Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 21, 1994 TAG: 9408230024
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
He seeks the services of a man well-versed in the batter's box arts, a gentleman with a Ph.D. in swing, a veritable hitting doctor.
Usually, Austin doesn't have to call for an appointment. The good doctor calls him. Such is the concern the doctor has for his patient, he's liable to check in from just about anywhere.
One day this summer, the call came from Brazil.
``How are things going?'' the doctor inquired.
``Not too great,'' Austin said. ``I'm a little down.''
``What's the problem?''
``Slumping a little bit. Can't get it together.''
``Do you want me to come?''
``Well, you are in Brazil. But if it won't be too much trouble ... ''
``I'll be right there.''
``Thanks, Dad.''
True story.
``He was here within two or three days,'' Austin said.
Rod Austin's work in computer sales may take him to such exotic locales as the Amazon River basin, but he's never too far from his eldest child when a little extra batting practice is required.
``I wish I knew how many pitches he's thrown me,'' Jake said.
Rod made it to the Class AA level in the Boston Red Sox organization before he found it necessary to seek other employment. It probably didn't help his career that he was a left fielder in a chain that has had exactly three regulars at that position since Ted Williams retired in 1960.
However, the elder Austin did pick up certain skills during his stint in pro ball.
``He's 46 years old and he still has one of the best arms I've ever seen,'' said Jake, who is carrying on the family tradition by playing the outfield. ``He can throw a curve, slider, anything you want.''
The doctor-patient relationship began when Jake was a 13-year-old playing in Northridge, Calif. It seems Jake's coach wasn't a very nice guy and, for reasons known only to him, refused to give young Jake much of a chance to play. This despite substantial evidence the youngster was one of the better players on the team. Jake knew the man was playing favorites, but what could he do?
Understandably, his enthusiasm for baseball diminished considerably.
``It left a real bad taste in my mouth ,'' Jake said. ``I was ready to quit.''
At that point, Rod intervened. If you're not going to get decent coaching, said he, then I'll be your coach.
Thus, a man who probably was too busy for such things became a coach.
``He put me first,'' Jake said.
So it has been since, through his high school days at Marist in Atlanta (the family moved to Georgia just before Jake entered high school), continuing in his four years playing for Wake Forest University, and into his career in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, where he arrived as a 17th-round draft choice in 1992.
Rod was devoted, all right, even going so far as to schedule business trips to the Winston-Salem, N.C., area so he could catch entire home stands with the Deacons.
And, of course, he's been available for endless batting practice.
``Together, we built a batting cage in our back yard,'' Jake said. ``I'd hit every day.''
As has been mentioned, Rod always is prepared to take his clinic on the road.
``He has all the balls and a little collapsible screen that he made so I won't hit him,'' Jake said. ``The first time he came up here to see me play, the very first thing he did before he saw me was to drive around town to find a place where we could hit. He went to Salem High School ... everywhere.''
They settled on a cage at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem. Numerous sessions have followed.
The value of such tutelage is seen in the numbers. Through Wednesday, Jake was hitting .292 with 18 homers (second on the team) and 65 runs batted in (third). Additionally, he had swiped 11 bases (second) and struck out only 65 times in 373 at-bats.
As the everyday right fielder, he had committed one error.
One error?
``I went to the perfect college for me,'' Jake said. ``At Wake Forest, everything we did involved hitting.''
Defense was sort of an afterthought. If that hindered his development, it hasn't showed.
Some guys just know how to play baseball. In Jake Austin's case, it isn't hard to figure out why.
``Thank God for my father,'' he said. ``If it hadn't been for all he's done for me, I wouldn't be where I am right now.''
by CNB