Sayles, O'Brien call it a career at Wauwatosa East
It just won't be the same without these guys
You have to forgive Tosa East baseball coach Matt Dahlstrom for referencing Larry Bird and Ted Williams when talking about seniors Danny Sayles and Tyler O'Brien. After all, the poor man is from Massachusetts.
Sayles is a good basketball player and a very good baseball player. O'Brien knows what a basketball is and he's a heck of a baseball player. When Dahlstrom compares Sayles/O'Brien to Bird/Williams, he really isn't talking about their athletic skills.
No, what Dahlstrom is talking about with Sayles/O'Brien is that it's the end of an era for Tosa East baseball.
Sayles made team better
For the past four years, Sayles has been in the lineup on the mound, at first base or in the outfield, while batting in the middle of the order. O'Brien moved from shortstop to catcher as a freshman and has been wearing the tools of ignorance ever since.
When people spoke about Tosa East baseball, Sayles was the first name that came up and O'Brien was the second.
Years ago, the hapless New York Mets had a pitcher named Tom Seaver. As bad as the Mets were, the Mets knew that when Seaver pitched they had a chance to win.
That's what Dan Sayles did for the Red Raiders. When he pitched, the Red Raiders had a chance to beat anybody.
O'Brien stands out
O'Brien was at the other end of most of Sayles' pitches. An excellent defensive catcher, he was a hard player to run on and he knew how to call a game.
At the plate, he had a high on-base percentage because he knew the strike zone well - he had to look through it as a catcher for seven innings. In fact, he got on base so much that Dahlstrom moved him into the lead-off spot this season.
Of the prep players I've covered over the past eight years, O'Brien is one of my favorites. A year ago, he played with a pink bat and his teammates wore pink wristbands for cancer awareness. You see, his aunt was fighting the dreaded disease.
I had known O'Brien before that, but after writing an article about his thoughtfulness, I got the chance to know him better. Later that season his mom came over during a game and thanked me for the article. An even greater thrill for me occurred when I had the chance to meet his aunt at another Tosa East game.
This spring I received a tearful phone call from O'Brien's mom, telling me her sister had lost her fight. I also received an e-mail from O'Brien, who told me his family had framed the article and presented it to his aunt - it had a special place in her house. He told me how much it meant to him and his family.
When I showed up to cover the Red Raiders, O'Brien always sought me out to say hello. It is something that was always appreciated.
When practice starts next spring and Dahlstrom looks around the field and doesn't find Sayles and O'Brien, reality will set in.
And coach, I'll know how you feel.
FIVE-SPORT PLAYER
Wauwatosa East senior Tyler O'Brien earned five letters this year. He lettered in football and soccer (same fall season), basketball, track and baseball. According to some long-time Red Raiders sources, earning five letters in one year has never been done before.
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