Baseball player with Douglas ties moving on

By Bruce Whetten
Douglas Dispatch
Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 1:25 PM MDT


A baseball player with Douglas ties left Monday to Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL., suburb outside of Chicago, where he will play baseball on a full ride scholarship


Frankie Daniel Jr., graduated this past May from Catalina High School in Tucson.

Frankie is the son of the late Frankie Daniel Sr., a former Douglas Bulldog who was tragically killed in an auto accident outside of the Bisbee tunnel in 2005.

Daniel’s two sons Frankie Jr. and Julian, are using baseball as a way to honor their father.

Frankie Sr. graduated from Douglas High School in 1983 having played for Jaime Tadeo and Mike Foster his four years at DHS. From here he went on to play baseball at Cochise College, Barton Community College in Kansas and at New Mexico State University.

Frankie Jr. hit .436, had 35 RBI’s and 10 homeruns for Catalina this past season. He made first team all-region and second team all-southern Arizona.

“His senior year was the best ever,” his mom Kim Valenzuela said. “If you would have asked me three years ago if Frankie was going to play college ball, I would have said no way. After the death of his father, Frankie took it the hardest and he had a real hard time getting through it.  I struggled to keep him out of trouble so my goal was to get him to graduate high school so imagine how I feel knowing that he is going to college.”

Kim said baseball kept his father alive in his heart and it will carry him through now to college.

“We are all very proud of Frankie,” Kim said, “it's just amazing.”

Julian will be a senior this year at Catalina and he is hoping to follow his brother to the next level.

Family members still reside in Dougla

Copyright © 2012 Douglas Dispatch

Comments

    what wrote on Aug 12, 2009 10:39 PM:

    " good for him but have we seriously ran out of things to fill up our local sports page with? i know of two former BULLDOGS (2008) who are moving on to a Minnesota Ju.College to play ball this school year. I mean, poor kid(Daniel Jr.) im sure hes been through alot but he has a bad attititude and is really hot headed. how about we recognize our local baseball players first? im just saying. "

    chuey duarte wrote on Aug 12, 2009 3:21 PM:

    " Congratulations to Frankie Jr. and Kim and family.
    It is always great to read good stories like that.
    Best wishes. "

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