A TIP OF THE HAT TO GRANDPA EISENSTEIN HONORS HIS BIGGEST FAN BY HAVING SEASON OF HIS LIFE.Byline: Heather Gripp Gripp talking raven, beloved pet of half-wit Barnaby Rudge. [Br. Lit.: Dickens Barnaby Rudge] See : Birds Staff Writer NEWBURY PARK - When Matt Eisenstein secured a playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. spot for the Newbury Park High baseball team last year with a game-winning, two-run home on the final day of the regular season, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with the ball. Eisenstein presented it to one of his biggest fans: his grandfather. Doing his best in baseball always had been one of Eisenstein's most effective ways of making the baseball-loving grandfather happy. When his grandfather died after last season, Eisenstein's desire to please him only intensified in·ten·si·fy v. in·ten·si·fied, in·ten·si·fy·ing, in·ten·si·fies v.tr. 1. To make intense or more intense: . He dedicated his senior season to his grandfather, then went out and had a year to remember. Eisenstein set nine school records - including the single-season home run mark - and produced a Ventura County-high 46 hits and 11 home runs. The third baseman third baseman n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker , who was named county Co-Player of the Year, will be among the region's top seniors Saturday as a member of the West team for the 27th annual Daily News Bernie Milligan All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league. The players are often chosen by a popular vote of fans of the sport and the game often occurs at the halfway point of the regular season, although this is not the case for some all-star games at Birmingham High in Lake Balboa Balboa, town (1990 pop. 2,751), Colón prov., in the former Panama Canal Zone, on the Gulf of Panama. The port for Panama City, Balboa was the administrative headquarters of the Panama Canal Zone. It was also the site of a U.S. navy base (closed 1999). . But honors weren't what Eisenstein was playing for this season. ``This season was for my grandpa,'' he said. ``I promised him. I basically said everything I do from now on is for you. It gave me an inspiration.'' Eisenstein always had been a solid player. He's been on the varsity since his sophomore year and earned all-county honors as a junior. The difference between his first three years and this season is his increased power. After hitting just two home runs as a junior, he came back with 11 home runs and 13 doubles this year, including a .460 batting average batting average n. Baseball A measure of a batter's performance obtained by dividing the total of base hits by the number of times at bat, not including walks. Noun 1. , 24 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in and 10 stolen bases. The 13 doubles give him a school record of 24. ``It was very surreal sur·re·al adj. 1. Having qualities attributed to or associated with surrealism: "Even with most facilities shut down ... ,'' Panthers coach Mike Lee said. ``Your leadoff lead·off n. 1. An opening play or move. 2. One that leads off. lead  off guy starts hitting all these home runs and doubles all
over the place. It wasn't expected. I think he surprised
himself.''
Although Eisenstein dedicated himself to offseason training that added at least 15 pounds to his 5-foot-10 frame, he admits he never anticipated this. ``I really don't understand it,'' he said. Eisenstein's numbers might have been more impressive had he batted in a more RBI-friendly position rather than the leadoff slot; all of his home runs were solo shots. ``He's your typical clean-up guy,'' Lee said of a player who benefits from having some of the quickest hands the coach has seen. ``We just didn't put him there. He was comfortable in the leadoff spot and we kept him there because we wanted him to have the most opportunities to get at-bats.'' With equally dangerous Cody Collet hitting behind him, it was difficult for opponents to pitch around Eisenstein. Eisenstein, who also has been impressive in the field, has received interest from Division I universities but is awaiting his SAT results to determine eligibility. No matter where he ends up, Eisenstein more than achieved what he set out to do this year. ``I had no idea about the records,'' he said. ``It's just exciting to have those accomplishments. They're something you can look back on and know are special. But it's not like I went out trying to set a bunch of records. It's pretty crazy.'' CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Newbury Park's Matt Eisenstein dedicated his senior year to his late grandfather. Then he went out and made him proud with a season to remember. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
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