Jeff Cirillo

Jeff Cirillo has enjoyed a cavalcade of success throughout his years in baseball. The Providence High graduate was taken in the Major League Baseball draft out of high school, but chose to go to USC. He helped lead the Trojans to a Pacific-10 Conference championship in 1991, earned all-conference honors and was the team's most valuable player. He has gone on to a successful 13-year professional career with four teams and is a two-time all-star. At one point, he was one of the top-hitting third basemen in baseball.

Jeff Tully When her husband, Paul, died in 1999, Dana Sutton wanted to do something that would celebrate the life of a man who was revered and loved not only in the Providence High community, but throughout the city and beyond. She also wanted to help raise money for a cause that was dear to Paul's heart -- the welfare of children. Dana came up with the idea of the Paul Sutton Charity Classic, an event that will be celebrating its fourth anniversary Oct. 25 when the tournament is played at The Cascades Golf Course in Sylmar.

Jeff Tully BURBANK -- With the major league baseball regular season completed and the playoffs in full swing, one local player is still competing, while another is finished for the year. Here is a look at the season and how the players -- Mike Magnante of the Oakland Athletics and Jeff Cirillo of the Colorado Rockies -- have fared. MIKE MAGNANTE Unlike Cirillo, Magnante is still playing, as his A's are in the first round of a best-of-five American league divisional series against the world champion New York Yankees.

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.

Jeff Tully Fans of Jeff Cirillo have to be wondering if the former Providence High baseball standout has played his last game as a major- leaguer. The San Diego Padres gave the veteran his unconditional release Thursday, leaving the infielder without a pro team for the first time in his 10-year career. Cirillo, 34, appeared in 33 games for San Diego this season, batting .213 (16 for 75) with three doubles, one home run and seven runs batted in. A career .297 hitter, Cirillo is a two-time all-star, playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners and Padres.

Jeff Tully BURBANK -- This season, major league baseball players Jeff Cirillo and Mike Magnante will have more in common than just being from Burbank-area schools. Cirillo, a former Providence High star, and Magnante, a Burroughs graduate, will likely be seeing a lot of one another as American League West Division rivals. Cirillo, 32, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound third baseman was traded during the off-season from the Colorado Rockies to the division-champion Seattle Mariners.

Jeff Tully BURBANK -- The baseball season provided varying degrees of success for local major leaguers Jeff Cirillo and Mike Magnante. But although Cirillo, who plays for the Colorado Rockies, finished among the top 10 in the National League in several batting categories, Magnante is the one in the playoffs with the Oakland Athletics. Magnante, who was a star pitcher at Burroughs High, helped Oakland capture the American League West title with a 91-70 record.

Jeff Tully With former Burroughs High and Oakland Athletics pitcher Mike Magnante given his release from the club last week, there is only one local player left in major league baseball. For ex-Providence standout Jeff Cirillo, he has enjoyed highs and lows during the season as a third baseman for the Seattle Mariners. Heading into a weekend series with the Chicago White Sox, Cirillo is hitting way below his career average. With a lifetime .305 average, the sure-handed infielder is hitting .246.

Jeff Tully For the third time in his nearly-10-year major league baseball career, Jeff Cirillo is moving to another team. Cirillo -- a former Providence High standout -- was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. In the deal, the Padres acquired the third baseman in exchange for pitcher Kevin Jarvis, one-time starting catcher Wiki Gonzalez, pinch-hitter Dave Hansen and minor leaguer Vince Faison. The Padres will also receive pitcher Brian Sweeney and cash.

Ken Tada and Lynn Ryerson will take their place among the honorees in the Burroughs Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday, as they will be inducted during halftime of the Indians’ game against Hoover. Along with serving as Associated Student Body president in 1963, Tada played football for three seasons and was a starter at center and linebacker for the Indians. He served as a coach and teacher at Burroughs for 32 years — earning teacher-of-the-year honors several times.

Although he is yet to see action in the National League Divisional Series, former Providence High standout and Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Jeff Cirillo has to be pleased with how his team is playing. Arizona has defeated the Chicago Cubs in two straight games to grab a commanding lead. The Diamondbacks went up 2-0 in series Thursday when rookie Chris Young hit a three-run homer and Stephen Drew tripled in two more in an 8-4 victory that put the Diamondbacks ahead in the best-of-five showdown.

Bits and pieces from the local sports scene: ? Former Providence star gets first stint on the mound in career : Jeff Cirillo was an outstanding pitcher when he played for Providence High and USC. In fact, he earned All-CIF Southern Section Player of the Year and All-Pacific Conference honors as a pitcher. However, he hasn?t pitched in years and he has spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball career as an infielder. Despite the long layoff between stints on the mound, Cirillo took his place as a pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday in a 9-0 loss to his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers.

Keeping up the locals playing in the Major Leagues: FREDDY SANCHEZ (Burbank High; Glendale Community College) second baseman, Pittsburgh Pirates: The former Bulldog standout is displaying some unexpected power this season for the Pirates. He’s slugged seven home runs in 106 games, a career best. His previous best was last season when he hit six round-trippers. Sanchez, 29, has been able to steadily raise his batting average throughout the season after a slow start.

Bits and pieces from the local sports scene: Former Providence High standout picked up on waivers by Arizona : Jeff Cirillo has to be happy with what transpired on Friday. The veteran infielder, along with closer Byung Hyun Kim , were picked up on waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are in first place in the National League West. The 37-year-old Cirillo was hitting .261 with nine doubles, two homers and 21 runs batted in 50 games for the Minnesota Twins while playing first and third base, as well as some time as designated hitter.

BURBANK — There are definitely high expectations this season among the three area Major League Baseball players. Two of the athletes will be looking to again put up fine numbers, while the third hopes to make an impact after a trade. Leading the way is Burbank High graduate Freddy Sanchez, who won the National League batting crown and led the league in average at .344 and doubles with 53 in 2006. Providence High graduate Jeff Cirillo left the Milwaukee Brewers and has landed a job with the Minnesota Twins, a playoff contender.

Jeff Cirillo has enjoyed a cavalcade of success throughout his years in baseball. The Providence High graduate was taken in the Major League Baseball draft out of high school, but chose to go to USC. He helped lead the Trojans to a Pacific-10 Conference championship in 1991, earned all-conference honors and was the team's most valuable player. He has gone on to a successful 13-year professional career with four teams and is a two-time all-star. At one point, he was one of the top-hitting third basemen in baseball.

PROVIDENCE HIGH — There are not too many people at Providence High who would argue the fact that Jeff Cirillo is the best athlete to come from the school. Cirillo, an all-star infielder, has enjoyed a 13-year Major League Baseball career after starring on the diamond at USC. However, prior to his succèss on the professional and collegiate levels, Cirillo was a standout player for the Pioneer baseball team. In fact, he was a member of the 1986 squad that won a CIF Southern Section Small Schools championship — the only title for the school in any sport.

BURBANK — In a Major League Baseball career that has spanned 13 seasons, Jeff Cirillo has never played for a team that made the playoffs. Toiling for clubs like the Milwaukee Brewers (two stints), Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, the former Providence High star hasn't been able to play one postseason game. Cirillo, 37, is hoping the decision he made Wednesday will change that, as he signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins to serve as a backup infielder.