By Dan Haugh
Former London Badger Byron Reichstein doesn’t specifically remember his first game of T-Ball in St. Thomas when he was three or four, but he does remember that he wasn’t the greatest player, but he tried. “I would swing until I hit the ball, and then I would take off running. It was something I did for fun. I never thought it would get me as far as I am today.” said Reichstein.
It certainly has brought Byron a long way and he is once again proof of the old adage … ‘Hard Work Equals Success.’
Reichstein is currently attending Texarkana C.C. in Texarkana, Texas on a baseball scholarship where he will face new challenges as he moves along on his journey to reach his goal of playing baseball at the highest level possible. With his determination and work ethic it is almost certain that Byron will overcome these latest obstacles as he has with just about everything that he has encountered along the path that is his baseball career.
Byron Reichstein capped off his London Badger career by being named the Baseball Ontario Adult Player of The Year in November. A big reason for receiving this award was a list of very impressive statistics in 2011 that included a .404 batting average, six home runs, 61 RBI, 77 runs scored, and 38 stolen bases. Byron was an important part of the Midget Badgers teams that won Bronze in 2010 and Gold in 2011 at the Baseball Canada Midget Championships. He was also a member of the 2010 Ontario Youth Team that brought home a silver medal from the Canada Cup where he was named to the Junior National Team.
Reichstein became the fourth Midget Badger to win the Baseball Ontario Adult Player of The Year Award. Previous winners were Chris Robinson, Jamie Romak and Ryan Zimmer. Robinson and Romak who won in back-to-back years (2001 and 2002) are currently playing professional baseball and along with another former Badger Brock Kjeldgaard were members of Team Canada’s Gold Medal winning team at the recent Pan American Games in Mexico. Zimmer who was the 2009 Player of The Year is in his second year at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Badger Head Coach Mike Lumley commented on Byron’s season and what he believes helped him win the Player of The Year Award, “Statistically, Byron had a tremendous season, but it is his relentless pursuit to become the best, that makes him most deserving of this award. He spent countless hours in the gym and at Centrefield Sports to ensure that he was stronger, faster and just plain better than his opponents.”
Mike went on to talk about Byron’s work ethic, “Since Rookie ball I could always see the potential that Byron had. He wasn't always the best hitter nor did he have the best arm, but he could definitely run fast. When he started with the Badgers at the Pee Wee level it was much of the same… average bat and arm, but he could run like the wind. Right around the age of 16 is when there was a distinct change in both his physical and his mental approach. He started to work harder toward the sport of baseball by lifting weights and doing the extra work outside the normal Badger training times. It paid off through his 90+ mph arm speed, his 6.7 sec 60 yard running time and his batting average climbing to a consistent .400 + average. Hard work definitely paid off!”
Byron spoke about the challenges that college life away from home presents, “College is no walk in the park. Living away from home and playing baseball is tough. Add school to that and it makes it nearly impossible. Being in a different country is pushing impossible, but it has made me a better person. I have to focus on what I need to do in order to make myself a better person and ball player. It’s not easy going out and shopping for yourself or washing dishes or getting yourself up at 5:15 a.m. for workouts, but it is something I have become a custom to, everyday in college. Once you are here it’s easy, but getting here is the hard part.” He continued to talk about campus life in Texarkana which is a city slightly larger than his hometown of St. Thomas, Ontario. It sits on the Texas-Arkansas state line with the main street of the city being State Line Avenue, “The campus here at Texarkana is very beautiful. It is right in the middle of the city and is very convenient to get to things. College life is a drastic difference. You must be a person who has good time management or it will be tough. I like it so far, and I have met many great guys. I have learned a lot about living on my own. For example, grocery shopping, cleaning up after myself, doing laundry and just getting from place to place. Also, waking up at 5 a.m. has made it easier for me because now my body is fully awake by the time class starts, and no worrying about being half asleep still. School is not a breeze, because there are no off days to play around with. It’s go to school or deal with coach. College is almost like a job. You get up, workout, get ready for school, go to school, come home and do homework. It is a set routine 4 days a week.”
Byron also spoke about his Badger career and what it means to him to win the Baseball Ontario Player of the Year Award, “The highlights of my badger career would have to be winning the Championships with the group of kids I grew up with. We were a goofy bunch, and we came a long way together. My favourite highlight would definitely be the National Championship the Badger organization won. It means the most to me because the older guys can say we won the last game we ever played as a London Badger, and it was for the National Championship. Winning this award means a lot to me because I know that the previous winners from the Badgers are pretty successful in their careers, and I want to be the same one day. Chris and Jamie are currently in the pros and Ryan is in University. I don’t want to be anything short of what they are. I hope to one day be in the shoes of Chris and Jamie doing what I love for a living.”
“My time with the Badger organization has taught me a lot about myself. I never knew that I would make it as far as I have so far. I became a competitor on the field. I would challenge myself, and push myself further and further. It also has taught me that you can’t always let the negative things get to you. Sometimes you just have to let things slide and learn from your mistakes. I played in the Badger organization for six years and went through many ups and downs as a ball player. As I got older and more mature, I realized how to handle myself on the field while going through a rough time. Mike Lumley always told me that, "No matter what happens, when you step on the field you are here to play baseball". That has gotten me a long way in baseball because he is right… No matter what happens, once I get my cleats on and grab my glove, my mind is on baseball 100%.” Byron said.
Byron is quick to praise his coaches for pushing him to the successes he has achieved. Specifically Mike Lumley who was his coach since Major Pee Wee and Adam Stern who Byron worked closely with at Centrefield Sports over the past few years.
“Mike made me believe in myself and it made me realize that I am better than I thought I was. I am capable of more than I could have ever imagined. Mike worked hard for us. He never let us down. Mike is a great coach and nobody can ever take that away from him.” Byron says.
Byron said that his short term goals include doing well on his exams and becoming a better and stronger baseball player while his longer term goals are to have a successful spring season with his Bulldog teammates and make it to Grand Junction for the JUCO World Series and hopefully get drafted out of college as a freshman.
“Next summer I hope to continue playing baseball down here in the south for a summer collegiate team to get more exposure for my career as a baseball player. It would be nice to come home and play for my hometown and in front of friends and family with the St. Thomas Tomcats, but sometimes you have to make big sacrifices and I'm willing to give up my summer from home in order to pursue my baseball goals.”
Byron summed things up by saying, “I still love baseball, whether I'm wearing the Badger maroon and white or Texarkana Blue and Gray.”
There is no telling how far Byron Reichstein’s baseball career will take him in the future, but there is no doubt that he knows what it will take him to get him to where he wants to be.
HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION!