Father and Son Unite on Baseball Diamond

POWER coaches and father-son duo Dan and Danny DiPace reunited on the baseball diamond this season for the first time in six years.

“It was 2005 the last time we were on the field together. I was coaching the Long Beach Armada and Danny went 5-for-5 versus San Diego,” said DiPace. The younger DiPace added, “It was my last year of playing, and I wanted to play one last year with my dad.”

The elder DiPace was signed as a shortstop by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963, and went on to win a championship in the West Carolina League in 1964. In 1965, he was the first player selected in the first Minor League Draft by the Minnesota Twins. With the Wisconsin Rapids, he led the Carolina League in hitting (.330). After his playing days, he went on to be an associate scout for the Montreal Expos and Atlanta Braves, a position he still currently holds.

DiPace Sr. started his coaching stint in 2000 as the first base and hitting coach for the Aberdeen Arsenal. He later went on to coach the Allentown Ambassadors in 2002, Long Beach Armada in 2005, and the Orange County Flyers in 2007-2008, helping the Flyers capture the 2008 Golden Baseball League Championship.

The DiPace duo have helped lead the POWER to an 18-3 start

Danny DiPace Jr., was drafted out of high school by the Montreal Expos but decided to play Division I football and baseball with the South West Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. After college, he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals but went on to play in the Milwaukee Brewers and the Boston Red Sox systems. DiPace Jr. also played for Italy in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

When asked what he learned from playing internationally and how it is helping his current coaching career, he replied, “It helped tremendously, from the Japanese to the Cubans, I picked up a lot of interesting drills from the respected countries.”

He later went on and said he is integrating some of the drills coaching the POWER this season. The father and son soon crossed coaching paths with the POWER early in the season, creating a stronger bond than ever before.

This is the first time the two have coached together, and marks the first time a father/son have coached with the POWER.

“It’s a lot different than when [DiPace Jr.] played, we draw from each other in all aspects of the game.”

The younger DiPace then added, “The game has changed from when [DiPace Sr.] played. There is newer terminology and guys can relate easier to me and respect Dan, because he has been on the same field of players such as Harmon Killebrew.”

Coaching with a family member has its pros and cons.

On the upside, DiPace Sr. added, “No matter how long you have been in the game, you never stop teaching and helping the kids. And as coaches, you can always learn, even from your son.”

DiPace Jr. quickly bumped into the conversations and stated, “I am learning as I go when I teach the kids, and when you stop learning it is time to get out.”

Collectively, they both agree that getting the message across in the simplest terms is the key part of coaching.

Every father/son relationship will always have its hiccups. Dan DiPace Sr. quickly jumped in on the conversation and replied, “Separating your son from your profession.”

It is always hard to differentiate your job and a family member. From a son’s standpoint, whether it is your dad working at home and you are assisting him get the job done in a timely manner, or you are on the baseball field and your father is watching the game from the stands, you want to do all you possibly can to impress your father.

“You just have to work harder at it.” DiPace said.

DiPace Jr. has learned one key component from his dad during his tenure of being the assistant coach of the POWER.

“You don’t over coach at this level. When you have a good player, less is more. You can overload a player with too much information,” said DiPace Jr.

The two have helped the POWER climb to an 18-3 record and will have a great shot at winning the SCCBL Championship this year.

“We have had a great time.” DiPace Sr. said.

Danny DiPace then concluded, “We are here on a professional basis to coach. We leave [the father/son relationship] at the hotel.”