Oak Park Gets Little Shot in Arm

OAK PARK —  Oak Park High Coach Mike Bolyog feared that his baseball team would sputter into postseason play today without its spark plug--5-foot-3, 125-pound right fielder Tyler Blondi.

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The Eagles’ oft-injured leadoff hitter underwent surgery two weeks ago to repair a torn tendon in his throwing shoulder--a procedure that would require six months to a year of rehabilitation. But when Dr. Stephen Snyder probed Blondi’s arm with an arthroscope, he found not a torn tendon but too much tendon.

“It’s called Buford’s Syndrome,” said Blondi, a junior. “Less than 1% of the world has it. My ligaments are a lot bigger and there are a lot more of them.”

Blondi said his shoulder pops out of joint sometimes when he dives for a ball or cocks his arm to throw. But plagued by nothing more than a congenital abnormality, Blondi was cleared by Snyder to play, provided he faithfully performs special exercises.

After missing six games, Blondi last week got a warm greeting from Bolyog and Oak Park when he returned to the lineup. He helped lead the Eagles (13-5-1) to a share of the Tri-Valley League title.

Oak Park plays host to Templeton today in the first round of the Southern Section Division V playoffs.

“He’s suburb defensive player and he makes things happen on offense,” Bolyog said. “He’s a throwback to 1965, when dudes played real ball. He will do whatever you ask. He’ll run through a wall for you. He reminds me of (former Dodger shortstop) Maury Wills.”

Blondi is batting only .237 but has stolen 19 bases in 21 attempts and has an on-base percentage of .491.

Injuries have hampered his athletic career. His role as a defensive back and kick returner on the football team was limited because of a broken left ankle that required pins and two surgeries last summer. He suffered torn ligaments in his right ankle during soccer season but rushed back to play in a league championship match against Fillmore.

Blondi is still hobbled by those injuries and must wear ankle braces when he plays.

“He’s always the smallest guy out there, but he makes up for it with speed and attitude,” said Tom Blondi, Tyler’s father. “It breaks my heart that he works so hard and he gets hurt all the time. But he never gets down.”

Said Tyler: “I go for everything I can. I dive a lot. I do anything I can to make a play. I’ve been getting injured since my freshman year. But when I get injured, sometimes it makes me play better. I hate slacking off. It’s not my style.”

When Tyler awoke from his anesthesia-induced sleep in the hospital not knowing the condition of his shoulder, the first thing his mother, Barbara, said was, “Guess what. You get to play football next fall.”

Tyler, still groggy, leaned forward a little and said: “Let’s go.”