TRENTON- Dan Fiorito has struggled to get back on the field for the Thunder, after a nasty arm injury from a collision with a runner at first base. But while the infielder has not been able to contribute in the lineup, Fiorito has been a huge help to Bobby Mitchell around the clubhouse. If you were at ARM & HAMMER Park...
TRENTON- Dan Fiorito has struggled to get back on the field for the Thunder, after a nasty arm injury from a collision with a runner at first base.
But while the infielder has not been able to contribute in the lineup, Fiorito has been a huge help to Bobby Mitchell around the clubhouse.
If you were at ARM & HAMMER Park over the past couple games, you may have seen Fiorito on the field for the first time in a month. But he was between a different set of lines; Fiorito has been coaching first base for Mitchell, to allow the manager to get a little rest for his injured knee.
But that is what Fiorito does for the Thunder. A fantastic club house guy, the infielder has definitely left his mark on this playoff squad, even while injured.
"It has been a tough month or so, with the injury," Fiorito said. "It is progressing slowly, but that is what the doctors expected. So right now, I am trying to do anything I can to help the team. Help them out with little things, and hopefully be back by the end of the season. But if not, we will be going on a nice playoff run, and it is fun to just be around even though I am not on the field."
"I think we have something special here, to be honest," Fiorito said. "We have a great crew, a younger crew. We have a ton of 2-year-old kids, and I figured I would help out. But at the end of the day, I just love being around the game, and around the ballpark. I enjoy it, and it is my passion. I am hoping to be here when we bring a ring home."
Camarena battles through tough inning in big Thunder win
Mitchell raved about how much Fiorito has helped around the squad.
"He is one of our captains, and has made the choice to stay with our team," Mitchell said. "He is a big help. Like tonight, coaching first. Even know, he is a big part of our team. But he would be even more of one if he was healthy."
With some extra time on his hands now, during which he would usually either be playing or preparing to get in the game, Fiorito has taken to watching that game in a different way. It has been from the first base coach's box lately while the Thunder are at-bat, and it has given him a new perspective that he may not have ever gotten.
"It has always been in the back of my mind (to coach)," Fiorito said. "Right now, I am a player, and that is where my mindset is at. But at the end of the day, once my career is over, I am going to try to get into coaching. That has alway been one of my passions, and I feel like coaching is so rewarding."
Carter's big day helps Thunder move closer to playoffs
"P.J. (Pilittere, the hitting coach) here, I see him working with certain guys, and them going out and having a big night," Fiorito said. "He was able to relay to them what they needed. But coach (Jose) Rosado, skip, JD (Closser, bullpen coach) behind the plate with the catchers, I am sure it is so rewarding to them."
"I was just talking to P.J. today on the cages, trying to learn some stuff about catching," Fiorito said. "In all aspects of the game, you are able to learn each day. Bobby Mitchell is great with bunting, and outfield/base running coordinator. He has a ton of knowledge. Outfield and catching stuff is foreign to me, so any little thing I am able to learn from them will be invaluable to me going forward."
"With every negative, like not being able to play, I get some positives out of it," Fiorito said. "Coaching first base, I get to see what the great base stealers see now. What are they looking for? It has just been cool. Everyone's game is different. Maybe there is something I did well in my career that I will be able to help them with, and the same goes for them."
Interesting week two on tap for Premier League, after some opening week surprises
Contact Sean Miller at seanmillertrentontimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheProdigalSean