Danny LaSalle won’t accept the credit.
LaSalle is a rising senior at Franklin Towne Charter, and he’s become one of the best athletes in the school.
He just wrapped up a baseball season that saw him become the ace on the Warriors, and we’re a few months removed from him being a solid player on the Franklin Towne basketball team, where he mixes it up with the big men in the Public League.
He obviously has to work hard. You don’t become the player he did in either sport without putting in plenty of work.
The work he’s good with. But he’s much better with handing credit out than accepting it for himself.
And it starts at home
“I’ve been really lucky, I have so many people who have helped me,” said LaSalle, who lives in Torresdale. “My dad has helped me so much. He actually didn’t play sports growing up too much, but he got me involved, he wanted to make sure I had opportunities. But not just him. My mom, too. And my grandparents are always there. That’s where I get my confidence from. I always knew my mom and dad would support me, so I think that gave me a little more confidence. I just had to do my best.”
It’s safe the adults in LaSalle’s life are setting a great example because he’s become a true star on and off the field at Franklin Towne.
And this year was by far the best.
After seeing very little time on the mound as a freshman, LaSalle worked his way into the rotation during his sophomore year. He did OK, but he knew he still had to get a lot better to become the Warriors’ ace.
That clicked during his junior year, and he credits his coach John Cepparulo with providing him the blueprint on how to improve.
“Growing up, I started pitching because I was on a 10U team and they needed someone to throw,” LaSalle said. “I always had the talent in terms of having good command, but I wasn’t the most talented player when it came to velocity, so I knew I had to work to get bigger and stronger.
| “I think my coach at Franklin Towne helped me a lot, he saw my potential. He let me know I could do it. I would work on my pitching at home. I would work on my grips and I would do different pitches.” That is exactly what he needed to do. As LaSalle got bigger and stronger, he became the workhorse who could lead the Warriors against the top teams in the Public League. Not only did he help the Warriors make the Public League finals, he got a chance to pitch in the state playoffs after Franklin Towne won the District 12 championship by besting Catholic League foe Roman Catholic in the title game. |
“This year was my breakout season, and the credit goes to my coach because he let me pitch vs. Esperanza, and he kept having faith in me,” LaSalle said. “I pitched against Frankford, we won the semifinals. I pitched again against Central in the championship, which unfortunately didn’t go our way. But then we won districts and I was able to pitch against Upper Dublin in the state playoffs. So I got great experience.”
Baseball is his main sport, but this was also a breakout year on the hardwood for LaSalle, who isn’t afraid to do the grunt work the Warriors need.
“I think I’m a better baseball player, but I love both sports and I work hard in both sports,” said LaSalle, who also stars in the classroom where he’s a member of the National Honor Society. “I play underneath, center or forward, but I’m a stretch 5. I can shoot.
“There are games where I’m undersized. But there aren’t too many guys who are too much bigger. I just work hard and try to help the team.”
That’s the talk of a great role model. And at Franklin Towne, LaSalle loves to set a good example. It’s not the only place he does it.
“I’m very close with my family, and both of my siblings are very good athletes,” LaSalle said. “My sister Lucy is a freshman. She plays volleyball. My younger brother is in sixth grade, he plays baseball. My parents had a big impact on them, too. I try to do the same. We’re all really close, so it’s fun going to their games. They come to mine. We’re there for each other.”
LaSalle has a big summer planned.
He works at Sam’s Club, where he hands out samples. Not a bad gig for an outgoing person like LaSalle. He’s also playing for Torresdale Boys Club.
He’s also excited for his senior year.
“I’m grateful for my teammates, they make it easy to show up every game,” said LaSalle, who maintains a 4.08 grade point average. “We had a really good team. Our captains are leaving, we had four really good players, our captains who were seniors, but I feel like we can adapt.
“I’m looking forward to next year. I’m also looking forward to play at the next level. I’m always trying to improve. And I have good people helping me.”
