Cirillo got over fear to find success
Major League Baseball player and former Providence High standout Jeff Cirillo has spent his share of time at third base in his 13-year professional career.
With only seconds to react to the ball, and with difficult ground balls and bad hops commonplace, third base is one of the most challenging positions in all of baseball.
Watching Cirillo play, it's hard to believe he was once scared of the ball — particularly ground balls.
"I was scared of the ball when I was younger, my Little League coaches would tell you that," he said. "But I guess I got over it."
Cirillo didn't have to deal with many grounders early in his career. He was primarily a pitcher at Providence and early in his tenure at USC. However, in an attempt to increase his chances of getting drafted, Cirillo switched to the infield.
Cirillo benefited from the switch, as he became an All-Pacific 10 Conference player for the Trojans and a two-time MLB All-Star.
Cirillo was honored last week at Providence by having his number retired.
He really knows what cold weather is
Many Southern Californians have been complaining about the cold weather recently.
Temperatures in the 30s and 40s have had residents shivering and hoping for warmer weather.
Former Burbank High football standout Jesse Ayers would call those temperatures downright balmy.
Ayers is in snowy Mitchell, S.D. playing football at Dakota Wesleyan, a National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics Division II school that competes in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.
"I think the other day the temperature was minus-27 with the wind-chill factor," said Ayers, who has been at his new school for just over three weeks.
"But I like it. The cold doesn't bother me."
— Jeff Tully
