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Jul. 19—ROCHESTER — All of that fighting and bickering, it's paid off.
Little brother Jack Esau and big brother Harrison Esau — two years apart — have always wanted to beat each other. Doesn't matter what it is in, they grew up competing against each other in virtually everything.
Yes, there was fighting along the way, but those eternal battles made them better, especially in sports.
Harrison is now a junior pitcher for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the Rochester Royals, while Jack has starred in baseball, first this spring at Rochester Century and now with his American Legion baseball team, the Rochester A's.
He can thank Harrison for giving him a push — or two or three or four, some of them literally. It has upped his game. Headed into his junior year he put on 40 pounds of muscle, getting his work done at ETS. That gave him power and confidence.
This summer the star left fielder was invited to be a part of the High School All-Star Series in Chaska, the only Rochester player to get that invitation. It came after he batted a lusty .429, had his team's only home run of the spring high school season and the speedster ran down everything in left field.
"When we were younger, we were constantly fighting and bickering," Harrison said. "That's because we were so competitive. Everything was a competition with us. But that pushed both of us. I was not going to get beat by my little brother and my little brother had the attitude that he was going to show me up. I'm still competitive with him. We go out golfing about once a month together and there is a lot of chirping between us. Some of the words we use, l can't repeat."
The bickering and fighting have subsided considerably, just as the respect these two have for each other has grown and grown. And that has happened as Jack and Harrison have become as close as brothers can be.
Harrison is already dreading what's going to happen in about a month, when Jack heads far from home to the University of Kansas, where he plans to study to become a dentist.
"I'm really going to miss him," Harrison said. "We're best friends now."
Harrison and Jack are around each other constantly, as for the last two American Legion seasons Harrison has been an A's assistant coach.
They drive to all practices and games together, spend all of that time in the dugout together and then make the return trip together to home. Then there is plenty more interaction between them once they get there.
"I do quite a lot of hanging out with Harry," Jack said. "We play pickleball and go golfing together."
Jack didn't just learn the game from his big brother, he also learned how to lead from him.
"Harry has been a good role model for me," Jack said.
A born leader, Harrison was Century's starting quarterback as a senior and threw passes to then-sophomore Jack. Harrison is outspoken and sure of himself. Jack, slowly but surely, has taken on some of that same personality and is now a vocal leader for the Rochester A's.
He regards that as vital. The 6-foot, 165-pound Jack — who lost his senior football season early to a broken collarbone — is playing on an A's team with a number of young players who benefit from being around veteran leaders.
"The thing I do best is I feel like I'm a smart player," Jack said. "I have a lot of knowledge about the game. And I'm good with leadership. I've watched Harry. He always had a good connection with his coaches and his teammates.
"It's very important to have a leader. I've always gone the furthest on the teams with the most leadership."
What Jack also does exceedingly well is simply play the game.
"He can do a lot of things," A's and Century coach Logan Milene said. "His athleticism lets him do it. He's basically carried over what he did in the spring to the summer. It seems like every time he gets up to bat he gets a hit. I think his bat-to-ball skills are his best thing."
Jack is batting .400 this summer on an A's team that is amid the First District playoffs. It's a team on the rise, as they entered the postseason with an 11-5 record.
Continue reading...
Little brother Jack Esau and big brother Harrison Esau — two years apart — have always wanted to beat each other. Doesn't matter what it is in, they grew up competing against each other in virtually everything.
Yes, there was fighting along the way, but those eternal battles made them better, especially in sports.
Harrison is now a junior pitcher for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the Rochester Royals, while Jack has starred in baseball, first this spring at Rochester Century and now with his American Legion baseball team, the Rochester A's.
He can thank Harrison for giving him a push — or two or three or four, some of them literally. It has upped his game. Headed into his junior year he put on 40 pounds of muscle, getting his work done at ETS. That gave him power and confidence.
This summer the star left fielder was invited to be a part of the High School All-Star Series in Chaska, the only Rochester player to get that invitation. It came after he batted a lusty .429, had his team's only home run of the spring high school season and the speedster ran down everything in left field.
"When we were younger, we were constantly fighting and bickering," Harrison said. "That's because we were so competitive. Everything was a competition with us. But that pushed both of us. I was not going to get beat by my little brother and my little brother had the attitude that he was going to show me up. I'm still competitive with him. We go out golfing about once a month together and there is a lot of chirping between us. Some of the words we use, l can't repeat."
The bickering and fighting have subsided considerably, just as the respect these two have for each other has grown and grown. And that has happened as Jack and Harrison have become as close as brothers can be.
Harrison is already dreading what's going to happen in about a month, when Jack heads far from home to the University of Kansas, where he plans to study to become a dentist.
"I'm really going to miss him," Harrison said. "We're best friends now."
Harrison and Jack are around each other constantly, as for the last two American Legion seasons Harrison has been an A's assistant coach.
They drive to all practices and games together, spend all of that time in the dugout together and then make the return trip together to home. Then there is plenty more interaction between them once they get there.
"I do quite a lot of hanging out with Harry," Jack said. "We play pickleball and go golfing together."
Jack didn't just learn the game from his big brother, he also learned how to lead from him.
"Harry has been a good role model for me," Jack said.
A born leader, Harrison was Century's starting quarterback as a senior and threw passes to then-sophomore Jack. Harrison is outspoken and sure of himself. Jack, slowly but surely, has taken on some of that same personality and is now a vocal leader for the Rochester A's.
He regards that as vital. The 6-foot, 165-pound Jack — who lost his senior football season early to a broken collarbone — is playing on an A's team with a number of young players who benefit from being around veteran leaders.
"The thing I do best is I feel like I'm a smart player," Jack said. "I have a lot of knowledge about the game. And I'm good with leadership. I've watched Harry. He always had a good connection with his coaches and his teammates.
"It's very important to have a leader. I've always gone the furthest on the teams with the most leadership."
What Jack also does exceedingly well is simply play the game.
"He can do a lot of things," A's and Century coach Logan Milene said. "His athleticism lets him do it. He's basically carried over what he did in the spring to the summer. It seems like every time he gets up to bat he gets a hit. I think his bat-to-ball skills are his best thing."
Jack is batting .400 this summer on an A's team that is amid the First District playoffs. It's a team on the rise, as they entered the postseason with an 11-5 record.
Continue reading...
