Jump to content

Cardinals’ Hicks overcomes accident to star at Bridge City

KFDM COOP

By KFDM COOP
in SETXsports Archived Threads

 Share

Recommended Posts

KFDM COOP

KFDM COOP

Posted
Posted

Cardinals’ Hicks overcomes accident to star at Bridge City

Gabriel Pruett

The Orange Leader

BRIDGE CITY — Some stories are just worth noting.

There are instances in the sports world when sports become obsolete and do not seem to matter.

Once the situation is clear, sports returns and life for those involved returns to normal.

On Jan. 14, 2004, Bridge City Cardinals freshman Matt Hicks lived through of those instances.

Hicks, then in the sixth grade, was riding his bike back on FM 408, gome home from a friend’s house.

While turning onto Palm Ridge, Hicks was struck by a car, sending him flying over the car and into a ditch across the street.

Hicks’ leg was trapped between the car’s bumper and his bike and he was covered in mud.

Hicks’ father, Tom, heard the commotion from his couch.

“I thought it was the young kids burning their tires,†Tom Hicks said. “Then the door bell rang. You know how they say women have a mother’s intuition? I had a dad’s intuition. I ran out there and found him in the ditch. He was covered in mud because the ditches were sloppy. All I could see was the white of his eyes and he was crying.â€

Hicks was taken to Christus St. Mary’s Hospital in Port Arthur and was under the care of Dr. Jack Johnston.

Johnston decided Hicks needed to be taken to Houston but both Children’s Hospital and Hermann Memorial were booked.

Hicks was sent to Hermann the next day and spent two weeks there where he underwent a skin graph, taking muscle from his abdomen to replace the ones damaged in his leg.

For the next three months Hicks was home-schooled and moved around in a wheelchair.

He went back to school for the last six weeks but six months after the first surgery, the wound was not healing properly.

Hicks revisited Johnston who sent him to Dr. Mart Brinker in Houston in August 2004.

This time Hicks had his leg rebroken and had a bone graph done by taking bone from his hip. Also inserted was a 12-inch plate and 15 screws to hold his leg together. The plate and screws are stronger than a normal cast.

On Dec. 14, 2004, Hicks was finally cleared of all the injuries.

With the clearance came Hicks’ love and dedication to the game of baseball. He was not ready to give up his dream of playing.

“I wanted to get back so bad,†said Hicks, who missed his 12-year-old baseball season. “I never felt like I would not play again. All I wanted to do was get better than I was before.â€

Even after the successes Hicks has had over the last few years, his 12-year-old season is something he and his father still talk about.

“He was really into that year’s all-stars,†Tom Hicks said. “That was basically his senior year in little league. Missing that year still hurts us both and we still talk about what could have been.â€

Hicks started playing select teams with Sam Moore and in the pony leagues with Joey Encalade when he was 13 and 14.

Hicks was part of the pony team that was one win away from the Pony World Series.

One game during the run Hicks was simply perfect, literally.

He threw a perfect game against Twin County Sour Lake. The game, which lasted five innings, is still simple to re-write.

The first batter to face Hicks was out on a line drive to second, Hicks struck out the next 13 batters and the last out came on a dribbler to third.

After the game Encalade talked to Hicks and was amazed by what he said.

“He told someone, ‘I did fine,’†Encalade said. “He is never going to blow his own horn. The good thing is there is a lot of people who will do that for him.â€

Encalade made the trip to the hospital to see Hicks after the accident.

“I got the call and we immediately went up there,†Encalade said. “Our prayers were always with him and his family. My wife was able to go see him but I could not go in the room and see him like that.

“When something like that happens of course you think of his baseball career but that is wrong to do. He is still not 100 percent and I am not sure he ever will be. I can say this, his 5 percent is better than most people’s 100 percent.â€

Moore, a former head coach at Bridge City and now runs the baseball clinic The Zone, first saw Hicks play when Hicks was 9 years old and has been impressed with him as a person and ball player ever since.

“I tell you this, I want my kid to be just like Matt Hicks,†Moore said. “After the car accident and coming back, it is a tell-tale sign of his perseverance and his desire to play the game of baseball. He is excellent the way he is and I have seen a ton of kids. He has the perfect attitude and you cannot teach that. Matt has that desire to achieve.â€

Moore has also seen the potential Hicks has on the baseball diamond where he is now the starting shortstop for the Cardinals.

“It is very hard for a freshman to start at shortstop for Bridge City,†Moore said. “It all falls back on his desire to achieve. He makes up his lost speed by his smartness. He knows better than anyone where to position himself by the weakness or strength of the batter.

“That is definitely uncommon for a freshman; it is a diamond in the rough. Kids just don’t do that at his age. Here is a true story about Matt. On my select team our first game was in Lufkin and he was not on the starting line up. He was on the bench and their first batter got on base. I’m calling out pitching signs and Matt taps me on the shoulder. He started pointing out the lead the runner was taking and how he was leaning and crossing over. Sure enough we threw over and got the guy out. I looked at my assistant and told him ‘This kid is going to be special.’’’

Now that special player is on Billy Bryant’s squad, a team that has reached the state tournament two years in a row and has not lost a district contest in 36 games.

“Matt has been a very important part of this team,†Bryant said. “He can do so many things. He is a solid shortstop and has pitched real well. He is just one of those kids who never complains. I am sure it has been a long struggle for him to recover like he has. It shows the strength he has as a person and his family. For the people that know him, it shows his perseverance and his willingness to work hard.â€

While recovering, Hicks stayed busy with baseball and never really stopped practicing. Only this practice was coming from a wheelchair.

Tom Hicks would throw the ball to his son while he sat in a wheelchair and even threw one hoppers to him.

“Sam always told me to keep working,†Hicks said. “I always hoped and knew getting back would happen. Now I figure if I can do things from a wheelchair, I can do it anywhere.â€

Bryant hopes Hicks’ story will show a younger generation that hard work really does pay off.

“It should be an inspiration,†Bryant said. “The challenge for him now is to never be satisfied. He will work to get better each year and I am sure he will continue to do that.â€

Of course Hicks’ No. 1 fan is his father Tom who has seen his son play in three different leagues at one time.

“I remembering leaving one game in Bridge City and heading to Groves to play in another,†Tom said. “This is how dedicated he is. We got tickets to the World Series when the Astros played the Chicago White Sox and he was worried because he would not be able to work with Sam Moore. That is how dedicated he is.

“Of course he will make mistakes but his mind is so in tune when he is on the field. It is amazing how very little mistakes he makes while playing ball.â€

By the way, Hicks is also the highest ranked boy academically in his class at Bridge City High School.

“When he moved up to the high school I told everyone that shortstops need to find another stop in the field to play,†Encalade said. “He will be the starting shortstop for four years. He already knows more about baseball than I will ever know. When he was 13, he was as good as anyone. Then I coached him one more year when he was 14 and he was by far the best. He is just phenomenal. If I have to have someone when the game is on the line, that is who I want.â€

Hicks knows there is still work to do in his high school career and you can bet he will be found many hours on the field doing just that, working on his game.

“This year has been a lot of fun so far,†Hicks said. “I hope we keep it up. I think we have a chance of getting better.â€

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Member Statistics

    45,978
    Total Members
    1,837
    Most Online
    cfbswami
    Newest Member
    cfbswami
    Joined


×
×
  • Create New...