Pizzano: Nothing special, just one of the guys

SAUGUS – Dario Pizzano broke through the glass ceiling. And he hopes to keep rising.Pizzano is the 2003 Saugus American Little League?s lone representative in professional baseball, even though, by his own admission, “I always considered myself just one of them. Nothing special ? not better or worse than any of them.”He is aware of the obvious comparison to the movie “The Sandlot,” where Bennie “The Jet” Rodriguez makes it out of the neighborhood and onto the Los Angeles Dodgers.?I don?t see myself as Bennie ?The Jet?,” says Pizzano, whose life after Williamsport 2003 took him to Malden Catholic, where he was a perennial Catholic Conference all-star, Columbia University, and the North Shore Navigators before being drafted last year by the Seattle Mariners. “But if that?s how people want to see me, I?m honored.”The first of the 12 to break away from the mold, athletically, anyway, was Tyler Grillo, whose preferred sport was always basketball. He became a four-year starter at St. Mary?s in Lynn, and a three-time Item All-Star.As for the rest, the nucleus of that team went onto win District 1 championships in Babe Ruth in their 13-, 14- and 15-year-old seasons, making it to the New Englands twice. But they fell short of the Babe Ruth World Series.Along the way, Mike Scuzzarella broke away, opting for hockey and lacrosse instead.?I just realized it wasn?t fun for me anymore,” he said. “And when it?s not fun anymore, then it?s time to move on.”Scuzzarella scoffs at the notion that too many curveballs left his arm too weak to play.?That?s ridiculous,” he said. “It had nothing to do with curveballs.”Scuzzarella did, however, suffer a horrendous arm fracture when he was a senior at Saugus High in a hockey game with the Lynn Jets.?Their guy hit me clean,” Scuzzarella said. “No problem. But it was awful. It was hideous to look at.”He played club hockey at William and Mary College and is now pursuing his master?s degree in engineering.Matt Muldoon joined Pizzano at Malden Catholic and ended up playing both football and baseball there.He continued to play baseball at Colby-Sawyer.Joe Kasabuski, Anthony DiSciscio and Yano Petruzzelli played baseball at St. Mary?s, but none of them played all four years in college. Tyler Calla and Dave Ferreira played four years at Saugus High, but neither played in college.Craig Cole attended MC and St. Mary?s before settling on Saugus High his senior season. And Bateman and Sacco matriculated to Saugus High as well. All 12 players, however, finished college.?We had something happen in the summer when we were 12,” Pizzano said. “We had the fortune of playing on TV when we were 12. And we were all friends. That was the best part.”