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Local Teen Pitches No Hitter

photo provided Fourteen year old Dylan Raymond pitched a no hitter against Mt. Abraham at the June 29 game. Dylan loves the sport of baseball and is excited about the games at a district and state level still to be played in the summer season!

Tuesday July 12, 2011

By Cookie Steponaitis

For many Americans baseball is more than a summer passion. It is a way of life. For Dylan Raymond, baseball began as T-Ball when he was five years old at Ferrisburgh Central School. He played T-Ball for two years and then moved on to the Minors Little League for Vergennes Area Youth League. At the age of nine he continued to move up to the Major Leagues and played for more years making the All-Star team each year at the District 1 tournament level. Currently, Dylan is on the Vergennes Babe Ruth Team and was pitching for the June 29, 2011 game between VUHS and Mt. Abraham, when he pitched a no hitter.

“As a pitcher the main thing I work on is locating my fastball,” shared Dylan “If you can't throw your fastball for strikes you will be giving up a lot of walks. I also work on developing my off speed pitches and breaking balls, like the curveball and the split fingered fastball. If you have a hard fastball and can throw these other pitches effectively you will be a tough pitcher to hit. I love all aspects of the game, playing defense, pitching and batting. I also like all of the people that I have met and the friends I have made with people on and off my team.” Sitting in the stands that day were his parents Andrew and Laurie Raymond who have watched their son through all of his games over the years and were glued to the events on the field, not only because of Dylan’s pitching a no hitter, but because of the intense play between both teams. The rivalry between VUHS and Mt Abe teams dates back decades and showcased talents of all the players present. “The game was a great game to watch and probably the best game we've seen all year,” shared Laurie Raymond. “Both teams had great pitching and played great defense. It was a close game which in my opinion are the most fun and exciting games to watch. We are very proud of Dylan.”

While the no hitter was an incredible mixture of emotions for Dylan and all present, Dylan’s immediate thoughts turned to the All Star tournaments coming up and the games his team still has to play in this summer season. “At the end of the game I was a mixture of emotions.” remarked Dylan. “I was happy, excited, and relieved to have finally pitched a no hitter. It took a little while to finally sink in what I had done. It was a great feeling to know that all of the hard work I have put into this sport for years has finally paid off. I have to thank my teammates for the offensive and defensive support that they gave me over the course of the game, also my coaches Lee Hodsden, Kevin Hayes and of course my dad Andrew Raymond. I'm lucky to be able to play with such a talented group of guys, and I look forward to seasons to come with these teammates. Our tournament plays starts July 8th and if we win districts we move on to states the following weekend.”             

Like many parents with their children in sports, the Raymonds see much more happening on the field than a winning score or a great set of baseball skills. “We think Dylan has gotten many things from his years on many team,” remarked both his parents. “He’s made a lot of friends. He’s learned a lot about respect for teammates, coaches, umpires, opposing teams, and fans. He’s also learned that focus and hard work can pay off. We hope that the lessons he has learned from sports he can apply to his life and career as he becomes an adult.”

As summer rolls into fall, Dylan and his teammates will again take the fields of local high schools in a variety of sports including basketball, soccer and when winter snows have left the area and buds again welcome Vermont into full bloom, they will become the boys of summer baseball, igniting crowds with winning plays and learning lessons that go beyond the sport of baseball and into the lives they will life as citizens. The Valley Voice salutes Dylan Raymond, his teammates and all the athletes who call America’s game part of their lives.

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