Renner brothers help Mariemont battle for CHL crown
MARIEMONT – Norman Rockwell would be hard-pressed to paint something more purely American.
Unless the great illustrator of the mid 20th century was responsible for Elvis on velvet or John Wayne with a bald eagle on his shoulder squinting into the sun, his Saturday Evening Post covers would look like Soviet Cold War propaganda next to a dad tossing Wiffle balls to twin 3-year-old sons in the back yard after work.
Fast forward from the sepia-tinged brush strokes of nostalgia into the high definition color of the digital present.
The Renner twins have grown up. Danny - older than his brother by a minute - pitches and plays shortstop. Patrick is the catcher. Dad Dr. James Renner just happens to be principal at Mariemont High School where his boys are part of a deep senior class that have the Warriors in contention for their first Cincinnati Hills League title since 2008.
Mariemont was 5-0 in league play and 9-3 overall following an 18-12 loss to Landmark Christian April 17. The Warriors are tied with Wyoming - a team they’re scheduled to face April 23 at Crosley Field and April 24 at Wyoming - for the CHL lead.
“Danny is not an overpowering pitcher,” said Mariemont head coach Joe Regruth. “But he throws strikes with more than one pitch, which makes him valuable as a starter or a reliever. When you throw strikes consistently, you’re generally going to get good results.”
Danny likes throwing those strikes to his brother.
“I’ve thrown to a lot of different catchers over the years, but I have to say Patrick is honestly my favorite,” he said. “He knows me, what I like to throw. I know him and what he’s looking for. It just works out on the field. Nope (there is no sibling rivalry), not when we’re on the same team.”
Which isn’t to say it’s always smooth sailing. Patrick said Danny will occasionally shake off a sign from him.
“I don’t know if he can, but he does it sometimes,” Patrick said. “He’s got an attitude on the mound. That’s good, but I just have to deal with it.”
Regruth said he would expect nothing less of his catcher.
“Patrick is one of the toughest kids I’ve ever coached,” he said. “Physically tough, taking a beating behind the plate as catchers do, but mentally tough, too. He can make a mistake or have a bad at bat and come right back the next play and throw a kid out trying to steal. Or he’ll get the two-out hit next time up. To me, that’s mental toughness.”
Regruth said the twins are emblematic of the entire team.
“We have guys up and down the lineup who can and do contribute for us at every position,” he said. “When you have that kind of depth, that quality depth, you’re creating competition, which elevates everyone’s game. It’s really exciting to see that every day in practice and then to see it translate out on the field.”
Right field on fire
Cool temperatures in the early season did little to dampen the heat generated by another Mariemont senior, Brendan Woodruff.
The right fielder owns arguably the best arm on the team and without question swings the hottest bat with 19 hits in his first 35 at bats for a .543 average.
“Brendan is playing as well right now as he has since I’ve been coaching him,” said Warriors head coach Joe Regruth. “He’s hit in every game this year except one. ...With his arm he’s advertising to other teams they better not try to take an extra base.”
Woodruff fuels his own fire, calling a 1-0 loss to Wyoming for the Cincinnati Hills League title his sophomore year his favorite baseball memory.
“It hurt,” Woodruff said. “But it gave all of us who are seniors now a learning experience and something to shoot for. We’ve all grown since then.”