The baseball team a fond farewell to its head coach, after many years of success.
Photo courtesy Jeni Humphrey
After being the Head Baseball Coach at TJ for nine years, Tory Humphrey is leaving to move forward with his career and pursue his dream of coaching at the college level.
Humphrey was accepted as a new addition to the coaching staff at Metro State College earlier this month after being Head Coach for the TJ Baseball team for nine years. “He will be missed greatly. It’s sad to see that the person that held all of us together as a team has left. But his legacy and his teaching will stay with us forever,” said Senior Third Baseman Mitch Mankoff.
Humphrey started playing baseball at an early age. “I played collegiately at Kansas Wesleyan University and then semi-pro. Then I was the pitching coach at Denver East for one year and the pitching coach at Denver South for four years before taking over at TJ,” said Humphrey.
Over the nine years of coaching at TJ, Humphrey has set a record of 136-67 for TJ Baseball, and coaching the boys to the Class 4A State Tournament finals in 2007 and 2008. Humphrey was also awarded as Denver Prep League Coach of the Year four times. “I loved the relationships I built with the players and watching young men learn to focus and strive for success as a group. I also liked that they learned the sacrifices and commitment needed in order to succeed. It was also fun to play in the playoffs and to win those City Titles!” said Humphrey. “We won seven City Titles in nine years, including six in a row, which I think is a Denver Prep League Record. We won three Regional Titles and five District Titles.”
The magical moments that Tory Humphrey had at TJ include the games with the head rival East High School. “In 2007, we beat East at East by 16 runs in a game that decided the City Championship. They were our arch rival and we just exploded on them – it was gratifying. In 2003, we won in extra innings in the Final Four over Pueblo Centennial 2-1. It was a game that was stopped due to rain and we had to come back to Denver from Greeley and play it on a Monday. Jayce Alvarado got the win in the 9th inning with the bases loaded and no outs – it was awesome!” said Humphrey.
The success that Humphrey had at TJ he says had to do with the kids that he got to work with and the TJ staff that was encouraging with his coaching. “I had great Principals in Anne Bailey and Sandra Just and great Athletic Directors in Len Ashford and Lani Nobles. Also, the boys bought into doing anything it took to get the ‘W’ – absolutely selfless sacrifice for the TEAM and for each other. That is a tough thing for teenagers to do, but the baseball players did it and it helped us to be very successful,” said Humphrey.
With the new position at Metro, Humphrey will work with the pitchers and assist the Head Coach in recruiting kids because of his involvement with high schools and knowledge of the high school players. “At Metro State my focus is on the pitching staff, so I work with 13 pitchers and four catchers. As the head coach at TJ, I had to oversee 40-50 players at a time; at metro, the individual work is more focused. The speed of the college game is much quicker and the athletes are bigger and stronger, of course, because they are more mature,” said Humphrey.
The help that Humphrey will provide at Metro is crucial for the team’s success. “Tory’s had a very good run as head coach at Thomas Jefferson,” said Tom Carcione, Head Baseball Coach at Metro in a recent interview in the Metro State Newspaper. “He will be a great asset to Metro baseball with his familiarity with Colorado high schools and their coaches. He will be great for helping with recruiting contacts.”
The wisdom and knowledge that Humphrey left behind with the players will always be remembered. “He has taught me and the team to be competitive in every aspect of the game. To keep pushing if we want to get better,” said Senior Kelly Sinopoli-Martinez, starting outfielder. “The one saying from Humphrey that stuck with me is, ‘Act on the field as you do off the field’ and ‘Reclaim the hardware’ to motivate us to win.”
Even though the guys were not prepared to lose the whole coaching staff, they know that that’s not a reason to stop them from winning the League Title. “We will need a new game plan and strategy; this will be tough to adjust to after having the same coach for the last three years,” said Senior Austin Hearne, starting shortstop and a three-year captain.
The departure might take its toll on the guys but Humphrey says he still believes in the athletes and the success they can achieve with hard work. “I think the TJ team will be solid. I think the program is in a great place and I think they have a good chance to compete and repeat as City Champions, for sure,” he said.
As the guys are getting accustomed with their situation, they can only hope for the success that they have had in the previous years. The season officially begins in March.
To submit application and resume for the TJ Baseball head and assistant coaching positions visit the following website and scroll to the bottom of the page and submit a General Application.
http://www2.recruitingcenter.net/clients/dps/publicjobs/controller.cfm
