Fan favorite Valdes comes around for UVa

By Jay Jenkins

Published: May 3, 2008

Franco Valdes was taken back by the encouraging words.
Mired in a miserable slump at the plate and a relative unknown at the time, Virginia’s catcher heard encouragement from a smattering of fans fighting early-season chills in March at Davenport Stadium.
“That’s one thing I have noticed about this town,” Valdes said. “The catcher gets a lot of respect here and a lot of support.”
It was not something Valdes expected when he became the heir apparent to the job vacated by another crowd favorite, Beau Seabury.
Replacing Seabury - perhaps the best defensive catcher in the ACC in 2007 - was not an easy task. Every returning pitcher on the staff was concerned about the transition before they met Valdes.
Luckily, Valdes had some help transitioning from life in Florida.
Some 16 months ago, Valdes, then a junior-college catcher at Broward Community College in Florida, took an official visit to Virginia and was given a tour of the university by Seabury.
The two instantly became friends. In fact, they were roommates during the fall semester before Seabury departed to play in the Colorado Rockies’ system.
“Beau really helped me out and helped me adjust to this place,” Valdes said. “It helped me get accustomed to how different everything was. He helped me get to where I am.”
Seabury also delivered his firsthand knowledge of the various arms that Valdes would be catching.
“He gave me pointers on certain guys like, ‘Work fast with [Jeff] Lorick and make sure you get [Jacob Thompson] in the zone early,’” Valdes recounted. “It was stuff like that. … and the little things really make a difference.”
Valdes has drawn rave reviews from his teammates and coaches.
“After having Beau catch me for two years, I thought I would never have another guy like that, but Franco has stepped right in and I have just as much confidence throwing to him as I did to Beau,” said Thompson. “Franco is really great at finding each pitcher’s personality. He really knows what we like to do. During certain situations, he knows when to come out and calm me down.
“He actually cares more about the pitcher than the pitcher does himself.”
Thanks in part to Valdes, Virginia (33-15, 13-11 ACC) boasted the nation’s fifth-best earned run average entering the weekend.
“The remarkable thing is that this is only Franco’s second year of college baseball and the first year of Division I college baseball,” said Virginia coach Brian O’Connor. “There is always an adjustment period, but I couldn’t be happier with where he is in his development.
“I think he is doing a great job of handling our pitching staff.”
Thanks to recent success - and the addition of contact lenses in April - Valdes has seen his batting average climb to .225, which still ranks as the lowest of the team’s regulars. He has, however, displayed the knack for hitting in late-game pressure-packed situations.
“He has a lot of clutch hits even though his batting average might not show it,” O’Connor said. “He has been a clutch player both offensively and defensively.”
With the season entering its final month - Virginia has seven home games left - Valdes knows that the Cavaliers still need to secure a berth into the ACC and NCAA tournaments.
That does not seem to rattle a player that has already defied the odds to land at UVa.
In 1979, four years before Valdes was born in Miami, his parents received an exit visa, essentially escaping from communist Cuba, where his grandmother and a number of uncles remain.
Valdes could also have found himself playing in the minor leagues. In 2006, the Detroit Tigers drafted him in the 15th round, but the two parties never agreed on a contract.
After being recruited by N.C. State, Valdes rolled the dice and went to Broward, leaving open the possibility that he could still sign with the Tigers.
It was not to be.
As he arrived at the community college, doctors diagnosed the first injury of the young catcher’s career. He was unable to do anything outside of light running and lifting.
“I had two stress fractures in my throwing elbow and it took me forever to rehab and get it all back together,” Valdes said. “That was the first time and only time I have been hurt in my life.
“It was tough being there in the fall and watching practice and not being able to do anything. I couldn’t even swing the bat.”
Valdes wanted a change of scenery after his year at Broward, but faced another dosage of drama: he needed additional credits to enroll at UVa. He headed for summer school, taking perhaps the two most important courses of his life.
“It came together right at the last second,” he said. “It was really late … really, really late actually.”
Virginia has reaped the benefits since as Valdes emerged as a clubhouse leader.
“He has more heart and passion for the game than any teammate I have ever had,” Thompson said. “Franco just loves being out here playing.”
Valdes is not immune, however, to his share of playful ribbing - even from the true freshmen.
“The first thing you have to say about Franco,” rookie Dan Grovatt said as he helped back laughter, “ … he shaves in the morning and shaves again at night.”
Thompson, despite his veteran status, would not deny the claim.
“I think Franco shaves twice a day, but it may be more.”