After getting used to his surroundings in West New York, making friends both in school and on the baseball field, Daury Genao went back to his native Dominican Republic, right before he was set to enroll at Memorial High School.
Genao’s family thought that he had a chance to play professional baseball right away. Genao could sign a contract with a Major League Baseball club as a teenager in the Dominican Republic, but if he remained in the United States, he would have to wait until he graduated high school.
“It was hard for me to leave my friends,” Genao said. “My Mom told me that it would be best to go back and see if I could be a pro. I should give it a try for a while.”
Genao gave it one year. It didn’t turn out well for him. No professional contracts were offered, so Genao headed back to his adopted hometown of West New York last summer.
“I always wanted to be back with my friends and teammates,” Genao said. “I was 100 percent happy to be back and playing baseball for Memorial.”
A pitcher and infielder by trade, Genao was welcomed with open arms by Memorial head baseball coach Danny Marroquin.
“We knew he was something special,” Marroquin said. “We knew he was going to help us.”
A lot of the attention in the offseason went to the addition of All-State pitcher Justin Willis transferring back home to West New York and Memorial – and rightly so, because pitchers like Willis come along once in a lifetime.
So Genao’s addition to the Memorial roster flew completely under the radar.
“Everyone was talking about Willis and Chris Rey [another top pitcher] and the Palos brothers [twin sluggers Mario and Giovanni], but no one knew anything about Daury,” Marroquin said. “I never really saw him play before he got here. He left as a freshman, but then came back this year. Once we saw him, we knew he was something special.”
When the Tigers started off the season with an uncharacteristic and totally unexpected 0-5 record, panic was about to settle in.
“It was like a shock to the entire team,” Marroquin said. “I think they bought into the hype that they were supposed to be good. They had all the distractions of having the bulls’ eye on their backs. That’s Hudson County baseball. Everyone was out to get us. The slow start humbled us and we had to come back.”
But there was one player who was still rock steady through the losing streak, namely the Dominican returning newcomer.
“He kept us above water,” Marroquin said. “He kept us from going completely under. Once he relaxed and calmed down, he settled in both as a hitter and a pitcher.”
Genao is now batting .450 with a team-high 30 RBI. He had one game of seven RBI against North Bergen last week.
“He’s been amazing,” Marroquin said. “He was a relief pitcher for us, but then we made him a starter.”
Genao’s first start came against Ferris last week and he fired a complete game shutout, striking out nine. His second start came against Bayonne and he allowed just two hits, striking out 15 batters and walking just one, in another win.
Combined with his hitting prowess and you have perhaps the best all-around player in Hudson County.
And for his efforts, Genao has been selected as The Hudson Reporter Athlete of the Week for the past week.
“Nothing fazes him,” Marroquin said. “I knew he was a good pitcher, but these last two games have really opened my eyes. I can still use him wherever I need him, but he’s been lights out the two starts. We’re getting on a roll right now at the right time.”
Especially now having a three-headed starting staff of Willis, Rey and now Genao. No wonder why the Tigers have been winning almost every game of late.
“I don’t think anyone can get any better than that,” Marroquin said of his pitching staff. “Daury can now start, pitch middle relief or even close. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t care.”
“It feels good for me to be on the mound,” Genao said. “I’m getting the chance to be the ace. I don’t mind where I pitch. I’ve gotten the chance to work on my pitches. My fastball has been very good and my change-up has been very good. My confidence is very high right now. All the coaches help me with that.”
As for at the plate?
“I feel like I’ve become a better hitter,” Genao said. “I’m better now than at the beginning of the season and I’ve been able to help my teammates out. We’re winning now. Things are very good.”
“We’re a pretty good team,” said Marroquin, whose team is now 11-7 with seven wins in their last eight games. “We’re getting pretty good pitching now. I think it helps having all the pitchers compete with each other. The more, the merrier. I’m hoping that the competition gets even better between them. I wasn’t worried about this team. I knew we would come back and would be fine. Daury just said, ‘Give me the ball in any situation.’ I had faith in him. He’s been a huge plus for us.”
Genao is a sophomore, but because of his age, he has junior eligibility, so he only gets this year and next with the Tigers.
“But we’re planning on having him here for us,” Marroquin said.
That’s sweet music to Genao’s ears.
“I’m happy I’m here,” Genao said. “This is my team and this is my town. I’m happy to be back.”
You can rest assured the entire Memorial baseball program is glad to have Daury Genao back as well. – Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.