McCarthy uses humor to take the pressure off himself, others

Thomas McCarthy found himself on the spot last weekend at the Mr. CV Pageant.

On stage, under the bright lights of the Crescent Valley High auditorium, the senior was asked:

"If you were to star in a sitcom, what would it be called?"

He nervously pondered the question before answering, "Thomas the Big Man."

It was a typical response from McCarthy, who uses humor to deal with pressure, and it had the audience roaring with laughter.

But it wasn't because he's a two-sport standout for the Raiders, excelling on the court and diamond.

"I've always been known as the bigger, fat kid throughout elementary school and middle school," McCarthy said. "So that was the first thing that came to my mind because I always got made fun of because of that. But I think I have grown out of that stage a bit."

Indeed, McCarthy has come a long way. He's now 6-foot-2, fit and moves well for his size. He's also the guy the Raiders turn to when they need a big hit or strikeout.

"Ever since he got to high school, he's worked hard," longtime friend and teammate Josh Liebeskind said. "He's slimmed down and is more athletic now."

That's a far cry from his seventh grade year, when his coach Dave Mintken, who now coaches him at CV, wondered if McCarthy would ever be an impact player.

"He was stuck in right field because he was the young guy and not real fast," Mintken said. "He would get thrown out from right when he was hitting. I was thinking, 'Is this guy ever going to get faster?' Now seeing him like this, it's really nice."

McCarthy's transformation was spurred partly by the desire to follow in his older brother Greg's and sister Lauren's footsteps.

Both starred for the Raiders and went on to to play college ball, Greg at Western Oregon and Lauren at Portland State.

"I wasn't so sure about it freshman and sophomore year," McCarthy said. "But then I started focusing a little more and realized that's what I wanted to do."

It's paid off big for McCarthy because he will be heading down the same path as his brother - he earned a scholarship to play at WOU next year.

It's fitting because McCarthy attributes a lot of his success to Greg, who played for three years in the San Francisco Giants organization. He began playing baseball because he wanted to be like his brother.

Greg, who played catcher at Western, showed Thomas how to be a pitcher, not just a player who rears back and fires the ball as hard as he can. He also learned a variety of pitches and what situations to throw them in.

"He's pretty much taught me everything I know," McCarthy said. "I've had a lot of good coaches but I think my brother's definitely up there for teaching me the most about the game."

Mintken says the Raiders haven't seen the best of McCarthy. He got a late start on baseball because of basketball season, so he's still getting up to speed.

"Each week he pitches, he's going to get better," Mintken said. "He's not even a full Thomas right now I think. He's probably 80 to 85 percent. Each week, he's digging out a little something he has figured out."

But McCarthy's future will likely be at the plate, not on the mound. The Wolves recruited him as a first baseman/second baseman and he calls himself a hitter first and foremost.

As the Raiders' No. 3 batter, he is asked to deliver in clutch situations and usually comes through. Mintken said when McCarthy comes up to bat, he knows good things will happen.

Unlike many power hitters, McCarthy isn't very vocal. He prefers to let his bat and arm do the talking, even though he's tried to become more of a talker this season.

"I'm a go-with-the-flow type of guy," McCarthy said. "But there's times where I have to be more vocal with the younger guys to teach them things they don't know."

With the season winding down, there's a sense of urgency within the team. CV hasn't reached the postseason since 2003, but is in the hunt for the fourth and final playoff berth from the Mid-Willamette Conference.

Liebeskind credited McCarthy's sense of humor and ability to poke fun at himself as a calming presence during the Raiders' stretch run.

"A lot of times he'll look out to the outfield after I make a bad play and make a comment where I'll have to laugh and pick my head and get back right up," Liebeskind said.

Staying relaxed keeps McCarthy going. He enjoys being out on the field every day, even when it's wet. Rainy weather gives him the opportunity to do one of his favorite things.

"Putting on the tarps is always a fun thing," McCarthy said. "It's funny because we aren't so great at it."

Then he chuckled. After all, a big man isn't afraid to laugh at himself.