Giusto a 5-foot-3 spark plug for Lisbon
By Randy Whitehouse
Staff Writer

LISBON FALLS – Derek Giusto’s varsity baseball career began with a baptism by fire.

Giusto’s first varsity start for Lisbon High School came in the playoffs two years ago – a daunting task for anyone, let alone a freshman.

“My center fielder sprained his ankle, so I put him in the nine-hole,” Lisbon coach Randy Ridley said. “He walked a couple times, stole a couple bases. I said, ‘Well, I found my leadoff man for the future.'”

Ridley wrote Giusto’s name at the top of the Lisbon batting order at the start of last season, and the two-time state wrestling champion has owned a headlock on it ever since.

“I get the momentum going our way,” he said. “That’s my job.”

Giusto’s job is even more important to the Greyhounds than most other teams. Lacking a power-packed lineup, Lisbon likes to play “small ball.”

At 5-foot-3, Giusto fits the style of play perfectly. His job is to get on base, steal second (he has the green light), sometimes steal third, and find a way to score whether it’s on a hit, sacrifice fly or ground ball.

With a quick bat and a tiny strike zone, Giusto usually finds a way to get the first part of his job done. He sees a favorable ball-strike count in almost

“I really only try to swing at good pitches,” he said. “I have a nice, small strike zone, and I try to take advantage of it. I’m usually ahead in the count, 3-1 (or) 3-0, so I usually wait for a good count before I swing.”

Teammates have been doing a good job getting on base in front of him, so Giusto hasn’t had many bases available to steal. He has five so far this season. But the other part of his job, scoring runs, is going well. He’s already in double digits in that department, which has helped the Greyhounds get off to a 7-1 start.

“I just pretty much need to get on base, and I’m automatically on second,” Giusto said. “All we need is a single to drive me in, and the guys behind me are going to put the bat on the ball.

“Coming into this season, I wanted to try and get 30 stolen bases and 30 runs. In the Major Leagues, they go 40-40 (home runs and steals), but I’m not a really big power hitter.”

Opponents look at Giusto and think the same thing, so they’ll take a few steps in and dare him to hit it over their head. But too many forget that there’s some power packed into that 130-pound frame, power Giusto has demonstrated on the wrestling mat since his freshman year.

“They take a few steps in and it just makes me laugh to myself sometimes,” he said.

Giusto credits his wrestling background with helping him develop his upper body strength and quick hands through the zone that gives him his surprising power. But the junior center fielder brings more than enviable physical skills to the top of the Lisbon lineup.

“He really has a good mind for the game. He’s a thinker,” Ridley said. “He’s a good leader out there, which being in center you have to be. But you can hear him from the dugout talking to the other outfielders out there, which is what I really like.”

Sometimes when the outfielders hear him talking, it’s because he’s calling them off for a fly ball after covering an acre of green on Lisbon’s spacious home field.

“He’s got range going from just beyond right center to just beyond left center,” Ridley said. “He’s made some big plays for us this year with that speed and range. It just amazes me every time I see a ball that I think is going to drop and he gets there on the run. No dive. No nothin’. He’s got a very good arm, too.”

It isn’t just speed that gets Giusto to those fly balls.

“I try to adjust to different pitchers, like when John (Tefft) is pitching, I usually shift the other way because he throws a lot harder, and Josh (Willey) has a good curve ball so I play guys more to pull,” he said.

That is the kind of thinking that’s made it impossible for Ridley to pull Giusto from center field since that day two years ago.

[email protected]