Dick Hormann played baseball in Japan, so naturally he wants his Lutheran Lions to approach the game like the Samurai.
Dick, 86, is Lutheran’s assistant coach under his son, Scott Hormann. Dick’s in his 57th year coaching across four states, but before that, he was a third baseman on an Army team from 1958-62 at Camp Zama — a post just outside Tokyo.
Stationed there as part of the United States’ plan to re-establish rapport with Japan following World War II, Dick’s Army team played the minor league teams associated with Nippon Professional Baseball franchises as well as company teams. If he could, Dick would time-travel his Lions back to those days in Japan, just to show them “the team we need to be.”
“Today, kids come up and they see the fence and think it’s all about hitting it over the wall,” Dick said. “But they’ve got to understand the game — and the fact that so far, we’re not getting beat by other teams, we’re getting beat by the game. Look at the Japanese, they are all fundamentals. That’s what I’m trying to impart on these kids.
“I just want to play the game right. If we lose playing the game right, that’s okay. But if we don’t play the game right, it’s hard on me.”
It’s not like the Lions are a reclamation project. Scott took over the program last year, and the Lions mercy-ruled 23 of 29 opponents en route to a 26-3 record and appearance in the Class 3A semifinals.
But Lutheran moved up to Class 4A this year, and is playing in the tough Pikes Peak League featuring second-ranked Cheyenne Mountain, Lewis-Palmer, Air Academy, Discovery Canyon and Palmer Ridge. That means the No. 7 Lions (4-3-1 heading into the weekend) need to shore up their discipline before league play begins April 11.
“My dad was pretty hot the other day when we struck out 13 times in a game — telling them, ‘You guys don’t choke up, you don’t hit the ball the other way, you don’t have a two-strike approach’ — so he’ll get on ’em if they’re not playing right, and the players respect that,” Scott said. “That’s part of why the kids love him. He’s honest with them. And we need that this season, because most of the time last year we were facing 72-75 (mph). This year, almost every opposing pitcher is 83 or above, with some 90 arms in there.”
While Dick is still a master with the fungo, Scott, the former head coach at Heritage from 2009-15, is relishing the role his dad is playing in his second chapter in Colorado high school baseball.
Scott has mellowed a bit from his days wearing out umpires at Heritage games. He’ll still raise his voice at his guys for not hustling, sloppy play or mental mistakes. But any time the intensely competitive son feels himself getting too worked up, he glances at his dad.
“I don’t know how long he’s going to be able to do this, so I’m out here relishing every moment with him and these kids,” Scott said. “My dad keeps me grounded. There’s times when I’ll be really upset, and I look over and he’s coaching them up, and that brings me back. He coaches the same way all the time.”
Not everyday is a walk in the ballpark between two hard-headed baseball minds, the older of whom is still getting used to his role as an assistant coach after 55 years of being the head man. But they can agree to disagree on the little things, as Scott emphasizes that “the most important thing is our vision is the same.”
For the Hormanns, that vision is a 4A program with the numbers, talent and approach of a 5A program. Lutheran had a record 85 kids try out this year, forcing the Lions to form four teams instead of three. With numbers swelling, there’s no reason the Lions can’t be a perennial contender in the 4A state tournament going forward.
“When I came in here, there was already a great foundation, but what I wanted to get them to do was start thinking like a 5A school, because that’s the talent level I think we have,” Scott said. “And we’re there now: Last year we played Broomfield in an exhibition game, both teams using all their pitchers, and we beat them 14-6. They go on to win the 5A state championship.”
Senior right-hander Alex Chumrau (South Mountain Community College commit), junior right-hander Asher Clark, junior right-hander Eli Morgan, senior shortstop Josh Miller and junior outfielder Drew McNear are Lutheran’s leaders this year.
The Lions are also awaiting the return of senior right-hander Brayden Stork, a Northeastern Junior College commit who is battling elbow tendonitis but hopes to be back at some point this spring.
With that cast headlining, the Lions believe they have the firepower to make a run at the program’s first state title. Lutheran’s made it to one state championship game before at the 2A level in 2013, falling 5-0 to Denver Christian. Perhaps if they watch every game played by Samurai Japan during the recent World Baseball Classic, as Dick did, they can tighten up the details and get back to the last game again.
“Our first six games, each game, we’ve had at least one inning where we’ve had mental breakdowns and physical breakdowns,” Scott said. “That’s what we have to clean up if we want to compete for a state title — those crooked-number innings. … That’s why we don’t talk (trash), we just play the game. We sprint on and off the field. We want to play the game the right way; the rest will take care of itself.”
