: 13

AGE: 48

POSITION: Catcher, 1st Base, 3rd Base, Shortstop, 2nd Base, Center Field, Left Field, and Right Field (I never did get to pitch when I was young, although I always practiced and dreamed of the day that the coach would call out my name).

YEARS PLAYING: Decades of baseball and softball

PREVIOUS TEAMS: Glassell Park Cardinals, Campbell State Bank, Campbell All Stars, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, lots of community teams.

FAVORITE MLB TEAM: I was raised watching ans dreaming that I would be a player on the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals. No other teams mattered to me when I was young. I vividly remember going to Dodgers’ Stadium and seeing the huge green field from high in the stands. I always took my glove even though we sat way too high for any ball to ever reach us. I always had the hope that a foul-tipped ball would make it all the way to me.

I used to spend summers in Missouri and I would listen to the Cardinal games with my Grandpa Bob on those hot summer nights. A couple of times each summer, Grandpa would take us to the now retired Busch Stadium to see the Cardinals play. That stadium was gorgeous with the St. Louis Arch clearly seen beyond the right field end of the stadium. Oh, how I miss those summers when the days were long and the grass was so green! There was nothing like oiling up your glove at night and heading out with your friends in the morning to hit and chase balls dreaming that one day I would be suited up and playing for the Dodgers and pitching against my Cardinals.

FAVORITE MLB PLAYER: In my youth, I loved Golden Glove winner Wes Parker. He played first base for the Dodgers. I also loved Brookes Robinson who was a Golden Glove third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles. Watching him dive for line drive shots made my heart race as we would then go out and try to recreate the diving catches. Winning a Golden Glove requires exceptional defensive abilities and I would spend hours throwing a ball at a cinder block wall and fielding it again and again working on my reflexes, style, and ability to stop the ball and make an incredible throw to first base for the out.

I also loved some of the St. Louis Cardinals players from that time. First of all, I admired Lou Brock because he was so fast when he was stealing the bases. Joe Torre was also an awesome Cardinals catcher and home run hitter long before he was a coach for the New York Yankees and now Manager for the LA Dodgers. Bob Gibson, also of the Cardinals, was my favorite pitcher because he would get the ball and immediately throw it. His games were fast and always under control... Wow, all this reminiscing makes me really miss my Grandpa Bob. He never was young enough to play ball with me, but he was always at my evening summer games and we loved to just talk baseball and listen to the St. Louis Cardinals on the AM radio. It is amazing how this sport bridges the gap between the old and the young.

The LA Dodgers’ long-time infield of Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, and Ron Cey also had a great impact upon me. They worked together as a team to make every infield play look like clockwork. It is the team that makes this sport a success. Sure there are shining moments for each player, but without the work of the team, it is all for naught.

GREATEST MOMENT IN BASEBALL: I am thinking back to my All-Star years that allowed me to play hard and to the best of my ability. I never hit a home run over the fence (although that was always my dream), yet I almost always got on base, stole my way around, and positioned myself to score. In those days, our games made it in the local papers and I just loved reading the accounts and reading my name (even though they always spelled it wrong - Levitt without the A). I remember our team winning the Southeast Missouri Regional championships in 1973-74. This was my first year to steal bases and face curve balls. I overcame my fear and helped my team win that trophy. I still remember the BBQ spare ribs restaurant dinner that was ours after the win. I have loved eating ribs ever since that summer season.

MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT IN BASEBALL: I’m going to have to think about that...... We say “Shake it off” dozens of times each game and I think that I have literally taken my own advice and shaken off the memory of all of the hundreds of bumbling errors that I must have made over the years on the diamond. I am also certain that some will come to me in the next few weeks and I will update my thoughts.

FAVORITE DREAM MOMENT IN BASEBALL:... Bottom of the 9th... I still long for the opportunity to hit one out of the park. That is why it was so fun to hit the ball over the big 40 ft. green fence at the Windsor fields in a Dodger’s 2007 practice. There is just something magical about the flight of a baseball as it heads out of the park. It seems to lift and float upwards forever. The feel of the ball exploding off the end of the bat is just so magical. When it happens, you don’t even have to be the one swinging the bat. The sound of the bat as it explodes and the ball starts sailing upwards and beyond just captures one’s soul as the ball heads over the fence.

Do you all remember the player on the other team in our second game that put one over the left field fence against us? I stood on the sideline and knew by the sound of the bat on the ball that we were going to witness one leaving the park. The ball glided in a direct high line drive towards the left field and did not stop until it crashed into the brown roof on the brick cooling structure. Our team or theirs, it did not matter. We had witnessed a great hit and time just slowed down for me as I watched the ball sail through the air.

I had a similar moment a week ago at our Westmore Elementary practice when we set up the pitching machine against the wall and I dropped the ball and talked about hitting with each of you individually. With each drop of the ball into the machine came the hope that each of you would make the dream swing and park the ball well beyond my head. My son Aaron came to bat and took a swing that I will never forget. The ball took off from his new bat and headed for the sky just a bit left from the center field home run fence and sailed easily over for the round tripper. It was special because in reality there was no fence, yet both Aaron and I, as well as others who watched it, saw the ball sail over what we knew was our team home run fence. Time slowed down and visions of that happening in a game inspired Me, Aaron, and every other batter on our team that was going to get their chance to hit off the machine. The goal of hitting solid line drives and occassional home runds became infectious and every player on our team at that practice started smacking the ball with power. That was a great moment in time for me as a coach, and maybe you as a player.

HISTORICAL MAJOR LEAGUE FLASHBACK - I think that is why I will always remember the home run of the Dodgers’ Kurt Gibson back in the 1988 World Series as he faced the unhittable Dennis Eckersly of the Oakland A’s. The A’s were destined to stomp the Dodgers and by the 9th inning, it looked like they were going to succeed.  Then Tommy Lasorda called Kurt’s number even though he was hurt and barely able to limp to the plate. I vividly remember watching that game on TV and exploding with delight as he hit that ball over the right center fence. The A’s were demoralized and the Dodgers ended up taking the series. That was a dream moment that all boys, young men, and older men should have a chance to share at least once in their lives.

Michael skating the Miller Brewery tanks during construction in Irwindale, California - 4th of July, 1982?

HOBBIES: Family, Backpacking, Fishing, Hiking, Baseball, Softball, and Basketball, which I like to play all through the year and hope to continue for years to come.

FAVORITE ICE CREAM: Daiquiri Ice with hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts and a cherry from Baskin Robbins. Cold Stone’s French Vanilla with hot fudge, brownies, and strawberries is also a tasty experience.

CAREER: I am currently a Home Inspector. I never did pursue my young boy dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. I became too busy competing nationally in skateboarding back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

Michael foot-planting in the 17 foot deep bowl at the Pipeline Skatepark - circa 1982

How has playing baseball made you a better person? Baseball has taught me patience and the ability to work with others. I would practice for hours when I was young with nothing more than a bat, ball, and my glove in the early morning sun. I would throw the ball against the wall and field it back against the wall. All the time I was doing this I would invent scenarios in my mind so that I would make the right play when game time came. It was important to me to get the right form and to be able to make every play possible. I did not view all of the practice as drudgery and instead turned it into a fun challenge with dreams of making the big plays in the real games. This type of attitude has carried through with me to this day. Hopefully it rubs off a bit on our young players on our team.

What is the most challenging part about playing baseball? Baseball is a quest for perfection. Every player plays a different role on the team and they all have to work together in unity to pull off double plays, tag outs at home, and the elusive and rare triple play. The hard part is that you never know when it will happen. All that you can do is be ready when the chance places itself before you to perform.

One big challenge as coaches is that we do not yet know who is the best player at each position. Just because they have played shortstop in the past does not mean that our left fielder won’t be a mahor league shortstop. Instead of pigeon holing them into a position, we have to allow each player the opportunity to play many positions to both learn what is required to play there, but also to give them a chance to see if they have that hidden talent for the position. We have already seen every player in both the outfield and infield during actual games. I would venture to say that we are the only team in Orem Youth baseball that can say that. Blame or praise for this would rest upon my shoulders, but I learned many years ago that if you take an outfielder and let them play infiled a bit that they learn why their throw from the fence to second base is so important. Or why they must hustle to back up a throw to made to third base that gets accidentally overthrown to left field. Coming into the season we really don’t know what each of these young players is capable of achieving, and that increases the thrill for us as coaches and fans of the game.

I think often of the words of Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds. He was nicknamed “Mr. Hustle” and his famous quote was, “You practice the way you play!” He felt that he had to work hard every moment that he was on the field. He was also the first player that I ever saw who ran to first base after getting a walk. He did it just as fast as if he had hit a ground ball. He did this as a reminder that he was always ready to steal second base if the ball was somehow bobbled getting back to the pitcher. He also was the first player that I can remember who would dive and slide into first base while trying to beat out an infield hit. Mr. Hustle was the perfect title for him, and Pete Rose always will be an inspiration to me in the way we should play baseball.

What is the best thing a coach has either told you or said about you? I often heard that I had made a good hit or a good catch. Being an all-star catcher required putting my body in front of the ball to make the stop and then the occassional incredible play at home plate. I remember the smiles of the coaches and their shouts of joy after an incredible play was made and I knew that I had done something great. We erase the bonehead plays over time, but the great moments and feelings of accomplishment remain...

I still vividly remember being in an All-Star game back in 1972 as an 11 year old and our team was facing a curve ball pitcher for the very first time. It scared the bejeebers out of me as I watched the ball coming towards our first batters head and he jumped out of the box as this slow moving menace curved slowly over the plate as the bottom fell out of it and into the catcher’s glove for a called strike. I remember my coach telling me to get way up in the box and hang in there and swing early and put the slow moving ball right down third. I could confidently hit to any field, but moving up in the box meant placing my body in even more danger as I would be hitting the ball when it was still in its outward arc coming at my head. Our first batter struck out without a swing and it was my turn as the second in the line-up. Approaching the batters box I moved all the way up and watched the first pitch to make the pitcher honest. The curve ball was amazing to watch for the first time and I avoided the urge to jump out of the box. It nearly hit me, but I stayed in position. The second pitch came and I swung early knowing that it was going to hit me right in the head. The early swing caught the slow arcing ball smacking it right over third base for one of the few hits of the game. Talk about a confidence building moment, that was one for me. I listened to my coach and it worked... Imagine that?!?!

What other information would you like to share about yourself? I love playing and coaching this game. I find myself standing out by third base and looking up at the beautiful blue sky and thinking how lovely it is to be at the ball field with my family. Winning or losing becomes secondary as I look at the green field under the evening lights and then look at the incredible sunset to the west and hope that my boys are having an equally great experience in their lives.

FAVORITE QUOTE OR SAYINGS: “You got it... Take the next one for a ride... Hit away now.... C’mon... You got it!”