Tumilty makes name for self Naperville C. catcher living up to family legacy

As the baby in a tough and competitive family, Pat Tumilty wasfaced with two options.

Tough it out or, well, be a baby.

I was always roughed up by my brothers,'' said Tumilty, a seniorcatcher at Naperville Central. I had no choice but to be tough. Mybrothers would beat the living [bleep] out of me."

Little brothers everywhere can relate, but this one was honed forathletic success.

Tumilty's sister, Beth, played soccer at Michigan State and is adoctor.

His brother Scott was a football star at Naperville Central andwas named Division III Athlete of the Year at Augustana in 1996. Heis the track coach at Maine South.

His brother Jim set a new standard for grit by leading NapervilleCentral to the Class 6A championship game in 1995 despite playingwith a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

My brothers put my name out there in the city of Naperville,'' Patsaid.

Tumilty is living up to the high standards. A high-scoring leftwing in hockey, he played in the Blackhawk Cup final as a freshmanand is a key player on the Chicago Young Americans club team. Hockeyconflicts cut his ties to the Redhawks' football program, but he hasbuilt a reputation in baseball, starting at third base as a sophomoreand making the Illinois Baseball Coaches Association's all-state teamas a junior.

He entered this season as Naperville Central's all-time leader inhome runs with 18, then started 7-for-13 with two homers. The No. 8Redhawks beat No. 1 Lyons 3-2 last week.

Like his brothers, Pat loves to compete,'' Naperville Centralcoach Bill Seiple said. If I were to compare him to a professionalbaseball player, it would be Pete Rose. Pat's actions aren't silky-smooth, but he is relentless and will do anything he can to beatyou."

Seiple said the 6-foot, 185-pound Tumilty, whose 4.2-second speedfrom the plate to first base is the second-fastest on the team, iscapable of playing any position except pitcher. And he can hit.

I've never had trouble hitting and hitting home runs for as longas I can remember," Tumilty said. When I was 12, my brother Jim [then18] would throw to me on a Little League mound [from 46 feet], and hecouldn't throw three past me."

Seems the mental toughness was well on its way to being shapedback then. As 12-year-olds, Tumilty and Naper-ville Central teammatesCraig Brookes, Ryan Pollard, Ryan Renn, Blake Jeffers and Ryan Lindwere on their way to becoming Little League state champions.

Physically, Tumilty was on his way, too. Last month, the Redhawks'trainer was looking at Tumilty's shoulder and discovered what hethinks is a broken collarbone suffered in a hockey game last fall.

He didn't want to miss any games," Seiple said, so he played withit broken."

Tumilty now has a bump--to complement a few others handed downfrom his brothers--where it healed itself.

He is one of the toughest, if not the toughest, kids I've everhad," Seiple said. He's special."