Baseball: the words behind the numbers

In team sports you get assigned a number. This is your distinction on that team, the one thing that sets you apart when you’re on the field or court is that number on your back; as everything that you do on the field in the end is for the name on the front of the jersey, the organization that you are playing for. This is true from little league to the majors.

There are times, however, that the player gets to pick their own number, when he or she gets to put their own identity into that distinctive mark.

Some of those numbers get forever tied to a person. Such as when you say 23, 42, or 3 a person’s mind, if they know sports, always goes to Michael Jordan, Jackie Robinson and Dale Earnhardt.

For senior left-handed pitcher Ty Sullivan, wearing number 6 in college, was about getting back to consistency.

“It was the number that I wore in high school,” Sullivan said. “I didn’t choose it but when I made the team as a sophomore I was given number 6 and from there I blossomed in my career and made a name for myself and got into college.”

This isn’t his first collegiate stop however, he went to two other places before landing at FIU.

“When I got the chance to pick my number at FIU I said ‘You know, I might as well go back to number 6 and relive some mental history’,” Sullivan said. “I wanted to be able to relive what it feels like to be successful and help make my name for myself here. I was number 20 at the University of West Florida and I was number 17 at the Junior College I went to, Weatherford College, in Texas.”

Sullivan did have thoughts of staying with that number when he got here to FIU but they were quickly shot down.

“Of course the big guy, [Head] Coach [Turtle] Thomas, wears number 17 so I didn’t think I was getting 17. I remember telling my mom that if number 6 was open it’s meant to be and number 6 was wide open so that was it,” Sullivan said.

In 13 appearances for the Panthers in 2013, he made nine starts and had a record of 3-3. Those 13 appearances include two games where he struck out six batters in the season opener when he came in relief against Stony Brook and in a five inning start against Texas Tech University.

His teammate, junior catcher Aramis Garcia, who has gotten recognition for his great work both on and off of the field dawns the number 44 for both practice and games. Though he is not the only one for the Panthers.

“[Sophomore infielder] Edwin [Rios] lost his practice shirt so I let him borrow one,” Garcia said. “I tell him though sometimes in practice when he is hitting well that it is because of my shirt just to mess with him.”

Garcia has his own reason for wearing number 44 though, that is similar to Sullivan’s.

“44 was my first travel ball number,” Garcia said. “When I came here I actually wanted to wear number 15 but that is retired on the outfield wall so I couldn’t do that.”

Former MLB third baseman Mike Lowell wore number 15 while at FIU. He was a three time all-conference player and was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1995. Before he made his major league debut with the same organization in 1998 Lowell graduated with a degree in finance in 1997.

“When I realized that, I went back to 44,” Garcia added.

Garcia was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference First team in 2013 and earned the Sun Belt Commissioner’s award for excellence on the field and in the classroom. He made 56 starts at catcher in 2013 for the Panthers and with his numbers, was one of 15 finalists for the Johnny Bench award that recognizes Division-I’s best catchers.

He was also named Co-Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year along with Drew Reynolds of the East Carolina University Pirates. Rios was picked to the All-Conference USA Preseason team.

The entire FIU baseball team was predicted to finish in sixth place of Conference USA. Rice University was picked to finish first with rival Florida Atlantic University in second.

-rhys.williams@fiusm.com