With Riverside Brookfield clinging to a 2-1 lead against Oak Park last week in the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer state playoffs, RB starter Kyle Porter and first-year coach Mike Ziroli engaged in the time-honored baseball discussion of, to paraphrase a song from The Clash, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Porter, a cocksure hard-throwing right-hander, stated his case with his skipper, saying, “One more inning, coach, I feel strong,” while Ziroli volleyed back, “Throw strikes and I’ll decide when it’s time for you to come out.”
Porter preserved the complete game victory by fanning the final Oak Park batter with runners in scoring position.
The art of the deal between Ziroli and Porter resulted in another Bulldogs victory this summer, but more significantly, a glimpse of how Ziroli conducts business in the dugout.
“One of the hardest things for high school kids is to stay in the present moment during a baseball game,” Ziroli said. “A player might be thinking about his last at bat or an error he made. I don’t talk too much during games, but I get the players together every other inning to talk about where we are during a ballgame and what we need to do fundamentally.”
Implementing this no frills, fundamentally focused-coaching philosophy coupled with his seemingly innate ability to relate well to his charges, Ziroli has the Bulldogs excited about next spring, fresh off the momentum of a 9-5 successful summer showing.
As the RB sophomore coach for two seasons, Ziroli guided the Bulldogs’ current group of varsity players to a 49-15 record during their second year. He replaces Dan Monahan, who skippered RB to two conference titles.
“He really knows the game,” RB pitcher/infielder Joe Ruge said of Ziroli. “We’re a very confident team heading into next season.”
Approaching three seasons molding this talented bunch into a winning team, Ziroli is essentially a hybrid of players coach meets disciplined manager.
“Coach Ziroli lets us play our game and we feel comfortable with him,” Porter said. “He’s like one of us; he’s a big kid.”
Actually Porter’s assessment is not too far off considering Ziroli was playing competitive baseball himself as recently as 2002. Ziroli, a former star at Lyons Township who was a part of the Lions’ 1996 squad that captured third place at state, moved on to successful stints at Eastern Illinois University, the Frontier League, and even played for the Parma Dodgers in an Italian Pro League. Through it all, the LaGrange native pursued his dream of playing baseball with an enthusiasm cultivated from little league days.
“It was great,” Ziroli said of his time in Italy. “The baseball was fun and competitive. I enjoyed the entire experience.”
Unfortunately, Tommy John surgery ended Ziroli’s playing career, however he has been happily employed at RB as a counselor and baseball coach for the last three years.