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Metro makes good move in stealing Gorman
Catcher changes mind on college choice, has knack for base paths
By Eric Lansing
lansing@mscd.edu

Former New York Yankee great Yogi Berra coined the phrase, “Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.” Another catcher with a similar mentality is Metro junior Reece Gorman, except his other half is involved in the strategic game of chess. Metro’s man behind the plate loves the deep-thinking game he incorporates into the world of baseball.

“I believe that being a catcher is similar to the queen, which is the most important piece on the board,” Gorman said. “We get to move anywhere we want, take any piece. And just like the queen, the catcher has the most power of any position.”

Metro head coach Bobby Pierce, who is in his first year as the Roadrunners’ baseball coach, loves what his gritty, hard-nosed catcher brings to the team.

“He brings an athleticism, and his ability to get on base is an instinct,” Pierce said. “I haven’t even really coached him. He’s got tremendous instincts, and they are things that just can’t be taught.”

Gorman didn’t originally even have Metro on his radar of colleges to attend, as Lamar Community College was his first choice. But after talking to former Metro head coach Vince Porreco in 2004 at a top-40-athlete all-star game at Coors Field, Gorman discussed it with his family and made his way to Auraria.

In 2006, Porreco resigned after 14 years of leading the baseball team at Metro and took the head coach position at Mullen High School. Porreco was the man who recruited Gorman, but the catcher said he was in good spirits knowing a fresh start was imminent.

“Porreco is a great guy, but we had some disagreements,” Gorman said. “But that happens with everybody. When I heard there was going to be a new coach, I was excited going into my junior year. It was like starting fresh. (Pierce) is a great guy, a great coach, and he’s very helpful. He’s one of the better coaches I’ve had.”

Although the 6-foot-tall right-hander started in 28 games as a freshman, he broke out in his sophomore season, starting 45 of 51 games, scoring 44 runs, driving in 32 RBIs and batting .309 for the season. But the stat that really stands out is stolen bases: Gorman stole 23 bases without being caught.

“You just have to know the game of baseball,” Gorman said about his success swiping bags. “It takes a lot of practice, really quick feet, and just knowing when to steal. But it is harder than ever now that everyone is gunning for me.”

Gorman is the only one to blame for that, as he leads the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in stolen bases (24) and stolen bases attempted (25). New Mexico Highlands outfielder Nate Moore-Ness is far behind in second place with 11-of-13 stolen bases. Dating back to the start of the 2006 season, Gorman had stolen 46 straight bases until recently when, on March 23, he got nailed on what he called a “lucky throw” by Regis catcher Peter Whatley.

“He threw me out on a weak throw,” Gorman recalled. “The ball was in the dirt, and he caught it in his arm and he threw me out.”

Pierce said that Gorman is a threat from all aspects of the game, be it hitting for average, playing great defense behind the plate, or creating havoc on the base paths. Pierce added that his starting catcher makes players like Jake Palmer, Josh Marner and Brent Bowers that much better because he always seems to be on base to give those guys opportunities to bring him home.

The Roadrunners have underachieved so far in this baseball season, winning only five games in 25 contests. The team has struggled on many levels, as the pitching has been roughed up, the hitting average is the lowest in the conference and the defense never seems to be in the right spots. But Gorman believes that the team is still meshing together, and that will be the key for this team to become successful.

“This is not an individual game,” Gorman emphasized. “It takes more than one person to win ballgames. It takes a lot of extra work and guys putting in the extra work. I love the guys who are doing so, and we just need to come together as a team to turn things around.”

But as the most important piece on the field, Gorman may have to make the crucial moves in order for his team to start wracking up the victories.