Yavarone reaches the majors
UConn, North Haven pitcher joins Dodgers’ progressive strength, conditioning staff
Eric Yavarone was staring at a future major league pitcher, 60 feet, 6 inches away.
“I remember saying a prayer, closing my eyes, hoping for the best,” he says.
“It worked out pretty good. I let the bat do the work for me.”
UConn coach Jim Penders, ejected from the game, was in the clubhouse in Clearwater, Florida, during the 12th inning. The Huskies, seeded eighth in the Big East Tournament, were tied with No. 1 Louisville, and in the on-deck circle assistant coach Jeff Hourigan suggested a push-bunt.
Yavarone, a right-handed hitter from North Haven, executed an old-school baseball ploy perfectly, nudging one of Nick Burdi’s 100 mph fastballs past the mound, and as the ball rolled to a stop, he reached first. Eventually he scored the winning run off Burdi, now with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Huskies took the first big step toward winning that tournament and playing in the NCAA regionals.
“Eric was a guy who really maximized his ability,” Penders said. “He was always working to improve. He just gravitated to the weight room.”
When the resourceful Yavarone reached the end of his career at UConn in 2015, hitting .257 in 118 games, he took a few at-bats in the independent CanAm League, then set his sights on the major leagues — but he had a different route and role in mind, having earned his degree in exercise science and interned in UConn’s sports performance department.
“I was a Division I baseball player, and I was only one step away from pro ball,” Yavarone says, “but I didn’t truly believe I was good enough to do it. But for some reason, when I started studying this stuff, I decided I was going to be a major league strength coach.”
If MLB is able to pull off this restart next week, Yavarone, 26, will be in the Dodgers’ dugout as athletic development coordinator. He rose quickly through their minor league system, building trust and a reputation for helping players that earned him this call to the majors. After spring training shut