Chad O’Malley is catching
a golden opportunity

By Joe Mason
For the Times

Playing the position was the simple part.
Suiting up, that wasn’t as easy.
Chad O’Malley is the starting leftfielder for Northeast High School’s baseball team. But last week, when franchise catcher Tim Freiling suffered an injury during Northeast’s 16-1 loss to Frankford, O’Malley was sent behind the plate.
O’Malley is a common surname for a Viking catcher. Chad’s brother, Brandon, was a star catcher before graduating in 2005. But the younger O’Malley had never played catcher in his entire life.
The kid did all right.
"I actually felt really comfortable back there even though it was my first time," O’Malley said. "But after my first inning back there, my brother had to come over and tell me that I had my leg pads on the wrong leg. It doesn’t really matter, they still work, but that was a little embarrassing.
"But it was fun to go back there," he added. "By the time I got there, the game was out of hand, so I called the game. It was fun, and if they need me back there, I’ll go. I’m an outfielder but I can play second and now I’ll play catcher. I’ll play wherever coach (Sam Feldman) needs me."
The Vikings are off to a slow start, having dropped two of their first three games. In fairness, Northeast has had a brutal schedule, downing GAMP but falling just short against George Washington, 6-5, on April 3.
"It’s been tough so far but I think when we play as a team, we’ll be fine," said O’Malley, a junior. "We have a lot of talent and we have good leaders. I think we can do well this year, it’s just been a tough start to the season."
While the Vikings have struggled, O’Malley has had a coming-out party at the plate. So far he has registered five hits (including a pair of doubles) in eight at-bats.
Last year, O’Malley was a Gold Glove-type outfielder, but at times he struggled with the stick.
"I don’t know what I hit last year, but it wasn’t .500, it was a lot lower," O’Malley said with a laugh. "I have a different mindset at the plate. Last year I kept saying to myself, ‘Hit line drives, hit line drives, hit line drives.’ This year I just say, ‘See the ball, see the ball, see the ball.’
"I feel so much better this year," he added. "I’m a lot more comfortable up there, and I think that’s the other reason I’ve been doing better."
O’Malley has always loved to hit, but we’re not talking line drives or ground balls.
His true passion comes during the fall when he plays defensive back on Northeast’s football team. At 5-feet-10 and 150 pounds, he’s not your prototypical menacing safety, but he certainly gets the job done.
"I like baseball a lot, but you don’t get the same adrenaline rush in baseball that you get in football," O’Malley said. "It’s tough to explain, I get a rush out of hitting a baseball, but it’s nothing like football. Football is so intense, that’s what I love about it."
While O’Malley has the perfect attitude for the gridiron game, he knows his size is better suited to the diamond. Still, he’s doing everything in his power to bulk up for fall.
"I lifted during the winter, but I stopped because I don’t like throwing a ball when I’m sore from lifting," O’Malley said. "I’m still trying to get bigger. If I had a choice, I would play football in college instead of baseball. I know I just have to bulk up."
O’Malley is on the right track. When he started high school, he weighed 115 pounds.
"I love cheesesteaks and wings," O’Malley said. "I eat a lot. I just have to keep eating and keep lifting and hopefully I’ll keep getting bigger." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com