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07/27/2018 12:00 AMEast Haven resident Danny Flores is about to enter his junior year at Career Magnet High School in New Haven, where he’s been the starting catcher for the varsity baseball squad since his freshman season. This summer, Danny has been dealing with an arm injury, but he’s still holding down the designated hitter’s position for the East Haven Junior Legion baseball team, which recently completed a solid regular season to qualify for the State Tournament.
Danny doesn’t really look to pull the ball when he steps into the batter’s box. Instead, he aims to stay level and take it the other way in order to produce timely hits for the 89ers.
“I think about hitting opposite field a lot,” says Danny. “I keep my hands in and I’m usually a line-drive hitter. I try to hit the gaps.”
Danny says that playing varsity from the start at Career has made him a much better baseball player. Danny feels his experience proves a huge help during summer and fall baseball, when he’s playing against people who are closer to him in age.
“It was hard because the pitching was fast. I wasn’t used to it when I first got there, since all the kids were older than me by a couple of years. I felt it would help me improve my game for the summer and fall, so that’s good,” Danny says. “I like the competition, and I’ve always liked it since I was a kid and felt I was pretty good at it.”
Danny feels right at home when he’s behind the plate. As a catcher, he calls his own game and makes sure his pitchers feel confident that nothing will get by him.
“I love being a catcher. It keeps me fit and I have to keep working on what I have to do, whether it’s a strength or a weakness,” says Danny. “My biggest strengths are my arm and my receiving skills. Not many kids run on me after I throw down.”
Danny likes the responsibility of calling a game. He believes it keeps him focused and helps him have a better understanding of how to get certain batters out.
“I like to call my own game. Sometimes it gets easier because we see the same kids, so I know how to pitch to them,” he says. “When I work with different pitchers, I like to know what their best pitch is.”
East Haven Junior Legion Head Coach Anthony Maggiore has coached Danny for several years, and so he knows just how much work Danny has put in to become a better player. Maggiore is pleased to see Danny’s hard work paying off with the 89ers this year.
“Danny has played travel baseball for me since he was nine and always has played up as the younger player on teams, and finds his way to still be one of the top players,” Maggiore says. “He’s a very coachable person who listens and puts what he learns to practice. He is a feared hitter by all teams he competes against.”