By STEFAN MODRICH | Staff Writer
Much has been written and said about the importance of chemistry in a clubhouse.
Torii Hunter, a five-time Major League Baseball All-Star, once famously likened his veteran presence in the Minnesota Twins locker room to a Shaolin monk.
“Players that tend to respond to adversity the right way and triumph in the end are players with strong character,” Theo Epstein told Bill Whitaker on 60 Minutes on May 7, 2017. “If you have enough guys like that in the clubhouse, you have an edge on the other team.”
In his third season as coach, Harlingen South’s Chris Gracia has learned year by year how to manage the various personalities that have found themselves together in the third-base dugout at South’s diamond.
Quietly and calmly, CJ Grimaldo has emerged not only as one of Gracia’s best options on the mound, but also through his dependable outfield play and leadership.
“We always preach staying cool and collected,” Gracia said. “Not showing our emotions or getting too high or too low. If something bad happens he’s right in on the next pitch, and if something good happens he’s pretty consistent, and I think that’s really helped him out a lot.”
“On offense it’s good to have that higher energy, but when you’re on the mound you kind of have to be in control of the game and of your emotions, and he does a great job with that.”
Initially, there were no guarantees that the senior outfielder would even take the mound for the Hawks this season.
“We weren’t really thinking that he was going to be one of our main pitchers,” Gracia said. “When we came in, we were thinking he was going to be our left fielder. We saw him in a bullpen (session) and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to throw this guy out there.’ And he’s just been producing for us. So he’s staying in there as long as he stays hot.”
He’s thrown two shutouts this season, allowing a combined four hits in both starts, most recently a complete game in a 4-0 win over Brownsville Hanna. In 23 1/3 innings pitched through March 26, Grimaldo has a 1.80 ERA, 16 strikeouts and six walks.
“I just focus on doing my job, throwing strikes, and I know I’ve got a strong defense behind me,” Grimaldo said. “That’s all I’ve got to worry about.”
Adding Grimaldo’s live arm to the rotation was a bonus for the Hawks, who are a serious contender in District 32-6A with their combination of talent and experience.
“We’re blessed that we have about 10 guys that we can throw up there on mound,” Gracia said. “They can go out there and get the job done for us. We’re very lucky in that way. It allows us as coaches to go with whoever’s hot. We’ve thrown (Luke Castellanos and Nick Muniz) up there.”
Grimaldo credits juniors Carlos Martinez and Kike Alvarado and seniors AB Terron and Edgar Arreola, whom he says also have been crucial in maintaining the team’s stable equilibrium.
“We have a great chemistry, and we’re picking each other up when somebody makes a mistake. That’s the key to us winning a lot of our games. Nobody falls down, falls apart or gives up on each other.”
What separates Grimaldo is his fearlessness at the plate, particularly with two strikes. At the Edinburg CISD All-American Classic against Mission High, Grimaldo found himself down 0-2 and sat on a curveball, which he ripped for a triple and eventually came around to score the first run of the game.
The right-hander is hitting .312 with a .353 on-base percentage in district games, and .462 with a .618 on-base percentage overall. Recently, he worked a 1-2 count against Alex Salas in the first at-bat of Harlingen South’s game at Los Fresnos on March 26, and he punched a soft line drive between short and third for a single.
“Sometimes (a pitcher) can get up in the count, and they get ahead,” Grimaldo said. “They get ahead 0-2. But that’s probably where I’m at my best. I don’t go down without fighting.”