One of baseball's 'nice guys' comes home to Hanover Park

Anne Fox School students in Hanover Park Friday heard firsthand about the life and career choices of one of the school's most distinguished alumni - Cleveland Indians catcher Sal Fasano.

Fasano, 37, who attended Anne Fox in the early '80s, is also the son of the school's current custodian, Nella Fasano. She herself was recently named one of the winners of the Illinois State Board of Education's "Those Who Excel" award.

Writer Jeff Pearlman of ESPN.com hasn't been stingy in his praise of her ball playing son. In a piece called "The greatest guy in the majors," he wrote, "When I think of Sal Fasano, however, I think of greatness. Not of Willie Mays or Ted Williams greatness, but of a uniquely excellent human being who, were class and decency the most valued standards of a career, would be the easiest Hall of Fame inductee of all time."

"For some reason, Jeff just loves me," Fasano laughed Friday. "He wrote an article about me being hit by a pitch. But there's no trick to success when it comes to being a nice guy."

Fasano's visit to his old school accompanied its Homecoming Friday - an element of the "No Excuses University" program in which students are encouraged to think of going to college at an early age.

Fasano told the students how his 4 years at the University of Evansville was as important a part of his life and character as his baseball career - even though he never earned his degree.

"If you set a goal early in life, you can make it come true. Do you understand what I just said?" Fasano told students.

He was only 9 years old when he moved to Anne Fox and followed his mother's advice to play sports to make new friends. He hit a home run in the first baseball game he played that year and knew, right then, he wanted to be a professional ballplayer when he grew up.

Though going to college first was a hard choice, he knew it was the right decision to avoid being someone "dumb as a box of rocks," who only knew how to play baseball.

"If I hadn't gone to college, I wouldn't be the person I am today and have a good head on my shoulders," Fasano said. "I don't need baseball because I'm smart enough to do something else. But baseball and college molded me into who I am."

In his 17 years of playing, Fasano has played on nine different teams and hit 47 home runs. His favorite team was the 2000 Oakland A's.

"I have more memories of that team than any other," he said.

After addressing the students in the gym, he joined in the homecoming football game played by faculty and sixth graders while the rest of the school cheered them on.