Diaz helps lead Frankford to rout of Central

The times when Israel Diaz needs help on a baseball field are rather infrequent. Hitting, fielding, throwing, running . . . no problem.

Facing a guy wielding a notepad and No. 2 pencil? Now you're talking . . . And when he does, it's in Spanish.

Moments after visiting Frankford High Monday completed a 16-7 win over Central in a not-exactly-tight, far-from-bright Public A game, coach Juan Namnun, who's of Dominican descent, suspected Diaz might require assistance in answering questions.

Right he was.

Plus, when it comes to chatterboxing, Diaz is not quite Jimmy Rollins.

When asked to detail what he likes about baseball, Diaz said through Namnun, "Playing it."

Namnun laughed, then shot back, "I mean, do you like the competition of it . . . ?"

"Yes, the competition," Diaz responded.

Glad that's settled.

The 5-9, 145-pound Diaz, a junior shortstop with senior eligibility (because of his age), went 4-for-5 with two RBI in the No. 6 hole. Also, when the game was still competitive, he took a throw from leftfielder Brandon Gonzalez and gunned down Mike Cavallaro at the plate, thus preventing Central from taking a 6-5 lead in the second inning.

The Pioneers rode that momentum to the tune of a six-run third, and Diaz did his part by beating out a bunt to load the bases with none away.

"When my back was turned to the plate, I thought [Cavallaro] was going to be safe," Diaz said. "But then I caught the ball and was getting ready to throw, and I saw that he was rounding third, I thought there was a chance to get him.

"I still didn't know what the ump was going to call. Maybe safe, really."

Diaz grew up in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and came to Philly 4 years ago, he said, because this is where his father's family is based. He needed now arm-twisting, because he figured being here would provide more opportunities. Plus, it's not as if he misses P.R.; he has not returned even once.

Namnun said he first became aware of Diaz in 2008, when the Public League final was played immediately after Philly's middle school title game at Campbell's Field, in Camden.

"Israel was held back a year, because school officials thought it would help him long-range because of the language barrier," Namnun said. "We're hoping we can work out a junior college situation for him. I've got some people interested. Even excited.

"He's tremendous with his hands at shortstop and has an extremely good arm. Defensively, he's as good as it gets in our league, and he's one of our brightest guys in terms of baseball IQ. He's constantly making the next-level play."

Diaz' at-bats offered a looping RBI single to left, the aforementioned bunt, a semi-hard single to center, a shot to left for another RBI, and - with his teammates buzzing in Spanish about the chances for a cinco-para-cinco day - a fielder's choice to shortstop.

Not surprising, since it featured the hardest contact, Diaz called the fourth at-bat his favorite.

"He batted second all last year and hit close to .600," Namnun said. "He was pressing a little this year, so I moved him down to sixth four to five games ago with the hope he'd find his comfort zone again. He's looking good."

Both teams' No. 1 starters experienced struggles. Central's Pete Rowe lasted only one inning because of what he indicated was elbow tenderness (though he then played third base). Frankford's Omar Cruz surrendered all of Central's runs in 3 innings and the win went to Ricky Alvarez, who stands all of 5-5 yet throws pretty dang hard. He allowed two hits.

CJ Walsh, Mark Gervasi, Andrew Foronda, Cavallaro and Louis Lobron followed Rowe. Gervasi (by Kevin Montero, exact center over a high wall) and Lobron (by Cruz, dead left onto a grassy knoll) were greeted by solo homers.

Cruz also smacked a two-run single in the third. Hector Cerda bagged two RBI on a single and sacrifice fly. Gervasi thumped a pair of RBI doubles, Julien Blancon posted a two-run single and Cavallaro went 2-for-3 with a walk and double for one RBI.

Diaz, who lives in Juniata, was required to handle only two ground balls through six innings. Alas, he began the seventh by making an errant throw. A forceout followed, then Kyle Newcomb hit a comebacker right to Alvarez. Pitcher to short to first, ballgame.

"That ball came to Ricky fast," Diaz said, "so I knew it would be a doubleplay."

He said that last word just like that, too: doubleplay.

Some English words are now second nature. *