Family Matters: Shane Opitz on life back in Colorado

Over the past five seasons on the road, I have been lucky enough to interact with the players whether it is at the field, in the hotel room or occasionally in a local eatery as we all hang out within a certain radius.

You can tell the guys who are playing well as they always seem to have that extra hop in their step while those who are struggling lag a bit behind looking for a friendly face to perhaps tell them that better days are ahead.

A lot of times I will cross paths with a player who is on a cellphone, chatting with a family member or friend who tries to learn a bit about 'life in the pros'. Canadians SS Shane Opitz is one of those players whom I often see chatting away. Rarely is there a time where I don't see the slender middle-infielder smiling as he recollects a moment from a game or an experience from his first professional season.

"I speak with my family nearly every day", says Opitz.

"My whole family loves the game of baseball, I mean, my parents met at a baseball game where my mom was keeping score and my dad was playing for the visiting team. 27-years later, it's still a part of our lives".

Based in Littleton, Colorado, the Opitz clan has a vibrancy that would make you want to call home often. Both of Shane's brother's play baseball with his older brother Jake playing within the Chicago Cubs minor league system while little brother Casey, 13, might be the best of the bunch. The switch hitting catcher is coming off a season with the Colorado Blazers where his travelling team went a staggering 70-10 (.875) this past season.

"Casey's a great player and has the potential to be the best Opitz of them all if he stays focused on his school work. It's easy to hit a baseball at times, but Casey has to remember to hit the books first and then the baseball will come".

"He's got a great personality as well and was the lead in a recent school play that showed he had a little diversity as well".

These are some of the moments and lessons that Shane speaks of over the phone when the line is passed over to his younger brother. A rare bond between siblings who have several years apart, yet find the time to be close to one another even when they are separated by a time zone or two.

Not to be overshadowed in the Opitz household is his sister Jessie who unlike the trio of brothers, has chosen to work in the field she loves, hairstyling.

"She'd kill me if she saw my hair right now (laughing). Between her and my mother, they are the glue in our family. The ones that really make us believe we can accomplish anything. My dad is the ultra-competitive one, which drives us to work harder - but my sis and mom are both the ones we can go to when we are a little beat up and need a boost after a long day".

Sounds like a head firmly screwed on as the Canadians shortstop looks ahead to the second half of the season in Vancouver.

"I am not in a rush to move up. If I play well, the Blue Jays will take care of that on their own. I am simply focused on tonight's game and what I can do to help us get a win. All of the other stuff works itself out".

As the youngest player on the current Vancouver Canadians roster, Opitz is not looking for any preferential treatment, and if anything sees the benefit to being around a few older veterans to gain valuable experience.

"We have an awesome group of guys this year that battle whether we are up or down in a game. I love being a part of the bus rides, late night meals and times on the field where we work to be the best we can be as a team. We have great pitching, some really good hitters and it pushes me to become a better baseball player to hold my end of the bargain up".

Again, sounds like a head firmly screwed on properly.

You can define a player by the way he approaches the game of baseball both on and off the field. Some work hard on the diamond, but slack away from it. Others lift weights, runs miles and yet just can't have that translate into a game.

For Canadians shortstop Shane Opitz, his success comes from an equal balance of hard work and the occasional chat into a little black cellphone that has a bonded family on the other end ready to help him at any turn in the road all cheering him on from a place called 'home'.