Shown here standing in at the dish against Millis this past spring, Jack Goodman (pictured) will be one of three Medfield High athletes taking part in the A Shot For Life Home Run Derby this upcoming weekend at Austin Prep in Reading. Photos by Mike Flanagan.
By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
There is nothing more important than responding to the call for help. On September 4 and 5 at Austin Prep in Reading, that is exactly what Medfield's Jack Goodman, Bitsy Crowley and Kaelyn Larkin will do in the A Shot For Life Home Run Derby to benefit cancer research.
Goodman, a rising senior at Medfield and a Pepperdine commit, will compete on Saturday in the baseball derby at 7 p.m. A shortstop, Goodman is a reigning TVL All-Star and All-Scholastic honorable mention. Meanwhile, Larkin and Crowley will take part in Sunday's softball derby at noon. Larkin enters off the heels of a phenomenal all-scholastic-worthy freshman season that saw her bat .700 with 10 home runs and 54 RBI with 15 stolen bags. Crowley, who is also a reigning TVL All-Star in softball, will take a short break from training in order to compete in Sunday's derby. Crowley is a multi-sport star and is set to serve as a co-captain and the starting goalie for Medfield High field hockey this fall.
"It's an honor and privilege to be put in this position," said Goodman on being selected. "The home run derby is going to be a blast, but at the end of the day, what really matters is to being able to help and raise money for cancer research."
So, how did this trio of sluggers end up in this position?
"They got our information and reached out to us," said Goodman. "They choose some of the best hitters from all across the state for both baseball and softball, and to be included in that really is an honor. We went through a two-month interview process and if you're selected then you have to raise $1,000 as a pledge for the event. So, we're all hoping to do that and I think it's going to be a really special event with all of the kids out there and the patients who are coming. It's all for a great cause and its really all about them and we just want to put on a show for them."
A GoFundMe has been set up to allow anybody to donate to the cause: https://www.gofundme.com/f/gfjbg-asfl-home-run-derby. Upon donation, people can choose which competitor they would like to donate on behalf of.
As for the competition itself, a humbled Goodman says he just hopes to have some fun and help make it a good event.
"I'm going against some really good guys," said Goodman. "Home runs aren't really my game but I definitely am going to give it my best shot."
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as video highlights of games, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram handles @flano0.
