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Family inspires Phillies' Velasquez

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Vince Velasquez crouched behind the mound and with his finger he etched a cross in the dirt. The Phillies pitcher said a short prayer and then reflected as he waited for another game to begin.

Phillies pitcher Vince Velasquez.
Phillies pitcher Vince Velasquez.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Vince Velasquez crouched behind the mound and with his finger he etched a cross in the dirt. The Phillies pitcher said a short prayer and then reflected as he waited for another game to begin.

Velasquez is competing for the final spot in the Phillies' starting rotation. But before each start, he pauses to remind himself who he is playing for. He thinks about his parents, who used their strong work ethic to push their son's baseball dream into reality. And the pitcher thinks about his two older brothers - Leonard Jr. and Christopher - both of whom followed their father, entered the Marine Corps, and served in Iraq.

The pitcher's path to Philadelphia was not the smoothest. He had Tommy John surgery when he was 18, which mentally drained him enough that he thought about quitting baseball. He was traded to the Phillies in December, sending him away from Houston, the only organization he had known.

It was his family, Velasquez said, that kept him moving forward.

"I'm going out there and competing for me, but it's a family thing as well," Velasquez said. "I'm not trying to let my family down. I do it for my family and I do it for myself, too. It's a little remembrance to show that family is always there and God is with you. It's pretty much what I think about all the time."

In his first start this spring, Velasquez came out firing. His fastball zipped in the mid-90s. The righthanded pitcher, who was acquired as part of the trade that sent Ken Giles to the Astros, had made a fast impression. Velasquez was both a starter and a reliever last season with Houston, but it was clear he wanted to earn a starting role with the Phillies.

Velasquez, 23, said afterward that he did not need time to build arm strength. He was ready. His preparation stems from the lessons of his father, Leonard.

His father noticed before a youth baseball tournament that his son's uniform was untucked when they left the car. He told him to tuck his shirt in and look like a ballplayer. Velasquez told his father he could not do it because he had forgotten his belt.

Leonard Velasquez could not believe it. He had instructed his son to pack everything the night before. Be prepared, he said. Vince Velasquez had packed two of everything - socks, shorts, gloves - into his baseball bag. He even readied his sports drinks. But he did not grab his belt.

His father whisked him home. Leonard Velasquez would not let his son play without his belt.

"We went back home and did everything all over again," Leonard Velasquez said. "He got his bag ready, made sure his belt was there, his uniform was there, his shoes were clean, his gloves were clean. Everything that he needed to play the game. He got back in bed, got up, got dressed, got everything he needed, and then we went back to the ballpark."

They returned to the field in time for the team's second game. The coach thanked Velasquez's father afterward. He was impressed with his dedication. Velasquez said it was something he had to do as a parent. A kid has only one shot, he said. And he wanted his son to be the best he could.

"His motto since then has been, 'If you're ready, you don't have to get ready,' " said Velasquez's mother, Juanita.

Velasquez had Tommy John surgery after his first professional season. His competitive spirit, always an integral part of him, would be tested. Velasquez could not play baseball for more than a year. He would have to focus on rehabbing his elbow. But being away from the game sapped his energy.

He was one of Houston's top prospects, which caused former Astros pitcher Doug Brocail to seek out Velasquez. Brocail told him his story, about the numerous surgeries he overcame to have an almost 20-year major-league career.

Velasquez was motivated. He no longer thought about quitting baseball. He reflected on the work ethic that his parents drilled in him back in Pomona, Calif., a town east of Los Angeles. His father, a package delivery driver for UPS, once worked four jobs to provide for his family. Velasquez's mother is a billing supervisor for a hospital.

"We live off our work," Vincent Velasquez said. "If you put nothing in, you get nothing out. I've never been more appreciative. Nothing is easy in life, but somehow they made it easy. "

Velasquez will likely start one more time this spring before the Phillies determine if he will start the season in triple A or enjoy his first opening day in the majors. The team's fifth starter will be either Velasquez or Adam Morgan. And no matter where Velasquez starts, the lessons of his family will be with him on the mound.

"He definitely represents us," Leonard Velasquez said.

mbreen@phillynews.com

@matt_breen www.philly.com/philliesblog