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06/23/2016 12:00 AMGiovanni Torres first picked up a baseball and a bat at a very young age and he’s always had great command of the field. Giovanni has seen his leadership abilities blossom by virtue of playing shortstop throughout his career and that made him an ideal captain for the North Haven baseball team this year.
“It became my primary position. I generally had a good arm and I’ve been told I have good leadership qualities. As a shortstop, I’m in charge of the whole infield, relaying signs to other players,” says Giovanni. “It was a good feeling to be captain. The kids respected me and coach would come to me first to make decisions. Making sure all the guys are getting along was a big responsibility and something that I loved doing.”
As much as he loved the leadership role, Giovanni notes that it was sometimes difficult to be the middle man. Giovanni learned when to be tough with his teammates to make sure that both his points and his coach’s points got across to them.
“It’s hard to make everybody happy, but it’s one of the greatest things I’ve learned—finding middle ground between being a friend and being a leader where you’re repping the team and your coaches,” says Giovanni. “I’m not a powerful leader, but you have to find the middle ground and how to be an authority figure and be their teammate and friend at the same time. As a leader in general, I’m easygoing, but when it’s time to get serious, I make it known.”
Indians’ Head Coach Bob DeMayo was impressed with Giovanni’s leadership skills this season. DeMayo describes Giovanni as a great captain who never shied away from responsibility.
“He’s just an all-around type of individual who was an excellent team leader,” says DeMayo. “He kept them cohesive, was a communicator between me and the kids, and was an All-Oronoque shortstop. He’s that type of kid that just tries to do too much on the baseball field. If you watch a game, he’s all over the place.”
Giovanni has been North Haven’s leadoff hitter since his sophomore year and batted .345 with an on-base percentage of more than .500 this spring. Not only did Giovanni make the All-Oronoque Team, he was also a Senior Select All-Star after earning the nod as a Junior Select All-Star for the Indians last year. Giovanni also plays year-round with the Connecticut Bombers AAU team and feels that gave him a big advantage for the high school season.
“It’s an organization, as opposed to a single coach, and they’ve done a tremendous job transforming me as a player. It’s a summer and fall team, but they have an indoor facility, so we’re going three or four times a week in the winter, preparing for the season,” says Giovanni. “Not to put down other kids who play other sports because they do it to have fun, but it gives me a competitive advantage over those who decide to pick up a bat or ball a few weeks before the season. Baseball is a game of repetition and a game of failure, so the more time you take to correct your mistakes, the more likely you are to succeed.”
Giovanni was also a vital part of North Haven’s Class L state title team last season, when the Indians topped East Lyme 3-2 in the championship game.
“It was honestly one of the greatest things I’ve been a part of,” says Giovanni. “It was the best atmosphere I’ve been around. It was easily one of the best teams chemistry wise I’ve been a part of.”
With his North Haven baseball tenure now in the rearview mirror, Giovanni has decided to continue his career at the collegiate level. Next year, Giovanni will be playing at Division III Bates College up in Maine.
“They had recruited me, saw me at a couple of games, and coach contacted me to go to the school,” says Giovanni. “He gave me a spot to play there and I was very excited to have a secure spot, knowing I’d continue my baseball career and have another four years to play the sport I love the most.”