Show ' ll Ijtf o Tkc Nc member 13 1997 Vcracjlc Vael 's dedication makes dream reality by Shanz M Leonelli sports editor Baseball is (he life line of America lieanhciil of a nation where the norm It is the of society has turned to mediocrity Although many young ballplayers have big league dreams on the diamond few have the commitment to make their dreams reality livery body wants to eat the dessert hut they are not willing to eat (he spinach Or one can see the iieht at the end of the tunnel hut fails to sec the iith leading there No matter how you say it the cMiltsyouseek will only come h the preparation on take leading up to them r'- -3 there is one person that personifies w h:t !urJ s i’rk and dedication can achieve that is tormei 'ollcee of liaslcrn I 'tali pitcher Roh Vael : dialled in the second round ot the Miior l:7 League Oral l hv the ('leveland Indi-n- s iiui received a S24U0t JO signing bonus hut it Mire Vael was juinT come without a commitment to ihe gcmc aid now he is being rewarded for lus perseverance Growing up in Vancouver British Columbia Canada Vael became physically and mentally tough playing hockey in a country where skates and hockey slicks have top hilling over leather gloves and aluminum bats being u Vancouver policeman instilled (he values and discipline in Vael that would be forever cemented into his personality "Rob's upbringing provided a beginning foundation for intensity and focus They came out in a big way" states CEU pitching couch David Curler Baseball in C unuda isn't a slouch by any means sending three lop five round draft picks to professional baseball from Vancouver this year but Vael didn't gel a real knowledge or baseball until he came to the United Stales That is where he met Curler then College of Southern Idaho's pitching coach Carter look the huructcrisiics Vael already possessed and exposed them bringing them from their dormant state to where he could utilize them "I Ic was like a lot of kids I know now I Ic knew w hat he wanted but didn't quite grasp how to get it" Carter comments "Rob found u way to reach above this type of kid Dreams are the first step to achieve your aspirations hut Roh didn't just sit back and watch them hoping they would come true his ambition turned them into reality through his work ethic and desire to he the best" Vael went to CSI a skinny runt as Carter would put it 6'3" and 170 pounds He son would incorporate a lifestyle (hut consists of eating healthy and working out religiously in Ihe weight room Now he is 6’4" and weighs in at 19S pounds with a mere seven percent body fat was also crucial in his development Mis father Self-motivati- Baseball wasn't something he did only during a set practice time Vael didn't limit himself to team preparation but breathed Ihe game every minute of the day putting forth individual effort in the form of running and mechanical work Carter recalls recently when Vael made a trip to CEU "on the way to Price from Salt Lake Rob asked if wc would make it in time so he could lift weights That's how important it is to him" I Ic always "Organization of time is huge to Roh - Rob Vael b a ii Nobody docs a better job" It's not just on the field or in the gym where Vael excels Me carries himself very professionally and is a model student as well lie is very goal oriented In his first year at CSI Vael pitched well I Ic was a good Junior College pitcher bid needed to make a few minor changes "The thing about Rob is he wasn't afraid to change It is intimidating for people to chance because it takes sacrifice and hard work" said Carter "People are afraid of hard woik not reuliing that often times opportunity comes disguised as hard work" Tilings weren't always golden for Vael I le went hack to Tw in Fulls during the summer after his first season at CSI with goals set to accommodate I lie big picture down the rood I le set a nine month plan on what he wanted to accomplish from that point until the regular season It was like he turned a switch one day and a light came on No longer was he going to be just a kid playing baseball but a man trying to conquer Ihe game and maximize his individual potential From the summer until the fall reason Vael continued to wink and change for his betterment During tlic fall uf 1995 he temporarily suffered performance wise due to his commitments towards his long term goals and his extensive work in fine tuning his mechanics At this point the head coach at CSI was ready to write him off but Vael kept his faith in Carter and trusted the changes he was making would pay off Because of disciplinary problems Vael hod to leave the team hut remained in school and continued his ' m r v sort of a one Inning exhibition since his perseverance payed off draft pick by the Cleveland Indians photo by Melanie Holdaway making him a second-roun- d has his day planned out r m shows some of the grit on the mound in classroom success “I Ic got caught a commitment on the field and a rum commitment off which isn't a in any good equation if you're a student-athlet- e sport" Carter says of the tragic turn Vael was dealt For the next few months Carter didn't sec a lot of Vael Carter then got the pitching coach job at CEU That is when he informed head coach Eric Madsen of Vael and phoned Rob to come to I ’rice Life is full of peaks and valleys and when Carter got in touch with Vael a hock injury and a little bit of doubt had Vael lying in a trench questioning whether he would continue to play tlic game But Vael is a ballplayer it was in his Mood Even with opportunities waiting for him at higher pro- "Sometimes that's all you have to rely on is what's inside" comments Carter "I will never have another kid like him I Ic's the complete package All Ihe values that contribute to someone being a good person or good player Rob has them all" Rob Vael never wavered from his path and good things are destined for this young pitching prospect You can feel it in his presence A certain aura about him that has professional written all over it It's a special mystique that says greatness and all of this because he was willing to eat Ihe WATERTOWN 97 file schools he chose to reunite with Carlcr "Merc at CEU Rob stood so for above other individuals hut never took advantage of being the big fish in a little pond I Ic respected the coaches and other players" Carlcr said "he listened and learned to he the person he is now in his one year CEU" "I've never seen anyone make as much progress at as he did from September until May last year nor will I ever again" Inside Vacl's baseball hat on his bill marked the words "slick to your guns" which Carter told him once at CSI I le never allowed himself to be influenced by others if it meant a setback in his plans Rob became an selection and earned Male Athlete of the Year at CEU lie learned to trust in what he knew and believe in his skills Vacl's heart was his decisive attribute All-Regi- 59 Koiii nr Vai-- i 1’ |