By Paul McGaughey
SPECIAL TO SPORTSNET.CA
Matt Dean’s parents knew their son was talented and was destined for something great in either baseball or music.
Dad said baseball. Mom said music. Dad was right.
“It was funny, because when he was first born, we noticed he had really big hands and long fingers,” said Martin Dean. “My wife said he was going to be a piano player and I said he was going to be a pitcher because he could probably grip a baseball.”
Drafted in the 13th round by the Blue Jays in 2011, Matt began honing his skills at a very young age.
“Ever since he could start walking he was mimicking a pitcher or swinging something in the living room,” said his father. “And then being at the field with me when he was growing up, Matt was always doing something baseball wise.”
The elder Dean certainly played a big role in making baseball a part of the household, playing in college and transitioning into a coaching career that has now spanned over 20 years.
Matt, now 20, was coached by his father at The Colony High School in Texas where he fulfilled the prediction that he would become a pitcher before settling in at shortstop.
The six-foot-three, 190-pounder started and made some appearances in relief, often closing out big games — oblivious to the worries or pressure that goes along with the moment.
Last season, Dean batted .222 with two home runs and 24 RBI in 49 games for the Blue Jays rookie affiliate in the Appalachian League. He is hoping for a promotion to the Single-A Lugnuts.
Now a third baseman, Matt realizes he can be a calming influence for pitchers.
“I should do that more than I actually do,” he says. “They have a tough job and a million things going through their mind all at once.
“It’s good to have someone go over [to the mound] and come them down a little bit. At third it’s easy to get close to them and tell them a joke to get their mind off it. “I definitely need to start doing that a little more now that I am at third base.”
Ranked 20th in the Blue Jays farm system, Dean works hard every day toward his goal of becoming a major league baseball player, but he would rather not focus on an estimated arrival time.
“I really haven’t even looked that far down the road,” he said. “I just come out and give it my best effort.
“I don’t really have any say in when I’ll be up there, but as long as I’m playing well, that’s the number one goal.”
During the 20 minute drives to school with his dad, Matt received simple advice.
“He would tell me to work hard, play hard and let the rest take care of itself. “Everything [in my playing career] has taken care of itself to this point, so [my approach] doesn’t change here. I might as well just keep it going and hope for the best.”
