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09/02/2021 12:00 AMBaseball has been a true passion for Sal D’Anna ever since he was a little kid. Sal grew up watching legendary shortstop Derek Jeter play for the New York Yankees, and that inspired him to step on the diamond.
Sal is now a 17 year-old who recently graduated from Guilford High School after competing for the Grizzlies this spring. In the summer, Sal suited up for the CT Warriors 19-U AAU baseball team and helped the squad have a solid season in the East Shore Travel League.
“I’ve been playing ball since I was three. Honestly, the great Derek Jeter inspired me to become a great pitcher and ballplayer,” says Sal. “This summer season started off a bit rough, losing a couple games that we should have won. But within our sixth game of the season, we started to figure out how to score more runs and make plays.”
After losing four of their first six games of the year, the CT Warriors started to find their stride and went on a midseason run this summer. The team ultimately finished the campaign with a record of 9-8-1 and made it to the semifinals of the East Shore Travel League Playoffs.
Head Coach Jim Petonito knows that Sal’s performance on the mound played a huge role in the Warriors’ resurgence.
“As a team, we always looked forward to Sal getting the start. We always felt confident when he took the mound and knew our chances of winning on those days were very high,” Petonito says. “Sal proved us right with the two starts against the CT Rage. He got the W in both games. The first one was a complete game, and the second one was a victory in the quarterfinal playoff game.”
Sal earned the win when the Warriors defeated the CT Rage during the regular season and then picked up another victory in their 6-3 win versus the Rage in the quarterfinals of the playoffs. Both of those games stood out to Sal as his top performances from the summer season. Sal says that Coach Petonito helped him figure out how to get zoned in and channel any negativity out of his mind when he was on the hill.
“Coach Petonito taught me over the season to just focus and lock in on what you are doing,” says Sal. “The most important thing is you need to focus alone, because it’s the best way to become the best version of yourself.”
While Petonito gave Sal plenty of advice throughout the season, he made sure to not talk to his hurler during those two pivotal games against the Rage. Petonito saw that Sal was in a good groove and just wanted him to keep cruising.
“I’m pretty superstitious when it comes to baseball. Sal wasn’t throwing a no-hitter, but the tradition is when a pitcher is throwing a no-no, nobody talks to them,” Petonito says. “Both those games really stuck out in my mind because, after every inning, I looked in Sal’s face and will never forget the focus. I didn’t say a word to him either game for fear of disrupting the rhythm.”
Sal will continue his baseball career and study sports management at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts. In recent weeks, Sal has been comparing his technique to players in the Majors to prepare for the next level.
“Nowadays, I’ve been taking film of myself throwing bullpens and comparing myself to MLB pitchers. I like to see if I need to switch my mechanics up or if there is anything that I should do differently in my delivery,” Sal says. “As far as my pitch arsenal goes, I just practice my grips during flat grounds and long toss.”
One aspect of Sal’s game that will never change is his uber-competitiveness. Sal says that his competitive nature is what motivates him to become a better baseball player.
“My favorite thing about baseball is the extreme competitiveness and the amount of effort you have to put in on every play,” says Sal. “Every pitch and every at-bat matters.”
Sal has made plenty of memories while playing baseball in Guilford. The relationships he’s created his teammates are something that Sal will always hold on to.
“I wouldn’t say I have a favorite moment in my time playing baseball so far,” says Sal. “I just enjoy the time with my friends and make the most out of it.”