When Andiery Jimenez was just a little boy, growing up in his native Dominican Republic, he was just like all the other kids there, playing baseball all the time.
“Everyone plays baseball in the Dominican Republic,” Jimenez said.
However, when he was just nine years old, his family moved to Jersey City and because of his family’s financial difficulties, Jimenez was not allowed to play organized baseball any longer.
“I stopped playing for four years,” Jimenez said. “I would come to Lincoln Park and play with my friends, but I never played Little League or anything.”
The first time Jimenez got a chance to play organized baseball in the United States was when he enrolled at Ferris High School three years ago.
“I was very excited, because I love playing baseball,” said Jimenez, who goes by the Americanized nickname of “Andy.” “When I’m playing baseball, I’m happy. It’s my life.”
Jimenez worked his way up the ranks with the Bulldogs, playing freshman baseball, then junior varsity as a sophomore.
When Jimenez began his junior year, he was part of the Bulldogs’ varsity, coached by local baseball coaching legend and Hudson County Hall of Famer Mike Hogan.
Hogan used Jimenez in a host of different positions, seeing time at third base, shortstop, pitcher and even catcher.
“I was an outfielder in the Dominican Republic, but Coach Hogan made me into a third baseman,” Jimenez said. “I like playing all the positions. I like coming to a game and not knowing where I’m going to play. I really love catching more than anything. It’s a lot of fun. That’s why I play baseball. I play for fun.”
Hogan knew that Jimenez had the makeup to be a good player.
“He’s played a lot of baseball, through the summer and fall,” Hogan said. “He has the background of being a baseball player. I thought he could be a good hitter, because he has good bat speed and a good idea of the strike zone. He doesn’t swing at bad pitches.”
Baseball is also in Jimenez’s blood. His cousin, Guillermo Pimentel, is considered one of the top prospects in the Seattle Mariners’ organization. Pimentel is an outfielder who is ranked as the No. 11 prospect in the entire Mariner chain. Last year, Jimenez went back to the Dominican Republic for a few months to work on his game with his cousin.
“It was real important, especially if I want to go someplace in this game,” Jimenez said. “I know I have to work harder and keep working.”
Hard work is not a foreign idea to Jimenez, considering the daily schedule he has to handle. Jimenez goes to classes early in the morning, then spends three hours a day working at a local fast food restaurant, then heads back to Ferris for baseball practices or games.
“He really could work more if he wasn’t playing,” Hogan said. “He’s certainly giving up a lot to play baseball. He’s dedicated himself to do what he does. It can’t be easy.”
“It’s a lot,” Jimenez said. “I’ve been doing it for two years now. But I don’t mind it. I’ve always been a hard worker.”
Jimenez was all set to enjoy a solid senior season with the Bulldogs. However, when the year began, Jimenez was struggling a little at the plate.
“He wasn’t hitting well at all,” Hogan said. “He was out in front and lunging at the ball. He wasn’t staying back to be able to hit the ball with power.”
Jimenez knew that his batting style was out of sorts.
“My approach was bad,” Jimenez said. “I was having trouble. I knew I had to fix my swing.”
Instead of standing straight up in the batter’s box, Jimenez timed his stride to meet the pitches he was seeing. The results were startling.
“I was surprised by it,” Jimenez said. “I noticed the change right away. I had a lot of power that I didn’t have before. In the beginning, I was trying to kill the ball, but now, I’m just trying to hit it and it’s going.”
It sure is. Over the last two weeks, Jimenez has been tearing the cover off the ball.
Over the last five games, Jimenez has collected 11 hits, including two doubles, two triples and three home runs. In one game last Saturday against Xavier, Jimenez hit two homers and drove in five runs. He’s had 14 RBI over this torrid stretch.
And for his efforts, Jimenez has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
“He’s been on fire,” Hogan said. “He’s definitely been our best hitter. He’s hit some legit shots and hit the ball really hard. I thought he could be a good hitter, but I didn’t know he could hit like this. He’s hitting better than expected. And he’s done it against some good pitching.”
Hogan likes the way Jimenez is using the entire field now.
“He’s not just pulling the ball,” Hogan said. “One of his homers was to straight-away centerfield. He’s able to wait for his pitch and doing a much better job hitting the off-speed stuff.”
Jimenez is happy with the way he has emerged as a player and as a slugger.
“It felt really good when I hit those two home runs,” Jimenez said. “I know now what I can do.”
Jimenez is also gaining attention from the opposition, especially after hitting a homer and a triple in consecutive at-bats last week against Kearny.
“The coach said that they couldn’t let me get another hit like that again,” Jimenez said. “It makes me feel good to get noticed as a good player and it’s going to make me try harder, because I know I can do even better.”
Jimenez is hopeful that his power surge will get him recognized by a college. That’s his goal, to go on and play baseball in college.
Hogan is glad that Jimenez had a bit of a transformation in his personality as well.
“He had a bad temper,” Hogan said. “His attitude could have been better. But now, he controls his temper. He’s more mature. He’s worked hard enough to earn some rewards. It makes you feel good to see him come this far. He’s played well.”
“I know the value of hard work,” Jimenez said. “I work hard all the time. I just have to keep it going.”
If the Ferris kid known as “Andy” can keep hitting at this clip, chances are someone will notice him in a hurry. – Jim Hague.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.