Gladd Thrilled to be a Part of MLB Event
by Dean Jackson
August 12, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
Fort Wayne TinCaps
FORT WAYNE - The thought was in his mind. Sam Gladd playfully admitted thinking about the embarrassment of whiffing in front of 7,000 fans.
The Columbia City High School standout and Taylor University slugger was swinging for the fences as one of four Northeast Indiana players selected to take their swings in Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby on Saturday at Parkview Field.
Now in its third year, HRDX is an MLB outreach program that uses a three-on-three co-ed roster to provide a high-powered exhibition of power, fielding, and fan-friendly fun.
Each team has three players who are given 2 1/2 minutes each to take as many swings as possible. Shots to straight-away centerfield gained the hitter two points, and other homers earned one point. The defending team could pad their numbers by snagging would-be homers.
Gladd and the other competitors batted on a raised platform near the pitcher's mound. Longballs or airballs, every swing was there, for all to see.
"It's gone through my mind a few times," Gladd said. "If it happens, it happens. I will keep swinging."
Gladd, a first baseman/designated hitter, has shown plenty of power. He blasted 21 dingers through 110 games in his first two seasons for the Trojans.
"It's just BP, so I want to keep it simple. Our thrower (Jay Stott, a former player and current international instructor) said, 'It's going to fly tonight. You don't have to hit it 450 feet; 320 will do the trick.' So, swing easy, catch a barrel, and hopefully, it goes out."
The Daisies advanced to the championship thanks to Gladd's firepower. His walk-off point homer lifted his his squad to a 47-46 win over the TinCaps. In the final round, they netted 15 points for the Daisies before falling 41-38 to the Hoosier State Tenderloins, another salute to Northeast Indiana tradition. Gladd earned 15 points for the Daisies.
The Daisies name is a tribute to the women's professional baseball team of the same name that played in Fort Wayne in the 1940s and 1950s. It comprised former Chicago Cub Dexter Fowler and Jocelyn Alo, a two-time Women's College World Series champ at Oklahoma and Gladd. Fowler was part of the 2016 World Championship team. Alo holds the NCAA record for home runs for both men and women.
Nick Swisher, who won a World Series ring with the Yankees, led the Tenderloins, another homage to local tradition. Alex Hugo was part of Team USA's World Baseball Cup team and a National Fastpitch player. Justin Osterhouse of Purdue-Fort Wayne was the local connection.
Gladd loved the HRDX concept. He says it's another way MLB is reinventing itself to appeal to fans.
"You look at 3v3 basketball; they're trying to shrink it down. If you don't know baseball, it can be hard to watch. The high-action-packed home run Derby style should be exciting for everyone."
He focused on the experience. He wanted to take it all in and stay focused on the task. He wasn't spending much time on the "what ifs."
He admitted he was overwhelmed by the facilities and provisions for the players. Especially how well-supplied the clubhouse was with stacks of snacks, drinks, equipment, and batting gloves for all participants.
Then there was the opportunity to interact with former big league pros, which gave him a fresh perspective on a game he's known for years.
Gladd noted the words of Milwaukee slugger Carlos Gomez, who played for the Manzanas Luchadoras, who said it wasn't so much about the game itself he valued.
"They all know each other; we are in the background. We just listened to the conservation. What they were doing in life was talking about former players they knew and still hang out with. That was outstanding to hear. He said the one thing he missed was the locker room jargon and playing cards. It wasn't playing. That's a cool insight."
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