Farinacci: Nothing But Class

"Having more challenges keeps our dreams alive. It keeps
us forever young. Lose your dreams and you get old. Lose
your dreams and you get forever stale."

--Rick Pitino, from his book "Success is a Choice."

Somehow, I can never picture Anthony Farinacci getting old.

He, like Rick Pitino, will be forever young.

Farinacci will never get stale. His challenges do keep his dreams alive.

Somehow, I still visualize this 30-year-old back at Glendale, AZ. High, being a leader on both the football and baseball. As a matter of fact, playing football this 5-foot-10, 178-pounder could hardly catch his breath. This charismatic little man never left the field.

He was living out his boyhood dreams playing both quarterback and cornerback. He was both the hitter and hittee. Or being the baseball team's catalyst at third base. He would later play for baseball Grand Canyon College, where his teammates were Chad Curtice (New York Yankees), and Tim Salmon (Anahiem Angels). That's where the major league scouts would tease him and leave him with unfilled promise.

They are a memory now, another undrafted major league draft casualty.

"I'll have to admit that I was bummed when I didn't get drafted," explained Farinacci, who hit .392 his junior year, and .376 as a senior. "I knew the book on me. The scouts told me I was a slow third baseman with no power. Sure, that set me back. But you have to deal with realities. And the reality was I wasn't ever going to 'The Show.'"

Farinacci didn't quit on himself.

His pain and failure could have weighed heavily on his soul. He had enough faith in himself to change his life's focus. If he didn't have the discipline to conquer any demons and grow, it would have been like a Cancer inside him that he wouldn't have been able to snuff out on command.

Call it pride. 

For him, it was like life's highway had a peeble in the road. Not a huge bump. Instead, like he puts it, "I finished college and got a degree in business." But still, he couldn't see himself behind a desk wearing a suit.

He searched for other dreams. Or other avenues.

Enter the Tucson, Az., sheriff's department. He became a patrolman like he prowls the hot corner in softball. Like a cat with nine lives. And he started playing men's major fastpitch softball for his dad, Tony, and Herb Wisdom with Si Senor.

Five years later, Anthony and his wife, Chalice, haven't really changed. Just their surroundings have. Just his latest dream has.

Instead of living in Tucson, he lives in El Paso, Texas. Instead of being a patrolman, he finally wears an Armani. Well . . .maybe not an Armani, but a suit just the same.

He is a goverment investigator. That's high cheese.

And he not only switched to a suit, Farinacci dawned a new softball uniform this year with the Broken Bow Travelers.

"I guess, I am no different than anyone else," mused Farinacci. "I wanted the best opportunity I could have to win the (ISC) world championship. I want a ring. That's always been a dream.

"Playing for Si Senor, we weren't going to win the ISC. We didn't have the budget. You always have to factor that into the equation, because you have to have the pitching. We didn't. But I'm grateful that my dad and Herb gave me the opportunity to play at this level.

"I didn't accept any money to switch to the Travelers. As a matter of fact, I had to get approval from my dad and Herb to play for the Travelers. It was a dream to play for another team. But they didn't call. When 'Doc' Simmons called me with the opportunity, I just simply said yes. It's one of the best moves I could make to further my softball career.

"We're going to be contenders. We have the pitching, and our with our schedule, we'll be playing the top ranked teams each weekend. I take this game pretty serious. It's not just a weekend trip with me. If I'm going to play at this level, I'm going to be the best I can."

Farinacci has earned respect. He's no longer a blue-chip prospect. He's one of the best. He's a good soldier. A warrior. For Team Travelers, he's the little engine that can. All Simmons will have to do is pencil him in his lineup for the next five years.

Or least the time until the .356 lifetime hitter fulfils his dream.

"I've always wanted to be able to play on the Pan American team, but I couldn't this year, because I have just changed jobs. I couldn't afford to take those 10 days off this summer," explained Anthony.

Guess what. He'll get his chance. It's just a matter of time. Another dream. And he'll never be stale. To many worlds to conquer. To many dreams to fulfill.

His passion for life and zeal for the game keeps him on a level plain.

And for him, his dream is just starting.

Editor's Note:
DAN PATTISON has been a sports writer and columnist for over 30 years with The Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, Las Vegas Sun, The Sporting News, Basketball Times & USA Today.  He is currently enjoying his association with men's major fastpitch and as an ISC Commissioner.