"I love it more than anything in the world," said Emmons of baseball. "If I could take one thing on that desert island, it'd be a baseball. I don't know what I'd throw it at, but I'd take a baseball.
"Just being out there [on the baseball field, that's where I can forget about everything — just think baseball."
Baseball has been on his mind quite a bit this summer. Currently he's in Ohio, trying to help the San Gabriel Valley All-Stars to another Babe Ruth World Series title.
He was also forced to think about golf quite a bit.
With the aid of friend and batterymate Chad Nacapoy, Emmons found himself working at Oakmont Country Club from 5 to 9 a.m. everyday.
But baseball is never far from Emmons' mind.
"When we hang out, baseball always comes up somehow," said Nacapoy, who's caught Emmons for four years and helped get him the job at Oakmont.
Emmons gave everyone in the area plenty to talk about this season.
He was a major reason the Falcons won the Pacific League title and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division II quarterfinals.
A 9-1 record and a 0.72 earned-run average will do that. In addition, he struck out 70 batters in 66 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .438 with seven home runs, 26 runs batted in and 23 runs scored.
But Emmons' statistical success was hardly the whole story — or even the most impressive chapter.
"It's very rare when one of your better players is your hardest worker," Crescenta Valley Coach Phil Torres said. "The great thing about Dustin is he makes everyone around him better. He makes everyone get excited, he's a guy that works hard every day."
