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Novi Wildcat
Football Rap

by Bernie Fratto

Novi's own
M & M

8/29/2006

The first time I saw Novi’s Mitch Maier on the athletic field was as a QB for the Novi Wildcats. He rolled right, escaped a linebacker and his pursuit angle, squared up and threw a bullet to his Tight End for a first down.

Running out of the option, on the next play he made a quick read on a fake handoff involving a simple fullback dive over the right tackle, kept the ball and motored up-field for about 15 yards.

Needless to say, the first impression he made as a football player was great, and as an overall athlete, it was even more impressive. When the defense took the field, Maier showed his athleticism as a Strong Safety. Given his ability to find the ball, fill a gap and make sure tackles, he impressed me as the type of athlete that could about whatever you needed him to do… And at that time, I didn’t even know he played baseball.

Well into his senior year, he had yet to commit to anyone on the collegiate level, when Michigan Football Coach Lloyd Carr reached out to him, offering him a spot as a preferred walk-on to wear the maize and blue as a Wolverine… on the gridiron.

There is no doubt in my mind he would’ve made the team, and perhaps he might have played against USC in the Rose Bowl two years ago, but something better happened.

He was offered a baseball scholarship at the University of Toledo, and almost immediately established himself as a force in the tough MAC conference. As a freshman, he hit over .300, and earned All-conference honors, as well as Honorable Mention on the Freshman All-American Team.

By his junior year, he was not only a bona-fide prospect, he was also a finalist for the prestigious ‘Johnny Bench Award.’ In June 2003, he was drafted in the 1st round by the Kansas City Royals, the same organization that featured the likes of George Brett and Bo Jackson. By the way, that Jackson guy was a pretty good football player too…

Today, Maier remains a prize prospect in the Royals organization, and is currently in Double-A, playing for the Wichita Wranglers. Along the way, as he did in football, Maier has shown his versatility, playing multiple positions including catcher, first base, right field, and now he even starts in centerfield. He is in fact, viewed by some as the best defensive outfielder in the organization.

Royals’ Minor-League High Desert Affiliate GM Bruce Mann spoke about Novi’s own Mitch Maier in the following terms; “He is a consummate professional, he comes to the ballpark everyday ready to play, and play hard. Watching Mitch in the outfield, you would assume he was born in the grass with a glove in his hand.”

Someday Maier may patrol centerfield in the big leagues, just like he patrolled centerfield for the Novi Wildcats on defense, tracking down ballcarriers, just like he tracks down fly balls today.

And it all started right here on the gridiron… in Wildcat Country.

Bernie Fratto's column appears right here each week during the football season.

Bernie is a member of the Minor League Baseball Alumni Association and in his former life, he spent time in the Cincinnati Reds Farm System. He is an accomplished Freelance writer, and sought after keynote speaker, appearing often at Award Ceremonies, Athletic Banquets, and Company functions.

He is passionate about sports and the life-lessons they teach. "Behind every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real human beings," Fratto said..."And these athletic endeavors often serve as a metaphor for the game we call life."

Bernie is also on the broadcast team at Live 97.1FM talk-radio, and is a frequent co-host on the popular "Parker & The Man Show," a nightly sportstalk show which airs Monday-Friday from 7-11pm.

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