A family affair for LeVangie
Sox coach proud dad to EB star
In the stands of Milliken Field, Red Sox pitching coach Dana LeVangie sits, his intent gaze on the diamond blocked only by the sunglasses covering his eyes.
His focus is on the mound as an overpowering right-hander with the same last name adds to a growing list of dominant performances. A total of 13 strikeouts and a complete-game shutout to lead East Bridgewater in a 5-0 win against Cohasset.
Opportunities like this have been limited throughout the years, but even when the slightest possibility presents itself, not even a potential trip to the White House could deter Dana from being there to take in what is left of his son Liam’s high school baseball career.
“It means a lot,” Dana said following the latest gem. “We usually don’t have too many days to get the opportunity. I thought it was more important that I see him pitch (Thursday) than take the visit to the White House, which I don’t take for granted. But this is his last year, I don’t know how many times I’m going to be able to see him pitch so I’m gonna take advantage of it.”
These types of performances have become common for Liam, who also starred on the gridiron for the Vikings this past fall. But on these rare occasions that his father can be there for a game, alongside his mother, Tracy, and sister Avery, the memory often means a little bit more.
“He honestly never gets to see me play,” Liam said. “I know it probably kills him. It kills me. I had a good outing and it was good to do it in front of him because usually when he comes, I think I have only an OK game.”
Those “OK” games are more a matter of Liam’s high expectations for himself.
During the ebbs and flows of the game, his father holds firm, never swaying too far from the balance of emotions. No matter if Liam picks up a strikeout on his sharp breaking ball or surrenders loud contact, Dana stays even keel.
Liam has learned to do so himself. Even as a freshman, he showed a similar unflappable nature no matter the situation. Now a weathered senior, the Bryant University commit has begun to flourish as a leader, captaining a younger than usual Vikings team to a 12-3 start.
On the mound, Liam has been nearly unbeatable with a 5-1 record, 1.60 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 45 innings. At the plate he bolsters the heart of the lineup with his .435 batting average, 16 RBI and another 19 runs scored, making him an offensive threat just like his dad during his Hall of Fame career at Whitman-Hanson in the 1980s.
But perhaps the most evident overlap between father and son, aside from a clear knack for playing the game, is the mastery of the finer details of it – being coachable, preparing well and having an eternal competitive fire.
“He competes until the last out is made. That for me is the most important thing, fighting the fight as long as it goes,” Dana said.
East Bridgewater coach Jeff Ghiloni commends Liam for those qualities that sometimes can be overlooked by younger ballplayers. Above all, it is his star player’s willingness to take the insights given to him by his dad, work on them relentlessly in practice and even help teammates benefit from this same knowledge.
“He’s our go-to-guy,” Ghiloni said. “He’s a lead-by-example kind of kid. All his reps that he takes are so focused and the younger guys definitely see that. He came into this leadership role last year as a veteran guy and as our ace, I think that kind of comes naturally when you’re going out there once a week and everybody’s thinking you can and will shut the door.”
As a high school senior, Liam is only scraping the surface of his potential on the field. And for a competitor like him who always will be trying to reach the next plateau, it is a journey that will last the remainder of his baseball career. No matter where that takes him.
For Dana, whose time in the game has included the end of a near century’s long curse, 108 regular-season wins and a few World Series rings, the greatest joy baseball might have ever given him are the times he can sit in the stands with his family as the right arm swings on Liam.
“It’s exciting for myself and my wife to see how far he has come and where he is going,” Dana said. “We enjoy every moment we are able to watch him play and compete.”