Tim Daley
Outfielder Tim Daley recently completed an outstanding career at Northeastern University, where he was half of the most powerful one-two punch in America East, teaming with projected first-round draft pick, first baseman Carlos Pena.
Last year, Daley was an All-New England selection and he set Huskies’ single- season records for most runs batted in (59), hits (20), runs scored and regular season average. He also tied the school mark for most home runs in a single season with 15.
One of the first members of the South Shore Baseball Club, he still works there as assistant coach of the Seadogs’ 15 year old team. “My brother, Dave, was one of the first to join the Club. He signed up the first week it opened and I joined a month or two behind him. SSBC’s great because you can do baseball year round –play, talk, think and work out. You always run into somebody you know or heard of from the Club. Our (Northeaster) team was filled with SSBC guys this year, my roommate, Joe Paolucci, Todd Korchin, Greg Kelley, Jason Estano, Anthony Falco, Jody Corcoran and Chris Walsh.”
It is alleged that Daley has taken the most swings in SSBC’s batting cages. “I guess Frank (Niles) won’t say anything now,” he jokes, “but a lot of those swings were taken during downtime. I was just making sure the machines worked. When I was 14 and 15 years old, I worked the cages. Other than basketball, the only sport I played was baseball, so I spent a lot of time at the Club in the Fall. You can only get in so many swings during the high school season in New England and coaches were working under time restrictions. If you were in a batting slump, you couldn’t get in any extra swings. Serious baseball players never get in enough swings. SSBC’s great because it’s year round and you can always get in your swings.”
Daley batted .352 this past season including 13 (team co-leading) homers and 56 team- high RBI’s. The History and Secondary Education major would like to become a teacher and baseball coach on the South Shore, no California dreaming for him.
“I’d like to give something back to the game I got so much out of,” Tim commented. “So many guys go to the Club (SSBC) because it’s all baseball. Everybody at SSBC – Rick (DelVecchio), Frank (Niles), Kerry (Cole) and Almo (Steve Almonte) – are there because they want to help baseball players. They’re there for the love of the game, not the job.”
The last three summers Daley has spent playing for the East Bridgewater Royals in the Cranberry League. “I’m not sure if I’ll play this summer,” he added. “When my playing days are over, I want to be part of the game as a coach, and still be competitive.”
His playing days at Northeastern are over and he looks back at his stellar collegiate career with fond memories. “What I’m most proud of is being part of an America East, championship team (1997) and going to the (NCAA) regionals.” Tim concluded, “especially as a New England team against Stanford. Somebody may come around in four or five years and break my school records, but they’ll never be able to take away what we did last year. We’ll be wearing our (championship) rings at the alumni game. There’s a special bond between us, sharing a baseball championship.”
Somebody tell Tim Daley it’s time for him to get out of the batting cage.