Sal Mendez was always destined for baseball stardom. His talents, especially as a left-handed pitcher, were recognized at an early age when he was selected to play on an assortment of local travel teams, including the exclusive Jersey City Sharks program, run and operated by Hudson County’s resident baseball guru, the late Ed “The Faa” Ford.
In fact, young Mendez and the crotchety curmudgeon Ford formed a baseball bond that is already paying dividends for the Weehawken High School sophomore.
“For three years, I worked with him,” Mendez said of Ford, who passed away two weeks ago. “We worked on a lot of different things, like my mechanics, like my conditioning and endurance. He was a big influence on me. He knew a lot of baseball people who also helped me. I owe a very big debt of gratitude to Mr. Ford. He was a big influence on my life.”
Maybe it’s only fitting that Mendez’s star has begun to shine very brightly on the high school varsity scene in the days after Ford’s passing.
There was one aspect to pitching that Ford reiterated to the young lefty.
“Dominate the inside part of the plate,” Mendez said, recalling Ford’s words. “If you want to be good, you have to pitch inside.”
Mendez has done his share of dominating this season for the Indians.
In just 33 innings of work, Mendez has struck out an astounding 49 batters and has allowed just 11 hits. He has surrendered just six runs and is pitching to a stingy 1.27 earned run average.
Last Thursday against Harrison, Mendez fired a one-hitter, striking out eight and walking just one in a 9-2 Weehawken victory. He followed it up Wednesday with a two-hit shutout over Secaucus in a 5-0 win, striking out six and walking none.
For his efforts, Mendez has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
Weehawken head coach Anthony Stratton is amazed at Mendez’s approach on the mound.
“He does things as a sophomore that you just can’t teach,” Stratton said. “He has such poise and baseball maturity at a young age. It’s hard to believe that he’s just a sophomore. I think it’s because he’s always played at a higher level, against older kids.”
Stratton knows now that he has a star on the rise in Mendez.
“The sky’s the limit for the kid,” Stratton said. “If he stays healthy and does the right things, he can be right up there with the best of them. He pounds the strike zone. He paints the corners and still throws strikes. He’s not afraid to work inside, then go outside. He keeps batters off-guard with his approach.”
Mendez has also gained a little velocity since last summer. He apparently did a lot of work with a personal trainer to gain his strength and endurance.
“I knew he would get better, but I didn’t expect this,” Stratton said. “The kid is dominant already and he’s just a sophomore. And he’s only going to get better. His mechanics are flawless now. He throws the same way all the time and you like to see that in a young kid.”
Mendez knows that he has gained a lot of attention from his early season success.
“I’m pretty happy to be having the kind of season that I am,” Mendez said. “I’m not trying to do too much. I’m just trying to get better as the season progresses. But I know I’m definitely a better pitcher now. I can feel it.”
Mendez isn’t about to rest on his early laurels.
“I think the success has just made me want to work hard to get even better,” Mendez said. “I know what people say about me and it’s really flattering. But I can’t settle for this. I have to want to get better and I think I will.”
Mendez is also proving he’s not a slouch at the plate either. So far, Mendez is batting .314 for the Indians, batting in the No. 3 slot. When he’s not displaying his awesome pitching talents, he’s either playing first base or right field for the Indians. Included in his fine batting average are three doubles, two triples and 14 RBI.
“He’s hitting well too,” Stratton said. “Sal’s worked hard on his hitting as well as his pitching.”
“As much attention I pay to pitching, I give the same amount of effort in hitting,” Mendez said. “I work hard on my hitting, but I’m actually surprised with how well I’m doing at the plate.”
Stratton said that Mendez is a great kid, a credit to his program.
“Sal is a very respectful young man,” Stratton said. “He always has a handshake for everyone. He is not caught up with himself. He’s good with everyone. I can’t say a single bad thing about him.”
Stratton is also impressed with the way Mendez has handled adversity. The Indians didn’t score a lot for Mendez in the early going. He suffered an early season loss by one run, a game where he fanned 13 batters. He fired a two-hitter against Ridgefield and struck out 13 in that win, but had a no-decision in a game against Cresskill.
So when the Indians scored nine runs against Harrison, giving the talented lefty a cushion to work with, it was like a breath of fresh air and a relief for Mendez.
“He deserved to get the run support finally,” Stratton said. “He had been pitching in some tough luck.”
All in all, Mendez is taking it in stride.
“My dream was always to be a big-time baseball player,” Mendez said. “I want to keep getting better, because I want to go places. I want to make it. I had a dream as a little kid that I would be a big-time ballplayer. I hope I can reach that dream.”
Stratton is pretty sure he will.
“No question, as far as pitching goes, Sal could be one of the best Weehawken has ever produced,” Stratton said. “Who knows? He could be among Hudson County’s greatest.”
And somewhere, a tobacco-chewing, raspy voiced mentor is smiling among the baseball gods.
“Any win I get this year, I’m dedicating it to Mr. Ford,” Mendez said. “The wins are for him. I owe so much to him.” – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.