B'game Baseball Alums

The Daily Journal's Terry Bernal is shining a spotlight on four B'game baseball alums who are working their way towards the majors.  

When it comes to producing next-level talent, there are no San Mateo County public schools that compare to Burlingame High School.  The Panthers saw four alumni — pitcher Vince Arobio, infielder Phil Caulfield, outfielder Jonathan Engelmann and pitcher Zac Grotz — finish the 2018 season in the affiliated minor leagues. If you count free agent major league pitcher Scott Feldman, that makes five Burlingame grads in the pro ranks.

I know a couple of these guys from my prior days as a baseball dad and coach at the BYBA level.  Kudos to Panther coach Shawn Scott as Vince notes here 

“I think it had a lot to do with that high school team,” Arobio said of the pro success. “Just playing for Shawn, he just expected more from us. And it just seemed like our group from when I was a freshman to a senior, those guys were playing (Little League) All-Star teams together and they just stuck together all the way through high school.”

The guys' achievement speaks well of the BYBA program, the coaches all along the way, Park & Rec for making the B'game fields some of the best anywhere and the Panther boosters who help out with finances.

Comments

[Joe]

We like to fill in where sports reporting isn't really locally-informed. From CBS on-line yesterday, comes news that BHS Panther alumnus and the go-to pitcher for the 2010 CCS champs has just skipped AAA ball and is on the Seattle Mariners roster in the bullpen!! Nice work, Zac
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Grotz had his contract selected from Double-A Arkansas on Wednesday.

Grotz will provide the Mariners with a fresh bullpen arm after the team traded away a pair of relievers Wednesday. The right-hander owns a solid 2.51 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 69:11 K:BB in 57.1 innings with Arkansas this season, though he's never pitched above Double-A, so expectations should be tempered for his first big-league stint.

https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/mariners-zac-grotz-earns-promotion/

[Barking Dog]

Congrats to Zac...Very cool...thanks for posting Joe
On a side note of this.... Zac is now teammates with Sam Tuivailala(Aragon Class of 2010, grew up in the Shoreview area of San Mateo)in the Seattle bullpen. On 3/24/10 Sam beat Zac head to head, 1-0 on an 1st inning unearned run.

[[email protected]]

You Guys need to contact Al Del Rossa.
EXPERT Center Fielder from Burlingame HS.

[Barking Dog]

Going back to the early 90's I see Holly...was a very good pitcher too. Played @ South Dakota State after 2 years @ CSM

[Barking Dog]

And it was Al Del Rosso...

[[email protected]]

Yes. That is correct. Al did go on scholarship to SDS. Nice Guy too. He would have gone to Triple A, however, he chose to take care of his Parents.

[Steve Kassel]

My son, who was Burlingame's basketball manager when Zac played basketball at BHS is in Seattle tonight and I'm sure he'll send me a picture of him and Zac shortly. He's the second BHS Major Leaguer; the first being Scott Feldman.

[[email protected]]

Congrats!

[Steven Kassel]

Zac got his first Major League win a few days ago as the Mariners defeated the Tigers 11-6. I found this video of Zac dunking in the Mariners locker room, Burlingame basketball days long behind him.

https://twitter.com/LookoutLanding/status/1129884080705638400

[Steve Kassel]

Zac Grotz continues to pitch well for the Mariners. Tonight, he pitched a 1 1/3 innings, giving up -0- runs and 1 hit against Cincinnati, lowering his ERA to 2.77

http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/36024/zac-grotz

[Joe]

Thanks for the continuing updates, Steve.

By the way, speaking of BHS baseball alums (and football and basketball), this event sounds like fun. Both guys are Panthers:

Warriors Outsiders Drew Shiller and Grant Liffman

Monday, October 14, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Burlingame Recreation Center, 850 Burlingame Ave.

The Burlingame Parks and Recreation Foundation has invited the hosts of NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Warriors Outsiders” to discuss the new arena in San Francisco, recent NBA player moves, and expectations for the 2019-2020 team. The cost is $20. 100% of funds will be used for Burlingame parks.

[Barking Dog]

Thanks for posting this Joe. Didn't know Grant was a BHS alum.
Awesome to see Drew and Grant doing this for the city.
Drew was the best youth athlete I've seen in 50yrs in Burlingame. Wife and I loved watching Drew and those kids on the baseball diamond. While basketball was his passion and he was able to play it at a high college level, watching him on the soccer field as a youth was like watching Pele. I truly believe he could've play baseball, football or soccer at a high collegiate level.
Not to mention a very smart kid with a Stanford education.

[KRN-BHS-What is going on?]

So what happened to the BHS of Zac, Drew, and Grant?

Today BHS is in the headlines (again and again) for "homophobic, racist and anti-Semitic graffiti."

Don't get me wrong. I taught Zac, Drew, and Grant and connected later in their lives.

Same school, same town, same families, what is going one?

BHS saga... it needs to end.

[Mom]

I personally don't put too much weight on student vandalism even of the repulsive variety like this. They are kids and mostly don't even grasp what the real meaning of what they are spraying is. It should be investigated and punished including the cost to repair it but I am much more concerned about how you are being treated as a school leader or former leader. That is adults mistreating adults.

[Mom]

Did they ever catch whoever glued the front door locks closed? That must have been an expensive repair.

[KRN-]

I spent the first seven years of my career at BHS as the Varsity Baseball coach. I had to "give up" the coaching role as I took on other duties on the campus.

The adults you (Mom) speak of (including the Board) are fearful of the Truth being released in the public. The negligence and retaliation are documented and run deep.

A friend suggested a local advocate such as Joe Cotchett be requested to get involved as he has the status and knowledge to bring about compromise. (The complete details in this case would make even his blood boil)

This was never an employment issue. My actions were taken as a BHS Parent for abuses to my child and the children of others.

What transpired after these complaints were filed is sick and disgusting.

On April 29, 2015 I settled a legal dispute with the SMUHSD regarding the issues. In the settlement, the SMUHSD mandated a complaint including the Di Yim "Dick in the Box" incident be dropped. The Board approved the settlement and the issue was brought to a close. During the settlement meeting, I expressed my concern about employment retaliation to the lawyers present.

"Don't worry, you are protected against retaliation... its illegal and a component of the settlement"

Two weeks later...

In late May 2015 Deputy Superintendent Black (a central figure in the lawsuit) retaliated against me as an employee, "Dissolving" my position as GATE Coordinator for the SMUHSD.

The following week after school was out in June, Principal Yim (another key figure in the lawsuit) issued me an employment "Letter of Concern" for assisting a disabled student and their family.

The SMUHSD has spent over $150,000 on legal and investigation expenses regarding the issues at BHS.

The story fabricated dispute with Principal Yim was "spun" to make me look like the "aggressor."

Superintendent Skelly was new, did not know the players and was informed of the BHS issues by... you guessed it...
Deputy Superintendent Black and Principal Di Yim.

A small group of BHS teaches (who were named in the legal settlement) jumped in to create a "slanderous environment" at BHS. This included making "secret" reports to Dr. Skelly convincing him that they were "scared" if Kevin Nelson were to remain at BHS. These secret "reports" were made Principal Yim resigned (and ran off to Las Vegas in a post divorce affair with an SMUHSD District Office Administrator)

A former attorney advised me, "Just be patient, they'll screw up... liars always do." So I've been patient... and the screw ups have continued.

When I was forced out of BHS, I left quietly with (1) a promise by the Board that I could return when a position become open and (2) that the Board and Administration would fix these known issues that were harming the students at BHS.

These promises were lies..

These events have come at a great financial and personal expense to the individuals and the community.

[KRN]

Since my Involuntary Transfer from BHS in 2016 I have had "employment actions" taken against me "placing me on a path to termination" when a member of the Board teamed up with an SMUHSD Administrator. The .objective- to shut me up. I was disciplined for informing a federal agency that THE SMUHSD Administrator was submitting false information.

I am currently under threat by a Directive from the SMUHSD for my continued actions of speaking out as a private citizen

Maybe if they looked at their own data, there would not have been three racial incidents on the campus in the past two years.

[Cathy Baylock]

Here is his MLB stat page...pretty darn cool!

https://www.mlb.com/player/zac-grotz-665093