- July 2012
Personal Statement
My name is Patrick Brennan, and I am a catcher from Erie, PA. I take pride in my academic abilities. Throughout my high school career, I have been on Honor Roll every quarter, and have maintained a 3.9 GPA as well as a 4.3 weighted GPA. During my freshman and sophomore year, I took multiple advanced classes: Adv. English 9, Adv. English 10, Adv. American Cultures 1, Adv. American Cultures 2, Adv. Computer 2, and Adv. Integrated Science. I even took an upperclassmen Physics course and an eleventh grade health course my sophomore year. Going into my Junior Year, I am scheduled to take AP Biology, AP Psychology, AP English 11, and Adv. World Cultures, as well as a few more classes. I have also taken 2 years of Spanish, and plan on going all the way through to Spanish 4.
I am also a very involved student in the school. I have been part of the baseball team for two years, lettering both years, the football team two years, lettering my sophomore year, and I am also involved in student government. My sophomore year, I was the class secretary, and was in charge of keeping notes at class meetings. I was also on spirit committee and helped plan events such as pep rallies, spirit days, and fundraisers. Going into my junior year, I will be the Student Council Vice President. Being Vice President will help me develop leadership skills, and will also give me a chance to meet the student body and be more actively involved in their education process and help make their high school career enjoyable.
Crouching behind home plate is my second home, with the right handed batter's box being my third. I feel confident and comfortable batting against any pitcher a team has, and I am not intimidated by anyone. I go into the box with the sole purpose of driving the ball and getting a job done. Whether it is moving runners over, driving a run in, or even putting down a sacrifice bunt, I try to do what is best for the team. I played in all 21 of my high school games this year starting 20 of them, while hitting in the middle of the order, and leading the team in RBI's and extra base hits. The accomplishment I am most proud of however, was winning the team's Golden Glove Award. I take a lot of pride in my defense, and work on that aspect of my game more than anything else. I work on drills that will increase my foot work, release, blocking, receiving, and most skills involved with catching. Just recently, I was named a 2013 Pre-Season Under Armour All American.
As a catcher, you need to be the "quarterback" of the team. You, as a catcher, are the only person that can see the entire field in one look. You need to take charge of the game, and be a strong leader on the diamond. You also need to be the most mentally tough player on your team. I feel like I contain all these necessary skills to play the position at the next level. I feel that I have the highest "Baseball I.Q." of anyone I know, and my decision making and leadership ability is exactly what a team needs behind the plate. When it comes to working with pitchers, there is no one better. Usually, a battery is formed with a catcher and maybe one or two pitchers on the team, but I feel that I have that with every pitcher I work with. I know their strengths and weaknesses. I know what pitch they want to throw in certain situations. I know their body language and how they react to situations. When we come in from the field after an inning, I immediately talk to my pitcher about what he thinks about a certain batter or what pitches are feeling good, and which ones we should use sparingly. My pitchers trust me, and that is why I feel we have obtained so much success. Finally, I was recently invited to play for the Baseball Factory National Team, so I take pride in that as well.
Finally, I feel that I am a great teammate to have around. I bring a fun, energetic, and exciting attitude to the game, while still possessing the seriousness and drive to win that is needed to compete at a high level. I feel I bring good character to any team, because I have a strong work ethic, a desire to win, and a love and respect for the game.
You can see some verified numbers through the Baseball Factory website, http://members.baseballfactory.com/player/52054/
Also through Paramount Scouting http://www.paramountscouting.com/results/results.php?SCID=000214
