Future Looks Bright for Tartans' John Alexander

The defending CIF Champion Glendora Tartans baseball team practiced at their home field on Wednesday afternoon in anticipation of a Baseline League contest against visiting Alta Loma, despite gray skies and sporadic rain sprinkles. Ominous weather threatened further practices the rest of the week, but the gloomy setting contrasted with first baseman John Alexander who seemed in bright spirits.

The 6-foot-six-inch senior was coming off a great game against La Salle the previous day. Despite being down 1-0 in the first inning, Glendora (5-2, 2-0) stormed back in a big way.

Alexander went 2-for-3 and walked twice as he helped spark the Tartans.

He hit a home run with two men on base on his first at bat and followed that up with a line drive which drove in two runs in his next turn at bat helping Glendora to a 9-1 advantage on their half of the opening inning. The Tartans never looked back on their way to a 17-1 win.

 “John Alexander brings an enthusiasm every day to the field, not only is he a gifted athlete, but he enjoys what he’s doing,” said Glendora Coach Dan Henley, “He comes out here every day and just makes it fun. To play this game and want to play it past high school, you better know how to make it fun and he certainly has that make-up.”

The Tartans have been having fun since winning the school’s first CIF Southern-Section Championship last June and Alexander has been a major contributor again so far this season. He hit .395 last year as a member of the title winning team and so far this season his slugging percentage is .958.

However, Alexander said he values team work over individual honors. He said he can’t remember standout games but he will remember the team work and sense of comradity once his days as a member of the Glendora team are over.

“It’s about the journey. The games were like a reward, just being out there with my teammates, it’s like being part of another family, the chemistry we have, that’s what it takes to win.”

Alexander is eligible for UC Irvine and that is where he is going to be attending school if he doesn’t get drafted high and signed elsewhere.

“He’s got some potential choices to make and they’re all very attractive choices,” said Henley.

Henley added Alexander has the respect of both his teammates and opponents. “He’s a great deal of fun to be around not only from a coaching standpoint, but all his teammates just really look up to him and pull for him.”

Teammate Brennan Salgado said the qualities that make Alexander so successful are his good leadership traits and his good character. “He has a good work ethic and personality, he’s also very funny.”

“Guys are working to get him out and they’re very focused on what he’s able to do. He has shown a great deal of patience. That’s an evolution as a hitter to say ‘I’m going to take what they give me’ and be aggressive at the same time,” said Henley.     

Alexander said he loves the game and it’s that love that drives him to achieve his ultimate goal of playing in the major leagues. He has been playing his entire life, playing ball on trips to the beach or tossing a wiffle ball in the backyard.

He’s also been described as a “very good volleyball player” but he said that sport is secondary to him, mostly as a tool for keeping in shape. Baseball is his true passion.

“There’s nothing greater than stepping in the batter’s box and staring down a pitcher, that’s the greatest feeling,” he said. “You have to have a calm mind and you have to have a kind of controlled aggressiveness.”

His advice to young players is to work hard and to not be afraid of failure, a lesson reiterated by his coaches.

“It’s a game of failure and it’s how you respond to that failure that counts. He does that, he doesn’t get a hit every time at the dish, but he deals with that quite well,” said Henley.

“It’s all about hard work,” Alexander said, “if you don’t put the work in you’re going to fail. You try to not get discouraged when you do fail, baseball is always about the next game, baseball is always about the future and that’s what you need to think about.”

The future looks good for Alexander and his Tartan teammates who are working hard to make another run at the title. With the win over La Salle, the Tartans are on a 3 game winning streak heading into today’s game and are in first place in league.

The Tartans play their next home game against Loma Linda today at 3:15 p.m., weather permitting.