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Gaetti making his own way
By Jake Zisla
River Bats fans are a loyal bunch, enduring cold, rain, muggy weather and the occasional losing streak to see the biggest sporting draw in St. Cloud this side of the National Hockey Center. Crowds at Dick Putz field are boisterous and vocal in their support of their team. But this year, one name on the roster has drawn more cheers than all the rest; that name is Joe Gaetti.
A casual observer would say, 'sure, he's Gary Gaetti's son, and people loved Gary,' but from the players to the general manager to the hard-core fans, everyone around the River Bats knows that Joe Gaetti earns his own accolades. Gary Gaetti hasn't hit a Northwoods league leading six homers; Joe has. Gary Gaetti isn't in the top four in RBI's, and he isn't hitting .281 in a wood bat league after growing accustomed to aluminum sticks his whole life; Joe has. And that certainly wasn't Gary Gaetti being named to the Atlantic Coast Conference's All-Tournament Team as a freshman; that's right, Joe again.
What Joe hasn't done, however, is hit 360 major league homers, and help the Twins to a World Series. Gary has, a fact which is not lost on anyone in the stands at River Bats games.
Since joining the Bats this year, Gaetti has handled all the pressures, responsibilities, and extra scrutiny that comes with being the son of a big time ball player the exact way he has handled them all his life; he has played ball.
"There are certain things that may seem hard, because everybody expects me to do certain things or be somebody," he said. "I don't really have a hard time with it. I just try and play hard so that no one thinks that I'm like that, and everyone knows I'm just a regular guy. I make mistakes like every body else, but I try hard and go out there every day."
Gaetti's problem may be that he doesn't make mistakes like everyone else; he excels like few others. He hit .292 in Atlantic Coast Conference play, and ripped four dingers and 10 RBIs in four tournament games, all of this in a conference which had five teams in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll.
These kind of accomplishments invite countless comparisons to his father, and all kind of speculation over whether Joe will eventually become the player that Gary was. But Joe Gaetti is determined to be his own player and his own man.
"I don't play to be like my dad at all," said Joe. "I don't put any pressure on myself [to play like him]. The day I start trying to live up to my dad is the day I should probably quit, because then I'm not having any more fun."
And Gaetti is having fun, coming back to Minnesota where he grew up, getting the opportunity to play an intense, 64 game schedule, using wood bats, and playing in front of a welcoming crowd for a team that accepts him because he is Joe Gaetti, and not because he is the son of a major leaguer.
"The best part of [the River Bats] experience has been the guys on the team," Gaetti said. "I'm not really looking forward to going back to school, because I have had so much fun out here. When we go out, its a team thing, and its been a lot of fun."
River Bats General Manager Scott Schreiner acknowledges the extra attention the Gaetti name brings to the team, but he is 100 per cent clear on the reason that the River Bats went after the twenty year old.
"We brought Joe in for two reasons," said Schreiner. "One, he's a great ball player. Two, he's a great person. That's what we were looking for, and the name is a bonus. The fans enjoy it and are glad to see him here, but if he had a different name, he would absolutely still be on this team."
River Bats coaches have had no complaints about having to coddle a prima donna who thinks he's bigger than the team, or having to find playing time for a under average player who sells tickets on name recognition only. Instead they have had only rave reviews for their hard working, hard hitting, hard throwing, hard running center fielder from NC State.
"He brings a lot of stuff to the table," said River Bats coach Ron Rakowski. "He's got the total package. He hits for power, he runs well, he's got an above average arm, he's coachable, he's a natural leader...I mean the list goes on and on. He's been a tremendous asset for our team this year.
"As far as the name thing goes, I know its fun for the fans to see the son of a former Twin doing well, but I know that it doesn't really effect Joe. The only extra pressure he puts on himself is to be a great ball player, not because of who his father is," added Rakowski. "Regardless of the name that's on his jersey, he would be a great baseball player. He plays the game for himself because he loves it, not for any other reason than that."
Gaetti has said that he would love to return to the River Bats next year, if he isn't playing pro ball somewhere by then. Unfortunately for St. Cloud fans, this is a distinct possibility. For now, the fans and the team are enjoying what they have while they have it.
The extra cheers Gaetti receives each time he steps to the plate are not because of his family ties. They are because he probably hit a home run his last at bat, or scored from first on a base hit, or made a diving grab in center field. The cheers and accolades Joe Gaetti receives are his own that he has earned through his hard work, talent, and skill.
There's no arguing about it, the Gaetti kid is one hell of a ball player.
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