Sweet-swingin' Spataro

Sports

Posted By STEPHEN SWEET, SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER

Posted 1 month ago

One Barrie firefighter can ignite the flames as well as he puts them out.

But fortunately for all involved in the city, it's on the baseball diamond where Ryan Spataro is the catalyst.

The Baycats right fielder is having another successful season, one that finds him at the top of the league in batting average.

"But since then, I've been able to get back into the groove and have been hitting well."

It's been thanks to his manager that the Barrie Red Sox alum got back into the swing of things so quickly.

"I think a lot of the reason for my success is (manager) Angus Roy and I have been coming out early, along with some of the other guys, to take some extra swings and get some work in," Spataro said.

That extra effort has paid off, as Spataro currently leads the league with a .396 batting average and is third in on-base percentage at .481, meaning that he gets on base via hit or walk in roughly half of his at-bats.

The small-ball approach suits the Baycats' leadoff hitter just fine.

"My job is to get on base whatever way I can," Spataro said. "It can be a walk, bunt single, or even dribblers up the middle. I just try and get on base and battle, and when I'm on first I can always pick up a stolen base."

Spataro's work at the top of the order is certainly recognized by his teammates.

"Ryan's our sparkplug," said outfielder Stevie Lewis. "He's a high-energy guy with a strong mental ability at the plate. He's the kind of guy you want to lead off the game."

Lewis can attest for what his fellow outfielder brings in the field, too.

"Ryan's always the one out there, calling the shifts and adjustments for us to make in the outfield," Lewis said. "He plays his position very well, and he knows the hitters' tendencies by now, so he calls the shots."

And while he's a veteran at the diamond, he's a rookie in the fire hall.

"I'm still new at the firefighter job," said Spataro.

"But I've noticed the similarities between being a firefighter and a ballplayer, because in both cases there's a team atmosphere, and you work as that team to get your job done properly and safely."

The 2005 Intercounty Baseball League MVP, who spent four years in the Minnesota Twins minor-league system, has a shot at taking the league's best player award again, but a lack of appearances might sway some voters against him.

"I've had to miss some games this year because of firefighters' 24-hour shifts," Spataro said. "We'll see how the voting breaks down, but if it came down to it, I'd rather win a championship than an MVP."

Although the schedule has been difficult so far, Spataro has found his new teammates to be good sports.

"With the playoffs coming up, a lot of the guys I work with said they'd cover me (if my shift comes up on a playoff game) and I'll just pay them back later," Spataro said.

As he goes for a second MVP and championship with the Baycats, his friends and family have been supporting him.

"My parents come out to all of our home games," Spataro said. "My dad's always the one who used to do our team stats when we were younger, so he'll tell me, 'Oh, you keep going this way, you'll get the batting title.'"

This year, his fan club has a new addition.

"I have a little six-month old girl who comes out now, too," Spataro said. "My wife brings her out to every game, and they're both up there, cheering me on."

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