Despite injury, Fiorito lends helping hand
TRENTON >> Dan Fiorito is making the most of his time on the disabled list.
While it’s unlikely the utility man will return to the field this season, he’s still having an impact in the Thunder clubhouse Call him Coach Fio. “Right now I’m a player and that’s where my mindset (is) at, but at the end of the day, once my career is over, I’m definitely going to try and get into coaching,” Fiorito said. “Hopefully, it’s here one day with the Yankees or maybe one day in college. I’m not sure where it’s going to be, but that’s been one of my passions.”
He’s already taking his post-playing career for a spin, coaching first base during Tuesday night’s game against Bowie.
“To coach first base now, to see what the great base stealers see. What are they looking for?,” Fiorito said. “I’m able to help them out. As much information as they give me on a pitcher, I’m able to give it back to them when they get on base. Everyone’s game is different. Maybe there’s something that I did well in my career that I’m going to be able to help these guys with.”
Fiorito has moved all over the Yankees’ system since they signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2013 out of Division III Manhatanville College. He’s spent the parts of four seasons in Double-A with the Thunder and chose to remain here following the left elbow injury in July that landed him on the DL.
“I feel we got something special,” the 26-year-old said. “We have a great crew, a young crew, it’s one of the younger crews I’ve seen here. We got a ton of 21-year-old kids. I figured I could help out some, and at the end of the day, I love being around the game. I love being here, coming to the ballpark, this is what I enjoy, it’s my passion, so I figured why not stick around and see if I can help out in any way.”
That doesn’t surprise manager Bobby Mitchell, even if he wishes Fiorito, one of the team’s captains, was on the field instead of the coach’s box.
“It’s too bad, really, because even now he’s a big part of our team, but he’d be even bigger part of our team if he was healthy,” Mitchell said.
Fiorito is making the best of the situation
He helps out with on-field
Minnesota
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23 1/2 work during batting practice, observes hitters in the cage and talks with coaches, still learning nuances of the game.
All the while acting as a big brother-figure to some of the younger faces in the organization.
“A lot of the guys I played with here years ago are some of my closest friends and now they’re in the big leagues,” Fiorito said, pointing out
Detroit at Minnesota Philadelphia at Chicago White Sox Cleveland at Oakland N.Y. Yankees at Seattle Wednesday’s games Houston (McHugh 7-10) at Pittsburgh (Cole 7-8), 12:35 p.m. Cleveland (Bauer 9-5) at Oakland (Graveman 9-8), 3:35 p.m. N.Y. Yankees (Tanaka 10-4) at Seattle (LeBlanc 3-0), 3:40 p.m. Baltimore (Miley 7-10) at Washington (Roark 13-6), 7:05 p.m. L.A. Angels (Shoemaker 7-13) at Toronto (Estrada 7-5), 7:07 p.m. Boston (Porcello 17-3) at Tampa Bay (Andriese 6-5), 7:10 p.m. Kansas City (Gee 5-6) at Miami (Fernandez 12-7), 7:10 p.m. Texas (Darvish 4-3) at Cincinnati (Adleman 2-1), 7:10 p.m. Detroit (Boyd 4-2) at Minnesota (Duffey 8-9), 8:10 p.m. Philadelphia (Eickhoff 8-12) at Chicago Gary Sanchez, Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge.
“I’ve learned stuff from those guys or even if it’s from my own experience, whether it’s just little things ... these guys are going to have a great career regardless of what I’m able to tell them,” he continued. “Everybody will tell you those little things help you get to the big leagues at the end of the day. Whatever knowledge I have, I’ll try and
White Sox (Rodon 3-8), 8:10 p.m. Washington Miami New York Philadelphia Atlanta Chicago St. Louis Pittsburgh Milwaukee Cincinnati pass it along.”
There are 13 regular-season games left followed by the Eastern League playoffs. The Thunder are inching close to a postseason berth, leading Hartford by eight games for the second EL East spot.
“I’m hoping to be here when we bring a ring home,” Fiorito said.
Even if he does it from the coach’s box.
In 121 games, Fowler is slashing .287/.319/.460 with 10 homers, 80 RBIs, a franchise-record 13 triples and 22 stolen bases.