Improvement
is in the Cards

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Mark McGuinn knew it likely was going to be a rough start.
McGuinn, a senior and righthanded pitcher on the Cardinal Dougherty High School baseball team, was aware that his team lacked experience.
He knew depth was an issue with this team and he realized that his Cardinals were probably going to struggle this year, especially in the early going, while playing against the top teams in the Catholic League.
He also knew, with this being his last year of high school, that he was determined to go out and have fun.
Dougherty opened the Catholic League Northern Division schedule with five straight losses. In fact, most were of the not-so-close variety. If this rocky start weighs heavily on Mark McGuinn, you can’t tell from his smile.
"We’re doing really well," said the Rhawnhurst resident, who plays shortstop when he’s not on the mound. "You can’t tell from the scores, but when you’re out there every day, you can see how much we’re improving.
"And it is fun to see," he added. "It’s great, actually. We’re not going to lose every game, we’re going to start winning. And there are a lot of young guys on this team, so they’re going to be good, hopefully sometime this year."
McGuinn, who competed in tennis, soccer and basketball in his younger days, decided to focus on baseball when he entered Dougherty. That proved a wise decision — he was called up to the varsity squad midway through his sophomore campaign and has been a mainstay, both on the mound and in the infield.
Despite McGuinn’s presence, the Cardinals have struggled.
Mightily.
Dougherty has not made the playoffs since 1992.
The team has lost at least 10 games every season since 2003, including a winless campaign last year.
The goal, of course, is to win. But you can’t knock effort.
"Baseball is a sport where you need experience, talent and luck," McGuinn said. "I think the talent is definitely here. We have a lot of talented players. Now we’re starting to get the other things.
"We knew it would take a lot of work, and we’re putting that in right now," he said. "It’s fun to see us go from a team that’s not too good to a good team. We’re growing and getting better every day."
McGuinn knows all about overcoming challenges. He decided to attend Dougherty because he earned an academic scholarship when he was in grade school. Because of that, McGuinn’s classes are all on the highest track. He’s even in the process of taking advanced-placement courses.
Tough work, but no sweat.
"School comes kind of easy for me," said McGuinn, who regularly gets first honors and ranks in the top 10 percent of his class at Dougherty. "I mean, I have to work, but I like studying, I like learning. It’s like baseball, it’s a challenge."
Next fall he’ll be moving on to West Chester University to study physics.
"That’s my favorite subject, really," he said with a laugh. "I’ve always liked science. I’m not exactly sure what I want to do (after college), but I do want to walk on to the baseball team there and give it a shot. We’ll see how that goes."
Last summer, McGuinn spent a lot of time on the baseball field, but he wasn’t on the mound or playing shortstop. He was actually standing a few feet behind home plate.
"They needed an umpire for seven- and eight-year-olds," McGuinn said. "I had a lot of fun. The only bad parts were some of the coaches and some of the parents.
"In one game, a coach kept yelling and screaming, so I had to throw him out," he said. "I didn’t want to do it . . . I mean, it was a kids game. But after I did it, I kind of felt powerful."
It’s not unlike the feeling he gets on the mound.
McGuinn has a pitching arsenal that includes a vicious fastball, a curve, a changeup and a slider. He’s always refining his old pitches and developing new ones. Ideally, he’d love to continue his pitching career next year.
But if he doesn’t play at West Chester, he’ll be back at Dougherty, cheering on his old mates. He hopes he can leave them with a blueprint for success.
"I really want to win a few, not one, a couple," McGuinn said. "I think we can beat anyone if we play our best. We haven’t put it all together yet, but if we do, I really think we can surprise some teams." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com