Most people in Montgomery County baseball circles have a Matt Sweeney story. And most of the tales have the same theme – another ridiculous feat of strength by the Magruder slugger.
Wootton catcher Dennis Schoonmaker tells one about Sweeney’s home runs at Magruder that crashed into a lacrosse goal “50 feet past the right field fence.”
Perhaps the best story, however, is told by Sweeney. Without a hint of boast, Sweeney describes a home run that sailed over the fence at Churchill, over Tuckerman Lane, and “into the front yard of a house and then bounced in the doorway.” When he talks of the blast, hit last spring, even Sweeney sounds amazed.
This stuff of legend helps explain why the senior is getting Barry Bonds treatment this spring. On more than one occasion, Sweeney has drawn an intentional walk with a runner at first base.
“It’s a great honor for them to think you’re that dangerous,” said Sweeney who plays catcher, first base or third base and is hitting .536 with three home runs. “But it’s also frustrating. You train and work hard in the off-season to get a chance to hit.”
To combat the tactics, Magruder coach Bob Maxey has moved Sweeney to the leadoff spot. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound left-hander looks more like a cleanup hitter, but he also has the speed (he runs 60 yards in 6.85 seconds) to steal bases, which he did twice in an 11-4 loss Monday at Damascus. Sweeney went 2 for 2 in the game and drew a pair of walks.
“We think he’ll at least see a few more pitches batting leadoff,” said Maxey. “If you want to walk him to start the game, go ahead. We’ve got some good hitters behind him.”
Sweeney got his start in baseball early thanks to his father, former University of Maryland linebacker Mark Sweeney, and his older half-brother Josh Powell, a former star at Magruder and later at Virginia Tech.
Sweeney has been accompanied throughout his career by cousin Ross Sweeney, a second baseman for Magruder, who also is hitting better than .500 this spring. As linebackers for the Magruder football team last fall, the Sweeney boys were the leading tacklers as the Colonels had their best season (6-4) in more than a decade.
Sweeney’s stock rose dramatically during the American Legion season last summer as he hit 14 home runs and drove in 41 runs in 33 games for Gaithersburg Post 104. Sweeney was named a Louisville Slugger Pre-Season All-American and is likely to be drafted by a major league team at the end of the season. According to Maxey, several teams have scouted Sweeney, with the most serious interest from the Chicago White Sox.
If Sweeney doesn’t like his draft position, he and his cousin will go to Potomac Junior College in West Virginia where Sweeney would hope to increase his stock and perhaps be the subject of a few more stories.
“He does hit monster home runs,” said Schoonmaker. “But it’s his line drives that are scary. They leave divots in the field. Trust me, you don’t want to be playing first base when he’s at the plate.”
