Waukegan senior Jose Mendoza can attest to the power of positive thinking.
In the classroom, for instance, Mendoza has thrived with the conviction that he belongs at Yale, and he was accepted into the university in March.
“Early in my high school career, I wouldn’t have pictured myself going to school there,” he said. “But about halfway through high school, once I understood better who I am, I felt like it wouldn’t come as a surprise. I deserve to be there.”
Mendoza, who scored a 34 on the ACT and would be the first person in his immediate family to attend a four-year college, aimed high. That’s what he does on the baseball field too.
Mendoza has been playing the sport for as long as he can remember and was a staple at Waukegan’s summer youth camps when he was growing up. At one of those events, he made an early impression on Pat Cook, who is in his first season as the Bulldogs’ coach, by disclosing that his favorite player was Hall of Famer Ted Williams, the last person to hit .400 in the majors. Williams retired in 1960.
“That was a unique statement for someone of his age to make,” Cook said. “He had come to camps since he was really young, so we knew of him. He had quite a bit of pop in his bat, and you could tell he was a player.”
Mendoza still has difficulty wrapping his head around the fact that Williams hit .406 in 1941 but was nosed out in the American League MVP race by Joe DiMaggio, whose 56-game hitting streak that season remains an MLB record.
“That’s the kind of thing that’s ingrained in me, to look deeper into it,” Mendoza said. “Not to take away from the hitting streak, but that baffled me.”
That may be the only thing that baffles the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Mendoza in baseball. He’s batting .692 with a .789 on-base percentage for the Bulldogs (1-8), whose results fail to discourage him.
Primarily a catcher when he was growing up, Mendoza has done just about everything in his three varsity seasons, showing an ability to play anywhere on the field. Where he’s deployed depends on the team’s needs.
“I think of myself as being a team-first player who’s not going to shy away from anything,” Mendoza said. “I’ll go wherever they need me. If the team has a hole to fill, I’ll put my foot out there and let me learn.”
Mendoza had his first extended run at first base last season, when he also played shortstop. But because Waukegan’s starting catcher graduated after last season, Mendoza often is back behind the plate. He’s also one of the team’s top pitchers.
“When I go in, it’s about much more than just me pitching,” Mendoza said. “I want to understand who my defenders are and execute my pitches. I trust my coach to give me the right signs, and I try to get my team out of the field as quickly as I can.”
Teammates appreciate Mendoza, who is one of three elected captains, for other reasons too.
“Jose wants to win and will do anything it takes to win,” Waukegan senior captain Jaylen Albarran said. “A lot of our teammates come to him for any kind of advice, and he’s the first player to help. He brings everybody up with the energy he brings.”
A few weeks ago, when the Bulldogs were hitting off tees during a practice, Mendoza noticed that teammate Carlos Torres was pulling off the ball. Mendoza gave Torres some pointers and recommended watching video of MLB standouts Paul Goldschmidt and Giancarlo Stanton, players with similar builds. In Torres’ next at-bat a couple of days later, he laced a base hit.
“It’s almost like a job in itself, and it’s really cool to take on that mentor role,” Mendoza said. “Each day brings up a new opportunity to contribute, and you get to help people. I don’t see anything better than that.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
