Saberhagen Finally Gets Back In The Game

Dalton Saberhagen's senior baseball season at Calabasas High School did not unfold the way he wanted it to.

He hurt his left shoulder in the first game of the season. He found out he tore the labrum in his pitching shoulder the second game of the season.

He played for six games before opting to shut down his arm and let it heal in the chances of playing again at the end of the season and hopefully in the CIF playoffs.

"I tried to play through it for six games, but it just made it worse," Saberhagen said.

He made it back for the final two weeks of the season, but Calabasas will not be making a playoff run after Wednesday's game against Newbury Park. He played first base in his team's past two Marmonte League games. He probably won't pitch again until summertime, when he expects to play in a wood bat league on a rehabilitation assignment in Minnesota as he prepares for his first college season.

His pitching totals for his senior season of high school consist of one save in one game, a 12-10 win over Quartz Hill in the Easton So Cal Showdown. The left-hander walked three batters in three innings in that game. He also gave up three runs. It's not the kind of numbers a high school pitcher heading to NCAA Division I puts up in his senior season.

"It's been real tough, but fun though," said Saberhagen, who will be playing baseball at the University of Tennessee next season. "I like all these guys on the team. I'll play next year. It didn't kill me."

After his team's 13-4 loss to Thousand Oaks on Friday, Saberhagen was talking about his hitting abilities. He doesn't consider himself a very good hitter. He says he likes to play first base because of what he can bring to the team defensively. His numbers at the plate in the past two games indicate he can swing a decent bat. He was 3-for-6 with a double.

But Saberhagen readily admits he has little power and can't hit home runs.

His teammate, Jordan Bass, came to his defense though.

"I think he's a good hitter," said Bass, the Calabasas catcher. "He gets upset because he can't hit a home run. We have the same number, so it's all good."

That number would be zero.

The Calabasas baseball team has far from a murderer's row of home run hitters. The players scrap for runs, use sacrifices and steal bases to get runners in scoring position. The team relies on strong pitching and defense to win games.

Part of that strong pitching staff was supposed to include Saberhagen. The son of Bret Saberhagen, a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner with the Kansas City Royals, Dalton Saberhagen was expected to be the Calabasas closer.

More importantly, Dalton Saberhagen was expected to be a leader on the field. The team missed his arm for most of the season, but the players also missed his experience and knowledge.

"His leadership on the field – on the field he's like a general out there," Bass said. "He's really baseball smart."

Dalton Saberhagen spent most of his senior season watching from the dugout. He would have much rather been playing in the games, but he doesn't regret one minute of the time he spent with his teammates.

"It was really tough. We tried real hard. I felt I could have helped my team win a few more games," Dalton Saberhagen said. "I couldn't ask for a better group of teammates. We all get along. It's a great group of guys."