THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 5, 1995 TAG: 9505030153
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
AS LONG AS he can remember, Dale Goodrich has been a pitcher.
Even as a 5-year-old playing Little League ball, Goodrich stood alone, flailing his arms on a makeshift mound, pretending to throw as a batter whacked the ball off a plastic tee.
Around the same time his father, Larry, built a mound in the backyard, bringing in dirt and the necessary hardware.
Those times spent on his backyard pitching mound paid off for Goodrich, who is now a senior at Western Branch High School. He is the ace of the Bruins' pitching staff, winning six straight games to start the season as Western Branch climbed to a number three ranking in South Hampton Roads.
For Goodrich, this season has been a case of making the most of his opportunities.
Last year, he rode the bench as stars Jimmy Anderson and Leigh Phelps got the bulk of the innings. With those two graduated, Goodrich has stepped into the spotlight, and he's delivered.
Goodrich has a 6-1 record and sports an earned-run average of 1.84, walking just 19 batters in 44 innings.
``He's not overpowering. He hits his spots and keeps the hitters off-balance,'' said catcher Nick Ardagna.
As much as he loves to play the game, it is family - not baseball - that takes priority in Goodrich's life. He lives six houses down from his paternal grandmother, Marianne Forehand, and grew up right next door to his other grandmother, Nell Ewell.
Three years ago, he moved away from Ewell, but he didn't go far. Now he lives across the street.
``We're a pretty tight family,'' Goodrich said. ``My parents have been at every game. They have been since the beginning.''
Although his mother, Hope, is content to provide encouragement from beside the Bruins' dugout, Goodrich's father paces.
``When you're on the mound you're supposed to tune everything out, but I do hear my dad,'' Goodrich admitted. ``Sometimes he talks too much.''
That chattiness must be inherited. The student body at Western Branch recently named Goodrich ``Best Personality'' and ``Best All-Around'', and according to girlfriend Sarah Wolf, Goodrich is universally liked.
``He's just a really good person,'' said Wolf, a two-sport athlete for the Bruins who has dated Goodrich since the two were in eighth grade. ``There's nothing you can't like about him.''
On the baseball team, Goodrich is known as a bit of a free spirit.
``If he was left-handed, I'd use that as an excuse,'' said Bruins coach Jim Stanko.
While it may seem that things have come easy to him, there's been at least one bump along the way.
For as long as he can remember, Goodrich has had a problem with stuttering. As a kid, attendance at speech school went hand-in-hand with baseball camps.
``That helped a lot,'' Goodrich said of the speech therapy. ``It used to happen every word, or every other word.''
Nowadays his stuttering is only bad when he gets nervous or excited.
``If I have to call someone I don't know, I might have a little problem.''
Goodrich, who will attend William & Mary in the fall, is so forthcoming about his stuttering that it's hard to believe he's ever seen it as a problem. For the most part, he hasn't. Other people seem to worry about it more than he does.
``He takes it in stride. It's really not that bad,'' Ardagna said.
As comfortable as Goodrich is talking about it, he does get some good-natured ribbing from his teammates.
When Western Branch hits the road, reserve catcher Steve Gardner tunes up his guitar and the squad belts out their team song on the bus ride.
``Talkin' with Dale really stinks,
One word takes about a week.''
``It's fine. I think it's funny,'' Goodrich said.
``Earlier in the season I asked him about it, and if he minded I'd have the guys stop right away,'' said Stanko. ``But Dale said `No, we're just having fun.' ''
It's a special kind of person that can face a daily trial and come through it without turning bitter. Dale Goodrich has learned - both on the baseball field and in life - to accept that in everyone, there are limitations.
``I don't have an 85 mph fastball; I've got location and a good curveball,'' Goodrich said. ``I don't have a great arm. It's just average.''
That may be, but his arm is the only thing about him that could be considered average.
Goodrich has great friends, a great family, and a great life.
What could be average about that? ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
Dale Goodrich, the ace of the Western Branch Bruins, sharpened his
skills on a backyard pitching mound.
by CNB