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Knowing he will always encounter talented foes, Albert Baur decided long ago never to make himself an additional adversary through excessive worry.
The 2010 alumnus of Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School, 1736 S. 10th St., has coolly continued his baseball journey for South Carolina’s Newberry College Wolves and recently returned home following a campaign that earned him numerous accolades, including a summer opportunity to impress scouts.
“I really enjoyed growing as a player this year,” the 21-year-old resident of the 200 block of Daly Street said Monday of his second season with the Division II institution. “I felt calm the whole time and just went out there to get my team as many wins as possible.”
The Whitman native and starting first baseman helped the South Atlantic Conference unit to amass a 29-22 record, which marked a nine-game improvement on the previous year’s mark, by registering a .371 batting average, good for third on the squad and first among the regulars. He also led the pack in at-bats, doubles, RBI, total bases and hits. His 78 knocks ranked No. 4 among all Division-II hitters. Twice claiming player-of-the-week honors, he received second-team all-conference distinction and had his .987 fielding percentage honored through the acquisition of a Gold Glove.
“Coming into this season, I wanted to pay more attention to things like pitchers’ tendencies, and I liked that my teammates came to look to me as a hitter who could drive them in,” Baur, who redshirted in 2011 and thus has two more years of athletic eligibility to complement his remaining scholastic term as a sports management major, said. “I felt we really progressed and should field a great bunch our next time out.”
The 6-foot-4 figure knew early that he and his Palmetto State pals could stand out, as they swept their season-opening four-game set. That flawless start helped to breed their facility’s first winning endeavors since 1999, with their march ending in an April 21 conference semifinal.
“It’s just been an educational experience to go from being able only to practice my freshman year to being a part of a team that almost played for a championship,” Baur, who also topped the Wolves in RBI last season, said.
Displaying great discipline at the dish, the left-handed hitter enjoys matching his wits against a hurler’s mindset and makes consistent contact courtesy of taking a two-strike approach to each trip. Striking out only 22 times in 210 appearances and placing many pitches in left field prove his willingness to know when he should wield his aluminum aid, a philosophy that helped him to generate a .410 on-base percentage. For his efforts, Baur finds himself in the running for the Tino Martinez Award, the top prize for a Division II diamond presence, with the naming of semifinalists to come later this month, and will spend most of the summer playing in the Northwoods League.
“That should be a great chance to interact with and learn from excellent players,” he said of the showcase experience that will take him to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada. “I’m pretty humble about whatever I’ve done, so I know that I’m going to have to continue to work hard when I’m away and when I return to Newberry if I want to realize my dream to play professional ball.”
The ambitious young man has his father, Al Baur, to thank for his penchant for proper preparation. The latter individual spent time in the Phillies’ farm system, including a stop in South Carolina, and encouraged his offspring to enjoy each chance to perform.
“I’ve played most of my life because I see the game as so much fun,” the younger Baur said of maximizing the tutelage.
While a student at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, formerly 2329 S. Third St., he joined the Philadelphia Senators and crafted an impressive four-year stint with the team that plays at Sunoco Field, 3501 Moore St. He earned placement on the traveling team based out of the Delaware Valley Youth Athletic Association, 2840 S. 18th St., as a 13-year-old following that and intensified his allegiance to hard work as a secondary pupil at Neumann-Goretti.
“It felt great to be a Saint,” Baur said of his service for the East Passyunk Crossing school. “I especially liked helping to rebuild the program, and I’m happy it has continued to draw players who are committed to winning.”
The proud graduate will enjoy permanent placement in the institution’s annals because of his go-ahead and eventual game-winning double in the 2009 Catholic League Championship game against La Salle College High School, a stroke that brought his alma mater its first parochial crown in 49 years. The then-junior reveled again days later when the Saints scored the Class AAA City Title. He claimed First-Team All-League plaudits as a pitcher and a third baseman, kudos he would duplicate in his final campaign.
“A Newberry representative came to see me at the Carpenter Cup my senior year,” Baur said of the June tournament at Richie Ashburn Field, 20th Street and Pattison Avenue. “I’m glad I decided to go there because I have great coaches and teammates, including a kid from Jersey I played with when I was younger. Small world.”
With three weeks remaining until his departure for Minnesota, he plans to catch the Saints in action as they strive to three-peat as parochial pulverizers and aims to increase his speed for when he must don his cleats.
“Plus, it won’t hurt to get better at hitting,” he said.
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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