He’s taking the ball in his team’s biggest game of the season, claims he can throw four pitches for strikes, and when they say ‘it’s just a game’ as a way to downplay the pressure sometimes associated with sporting events, he serves as a perfect example of that notion.
Herndon senior Noah Starinieri has been the team’s manager for the past two seasons, a fixture around the team while helping players and coaches before, during and after practices and games. He has spent countless hours carrying out various tasks for the Hornets during their run to their first regional playoff appearance since 2006 last spring, and during their push for one of the top seeds in the 6A Conference 5 Tournament this season.
Starinieri has cerebral palsy, a condition which causes permanent movement disorders beginning early in childhood. His doctors at an early age told him he would never be able to participate in sports, something he and his mother, Liz, discarded as he went on to play youth baseball despite very little mobility with his right arm.
He has continued to play at the recreational level, last year taking the field in the Herndon Optimist Youth Baseball’s Babe Ruth League.
Tonight, thanks to a coach making good on a promise and using a pitching form that will mirror that of former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Abbott, Starinieri will make his high school debut, starting on the mound on ‘Senior Night’ as Herndon honors him in addition to its other 10 seniors before playing Oakton in a crucial game for both teams. The winner of tonight’s game will receive a bye into the conference semifinals and an automatic berth in the North Region Tournament, with the loser being forced to play in Friday’s quarterfinal round.
“The decision to have him pitch on ‘Senior Night’ was an easy one,” Herndon coach Greg Miller said. “We wanted to honor Noah for all the hard work and dedication he has shown to our team over the past two years.”
Exactly how long he will go before handing the ball to Herndon’s ace, sophomore Antonio Menendez, Herndon’s’ coaching staff is being tight-lipped on.
What is know is that he will do so with a right-handed glove balanced on his right hand as the left-hander delivers to the plate, with him transferring the glove onto his left hand after the pitch. Should he need to field his position, Starinieri would need to pin the glove and ball under his right arm and pull the ball from the glove with his left hand before delivering it to the base. This was the same motion made by Abbott, another lefty who won 87 games for five teams from 1989-99, pitching a no-hitter for the New York Yankees in 1993.
A television highlight of Abbott initially caught Starinieri’s attention, and he has since spent years trying to imitate the former big leaguer’s motion.
“I saw this video, a flashback, of [Abbott],” he said. “And it was this guy with one hand who could do all this stuff. And he was really good at it. And I said, ‘I want to do that’. I watch his videos a lot on my phone, and it was amazing how he balanced the glove on his hand and got people out, and how he attacked the strike zone. And of course I could relate to him.
Two of his older brothers, Kevin and Tony, are former players for the Hornets. They will be part of a contingent from his large family - he has three older brothers in total in addition to an older sister and three older step brothers - that will be on hand for the game.
His appearance in a varsity baseball game will complete his mission to dispel the words of those doctors who said something like this would never be possible.
“They doubted me from Day One,” said Starinieri, who plans to attend Radford University next year. “They said, ‘This kid will never be able to go to school, walk, talk, play with friends, play baseball or football or basketball. And from the very beginning, I just kept fighting. I haven’t given up in 18 years, so it’s just a fight in me. A kid can do just as much with one hand as a kid with two hands can, and I learned that very early.
“It’s an exciting day. It’s a dream come true. I’m honored and blessed for them to be giving me this opportunity.”
The personable 18-year-old, who keeps Herndon’s players and coaches on their toes with his wit and sense of humor, says he has a repertoire of pitches that includes a curveball, slider and changeup in addition to his fastball. The player he will be delivering those pitches to, senior catcher Matt Crichton, will be among those cheering for a successful outing against the Cougars.
“Everyone is really glad Noah is getting to pitch,” Crichton said. “I know he’s been preparing for it, and I’m sure he’ll do great.”
The man most excited about Starinieri’s debut, however, is Miller, the sixth-year coach who is a 1997 graduate of the school and holds the program’s record for career hits. Soon after the coach asked him to join the team as a manager, a deal was struck between the two where Starinieri would suit up with the other players and have the opportunity to pitch.
“He took me under his wing,” Starinieri said. “From the very beginning, he always offered me to pitch an inning or however long I could throw until a runner gets on base on ‘Senior Night’.
“I’m sure I’ll get really nervous, but I’ll just focus on the mit and pound the strike zone. But I’m very excited. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”
Said Miller, who has led the Hornets to an 8-8 overall record and a 6-3 mark in conference games entering the game: “Noah has been as big a part of our team as any other player, He is truly an inspiration and brings a positive attitude to our entire program.
“Our team wouldn’t be our team without him being a part of it.”
Photos Courtesy/Herndon Baseball
