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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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O'Brien's Power Display
At All-Star Game
Cements His Status Among Legion Elite
By Matt Manley
The Mercer/Bucks County American Legion Interleague All-Star game is annually held at Moody Park in Ewing, and typically features at least one Princeton player.
In most years, being selected is the highlight of the experience for Princeton Post 218 players, as the stars from the powerhouse teams of the Mercer County American Legion League (MCALL) generally steal the show.
While Post 218's Dan O'Brien was certainly thrilled to be invited to the 2004 game on July 11, this was his night to show the entire league that in addition to making it to the bright lights of Moody Park, he could also thrive under them.
In a game that otherwise lacked the flare and action of an all-star game of any type, O'Brien brought his entire repertoire to the game, going 2-3 with a homer, three RBIs, and adding two sparkling defensive plays in right field to lead Mercer to a 7-2 win in the contest.
"It feels good," said O'Brien of his performance. "You get to play with such good players, it makes you want to raise your game."
With the eyes of the entire league on him that night, the all-star game might have been O'Brien's best moment of the 2004 season, but coming through under pressure certainly isn't anything new to the Princeton right fielder.
O'Brien has been punishing opposing pitchers for the past three-and-a-half months, since the beginning of his high school season at Princeton Day School and into his summer days with Princeton Post 218.
O'Brien is relishing his emergence as one of the county's elite offensive players. "It's good to get the recognition," said O'Brien. "I feel like, hitting-wise, I am as good as anybody in the league. Having that confidence makes you better as a hitter."
After batting over .503 and hitting 5 homers for PDS this past spring, O'Brien provided an encore in Legion ball that matched his gaudy high school numbers. This summer, he batted .448 with an .836 slugging percentage, six home runs, six doubles, 25 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging) of 1.307.
O'Brien, who in his first three years at the high school and Legion levels maintained a batting average around .340, has raised his average by over 100 points while still adding to his power numbers.
O'Brien attributes the difference to developing a consistency over the long haul. "I think in the last two years I fell into a slump at the end of both years and that probably showed in my average," said O'Brien, whose is also an outstanding pitcher.
"The more games you play, the more your numbers will reflect how good you are as a player. So for me this year, I guess I was able to avoid that long slump over a short season."
After spending his first two years of high school at Princeton High School, O'Brien transferred to PDS before his junior year. It was a decision that was primarily baseball motivated.
"I wanted to start taking baseball a little more seriously," said O'Brien. "I liked Princeton High, but at PDS, there would be better facilities and a more intense atmosphere."
For O'Brien, the transition has gone smoothly and he has not regretted the move. "It was a pretty easy adjustment," said O'Brien. "I went from a relaxed atmosphere with one coach at Princeton, to having a strict workout plan, nicer facilities, four coaches, and a scout, so that was new to me."
In addition to those extra resources, O'Brien has enjoyed the brand of play at the Prep level. "I thought the competition was pretty good," maintained O'Brien. "We played Lawrenceville and Peddie who are both good. Even though we played some really bad teams that we might not see at Princeton, we played a few good teams from the CVC. But Legion is definitely a step up."
O'Brien has come a long way since he started his high school baseball career in the spring of 2002. Three high school seasons, three Legion seasons, two different high schools, three positions, and an overall total of 28 homers later, O'Brien has developed into one of the best players in the area and still has a year left to improve.
For O'Brien, overcoming the challenges he has faced has been a rewarding process. "When I first started at PHS, I didn't really know what to expect," recalled O'Brien.
"I wasn't sure what position I was going to play, and even after the season, I had played three different positions. It wasn't until this year that I got comfortable in right field. I feel settled now and I think that everything has just come together after that."
Now that O'Brien is settled at PDS, he has his sights set toward the future, one that he hopes holds continued individual improvement and a spot on a Division I roster.
"I'm not exactly sure where I want to go yet," said O'Brien. "I'm still looking at some D-I schools and keeping my options open. For next year I'd just like to improve my game and we'll see what happens."
With three years under his belt, O'Brien has made the 2004 American Legion Season his best yet, even though his team struggled its way to a 7-15 record.
O'Brien has always had to prove himself to someone throughout his three seasons. At PHS, he showed his teammates that he could star at the high school level with a stellar freshman season. He then showed that was no fluke by producing a solid sophomore campaign.
As a newcomer at PDS this spring, he showed his new teammates that he could adjust to a new league and live up to the reputation he brought from his PHS exploits.
Now, with a stellar 2004 American Legion campaign highlighted by the all-star game outburst, O'Brien has finally etched his name in the heads of all those in the MCALL that might have overlooked him for the past two years. As the number of onlookers grow, so too does Dan O'Brien.
