Making His Luck Contract With The Detroit Tigers Is A Product Of Don O’Neal’s Dedication, Persistence And Hard Work

Don O’Neal’s athletic career has been testament to the power of persistence.

“Basically he’s a self-made player,” said Don Ressa, his high school baseball and football line coach. “He didn’t have all the skills in the world. Sometimes determination transcends into ability.”

In football O’Neal earned all-league recognition as a 175-pound two-way lineman playing against much bigger athletes.

O’Neal never played on the strong youth baseball teams with his future high school teammates, but credits that with feeding his desire.

He earned a spot in the lineup of University’s High School’s 1991 league championship team and ultimately became the area’s top-hitting collegian baseball player at Whitworth.

The senior class’s only three-sport athlete, he made a basketball team that had more talented players than he.

Now, O’Neal is facing long odds again, trying to make it in the Detroit Tigers organization as a free agent catcher-third baseman.

He was home this week after three months of extended spring training, waiting to play for Detroit’s short-season Class A team in Jamestown, N.Y., in the New York-Penn League.

But just as he as sweated out his future at every athletic step, O’Neal must await the results of this week’s professional draft to be sure he won’t be released.

“He’s signed a contract to go to Jamestown so he’s pretty well set, I’m sure,” said his collegiate coach, Rod Taylor.

It wasn’t the gifts he was given but the hard work he put in that earned O’Neal his due. If he is to make it with the Tigers, that will be the reason.

“In spring training my coach was upset and we had a meeting,” O’Neal said. “He told us there was only one player who wanted to be there and give his all every day.”

At the end of the tirade, the coach said it was Don O’Neal.

“That made it all worthwhile,” O’Neal said.

Typical for O’Neal, after hitting .406 with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs his senior year at Whitworth, promises by several scouts that he would be drafted proved hollow.

“I was crushed,” he said. “My whole senior year I didn’t worry about it and then the scouts talked to me.”

He went about completing his degree in physical education, history and special education and was planning to student teach when he was contacted by Detroit in January.

By mid-February he was on a plane to Tigertown, Detroit’s training camp in Lakeland, Fla.

“At 9:30 p.m. I get a phone call,” said Ressa, “and hear rumbling on the other end. Don says, ‘I’m up in the air on a jet getting ready to land and I wanted you to be part of this moment with me.”’

O’Neal had gone early to work out before spring training, was invited to minicamp and spent the last three months working on his hitting and defensive skills.

His first hit, and souvenir baseball, was a game winner of a 94 mph fastball against the big league club on March 6.

“I don’t remember the pitcher I was so excited,” he said. “I figured he would challenge me and crushed the second pitch.”

Batting practice went well when his swing was changed to get more power, but “in games I looked like a moron.”

The pressure to perform and worries of being released caused his throws from catcher to second base to often end up in center field. Then he relaxed and played for himself.

Apparently his work ethic won over the staff, O’Neal said.

That’s how it was through college.

The only thing he regretted about youth baseball was not getting to play with his friends. He enjoyed the last team he was on even though it was terrible.

“It was one of my funnest years because everyone tried,” he said. “We were brutal but you never questioned the effort.”

Football was his favorite sport because “I was just a mean kind of guy,” who Ressa said used to wear huge shoulder pads in order to look bigger.

“When you told him something he tried to do it the way you wanted it done, so you better make sure you were teaching the right stuff,” Ressa said.

U-Hi’s backup catcher until starter Kelly Asan was injured, O’Neal played first base willingly, hitting over .400.

“I had the role of RBI guy and that’s what I did,” he said.

He went to Whitworth so he could play both sports, but after his sophomore year O’Neal said he didn’t have the same drive and stuck exclusively to baseball.

He played right field and designated hitter because, said Taylor, he is probably the best clutch hitter he’d ever seen. He didn’t get to catch until the last two games of the season.

“He had good tools as a catcher but in the early days had injury problems here,” said Taylor. “We needed him in the lineup. If he stayed healthy he could do great things.”

O’Neal calls himself a line-drive hitter who can hit home runs. He also works diligently on bunting.

“It’s something everyone should do at any level,” he said. “It’s easy and something I take pride in.”

Being a DH instead of a position player, said Taylor, was probably why the draft shied away from him. His senior year at Whitworth was his best but it almost became his last.

Funny how things work out.

“All those things that happened to him were a blessing in disguise,” said Ressa. “He said, ‘I guess I’m not good enough. I’m going to be good enough.’ Now when the smoke clears, he’s the one still playing.”

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