TERRE HAUTE —
Terre Haute’s only two big leaguers of the last 50 years — Tommy John and Brian Dorsett — will catch up with one another today.
Dorsett, manager of the Terre Haute Rex baseball team, was a fan of John’s growing up in North Terre Haute.
“I’m like telling people Tommy and I lived on the same street. I thought that was pretty cool. Since I was a kid, I always looked up to him,” Dorsett said.
John was a starting pitcher for 26 seasons in the major leagues, the fourth-longest career in the history of the game. Dorsett looks forward to seeing his friend today.
Terre Haute baseball fans may do the same today. John will visit the Terre Haute Children’s Museum at 3 p.m. prior to throwing out the first pitch at the Rex home game against DeKalb County at 7:05 at Bob Warn Field.
“He knows a lot about baseball. Has a great baseball mind,” Dorsett said.
Dorsett played parts of eight seasons in the major leagues after getting drafted by one of John’s six teams, the Oakland Athletics.
John is best known for his time with the New York Yankees. He made two of his four All-Star Game appearances with the Yankees, twice finishing in the top five in voting for the American League Cy Young Award.
Dorsett spent time as the Yankees’ backup catcher during John’s second stint with the team in 1989.
“I caught him a couple times in spring training,” Dorsett recalled. “I caught him for two different starts. He still had that sinker.”
Dorsett remembers one particular time John showed some gamesmanship.
“A guy had shown up one of the Yankee players after hitting a home run the year before. Tommy wanted to send him a message,” Dorsett said. “It was one of those times I had to chuckle.”
John won 288 career games, three times winning 20 or more.
“To be in the same clubhouse with him, that was a thrill,” Dorsett said.
• New shortstop — The Terre Haute Rex will add shortstop Stephen Bruno to the roster. Bruno was the starting shortstop for College World Series qualifier Virgnia at the beginning of the Cavaliers’ season but suffered a hamstring injury.
Dorsett said Bruno could see action as soon as next week. Dorsett is looking to boost the hitting production from the middle infielders.
Bruno hit .388 for Virginia as a freshman in 2010 with three home runs and 30 RBIs.
• Powerful youngsters — In 11-and-12-year-old Little League district tournament action this week, two Terre Haute North players combined to accomplish a rare feat.
Austin Turner and Ty Lautenschlager hit back-to-back home runs for the fourth consecutive day.
The fourth back-to-back homers came Friday in the continuation of Thursday’s game against Clinton.
The right-handed Turner is the son of Terre Haute North High School baseball coach Shawn Turner. The left-handed Lautenschlager plays pitcher, first base and catcher.
Congratulations to these young hitters with bright futures.
Follow Craig Pearson online at blogs.tribstar.com/craigpearson. E-mail to craig.pearson@tribstar.com or call (812) 231-4357.
Given to Fly
July 9, 2011
GIVEN TO FLY: Major leaguers John, Dorsett meet up at tonight’s game
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GIVEN TO FLY: Come to expect new standards of excellence
Records are definitely meant to be broken; athletes today are faster and stronger than those in the past in many endeavors in athletics.
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GIVEN TO FLY: ISU women have solid recruiting class
The caliber of athletes that the Indiana State women’s basketball coaching staff is bringing in is on an upswing.
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GIVEN TO FLY: Major leaguers John, Dorsett meet up at tonight’s game
Terre Haute’s only two big leaguers of the last 50 years — Tommy John and Brian Dorsett — will catch up with one another today.
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FOOT NOTES: Valley natives perform well on national stage
Several Wabash Valley natives continue to shine on the national track and field scene.
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'Til It's Over: Sycamores ‘in a good place,’ but searching for more in MVC
Can Teri Moren lift Indiana State, last year’s seventh-place team in the Missouri Valley Conference, to one of the league’s contenders in her first year on campus?
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'Til It's Over: Two sets of identical twins should keep North Central baseball a contender
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'Til It's Over: Robinson 7-footer more focused in postseason; 6-foot Jones keeps producing
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- CRAIG PEARSON: North has strong history in cross country state finals Vigo County is home to just four IHSAA state championships in team sports. Most recently, Terre Haute South won girls titles in basketball (2002) and tennis (2001).
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- Given to Fly: Schilli’s Rodman-like performance aids ISU With Indiana State’s women’s basketball team ranking eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in field-goal percentage (36.5), the Sycamores need as many shot attempts as possible to maintain their standing on top of the league.
- Given to Fly: A classic in every sense of the word What tournament director and co-founder Gary Fears had in mind when creating the tournament came to fruition Tuesday. Marshall, with an enrollment of 438 students, became the smallest school to win the Pizza Hut Wabash Valley Classic in the ninth season of the tourney.
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Given to Fly: ISU women should build confidence off strong outing
Indiana State did not pull off the monumental upset Saturday against No. 23 Kansas State, but the Wildcats are —aside from Connecticut in 2005 — the best team the Sycamores have played in the Jim Wiedie era.
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- Given to Fly: ISU vets hope to prove pundits wrong Indiana State’s only two seniors were surprised to see they were picked ahead of just three Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball teams Tuesday morning.
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Footnotes: In first marathon, former Sycamore comes out a winner
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Given To Fly: ISU volleyball turning things around
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