New York, New York.
LACHLAN Hodge has a big future. He is Cronulla-Sutherland’s latest baseball talent who has landed himself a scholarship in the American Major League.
The 18 year-old recently returned from Port St Lucie, Florida, after having signed a contract with the New York Mets as a pitcher earlier this year. He participated in what is known as extended spring training for the last month.
“It’s a training regime for all the younger guys to get ready for the upcoming rookie season. At first, it was hard getting used to the long days and five thirty wake up calls every morning, but I really enjoyed the experience,” he said.
However, Hodge who is currently in his final year studying at St. Patrick’s College, Sutherland will not be heading back to the US this year.
“I would have stayed for the rookie season but I have to finish school first, that’s more important at this stage. I’ll be going back next year to stay for the season and I’ll be ready for it.”
Despite having played representative basketball for quite some time, it was only last year he decided to focus on just baseball and give up basketball - a game he loved and played for so long.
“Yeh it was hard. It took me some time to realise what I wanted to do because I only stopped playing basketball last year. I felt baseball could have taken me further, and a decision just had to be made.”
And a big decision it was.
Hodge stepped up to the plate when his parents signed him with St. Patrick’s Baseball Club as a tee-baller at the blooming age of just four years old. By the year 2000, Lachlan made his first Representative side, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
When Hodge was on the mound, his solid 6’3” physique and powerful left-arm wasn’t the daunting prospect for opposition batters, it was his unpredictable speed and accuracy that scared the knicks off them. His upbeat presence off the field, matched his determination to become a better pitcher on the mound.
It wasn’t until two years later he cracked his shell, bursting onto the National Scene for the NSW Under 14’s side.
Enter Rob MacLean, the NSW and Cronulla pitching coach. MacLean has worked with Hodge tirelessly over the years with the flow of his action and control, which in turn has produced the Mets newest young recruit. Hodge didn’t know it at the time, but MacLean always had him marked for bigger things.
“I didn’t know it at the time but Rob told me just recently he knew I had the potential and that the type of body I had was easy to project in baseball,” Hodge said.
Photo: Lachlan Hodge shows his style.
The difference between playing for the Sharks and for NSW was pretty black and white.
“The intensity of training for NSW was heaps harder and just the level and experience of coaching along with the expected skill level was higher too. It was intimidating at first, but over the next couple of years I became more relaxed.”
Those next couple of years would also become the ones where he flashed right into the sights of the Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts.
“There were scouts who came to both the MLB academy, which I went to on the Gold Coast last year, and also to the Nationals earlier this year - which is when I signed. They just watched us play and talked to us about signing.”
Hodge, who wasn’t short of scholarship offers, had seven other prestige clubs interested in him - Boston, San Diego, Colorado, Seattle, Minnesota, Atlanta and Philadelphia. But it was the Mets who won him over.
“I liked their facilities, coaches and their contract was better than the other clubs could offer at the time. It’s pretty special playing for a club like New York as it’s such a huge baseball city and it has heaps of history behind it.”
Hodge is contracted to the Mets for seven years but can be released at any time. He will be paid $67 500 as a sign on bonus on top of his salary. When asked whether he is living the dream at present, Hodge wasn’t too sure.
“A lot of people would say I am, but it’s a lot harder than what people think. I don’t ever want to give up though.”
Hodge is currently at the NSW Institute of Sport everyday working with pitching mentor Barry Holland who looks after the pitchers at the NSWIS. He attends school every day and even finds time for his budding relationship with girlfriend Nicole.
Hodge knows that the hard work can’t stop now though, and he will have to keep training harder and harder if he wants to sparkle on the big stage.
“I do really want to be there. I’ll just go as far as the talent will take me and hopefully it might take me all the way.”
Only time will tell. But for now, all eyes are on him.
Story by Reece Carter Local girls in State Primary Schools Basketball Team
Following the NSW PSSA Basketball Championships in Coffs Harbour from May 22 - 24, two local primary school girls were selected in the State team.
These were Cassie Millet of St Joseph’s Como and Isabella Keogh from OLOF Caringbah. Both girls were in the McKillop Team which was one of 14 representative teams competing in the championships.
In the final Polding (a Catholic primary schools representative team) 50 defeated North Coast 32 while MacKillop (another Catholic representative team) 39 just held out South Coast 38 in the play-off for third and fourth.
The full squad is Cassie Millet, St Joseph's, Como (McKillop); Isabella Keogh OLOF - Caringbah (McKillop); Kristy Wallace, Korora PS (North Coast); Nicola Darke, Grafton PS (North Coast); Katherine Ups, Woonona PS - (South Coast); Georgia Ohrdorf, Wollongong PS (South Coast); Megan Little, Dulwich Hill PS (South East); Amelia Tremelling, Alma PS (Barrier); Alex Delaney, St Philip Neri - Northbridge (Polding); Hannah Lepaio, Assumption PS - Bathurst (Polding). Sharks have good day against Parramatta
The Sharks teams had a good result on their road trip to Parramatta in Round 14 of the Premier Youth League Soccer competition.
The 13s, 16s and 18s had wins to retain their places in the top five of their grades. The 15s who had been struggling all season continued their resurgence with a draw over the higher placed Parramatta side. This follows last week's first win for the team.
In the 14s the 12th placed Sharks put up a good fight against the undefeated PCYC Parramatta team before going down 1 nil.
The full Round 14 results for Sutherland Shire Sharks v PCYC Parramatta at Melita Stadium were as follows:
Sharks Under 13: won 5 nil
Sharks Under 14: lost 1 nil
Sharks Under 15: drew 1 all
Sharks Under 16: won 1 nil
Sharks Under 18: won 5 – 3 Sharks continue table topping form in WABL
The Sutherland Sharks men continued their winning form over the sixth placed Sydney Comets in Round 11 of the Waratah Australian Basketball League. The Sharks are now clear leaders with a game percentage of 90%. They are actually undefeated but were stripped of points for playing an unregistered player in an earlier round.
Top scorer for the Sharks was Cameron Tovey with 35 points while Ben Conquista picked up 22.
Photo: Cameron Tovey in action for the Sharks
Men: Sutherland Sharks 120 (Cameron Tovey 35, Ben Conguista 22, Rod Proctor 19) def Sydney Comets 92 (Blake Borgia 31, Steven Whitehead 14, Luke Callier 14)
Unfortunately, the inexperienced Sharks women’s team, currently in 11th place, could not match the 5th placed Comets going down 72 to 29.
Women: Sydney Comets 72 (Sian Batista De Mello 20, Sally Potocki 17, Amanda Ford 11) def Sutherland Sharks 29 (Mieke Van Dam 9, Jackie Nicholson 5, Kellie Osborne 4, Kandace Lindeberg 4) More Stories?
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