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Hernando Today

STAR-ring Role

Staff photo by BOB EAST III

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo, left, sings while STAR Education Center student Pat Dematteo strums the guitar during Arroyo's visit to the school Wednesday morning. Arroyo visited the school at the invitation of Marion Jones, the school's violence prevention counselor.

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: January 10, 2009

Instead of staring in at a catcher giving signs, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo found himself staring out at a gathering of intently watching students.
The former World Series champion and All-Star hurler, nearly 14 years removed now from his days of throwing pitches for Hernando High, still remains connected to his hometown of Brooksville.
So when STAR Education Center teacher Marion Jones reached out to Arroyo, who he knew going back to the Hernando Youth League, it resulted in Wednesday's Bronson Arroyo Day on campus.
"These kids here haven't had the opportunity to see a celebrity come on campus," Jones said. "I wanted to give them the opportunity to get a chance to talk to him, see he's a regular person they can talk to.
"He can give them some good information, let them know they don't have to stay in the type of environment they're in."
Arroyo, a 1995 Hernando grad, spoke a few inspirational words and answered questions between singing and playing a handful of songs on his guitar with saxophone accompaniment by Elan Trotman.
"Maybe something I do here can change people's lives," Arroyo said.
Proven commodity
It may not seem like long ago that Arroyo was a young pitcher trying to find a toehold in the big leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox.
He made 29 starts and won 10 games for the Red Sox during their magical 2004 season, culminating in a world championship.
But two years later, despite inking Arroyo to a three-year, $11.2 million contract, Boston shipped him to Cincinnati during spring training for outfielder Wily Mo Pena.
That season Arroyo made his first All-Star appearance and finished 14-11 with a 3.29 earned run average. He also posted three complete games and 184 strikeouts, both career bests.
Over the past two seasons he has a record of 24-26 with a 4.49 ERA and surpassed the 200-inning and 30-start plateaus four straight years.
In 2007 he signed a two-year extension keeping him under contract until 2010, though his name did come up in trade rumors over the summer as the Reds suffered though their eighth straight losing season.
"Everything is going all right," Arroyo said. "It's a situation where it's kind of like playing uphill. We're always behind the 8-ball with a team that doesn't have as much money as the Cubs.
"It's fun at times to come to the ballpark knowing you have to bring your 'A' game every single night to even have a chance to make the playoffs. In Boston we kind of felt like we'd fall into the playoffs."
Arroyo, 15-11 with a 4.77 ERA in 2008, went 8-4 with a 3.47 ERA after the All-Star break. He credited a newfound sinker for the boost in effectiveness.
"It got guys off my breaking ball on the outer half (of the plate)," Arroyo said.
Arroyo will turn 32 near the opening of spring training this year. Despite tossing 856.2 innings the past four years, he said he feels healthy.
"I feel I'm in the peak of my career right now," Arroyo said. "With Boston I was finding my way in the league. Now, I feel like I've established myself and the pitcher I'm going to be. I feel like I can ride it out. I feel I've got three, four, five good years in me."
Back to Boston?
Arroyo responded with a cover of Augustana's "Boston" when Superintendent Dr. Wayne Alexander, a Connecticut native, playfully asked Arroyo when he'd return to the Red Sox.
But Arroyo was indeed headed back to the New England area on Wednesday to perform an upcoming show. Before heading out to catch his flight, he signed both CDs and pictures for the STAR students.
He even invited one student in the crowd, Pat Dematteo, to come up and play "Everything Changes" by Staind.
Dematteo, who said he writes and performs his own music, strummed Arroyo's guitar and sang the lyrics with Arroyo providing background vocals.
"It's cool," Dematteo said. "Music is my life, so to have somebody come up and play an open show, it's pretty cool."
Life went back to normal soon afterward for the students as they were asked to return to class once Arroyo wrapped up his performance.
But for at least an hour they could enjoy the presence of Hernando County's biggest sports celebrity.
"All the kids sat down and paid attention," Jones said. "We had no problems. They were thrilled and very excited."

BY THE NUMBERS: BRONSON ARROYO
YR TEAM GP IP H R ER BB K W L ERA
2000 Pit 20 71.2 88 61 51 36 50 02 06 6.41
2001 Pit 24 88.1 99 54 50 34 39 05 07 5.09
2002 Pit 09 27.0 30 14 12 15 22 02 01 4.00
2003 Bos 06 17.1 10 05 04 04 14 00 00 2.08
2004 Bos 32 178.2 171 99 80 47 142 10 09 4.03
2005 Bos 35 205.1 213 116 103 54 100 14 10 4.52
2006 Cin 35 240.2 222 98 88 64 184 14 11 3.29
2007 Cin 34 210.2 232 109 99 63 156 09 15 4.23
2008 Cin 34 200.0 219 116 106 68 163 15 11 4.77
TOTAL 229 1239.2 1284 672 593 385 870 71 70 4.31

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at 352-544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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