HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – After 12 seasons of creating unbelievable diving catches, it’s apparent why Maui’s Shane Victorino was nicknamed the “Flyin’ Hawaiian.”
However in an interview with the Barstool Sports activities podcast “Pardon My Take,” Victorino revealed he used to soar by the air whereas rising up in Wailuku — as soon as, launched from transferring automotive, then, years later, getting hit by one.
“Cruising down the street in your hometown, door falls open, little Shane’s on the facet the place the door falls open, and he goes rolling out,” Victorino stated. “Previous girl is coming by, 30 miles an hour, hits me, she stated I am going flying 20 yards.”
Victorino stated despite the fact that he went to the emergency room 10 instances earlier than the age of 5, he was by no means too banged as much as play.
And though he crammed his time with sports activities, the island boy by no means realized to surf.
“Once I was boogie boarding as a younger child, I actually wasn’t good at it and I received waffled and I didn’t have a love for the ocean and I used to be at all times terrified,” he stated.
On land, baseball was surprisingly at all times on the backside of the lineup.
“Soccer was my favourite sport. I assumed I used to be going to be the subsequent Pele,” he stated.
Then got here, soccer, adopted by monitor.
Though he was scouted by the College of Hawaii baseball staff, he confronted one among his greatest doubters near dwelling.
“I had a mother who checked out me and stated ‘You’re by no means gonna be an enormous leaguer, that’s not a actuality, you go to varsity get a diploma or get an schooling.’”
In the meantime Victorino was additionally being pulled to the gridiron.
“I had a partial scholarship to go to the College of Hawaii to play baseball. The day I get drafted I get provided by June Jones a full-ride as a result of a kicker scholarship got here up and I used to be a soccer participant,” he stated.
Finally Victorino opted for the diamond and was chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers within the 1999 MLB draft.
He retired in 2018 as a two-time World Collection champion (2008 with the Philadelphia Phillies and 2013 with the Boston Crimson Sox), two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner.
Now, Victorino is targeted on being a husband, father of three, and training his Flyin’ Hawaiian youth baseball staff in Las Vegas.
“What I take into consideration on the finish of the day, what number of baseball gamers have ever walked on this earth, I received to play 10 years in huge leagues. That’s even a smaller proportion, so it’s like ‘How fortunate!’” he stated.
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