Sports

Memories of old magic

Jesuit's 1997 team, which won a state title and was nationally acclaimed, reunites on Friday.

By Joey Knight
Published March 29, 2007

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TAMPA - He's a regular at this mom-and-pop diner, just a relay throw from Dale Mabry Highway and less than a mile from the Jesuit High campus.

The waitress, who refers to John Crumbley simply as Coach, doesn't even have to take his order - she knows it by heart. Credit cards aren't accepted here, and if you don't enjoy the hostess' playful banter, well, tough.

In a place where one is more likely to find beluga caviar than highfalutin' diplomacy, Crumbley doesn't attempt any on this warm weekday morning. When asked if the 1997 Jesuit baseball team was his best ever, the Tigers' legendary ex-coach comes clean.

"I mean, I'll say yes," Crumbley says while drizzling ketchup from a plastic squeeze bottle on his stack of home fries. "They were probably the most talented team that I had."

You sense that, typically, Crumbley would rather order the veggie plate than compare any of his 22 Tigers teams to another. Coaches, in general, don't do that. Some things, however, simply are undeniable. And Crumbley's '97 club, with its offensive proficiency and depth, not to mention one of the best left-handed pitchers Hillsborough County has ever seen, refused to be denied.

"We took the field every day expecting and knowing we would win," said current Tigers assistant Tim Nalls, the shortstop on that club.

Friday night, Nalls and most of his teammates from that team - which finished 32-3, won the Class 4A state title and earned a No. 1 national ranking from Baseball America - will gather at Jesuit for a 10-year reunion.

They'll catch up on the past decade, have dinner and collectively throw out the first pitch before the Tigers' 7:15 game against rival Tampa Catholic. As is often the case in such get-togethers, the memories tossed around likely will be embellished.

Not that it's needed. The truth is astounding enough.

According to Crumbley, four players ultimately were drafted, and another played in the minors. The team batting average was .386, with none of the regular starters hitting worse than .324.

The pitching staff, led by ace lefty and eventual New York Mets first-round draftee Geoff Goetz, posted a collective ERA of 1.07. No. 2 starter David Muley was 10-0.

Goetz "was the best high school or even college pitcher that I have ever seen or played against," said Nalls, who played five years at North Carolina-Charlotte. "He was as good as it gets."

"Honestly, I think we had something that really can't be taught as some people would say, and that's just a great chemistry that came together as the season went along," added Goetz, whose big league aspirations have been derailed by 2002 shoulder surgery. "We were all great friends, but as the season went along we developed the mindset that no one could beat us. That's what lifted us to the next level."

Alas, three teams - Clearwater Central Catholic, Sarasota and Bradenton Manatee - did beat them, but a number of other traditional state powers couldn't.

Jesuit defeated Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley, also nationally ranked, in the regular season, and walloped perennial state power Key West by the 10-run mercy rule in the playoffs.

Four of its other triumphs came against Pasco, whom the Tigers defeated 7-1 in the state final at Legends Field on Goetz's five-hitter.

"They had a lot of talent," said Pasco coach Ricky Giles, who watched three members of that Pirates team ultimately get drafted. "They were real deep with Goetz; he was tough."

The Tigers' backgrounds were as diverse as their depth was profound. Like many private-school juggernauts, Jesuit's players weren't spawned from one neighborhood or youth league, but represented virtually every corner of the county.

"We always had kind of an ongoing joke of which was better, Little League or PONY League," Goetz recalled, "because half our guys played Little League and half our guys played PONY League."

But when fully assembled, they were in their own league, at least in terms of athleticism. Two players - first baseman Josh Cervi and outfielder George Godsey - signed Division I football scholarships, and backup Matt Walker became a walk-on tailback at Florida.

"We had athletes, we had backup players that were very athletic," Crumbley said. "If somebody needed a blow or if someone had a dinger or nick or something, we didn't miss a lot."

At some point, however, talent must be complemented by mettle. And in the South I Region final against Sarasota Booker, arguably the season's defining game, that courtship of skill and resolve was brandished in the form of sophomore lefty Ryan Gloger.

Gloger was summoned after Goetz, who had thrown 130 pitches and fanned 15, walked three batters to load the bases in the seventh. He saw four runs cross on two hits and an error before striking out cleanup hitter Joel Vasquez - on three consecutive changeups - to preserve a 5-4 win.

"Gloger definitely stepped it up against that last guy," Goetz recalled. "And they had some big guys."

The '97 Tigers, by contrast, had it all.

"Everything," Crumbley said, "just fell into place."

Joey Knight can be reached at 813 226-3350 or jknight@sptimes.com.

'97 Tigers Roster

 

Batting Order

No.; Player; Pos.; Key Stats; Currently

4; Andrew Shafii; 2B; .372, 31 singles; Attorney in Tampa

10; Jeff Christy; RF; .467, 12 SB; Employed in family business in Tampa

14; Geoff Goetz; P; 13-2, 0.68 ERA; Jesuit pitching coach, in pharmaceuticals industry

5; Steven Shirley; DH; .385, 10 doubles; In Tampa, works for national furniture company

12; Josh Cervi; 1B; .413, 3 HR; Local sales associate for class-ring company

11; Terry McCormick; LF; .360, 3 HR; Employed at University of South Florida

18; Rawley Fox; .403, 18 RBI; Sales manager for Asheville (N.C.) minor league club

6; Aaron Rubio; C; .375, 5 sacrifices; Medical sales rep in Tampa

3; Tim Nalls; SS; .324, six doubles; Jesuit assistant, regional sales rep for ring company

 

Coaches

No.; Name; Currently

9; John Crumbley (manager); Jesuit athletic director

1; Bob Weiner; Plant football coach

2; Tim Mayhew; in brokerage business in New Mexico

24; John Canfield; retired and living in Ohio

26; Darren Muley; mortgage broker in Pinellas County

[Last modified March 28, 2007, 23:37:32]

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