In Torres’ case, CIF titles and state records were not to be had. Yet I may never have covered a young man with as much talent that, all along, fought past so many pitfalls and did so while wearing his heart on his sleeve. He took crap for being the coach’s kid in baseball, he took crap in baseball for running and he took crap most of all in running for playing baseball. But he put forth more work and effort in an average day than most of us would in a month. Through it all, he won Pacific League titles on trails and tracks and diamonds, grabbing All-CIF, All-State and even All-American notice along the way. Torres will go on to UCLA and perhaps reach the potential that I don’t think he has quite yet, but more than anything he was symbolic of high school sports being what they’re supposed to be. Too often are athletes concentrated on one thing because that’s their ticket. Sad to say, but most tickets don’t get punched. It’s a long shot and you might as well do everything you can when you can. I truly feel that Zack Torres’ greatness was not just in his legs and the heights they took him to, but within his will and spirit to do everything he could with everything he had.
Second String:
Saying goodbye to the great ones
With all due notoriety to the likes of Jaisa Creps, Audrey Andrade and others, Baillie Kirker is the greatest softball hitter I’ve ever had the pleasure to cover. And, just like Jaisa and Audrey, it was a pleasure to cover her. The smile she played with came as easy as the tenacity she exhibited when competing. She will leave behind and overwhelming number of accolades — although she’s missing Pacific League Most Valuable Player awards from her freshman and senior seasons that she was robbed of — and a slew of mind-spinning numbers, not the least of which is the state-record 53 home runs she tallied, which overshadow RBI and runs scored numbers that are just about as impressive.
Fact is, there are a handful of other area athletes who will leave a void on the sporting landscape such as Tori Baldridge, Jessica Ferri, Nick Rihn and others.
But high school athletes just don’t accomplish what the likes of Torres, Kirker and So accomplished and do so with the regularity that they did.
This paper, this area and, obviously, Crescenta Valley athletics will most assuredly long for their contributions when next season rolls around.
Every once in a while, you get used to greatness. Thanks to these three, we have.
The quiet dominance of Yumi So, the sheer determination of Zack Torres and the unbelievable power of Baillie Kirker.
Seasons of record, seasons to remember and three great athletes this area should never forget.
