Suffolk's Jake Cintolo Featured in Thursday's Boston Globe
Several years ago as a junior at King Philip Regional Regional High, Jake Cintolo was told by doctors that he would most likely never play sports again.
Several years ago as a junior at King Philip Regional Regional High, Jake Cintolo was told by doctors that he would most likely never play sports again.
This spring, the 20-year-old Wrentham resident was named the baseball Rookie of the Year in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference after setting a single-season record at Suffolk University with 77 hits.
At a preseason football camp before his junior season at King Philip in 2007, Cintolo was running to his cabin during a thunderstorm when he was struck on the head by a falling tree.
Half of his skull, which was fractured, had to be removed so that his brain could heal. The bony material was implanted in the tissue surrounding his stomach, saving it until it could be reattached and avoiding the risk of his body rejecting an artificial implant. In the interim, he wore a protective helmet.
The aftereffects included short-term memory loss.
Cintolo was released from Massachusetts General Hospital that October, and had to regain his memory, and relearn “some simple things,’’ he said. “But a month later, I was back on the varsity basketball team.’’
During the accident, though, he suffered an undetected tear in the labrum of his right shoulder, causing Cintolo to play in pain his junior and senior years of high school. Nevertheless, he was a two-time offensive MVP for the baseball team, setting a school record with a .696 on-base percentage as a senior, and was a Hockomock League all-star.
Despite missing nearly three months of school and coping with his injury, Cintolo graduated with his classmates in 2009.
While shoulder surgery forced him to miss his first season at Suffolk, he completed his rehabilitation in time to suit up for the Palmer Club in the Boston Park League last summer.
“It was so sweet to be back on the field after a year and a half,’’ said Cintolo, who hit .330 in 31 games, helping Palmer reach the Park League finals.
In his first season as a collegian, Cintolo batted .438 and was a second team Division 3 All-New England and All-GNAC selection. He caught fire late in the spring for the Rams, hitting .473 over his last 11 games.
“I’m pain free,’’ he said, “although I do have to battle fatigue at times, but my shoulder is 100 percent now.’’
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound third baseman collected 18 extra base hits, including 16 doubles, one shy of Suffolk’s all-time program mark. He was also selected to the conference all-tournament team after going 13 for 24 in the postseason while hitting safely in 37 of 45 games, and posting multiple hits in 27 of them.
“I never wanted sympathy when people noticed the scar on my head. I didn’t like to be perceived as weak or different, and I was determined to play baseball again,’’ said Cintolo, who is back playing for the Palmer Club, and hitting .290 through nine games while dividing his time between first and third base.
“I realize this could have happened to anyone, and before my first college game I really had butterflies, but it was a good nervous and it was so great to be playing college baseball.’’
Cintolo’s return was a boost for Suffolk (24-21 overall), which advanced to the conference championship game and also reached the ECAC semifinals.
“Jake is a tremendous worker and a student of the game, and he’s just scratching the surface after one season, which is exciting for us and our program,’’ said Suffolk coach Cary McConnell.
“We actively recruited him out of King Philip, and luckily enough he was able to play with the Palmer Club, where he got better as last summer wore on against some upper level pitching,’’ he said.
Cintolo is what McConnell calls a “greedy hitter.’’
“He never takes an at-bat off and really grinds it out at the plate,’’ said the coach. “He fouls off a lot of pitches, which produces some long, quality at-bats, and that’s very impressive for a freshman. He also has been solid at third base, with room to grow at that position.’’
Palmer Club general manager Derek Grudinskas, a veteran player in the Park League, said Cintolo “brings a great demeanor and a big bat to our team. He’s a big, strong kid whose time in the Park League has really paid off, especially this past season at Suffolk.’’