Completed Event: Baseball versus Cornell on April 27, 2025 , Win , 7, to, 4
Final
Baseball
vs Cornell
7
4
Spotlight on Damon Wright - Baseball
5/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 25, 2008
Damon Wright hadn't been born when Willie Wilson made his debut with the Kansas City Royals' in 1976, but the Dartmouth baseball standout has at least one thing in common with the former American League batting champion.
Like Wilson, whose speed made him a natural for center field, Wright played a catcher every step of the way through high school. While it might be a bit much to compare Wright's excellent speed and athletic ability to that of Wilson ? legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler once called Wilson the best high school running back he ever saw ? it was enough to convince Big Green baseball coach Bob Whalen that the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Texan belonged somewhere other than crouching behind the plate.
Whalen shared the story: “I can still remember the conversation we had when I brought him into my office and said, 'You are going to catch a little bit,' ? because you always need depth at that position in the preseason ? 'but if you are going to have any chance to play at the next level it will be as an outfielder.' The look on his face was one of shock. He was convinced his future was as a catcher.
“He respectfully did what I asked him to, but a little reluctantly. If you ask him now,” Whalen added with a knowing grin, “I'd be interested in what he would say about whether it was the right move.”
Well, Damon?
“It's been great,” Wright said. “It's worked out really well. It's been a transition process. Even now I find myself not always getting great jumps on the ball, but every day I'm trying to work and get better at it.
“I'm really happy with the decision now. Coach Whalen was definitely right.”
Right enough, it turns out, that the hard-working product of St. Mark's School in Dallas is a legitimate pro prospect according to Whalen, who has sent more than a dozen of his former Dartmouth players on to professional baseball.
“In my judgement, and I've told people in the baseball and scouting community this, he has earned the opportunity to play professional baseball,” Whalen said. “It only takes one guy in one organization out of 32 to think the kid is pretty good for him to get a shot. He deserves the chance.”
Nothing he's done this year has hurt that chance. He's batting .387 with team-highs in home runs (seven) and runs batted in (32) while helping the Red Rolfe Division leaders to a 20-13 overall record and a 12-4 Ivy League mark. He leads the team in slugging percentage (.630) and with just 12 strikeouts in 119 at bats is fanning once every 9.15 trips to the plate.
Wright also leads Dartmouth with six stolen bases in nine attempts.
Not bad for a kid who wasn't entirely focused on baseball when he came to Hanover. Like his father Dale, who played baseball and basketball at Division III Pace University in New York, Wright drew recruiting interest in basketball and was interested in playing guard for the Big Green.
“He's one of the best all-around athletes and gifted athletes I've ever coached at Dartmouth, but he did not have refined baseball skills when he first got here and that's part of the reason why,” Whalen explained. “He didn't play baseball the summer before he came to college because he wanted to try out for the basketball team. He missed fall baseball because he almost made the basketball team. I didn't get to see him until we were indoors his freshman winter.”
Still, Wright got into 18 games as a freshman, hitting .250 with one home run. He exploded on the scene as a sophomore, batting .377, leading the team in hits and RBI's and stealing five bases in seven attempts after choosing the horsehide over the big orange ball.
“I asked Coach Whalen and he thought my best chance was to just play baseball,” Wright said. “I listened to him because I respect him a lot. He's been here a long time and what he had to say mattered a lot to me. So I went with what he said.”
Wright slipped to a .303 average and saw his RBI's drop from 34 to 22 last spring, although his coach thinks the numbers deserve an asterisk.
“Damon would never make an excuse and that's one of the things I really respect about him,” Whalen said. “But he had a torn meniscus in the fall of his junior year and had to have that taken care of. He just wanted to come back and help the team. The kid basically played on one leg all of last year. What people don't understand is when you are a hitter your ability to generate bat speed and power comes from your legs and he just wasn't able to do that.”
Whalen was right. The kid wouldn't make an excuse and wouldn't even grudgingly accept his coach's explanation.
“It really didn't have to do with my leg,” he said. “It had everything to do with my mental approach. It was me trying to go out there and get six hits in four at-bats. Coach Whalen really helped me through it. Going into the last weekend I was batting two-something and I ended up over .300. I had to clear my head and let my ability take over and it did.”
That ability may lead to his name being called when the baseball draft begins on June 5. Unlike Willie Wilson, who was headed to Maryland as a running back before signing with the Royals, Wright's other option is outside of sports.
“Right now I have an offer from Morgan Stanley in sales and trading on Wall Street,” he said. “But baseball is my first love. Hopefully I'll get a shot.” ? (Bruce Wood)
Damon Wright hadn't been born when Willie Wilson made his debut with the Kansas City Royals' in 1976, but the Dartmouth baseball standout has at least one thing in common with the former American League batting champion.
Like Wilson, whose speed made him a natural for center field, Wright played a catcher every step of the way through high school. While it might be a bit much to compare Wright's excellent speed and athletic ability to that of Wilson ? legendary Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler once called Wilson the best high school running back he ever saw ? it was enough to convince Big Green baseball coach Bob Whalen that the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Texan belonged somewhere other than crouching behind the plate.
Whalen shared the story: “I can still remember the conversation we had when I brought him into my office and said, 'You are going to catch a little bit,' ? because you always need depth at that position in the preseason ? 'but if you are going to have any chance to play at the next level it will be as an outfielder.' The look on his face was one of shock. He was convinced his future was as a catcher.
“He respectfully did what I asked him to, but a little reluctantly. If you ask him now,” Whalen added with a knowing grin, “I'd be interested in what he would say about whether it was the right move.”
Well, Damon?
“It's been great,” Wright said. “It's worked out really well. It's been a transition process. Even now I find myself not always getting great jumps on the ball, but every day I'm trying to work and get better at it.
“I'm really happy with the decision now. Coach Whalen was definitely right.”
Right enough, it turns out, that the hard-working product of St. Mark's School in Dallas is a legitimate pro prospect according to Whalen, who has sent more than a dozen of his former Dartmouth players on to professional baseball.
“In my judgement, and I've told people in the baseball and scouting community this, he has earned the opportunity to play professional baseball,” Whalen said. “It only takes one guy in one organization out of 32 to think the kid is pretty good for him to get a shot. He deserves the chance.”
Nothing he's done this year has hurt that chance. He's batting .387 with team-highs in home runs (seven) and runs batted in (32) while helping the Red Rolfe Division leaders to a 20-13 overall record and a 12-4 Ivy League mark. He leads the team in slugging percentage (.630) and with just 12 strikeouts in 119 at bats is fanning once every 9.15 trips to the plate.
Wright also leads Dartmouth with six stolen bases in nine attempts.
Not bad for a kid who wasn't entirely focused on baseball when he came to Hanover. Like his father Dale, who played baseball and basketball at Division III Pace University in New York, Wright drew recruiting interest in basketball and was interested in playing guard for the Big Green.
“He's one of the best all-around athletes and gifted athletes I've ever coached at Dartmouth, but he did not have refined baseball skills when he first got here and that's part of the reason why,” Whalen explained. “He didn't play baseball the summer before he came to college because he wanted to try out for the basketball team. He missed fall baseball because he almost made the basketball team. I didn't get to see him until we were indoors his freshman winter.”
Still, Wright got into 18 games as a freshman, hitting .250 with one home run. He exploded on the scene as a sophomore, batting .377, leading the team in hits and RBI's and stealing five bases in seven attempts after choosing the horsehide over the big orange ball.
“I asked Coach Whalen and he thought my best chance was to just play baseball,” Wright said. “I listened to him because I respect him a lot. He's been here a long time and what he had to say mattered a lot to me. So I went with what he said.”
Wright slipped to a .303 average and saw his RBI's drop from 34 to 22 last spring, although his coach thinks the numbers deserve an asterisk.
“Damon would never make an excuse and that's one of the things I really respect about him,” Whalen said. “But he had a torn meniscus in the fall of his junior year and had to have that taken care of. He just wanted to come back and help the team. The kid basically played on one leg all of last year. What people don't understand is when you are a hitter your ability to generate bat speed and power comes from your legs and he just wasn't able to do that.”
Whalen was right. The kid wouldn't make an excuse and wouldn't even grudgingly accept his coach's explanation.
“It really didn't have to do with my leg,” he said. “It had everything to do with my mental approach. It was me trying to go out there and get six hits in four at-bats. Coach Whalen really helped me through it. Going into the last weekend I was batting two-something and I ended up over .300. I had to clear my head and let my ability take over and it did.”
That ability may lead to his name being called when the baseball draft begins on June 5. Unlike Willie Wilson, who was headed to Maryland as a running back before signing with the Royals, Wright's other option is outside of sports.
“Right now I have an offer from Morgan Stanley in sales and trading on Wall Street,” he said. “But baseball is my first love. Hopefully I'll get a shot.” ? (Bruce Wood)
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballHead Coach Bob Whalen postgame vs. Brown, April 14, 2024
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