You Gotta Have Heart "How's Bryan Doing?"

Last November of 2008, I published a blog named MFP Copier Sales "You Gotta Have Heart".

This article was about Bryan Sullivan a baseball player that I had on my Fall Connexion HS Varsity Baseball Team. Please click the link above and it will take you to the original blog and you can read about Bryan and why I was privileged to coach him. Just an FYI Bryan was born with cerebral palsy and suffers from hemiparesis, or slight paralysis or weakness that affects the right side of his body.

Bryan grew up loving the game of baseball and played the game and despite his disability he played the game with his left arm, plus he became a left handed pitcher. Now, Bryan is a Yankee fan and his inspiration came from Jim Abbott and we all know the story of Jim Abbot. But here’s something Bryan didn’t even know until I mentioned it to him. Jim Abbot played his college baseball at the University of Michigan, while at Michigan Jim Abbott won the Sullivan Award well the James E Sullivan Award for the amateur athlete in 1987. Geez, I thought, this is a real Connexion.

So, what’s happened with Bryan since then? Well for one he is going to attend Rutgers Newark College this fall and he was recruited by Coach Rizzi to come on the staff as a pitcher.

Bryan had of the best ERA’s in North Jersey HS baseball in the spring of 2009.

Bryan earned the opening start on April 1st and threw a one hitter and a four hit shutout against Glen Rock

He threw a no hitter against Eastside HS

He was on the mound when Paramus defeated Ridgewood for the NNJIL Division A Title.
Bryan received a call at home from Jim Abbott

Bryan was invited to on the field festivities at Yankee Stadium for “Old Timers Day”

Bryan pitched for Connexion Baseball in the JSBL and had a fine season pitching against incoming, current and former college players

Bryan was invited again to Yankee Stadium in August to receive an from Exceptional Parent Magazine and EP Global Communications.

Geea, all of this from a kid who asked me "Coach, do ya think I can play baseball in College?"

Bryan’s family had invited myself, my wife, my son and his fiancé to the game to see the award ceremony.

So, all in all Bryan has had a season of baseball for the ages. I spoke to Bryan at our last game and wished him well in college and reminded him that he has to out work everyone else to achieve his dreams, as I was driving home I knew that no one would out work Bryan.

-=Good Selling=-