By Joe Mason
Times Sports Editor
Ramon Reyes made a mistake that really helped his baseball career.
Reyes, a junior catcher on the Frankford High School baseball team, recalled when he’d decided to try out for the Pioneers’ baseball team. And because he was a youngster, he wanted to go out and practice with the junior varsity.
But he went to the wrong field.
"I was out there, trying hard and hoping to get noticed," Reyes recalled. "I remember I was asking people, ‘Is this the JV tryouts?’ People told me it was varsity. I didn’t want to leave, but I wasn’t sure if I could come out to a varsity team and make the squad."
While Reyes was fielding ground balls and smashing line drives, he caught the attention of head coach Bob Peffle. And the veteran coach liked what he saw.
The Pioneers had plenty of quality infielders and outfielders, but the team’s only backstop was a senior. Peffle knew he wanted Reyes’ bat in the lineup, but he wasn’t sure where to put him.
"As a freshman, I was used as the designated hitter and I was learning how to catch," Reyes said. "I played all season but I didn’t play much defense.
"That year, I didn’t really know how good Frankford baseball was," he added. "I grew up in Brooklyn (N.Y.) and I didn’t move here until April of eighth grade. I thought I just made a regular Public League varsity team."
Reyes was an immediate contributor.
But hardly for a regular Public League squad.
Reyes is now in his second year as the starting catcher on a team that has won two straight Public League championships — and 53 of its past 54 Public League games. They went undefeated in 2003, lost once to Northeast during the regular season last year, and currently are a perfect 14-0 this season.
Reyes knows just why his team is so successful.
It’s not the powerful hitters. It’s not the crafty pitching or the stellar defense, either. Sure, those aspects help the cause, but perfection doesn’t come from talent alone.
"I think we’re good because of coaching and practice," Reyes said. "We go over everything. When we’re on the field, there’s no thinking involved at all. It’s react.
"If there’s a runner on second, two outs and a left-handed hitter up, we know exactly where we should be and where the ball’s probably going to go," he continued. "We never face a situation where we’re unsure. Coach Peffle and Coach (Juan) Namnun make sure we don’t have questions. When we’re thinking, bad things can happen. When we’re reacting, we make plays."
That attitude has worked, as the Pioneers have been the most successful baseball team in the city over the past three years.
But past accomplishments don’t win titles, and every member of this team knows that.
Undefeated regular seasons are nice, but championship banners are better. Reyes wants to win a title every year.
Before his arrival at Frankford, Reyes was happy just playing ball.
"Brooklyn is a lot different than Philly," Reyes said. "In Brooklyn, everyone goes to the park to play baseball. Philly is more a basketball town, but not in Brooklyn.
"I grew up playing baseball every day," Reyes added. "If it was raining, we’d play baseball. We’d take grounders, we’d do anything as long as we were playing ball. I love baseball. It’s really the only sport I know."
And being a Brooklyn native means Reyes is a huge fan of the two New York professional baseball teams.
Though he’s more of a Yankees fan, he still loves those Mets. But the Frankford resident has found himself watching a few Phillies games this season just to get his fix.
"The Phillies are my hometown team, so I see a lot of their games," he said. "I don’t really like them that much, they were the rival. But I need to watch some games, and most nights they’re the only team that’s on.
"I watch, not as a fan, but to learn. I want to pick up on things. We talk a lot of baseball. Everyone on this team loves baseball, so we watch and talk about it in school or before practice. It’s a good way to learn, and that helps us in the games."
Peffle also believes that his team’s dedication to the sport is the reason for the wins.
"These kids, you can’t get them off the field," Peffle said. "Before practice, they’re asking Juan and me to hit them some ground balls.
"And they love playing defense," he continued. "In pregame and in practice, they’re diving for balls, they’re going all out, they’re trying to get better. You can’t tell them to stay on their feet because they are so into it. They want to be good ballplayers."
Peffle is just as proud of their efforts off the field.
"We’re very fortunate because these kids aren’t just good ballplayers," he said. "We went to Yankee Stadium this year and we went to Florida during March, and everywhere we go, people say to us that we have great kids."
"We wouldn’t take these guys out if they weren’t perfect gentlemen," said Namnun, the assistant coach. "We get so many compliments about them. I feel so lucky because I have a great coach (in Peffle) to learn from and I have great kids to work with. It’s such a perfect situation for me."
Reyes’ accomplishments on the baseball field actually pale in comparison to his achievements in the classroom.
Traditionally an honor student, he received straight A’s last semester. And while he remains focused on his studies, he’s also hoping for a chance to get his third championship jacket in as many years.
"It’s getting near crunch time," Reyes said. "The playoffs are right around the corner and we have some defending to do.
"I think we have the ability to win it all, but we can be beat. Anyone can be beat," he said, "but if we play our best and we play smart, we could win it all again." ••
Sports editor Joe Mason can be reached at 215-354-3035 or jmason@phillynews.com