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08/26/2021 12:00 AMWestbrook resident Chris Wanat competed for the Madison Senior American Legion 19-U baseball team this summer and helped the club have a season to remember. Chris, a pitcher/third baseman, put together an excellent year for a squad that notched 18 victories, won the Zone 2 championship, and advanced to the semifinals of the State Tournament.
Chris attended the Hopkins School in New Haven and played for its baseball team before graduating this spring. Following his senior year, Chris was named to the New Haven Register’s All-Area Team and also to the New England Baseball Journal’s Second Team as a pitcher.
Chris continued pitching well with the Madison team on the American Legion circuit during the summer. Since Westbrook does not have a Legion program, Chris was allowed to play ball for Madison and wound up having a great year that saw him go 3-1 with a 1.06 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and just five walks for Head Coach Jeff Buck’s team.
“This summer season was electric. In the beginning of the season, after sweeping Branford to start the year, I knew our team had potential, and we ended up winning the Zone 2 title. The team played exceptional defense and finished with a great record,” Chris says. “My expectations for next year are the same as every year. In the words of Coach Buck, the players should, ‘Play for each other and for the M.’ If the players follow his words next summer, then the team will continue to do well.”
Chris started taking baseball lessons when he was just four years old. Chris’s father, whose name is Chris, took him to a lot of Boston Red Sox games as a child. Those days at Fenway helped Chris develop a deep love for the game.
“My family, including my extended family, are huge baseball fans. My dad really fostered my love of baseball,” says Chris. “We are big Red Sox fans, and watching games with him made me want to play. My dad always encourages me to be the best I can possibly be at whatever I do, and I took that philosophy and applied it to baseball.”
This year marked Chris’s second go-round with the Madison Legion team. In a season filled with notable moments, one of the biggest ones for Chris came when he took the hill against Newington in the State Tournament quarterfinals. Chris tossed a complete game to help Post 79 claim a 2-1 walk-off victory and move on to the semis.
“My favorite moment as a player this season was the playoff game against Newington. The team was very enthusiastic about that game, because it was very close,” Chris says. “I pitched the complete game, and we ended it with a walk-off win. It was a great win and a whole team effort that will be a lasting memory for all of us.”
Coach Buck credits Chris for displaying great resilience throughout the season. Buck says that Chris would never let one bad inning stand in the way of an excellent effort on the mound.
“Chris is a great player and young man. He is a tough and resilient player,” says Buck. “On the field, Chris has been a dominating pitcher for Madison the past two seasons. He also had success at third base. Every time he goes on the mound, every teammate and coach gains confidence in winning the game. Chris is a prime example of a Madison Legion player. He is unselfish and puts the team first. He works extremely hard each day he shows up.”
Chris says that his relationship with Coach Buck has been incredibly influential in his life. Chris appreciates that he always has Buck’s support and that Buck always has the best interest of his players at heart.
“My relationship with Coach Buck is truly amazing. He has been extremely supportive and always looked out for my best interest and the best interests of the team. He knows how to combine fun with hard work and makes each season better,” Chris says. “Coach Buck has helped me become both a better baseball player and a better man. I truly thank him for everything that he has done for me during not only this season, but past seasons, as well.”
Chris enjoyed every second that he spent with Coach Buck and his teammates on the Madison Legion squad this year. Many of those players had helped the Hand baseball team win a state title during the spring, and Chris feels happy to have contributed to another great campaign on the ballfield.
“While I wasn’t on the Hand team for their state championship this season, I could feel the camaraderie from their season carry over into our Legion season,” says Chris. “It was unlike any team I have played for before.”