Ducks' Leek makes biggest pitch for fundraiser
Five times in his minor league baseball career, between his turn as a star for MacArthur High School and his current term as ace for the Long Island Ducks, Randy Leek was within one step of the big leagues. It makes a person wonder what might have happened if he hadn't been forced to miss a full year during his prime. It makes Leek wonder sometimes, but not all that often. "Everyone has their `what-if' stories," said the lefthanded pitcher, 31, who had to take all of 2003 off because of Tommy John surgery, Leek's second operation. "I try not to dwell on it. I came back strong from it. But everyone has got some story. You can't dwell on the past." This week, he is much more enmeshed in a "what now" story. He is much more concerned about one person's future. Leek is preparing for a big fundraiser Saturday in Farmingdale to help the family of a one-year-old girl just to get through the month. He is hosting a silent auction at his indoor baseball facility in Farmingdale to help the child, who is known only by her first name, Annika, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis. Annika's parents are college friends of Leek's wife Cristina. They are facing a rough time. "It is a condition in which the body basically develops tumors," Leek said. "There is no known cure. And it is such a rare disease that insurance doesn't cover the cost of medicine and doctors visits." It would be great if the silent auction at Hitter's Club (127 C East Carmans Road) between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday were a major step toward a cure. But the girl's family is a long way from that. They just need help staying afloat, so they can keep pursuing answers. So, people will have the chance to bid on items that Leek and friends have come up with through their baseball contacts. There will be an item signed by Mickey Mantle, a bat and ball signed by Pete Rose, a baseball signed by Lou Brock. There will be an autograph from Ernie Banks, as well as merchandise from local businesses that will be raffled off. "There really is no prognosis here. Maybe a person can live a healthy life, maybe they can live a life that is somewhat disabled, they just don't know," said the pitcher, who has a healthy 17-month-old son, Ryan. "What we're trying to do is help the family get through another few months." Leek's what-if story seems less significant, in context. He has gotten past that anyway. He has reconciled himself to the fact that he will not be a big leaguer, the way he had hoped to be when he was growing up in Levittown, going 24-0 in his MacArthur career, helping his team to the state Class B championship as a junior, batting .470 as a senior, compiling an academic average of 97 and earning a full ride to William and Mary. Leek never was a phenom. Someone who is drafted in the 18th round, as he was, by the Tigers in 1999, does not carry the "can't miss" tag. Still, he was solid enough to have reached Triple A on five different occasions. You can see the major league horizon from there. His last shot occurred in 2007, when he got off to a great start with the Ducks and was signed by the Blue Jays, who sent him to their top affiliate. "I didn't take advantage of that," he said. And he is pretty sure that opportunity won't come again. Like everyone else in the independent Atlantic League, he is a bit of a dreamer and a bit of a pragmatist. He did tie a Ducks franchise record with 12 wins (against only three losses) last season. "In the back of my mind, there is always that hope. I still believe I can pitch. I believe I can get big league hitters out. I'd love for it to happen," he said. "In the back of my mind, there is always that hope. But I also see the reality of it. I'll be 32 years old in a month and I've never pitched in the big leagues. It's kind of tough to get signed in that situation." Baseball is still in his blood, though, and in his life. He and Ducks teammates and fellow Long Islanders Kevin Haverbusch and Rob Cafiero saw the opportunity to invest in Hitter's Club as their playing careers wound down. "We had a good winter, that's a busy time for a batting cage," Leek said, adding that the partners will hold camps during the baseball season. Leek will keep pitching as long as his arm feels right and his heart is in it. The latter probably will outlast the former. He has played in Oneonta, Lakeland, Jacksonville, Toledo, Memphis, Taiwan, the Dominican Republic and finally Central Islip. I guess I just love the competition, I just love playing," he said. "The Ducks give me the opportunity to play where I can stay home." Also, this week, he has the opportunity to do some good.
