LJ baseball: Good Humor Man

 Senior Aidan Suljic, the Good Humor Man,
is visible in the background, far right
(above hand on clipboard) as Vikings
lean on the dugout fence.
(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

It's hard to crack the code of why Aidan Suljic is a funny guy.

Asked why the first baseman/pitcher is considered humorous, teammate Yered Teodosio shrugged, "I don't know."

Teodosio's partner in soft toss before La Jolla's baseball game against Patrick Henry, fellow senior Sola Hope, another person who should know, in a similar fashion said, "I don't know."

Coach Gary Frank had said that the 6'4" senior "brings levity" to the team. So, that creates an expectation of: How is the guy funny? Does he make quips? Does he pull practical jokes on fellow Vikings?

Teodosio, he who remained near the third base line during a last-man-standing face-off before a game at Steele Canyon last year, even while the home team was throwing grounders near him to get ready for the top of the first inning, allowed when pushed, "He does goofy stuff."

The man, the lefty, the legend.
Always good-natured?

Like what?

The second baseman couldn't say.

Neither could Hope, who plays right field.

Other teammates, the same thing.

The most information I had gotten had come from a parent a week or two before, who told me that Suljic has a license plate on his vehicle that reads, "IM HYPE."

So, exploring that avenue, I asked Viking players what "Hype" means. "He favors high-end luxury items, like shoes," said the Teodosio-Hope coalition.

Oh. Now we're breaking ground.

Why not to the horse's mouth itself? "Aidan, why does Coach Frank say you 'bring levity'?"

"Do you tell jokes?" "No."

He acknowledged the nickname, which is the only moniker I've heard teammates use for Suljic--never "Suljic" or "Aidan". It's one of those things where at least some members of the 2018 squad, if not many or most, probably don't even know what his last name is--or his first?

Then, told that Coach Frank went on to say, "He helps the team remain focused while providing humor," his teammates had a field day with that.

"Oh, yeah, he 'helps keep the team focused,'" howled one of them as they shagged balls in short center field, the game 45 minutes away. "He's like a coach. Right!"

At this ribbing, Suljic, who has a fair complexion and rosy cheeks anyway, began beaming. He was already chuckling, and he made some self-deprecatory remarks.

Eventually, we moved to direct questions about his opinions. I was joshing Aidan. "What do you think about Wiffle balls? They have too many holes?" He didn't really answer. Too dumb a question.

"What do you think of other first basemen taking infield?" I continued jokingly, as Frank continued pounding grounders to two other first baseman besides Suljic.

"I think only starters should be able to take infield," the lefty said, keeping to the facetious spirit of the conversation.

Could it be that he's the Good Humor Man merely because of that--because he's a left-hander, and lefties are traditionally viewed as goofy or skewed?

That didn't seem to fit. I told him my brother, who is left-handed, is structured, which would be left-brained, while I am right-handed yet more into the social sciences. So it doesn't always work.

One thing I can say for Aidan "Hype" Suljic is that he has an effective curveball. I took photos of him through the backstop at a game earlier in the season, and his curveball was working. He looked sharp. He looked effective.

He's got a big presence at first base. When he stretches for a throw coming from a fellow infielder, it covers some distance. He seems confident with the glove, and has made some steady plays.