Show V I Dennis Udy is never seen without his trademark toothpick and seldom seen far away from one of any number of baseball diamonds In Cache VaHey and throughout Utah Ultimately Udy says his passion for basebal revolves around helping young players Dennis the other day iust crying and thanking him for everything be s done” Since being laid off at Thiokol about a year ago Udy has tried to take his love for the game to a higher more lucrative level He recently founded the Rocky Mountain School of Baseball and this fall hopes to provide year around baseball instruction within a "bubble” constructed ia Salt Lake City "I think baseball is making a comeback" Udy says "I don’t know if soccer's losing w hat but I sec a real present toothpick s handful of sunflower some of it's popularity or seeds and a radar gun liis wardrobe usually resurgence of baseball I really do Maybe the e vocation as a scout for programs are getting better I’d like to think reflects his the Colorado Rockies or as a coach for one of that has something to do w ith it” Growing up ia Trcmonton Udy insists he the many teams he helps instruct And conversation with Udy almost without didn’t play competitive baseball until the age be was always involved ia a neigh exception is centered around the national pas- of IS but borbood game a ritual that he says has faded time "It's just a passion" he says "I think the w ith time "We'd play all day Saturday and Sunday" game's like that My wife thinks it's a disease he says "On Sunday we’d play ia the morn but I think irt a passion" That passion has carried Udy from a stellar ing go to church for a couple of hours thca three-yecome home and play I mean we'd play 1213 high school career as a pitcher to a stint with the Boston Red Sox organization to hours on Sunday we really would "Bui you just don't sec that much anymore" his current status as the alley's most visible Udy went to play at Dixie Coflcge and the most outgoing and most recognizable force ia University of Utah before being drafted by the baseball Red Sox who be spent three years with in the him far the thank should This whole valley League and the Carolina baseball" saw Juvtia knsea manager of the New York-Pcn- a the was middk of his bncf minor ia "He has h leagues Cache Sos American Legion team IS that he expert career the late m basebalL ia league this done everything foe valley thnOs ia baseball one cnccd his of is a greater baskaOy kid that's scholarship Lvcry "I dared a locker wish Ted Williams for six because of bun Ik's iotfcprf practically the he says wch obvious prtJe "I reportweekk" whok baseball program" Bat Udy's sphere of influence k tarty aw ed late to spring fraimrg owe year and had to share a dressing room with the coaches Ik fined U Cache Valky hadn't hrea out of hacba3 a3 that many years btf vaflet in this “Ik's leTped only anJIUkl you if that auiT uomeThwg state" lensen sayv "I Iww Mi die he hated pucker" Udy curinues "If "But fourth the drafted ia Burrows who jute threw pracfor t haP to a to you Manners round by the jntt And be hated the ilikt awl hr dad ca'kd tice yon were of practically every baseball league has switched to aluminum Dennis Udy stays true to tradition and can rarely be seen without his wood Wooden toothpick that is “He's always had it” Udy’s wife Marilce says “He's never without it in his mouth from morning to night Except he does take it out when he’s eating" Cache Valley s resident baseball guru Udy is easily recognizable at a game by Lis ever While part-tim- ar pt skit HlfMIDnt r hgh lk frd taf put he said it put him out of basebalL But I had a good slider and was successful with it so he said just keep throwing it and throwing it But I think that was my ultimate downfall because I ended up throwing too many of them and that’s why I had a bad shoulder The father of six children Udy has had the opportunity to instruct his own sons ia the finer points of the game and lakes special pride old daughter who is currently in his Link League team on an "Baseball s a great sport and it’s been a big part of our lives" Marilce says "But the last few yean Dennis what I might call aa addiction has gotten worse "But that’s his life and he loves that He’s probably pul in more time on a strictly volunteer basis than anyone around just for the kwe of the sport and the love of the game" lensen also realizes that love is what drives Udy to spend hours meticulously grooming fields and sharing his time and energy developing young ballplayers throughout the state 12-ye- ar all-bo- "lie loves the game” Jcascn says "The game dal a lot f him so he's going to put as much bach into it as he can That’s bow a to of old ballplayers feel who go around and do camps Tbey want the kids to have more than they did and they do There was nothing around bke this when I was playing and even lew when he was playing” Bui although Udy savs he hasa‘1 "even scratched the surface" of all the things he’d to do ia b’teball be has realized utter rcl f the game you think you're bigger than the e rkX that's when you're hi tradk” be "If you're to it in ego tnp you're m the wrong La lo eg as you're helping kaSs that’s all lira rtvi p TeOKjrewr I I Tboaa Com to UV try to wtong ruua to pertrw mwn rwto has to to tomnreimtotovoiNprt-atototewsngtota- tX |