Strongsville’s Gallas is Living The Dream

GOODYEAR, AZ – Anthony Gallas’ dream started on a Little League field in Strongsville.

Today, the 23-year-old is playing on a beautifully manicured diamond at the Cleveland Indians’ spring training camp. He’s living the dream cherished by millions and reached by a finite few. 

“I grew up during those great years in the 1990s, when the Indians had Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, Jim Thome and all those great players,” Gallas said. “They were my heroes.”

Naturally, he tried to copy their style as he played on the local fields. He starred for Stallions Baseball, one of the top travel programs in the area. He had fun, but most of all he had success – culminating in a senior season a in which he hit .415 to help the Mustangs win the 2006 state championship in Division I.

“Nobody believed in us,” Gallas recalled during a mid-day break at the Indians’ camp. “But the first day of training that year, coach (Josh) Sorge said we were going to win a state title. It was like, ‘Yeah, whatever.’

“He showed us a video of a team piling on one another, celebrating a state title at Cooper Stadium in Columbus. By the end of the year, that was us. Amazing.”

The Mustangs defeated top-ranked Lewis Center Olentangy, 12-7, with Gallas getting a key two-run triple. In a 9-2 semifinal win over Miamisburg, he had two hits including an RBI triple.

“When Coach Sorge came to Strongsville in 2003, that made a big difference in my life,” Gallas said. “He had been an assistant at Georgia Tech and played at Ohio University, where he also was an assistant. He really helped me improve my game. I was just a raw player and he taught me how to be a baseball player and get ready for college. He set me apart. It was like he was a college coach for me.”

Success in Strongsville led to Kent State wins

It set up Gallas for quite a career at Kent State, where he is the career leader in total bases (513), RBI (224), walks (135) and shares the Golden Flashes’ home run record. He hit 49, including 17 a year ago as a senior when he had a big season. He hit .369 with 68 runs and 81 RBI in 64 games.

Plenty of pro scouts watched. Surprisingly, no team drafted him.

“It was disappointing, but the (Houston) Astros called me right afterwards and offered me a spot,” Gallas said. “I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I was getting my degree in business and thinking about just going and getting a job. The odds of a non-drafted free agent making it to the majors are slim and I was weighing all options. I knew the Indians were a little bit interested in me and I was kind of hoping I would hear something from them.

“Sure enough, the Indians called. They gave me a plane ticket to Arizona and I was so excited. Ever since I was 7 years old, I wanted to play for the Indians.”

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder did well with the Indians’ 2010 rookie league team in the Arizona Summer League, batting .276 with two homers and 23 RBI in 50 games. Promoted to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, he went 4-for-17 (.235) with a homer and three RBI in four games.

“If it had not happened, I had no regrets because I devoted my senior year to baseball,” Gallas said of his opportunity. “I had no social life. I cut back on classes and it was 100 percent baseball. I figured if that was not good enough, I gave it all I had. Not getting drafted was tough, but it has all worked out well. It’s been a humbling experience.”

He's also a great football player

Gallas says the strong community spirit in Strongsville played a role in his development as a person and athlete. He played on some very good Mustangs football teams, too. As a senior, he was among the best receivers in the state with 51 receptions for 958 yards.

“I love Strongsville,” he said. “It’s a great place to grow up. I got to play with the same kids as we all grew up and it was a very special year when we won state.

“I got a couple of early (college) scholarship offers for football, but decided baseball was my better sport. It was the right decision.

“I played in the youth leagues and really had a lot of fun when I got older and was with the All Pro Freight team. We had a lot of good players. Chad Rogers was drafted by the Braves; Derek Dietrich by Tampa Bay. We had a heck of a lot of fun.

“I got to Arizona last summer and saw a guy wearing a uniform that said, ‘Lavisky,’ and it was like, ‘Hey, I know him!’ ”

, the Indians’ eighth-round pick from Lakewood St. Edward High School was hanging around practice every day when his older brother, Tommy, was Gallas’ teammate for All Pro Freight.

“I can’t say just one person helped me to develop as a player. I had some great teammates who helped me get better,” Gallas said. “Coach (Scott) Stricklin at Kent State really helped, but probably the biggest influence was Coach Sorge.

“His message was to visualize your future. I do it now. I spend a lot of time watching video of when I am going good at the plate. Baseball is about repetition, doing the same good habits over and over. Coach Sorge helped me a lot with that.”

Living the dream includes long days

Gallas’ days are busy in Arizona. Players often get to camp around 7 a.m. to get a prime spot in the batting cages, even though practice doesn’t begin until 9. That’s when 200 minor-league hopefuls go to the back fields, warm up, and go through endless drills under the watchful eyes of a platoon of coaches and scouts.

There’s a lunch break at noon, then it is back to the fields for more practice until 3 p.m. Starting today, players head for actual minor-league exhibition games. There are two days of games against prospects from other major-league organizations, followed by a “camp day” in which everybody goes through those two-a-day drills again.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Gallas said. “I just came here prepared to work my butt off. I learned from Coach Sorge that if you take care of everything and work hard, you will have nothing to worry about.

“It’s great. I hope I open with a full-season team. Lake County would be great. It’s not far from Strongsville.”