Someone worth rooting for

When looking for a favorite ball player there are a seemingly endless amount of athletes to look to. There are Bunyanesque, all-star sluggers who can crush the ball a country mile and infielders with Ricky Henderson speed who flash more leather than a Harley Davidson clothing store.

But while there are so many players to see on TV day after day in big cities across the country, my favorite professional baseball player steps on the diamond in a small town in Tennessee with rarely a television camera in sight.

The four people who read my blog (and sadly I am probably inflating that number) have likely already heard me talk about Donald Veal, the left-handed starting pitcher for the Tennessee Smokies, a Double A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. I can hope, though, that at least one other person can find their way to this and hear his story.

I first came to know Donnie when I was 10 years old. I played for the hapless Twins and he played for the Expos. When I first stepped to the plate I was suprised that this was the guy who created buzz around the Sierra Vista Little League. He was skinny and his goggles, which were far too big for his face, pushed his ears seemingly a mile out from his head, hardly a visually intimidating presence. Three pitches later was the first of what seemed like 100 strikeouts I would suffer against the flamethrowing southpaw during the next couple of seasons.

It was evident, even then, that he was going to be special. He could run, hit, jump, and he pitched like few his age had the ability to do. I got to know Donnie better when I was in seventh grade and he was in eighth as we both attended the same middle school and played on the school's baseball team. When he pitched I played first base that season. He almost always pitched. This gave me a chance to have a front row seat as I watched the formerly rail-thin Veal turn grown into a bonafide, hard-throwing sensation. It was probably the most fun playing baseball I ever had and he was an incredible teammate. Despite the fact that talentwise, and sizewise for that matter, he was head and shoulders above everyone on the team, he treated everybody with respect and was always encouraging.

In high school I stopped playing baseball, but Donnie blossomed into a star becoming the best baseball Buena High School had ever seen. It was clear a path in professional baseball was in his future. After his senior year at Buena, where he broke about every pitching record at the 40 year-old school, Donald was drafted by the Chicago White Sox, but did not sign a contract. Instead, he chose to attend the University of Arizona, as he was as talented in the classroom as he was on the field.

Then in November of 2004, Donald lost his best friend, his mother Tanya Veal to cancer. Tanya was a driving force behind Donald and his younger brother Devin, and knowing her it was easy to know why. Mrs. Veal was freshman basketball coach, and was one of the best I've ever had. Her passion and intensity pushed every player on her team to be better and earning her respect was at the top of everyone's priority list.

After greiving over the loss of his mother, Donald did what she would have wanted him to do, he got back on the field. After struggling to get on the field at U of A (he suffered some injury problems) Donnie transfered to Pima where he was one of the most dominating pitchers in the region.

After dominating for the Aztecs, Donnie shot up on scouts' lists and was drafted in the second round of the 2005 draft by the Chicago Cubs and was ready to begin his career in professional baseball.

He started play in the summer of 2005 and pitched pretty well as he did his best to get his feet under him not one year removed from the death of his biggest mentor. In 2006, Donald had an amazing season. The second half of his season was spent in Florida with the Class A Daytona Cubs where he posted a 6-2 record and a stifling 1.67 ERA in 14 starts. He was named the Cubs Minor League Player of the Year along with current Cub Rich Hill and fans in the Windy City began to take notice of this rising prospect.

Coming of a strong 2006 campaign, Donnie started the year with the Smokies with the hope of moving up. Much of the season, though, turned out to be a struggle.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself at the start of the season to get to Chicago instead of enjoying myself and continuing to improve and get better," he told MLB.com earlier this year.

At the end of the season, though, Donnie finished strong with a 2-1 record with a 1.93 ERA in his last four starts of the season.

As he began to get ready for his next season in November of last year the unthinkable happened. Donald lost his father, Donald Sr., to a tragic scuba diving accident. It had been only three years since his mother passed away, how could this happen? I remember hearing the news from my own dad after work one night and I, like so many others in a close knit community who knew the Veals, was shocked.

It would have been easy to quit at that point. It's not, though, what his parents would want him to do. Donald started 2008 with a renewed focus on his sport. Baseball has become an escape and therapy for him. A place where the essence of the game he has always loved soothes him.

So far this season Donnie has recaptured the stuff from his 2006 season. Through 13 starts he has a 2.67 ERA which is good enough for seventh in the Southern League. On May 31, he went eight scoreless innings giving up only three hits. He is currently in the top five on many Cubs top prospect lists.

Through it all his faith has grown and he knows his parents are with him.

"I've got two angels on my side now," he said in his MLB.com interview.

I can't help checking his player profile page every couple of days, even though I know he'll only pitch every five or so days. Sure, I am bias towards a player that was such a great teammate of mine, but his inspiration is universal.

Soon, I hope, my favorite player will be in one of those big cities, in one of those huge parks full of fans who won't be able to help but root for him. And I hope I am right there to see it.