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Catcher DallasJ Duarte embraces the writing on the wall.
“The saying is, ‘We no move our feet, braddah,’” Duarte said, referencing the sign in the Hawaii baseball team’s dugout at Les Murakami Stadium. “You have to be bought in on not moving your feet (in the batter’s box). That means whether the pitch is at you or might be at you, we do not move our feet. We value our body, of course, and (being hit by a pitch) hurts. But at the same time, we want to show our team is not scared of getting hit, and we will not move our feet, at any cost, to get runners on base.”
Coach Rich Hill’s edict shrinks the strike zone when a batter who is crowding the plate does not back away. This season, it also has resulted in 25 hit by pitches in 20 games. Duarte has been hit a team-high six times this season, and 31 times during his five seasons as a Rainbow Warrior.
In anticipation, said the right-handed Duarte, who wears EvoShield padding on his left elbow, “you kind of squeeze, clench. It’s like getting a punch in the gut. You’ll get over it in a couple minutes.”
But he added: “All of them were 100% worth it. And I’d do it again.”
Duarte said his first beaning was during a PONY Baseball game when he was in the seventh grade. “I think it takes the first time getting hit to realize it’s not sore, it’s not that serious,” Duarte said. “Maybe move if (the pitch) is coming at your head. But that’s the only one you can move.”
Duarte does not mind testing boundaries. Growing up on Hawaii island, cliff jumping was among his pastimes. “I love cliffs,” he said. “I’m not talking about skyscrapers. But some nice cliffs. It’s good to get a little adrenaline going.”
A challenging spot was South Point, where jumping points are up to 60 feet high. “I do not recommend it,” Duarte said. “It gave me butterflies. That’s how high it was.”
Duarte has endured the rigors of catching, where foul tips, back swings, skipping pitches and hard slides are routine work hazards. Last season, a UNLV batter fouled a ball that bounced and hit Duarte’s sensitive area. “It was the most pain I ever felt in my life,” Duarte said.
He missed the final two series of the season. But a couple of months later, he was back in the weight room, performing hang cleans, hex-bar dead lifts, bench presses with dumbbells, and resistance training with leg and arm bands. Duarte, who is 5 feet 9 and 175 pounds, can hang clean 185 pounds five times. “I’m definitely not satisfied, but I am confident,” he said. “I’m only getting stronger.”
Duarte has developed a comfortable relationship with the UH pitchers, who allowed two earned runs in 27 innings this past weekend. “Seeing them every day,” Duarte said, “I try to maintain a chemistry with all of them.”
During games, Duarte’s earpiece receives tips from pitching coach Mathew Troupe. Troupe mixes strategy — “He’ll give me a head’s up if we want to stay on the outer half of the plate with a batter” — with levity to ease pressure situations. Duarte, in turn, will use his mound visits to offer encouragement or a break to a struggling pitcher. “If I see him breathing heavy, I’ll call a timeout, go over there, make him laugh a couple times, and we’ll get right back to business,” Duarte said.
Duarte also said he tries to engage in friendly and respectful conversations with the home-plate umpire. Duarte said he often seeks feedback on where a pitcher missed the strike zone. During his first at-bat, Duarte will offer well-wishes to the opposing catcher. But Duarte said he never talks to the opposing batters. “I try to keep it professional,” Duarte said.
Duarte said his gritty play is in acknowledgement of his mother, Michelle, and his family. Michelle added the capital J to the end of her son’s first name in tribute to his uncles Jason and Jeffrey. “No space, capital J,” DallasJ said of his unique name. “My mom wanted to throw the J in to show love. My mom is my inspiration. My mom, my family, my teammates, they make it easier for me to keep going. I don’t come from the wealthiest family, but they make sure I’m comfortable. That makes it easier for me to put it all on the line and empty the tank every day.”
BIG WEST BASEBALL
>> WHO: Hawaii (12-8, 2-1 BWC) at Cal State Fullerton (11-8, 5-1 BWC)
>> WHEN: 3 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. Sunday
>> WHERE: Goodwin Field, Fullerton, Calif.
>> TV: None
>> RADIO: 1500-AM Friday, Saturday; 1420-AM Sunday
>> STREAMING: ESPN+
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