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| Jeff Cirillo thanks the audience as he is honored at Providence High on Thursday |
The 1986 Providence baseball team and standout Major Leaguer Jeff Cirillo, who had his number retired, honored in ceremony by school
By Jeff Tully
Jeff Cirillo has enjoyed a cavalcade of success throughout his years in baseball.
The Providence High graduate was taken in the Major League Baseball draft out of high school, but chose to go to USC. He helped lead the Trojans to a Pacific-10 Conference championship in 1991, earned all-conference honors and was the team's most valuable player.
He has gone on to a successful 13-year professional career with four teams and is a two-time all-star. At one point, he was one of the top-hitting third basemen in baseball.
However, among all of his awards, accolades and fine accomplishments he has received over the years, Cirillo still has a special place for achievement, which occurred early in his career.
In 1986, Cirillo was a member of the Providence baseball team that went 23-3 and captured a CIF Southern Section Small Schools championship. He was a standout pitcher on a squad that defeated Linfield Christian to win the title.
It was the first CIF championship at the school, and to this day, no team — in any sport — has been able to win another one.
Cirillo and the championship team were honored Thursday evening at a ceremony at Providence. He had his Pioneer No. 27 retired and two banners were unveiled in the school's gym saluting the squad and Cirillo.
Cirillo said he was touched and honored to be recognized at the event, which featured some of the players and coaches from the 1986 team.
"I really love this school, and I am truly thankful to be honored along with my teammates," said Cirillo, 37. "Providence was a special place for me and many of the teachers and coaches I had at the school helped groom my life and helped serve as mentors to me.
"It is truly a blessing for me to be here and have my jersey retired in front of the school.
"I look at some of the people who came out [Thursday], especially my teammates, and it touches my heart to see all of them here. It's been 20 years since I have seen some of them, and we just picked up our conversation like we had just been teammates yesterday. Some of these guys are like brothers to me."
Along with individuals associated with the championship baseball team, a large crowd of Providence students and parents were in attendance for the event. Also present were Cirillo's parents, aunt and his Little League coach.
He thanked his parents for helping him throughout his life.
As Cirillo spoke to the audience, he made it a point to thank another person who was special to him, Paul Sutton. Sutton was a former Providence athletic director who coached Cirillo in basketball at the school. The two remained close friends after Cirillo graduated, until 1999 when Sutton passed away of colon cancer at age 41.
"There is one person I want to thank, although he's not here right now, but he is looking down on us right now," Cirillo said. "He was probably the one teacher at the school who really pushed me to be a better student, a better person and a great baseball player. He is in heaven now, and that person is Paul Sutton.
"Paul will always be a friend to me."
Cirillo wasn't the only standout on the 1986 team. In fact, the squad had its share of talent, including three players who earned Division I college scholarships. Adam Grant, Cirillo's brother, and Steve Ross played at UC Santa Barbara. Five players were also honored with All-CIF awards.
However, Cirillo was the star. He won 12 games as a pitcher that year and is still fourth on the all-time Southern Section list with 40 career wins. Although it was been 20 years since he's played, Cirillo is among the top 10 in four categories.
Ross and Cirillo go back to their playing days competing in the North Hollywood Little League. Ross said there was one thing that made his teammate stand out among other players.
"Jeff committed himself 100% to making it, and he did," Ross said. "He had a lot of God-given talent, but he made it happen."
Said teammate Doug Ferrante: "There were a lot of guys on our team that had the tools to succeed. But Jeff actually worked a lot harder."
Cirillo's Coach, Marc Saraceno, said it was evident that Cirillo was a special player when he was at Providence.
"The way he knocked the ball around, it was evident that Jeff had a lot of talent," Saraceno said. "You could tell that he had the tools, and that he was going to go on to better things."
Cirillo, who signed in December with the Minnesota Twins, summed up Thursday's event in his own humble style.
"This means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to the guys who I played with a Providence," he said. "I have a special place in my heart for Providence."
The Providence High graduate was taken in the Major League Baseball draft out of high school, but chose to go to USC. He helped lead the Trojans to a Pacific-10 Conference championship in 1991, earned all-conference honors and was the team's most valuable player.
He has gone on to a successful 13-year professional career with four teams and is a two-time all-star. At one point, he was one of the top-hitting third basemen in baseball.
However, among all of his awards, accolades and fine accomplishments he has received over the years, Cirillo still has a special place for achievement, which occurred early in his career.
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It was the first CIF championship at the school, and to this day, no team — in any sport — has been able to win another one.
Cirillo and the championship team were honored Thursday evening at a ceremony at Providence. He had his Pioneer No. 27 retired and two banners were unveiled in the school's gym saluting the squad and Cirillo.
Cirillo said he was touched and honored to be recognized at the event, which featured some of the players and coaches from the 1986 team.
"I really love this school, and I am truly thankful to be honored along with my teammates," said Cirillo, 37. "Providence was a special place for me and many of the teachers and coaches I had at the school helped groom my life and helped serve as mentors to me.
"It is truly a blessing for me to be here and have my jersey retired in front of the school.
"I look at some of the people who came out [Thursday], especially my teammates, and it touches my heart to see all of them here. It's been 20 years since I have seen some of them, and we just picked up our conversation like we had just been teammates yesterday. Some of these guys are like brothers to me."
Along with individuals associated with the championship baseball team, a large crowd of Providence students and parents were in attendance for the event. Also present were Cirillo's parents, aunt and his Little League coach.
He thanked his parents for helping him throughout his life.
As Cirillo spoke to the audience, he made it a point to thank another person who was special to him, Paul Sutton. Sutton was a former Providence athletic director who coached Cirillo in basketball at the school. The two remained close friends after Cirillo graduated, until 1999 when Sutton passed away of colon cancer at age 41.
"There is one person I want to thank, although he's not here right now, but he is looking down on us right now," Cirillo said. "He was probably the one teacher at the school who really pushed me to be a better student, a better person and a great baseball player. He is in heaven now, and that person is Paul Sutton.
"Paul will always be a friend to me."
Cirillo wasn't the only standout on the 1986 team. In fact, the squad had its share of talent, including three players who earned Division I college scholarships. Adam Grant, Cirillo's brother, and Steve Ross played at UC Santa Barbara. Five players were also honored with All-CIF awards.
However, Cirillo was the star. He won 12 games as a pitcher that year and is still fourth on the all-time Southern Section list with 40 career wins. Although it was been 20 years since he's played, Cirillo is among the top 10 in four categories.
Ross and Cirillo go back to their playing days competing in the North Hollywood Little League. Ross said there was one thing that made his teammate stand out among other players.
"Jeff committed himself 100% to making it, and he did," Ross said. "He had a lot of God-given talent, but he made it happen."
Said teammate Doug Ferrante: "There were a lot of guys on our team that had the tools to succeed. But Jeff actually worked a lot harder."
Cirillo's Coach, Marc Saraceno, said it was evident that Cirillo was a special player when he was at Providence.
"The way he knocked the ball around, it was evident that Jeff had a lot of talent," Saraceno said. "You could tell that he had the tools, and that he was going to go on to better things."
Cirillo, who signed in December with the Minnesota Twins, summed up Thursday's event in his own humble style.
"This means a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to the guys who I played with a Providence," he said. "I have a special place in my heart for Providence."
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