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Pirates' Yazzie sets record for most strikeouts in a seasonBy Jan-Mikaki Patterson Navajo Timespitch and aim for the center of the tire, aiming for the strike zone. Ialso built a mound with some SANDERS, Ariz. - Valley High Ariz. He is Dib6 Lizhim (Black blocks and boards. I practice withto pitch.” , vYYazzie, 16, is the son of Jerel Yazzie and Victoria Slim of Houck,sophomore Jake Yazzie has a zing behind his curveball that set a new record for the most strikeouts for the team in a single season.Sheep Clan), bom for Kiityaa'aanii (Towering House Clan), His maternal grandparents are Honaghahnii (One Who Wandersthat and my little brothers.”Clark noted that in one doubleheader, the team was doing well with Yazzie on the mound butYazzie recorded 114 strikeouts, Clan) and his paternal grandparents once game officials enforced thebreaking the school record of 106 set by his cousin and mentor,Galloway Francisco, in 2002. ‘‘He’s pitched 13 consecutiveinnings twice when we had a doubleheader,” said Patrick Clark, assistant coach of the Pirates. ‘‘That’s all the (Arizona Interscholastic Association) allows for an athlete to pitch, which I think is fine to prevent injury. I’m justare Tabaaha (Edge Water Clan).Yazzie has six brothers and two sisters.13-inning limit, the team lost the game.With a scheduled season of 20Baseball is a sport Yazzie fell in games, Yazzie has pitched 11love with at an early age. In elementary school he played but it wasn’t until 4th grade when he decided to take the sport seriously.‘‘I have a tire with two blocks and a tire rim holding it up against a fence,” Yazzie said of hisgames, recording three wins.Yazzie guessed that he’s already gone through a ‘‘bucketful” of baseballs. The balls that get used and worn from pitching become his targets for batting practice.The baseballs in good conditionreally impressed with his longevity homemade practice device. “I just are the ones he continues to zip intohis target area, his strike zone, an imaginary area above home plate. Unfortunately, Yazzie and hisPractice makes perfect as Jake Yazzie sets to pitch in his workout area in Houck, Ariz., on Tuesday. Yazzie is a sophomore at Valley High School in Sanders, Ariz. (Special to the Times - Leigh T. Jimmie)coaches don’t know the speed of his pitches but Clark, with his lifelong experience in playing on the diamond, guesses that it reaches in the high 70s to low 80 mph.Baseball coach Phil Capuzzi was not available for comment.Opposing batters would sometimes be stunned by the speed of the pitches, Clark said.Yazzie, aside from his fastball, muscle underneath,” Yazzie joked, from Minnesota - baseball is thehas a curve ball in his repertoire. To throw a curve, Yazziedemonstrated the motion of his armaHe’s skinny right now but he’ll sport,” Clark said. ‘‘It was reallyWhen it comes to standing on the and point of release.mound, Yazzie admits there is a brief period where he feels the butterflies in his stomach.‘‘Yeah, for like two minutes,”Yazzie said. “Once I get a strike or a strikeout it goes away.”It is said in the major leagues that the pitcher is the loneliest position to eight innings, because teammates, coaches and“He can get them to curve when he is able to get his arm over,” Clark said. “He’s struck me out with it in practice. That’s my weakness, the curve ball.”grow into his own,” Clark said.The team’s record is 6-14 but it does not reflect Yazzie’s performance, Clark said.“There are a lot of young guys that are inexperienced,” Clark said.“I think with an experienced teamthe outcome would have been much Major leaguers are known to better. Jake would have more winsarmsand the team would have morefans rely on him to outsmart the batter.“I think so, because everyone depends on you to win the game,” Yazzie said.wins.The team also struggled to keep more than nine players, an indication that baseball is not one practices, weight lifting, running of the most popular sports among“My elbow gets sore but then again I don’t feel it the next day,” Yazzie said, crediting his consistentand ball handling drills.“I’m small and skinny but it’s allNavajo youth.“Back where I’m from - I camedifferent coming here and seeing that the big sport on the Navajo Reservation is basketball.“1 wanted to try something different,” Yazzie explained. “Everyone is really into basketball but I wanted to try something different. My mom is glad that I’m focusing on one sport.Yazzie played varsity football and JV basketball, but nothing compares to baseball.“My ultimate dream is to pitch for the Arizona Diamondbacks,” Yazzie said. “I’ve been to four games so far. 1 look up to the whole team, especially Brandon Webb.”Jake Yazzie, shown practicing in his backyard in Houck, Ariz., Tuesday, set a school record 114 strikeouts this season. (Special to the Times - Leigh T. Jimmie)
Newspaper Details
Navajo Times
Window Rock, Arizona, US
Thu, May 07, 2009
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Helena S.
NA, 18 Oct 2022
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