William Penn Charter School
Baseball History

A look at the 1986 powerhouse . . .

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Some PC guys, hanging out before practice . . .   L to R -- Steve Floirendo, Mark Skoczynski, Dave Healy, Tony Corapi, Mark Shoemaker.

Daily News All-City Honorees FIRST TEAM Dave Healy, Pitcher of Year Steve Floirendo, DH SECOND TEAM Mark Skoczynski, INF HONORABLE MENTION Joe Capriotti, 1B Scott McKinsey, OF -- Healy, a lefty, compiled an 11-0 record with one save. In 80 2/3 total innings, he allowed 48 hits and 22 walks while striking out 137 and recording a 1.13 ERA. -- All-Inter-Ac Honorees FIRST TEAM Dave Healy, P/MVP Steve Floirendo, C Mark Skoczynski, INF Joe Capriotti, OF SECOND TEAM Scott Burke, INF Jamie Dimond, INF Scott McKinsey, OF

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A STRIKING SUCCESS
DAVE HEALY IS TOUTED AS BEST PITCHER AT PENN CHARTER SINCE MARK GUBICZA

May 02, 1986

By Ted Silary, Daily News Sports Writer

  Dave Healy has discovered the three keys to success in pitching, which also happen to be the three keys to success in
real estate - location, location and location.
  Don't laugh. Healy's best fastball was AWOL Tuesday afternoon when Penn Charter defeated Germantown Academy,
5-0, in an Inter-Ac League game. That did not, however, prevent the senior lefthander from pitching his first-ever,
asterisk-less no-hitter. Healy worked the batters like a politician works a crowd.
  Healy struck out nine, walked two and plunked a batter as he elevated his season's record to 7-0. He also stirred memories
(his own) of a game played at Veterans Stadium in the summer of 1984.
  "It was a city championship game in a 14-to-16 league when I was playing for the Andorra A's," Healy said. "I had a
no-hitter through nine innings, then a guy got a single in the 10th and scored on an error. We lost, 1-0. That was as close as
I came to a no-hitter before this one."
  Close. That's the word most observers use when asked to make a comparison between Healy and Mark Gubicza, the
last Penn Charter pitcher to rack up monstrous accomplishments.
  Gubicza, now in his third season with the World Champion Kansas City Royals, was named the Daily News Pitcher of
the Year in 1981 after starring for the Quakers and being selected in the second round (No. 34 overall) in the amateur draft.
  Gubicza's stats: 8-1 record, 58 2/3 innings, 27 hits, 4 earned runs, 25 walks, 83 strikeouts, 0.48 ERA.
  Here are the current numbers for Healy, who is scheduled to make four more starts, weather permitting: 7-0 record,
52 1/3 innings, 23 hits, 4 earned runs (only 6 total), 14 walks, 96 strikeouts, 0.54 ERA.
  "Dave is not quite as good as Mark, but it's close," said seven-year coach Rick Mellor. "Mark was a year older when he
graduated (Healy won't turn 18 until June) and he also threw the ball 90 miles an hour. Dave generally throws in the
80-to-83 range and when he pops it, he can hit 85-to-87.
  "Statistically, you'd have to say Dave is doing more than Mark did. If Dave had another year here, I'd say it would be
hard not to compare him (equally) to Mark. Next year, I can see him throwing 85 all the time without a problem."
  For whom? Good question.
  Obviously, it is possible Healy will be drafted somewhere along the line, as a small yet steady procession of scouts has
whipped out lawn chairs to witness most of his starts. Old Dominion leads the college pack, and Penn State is a close
second and the mailman is constantly delivering the written equivalent of sweet nothings from schools that want to join
the hunt.
  Healy says little about the draft.
  "I'm not thinking too much about it," he said. "If I got drafted in the first 10 rounds, I'd probably think seriously about
turning pro, but I don't know if something like that could happen."
  When Healy is strong he racks up strikeouts. He has recorded 50 in 28 league innings, including 17 in a one-hitter against
Chestnut Hill and 13 in a two-hitter against Episcopal. He has allowed seven hits in league play, all singles, along with five
walks and one run (unearned).
  "I've always struck out a lot of batters, even when I was younger," Healy said. Like Gubicza and so many other quality
players through many years, Healy got his start in Roxborough's outstanding youth programs. He plays American Legion
ball for the Ivy Ridge Panthers.
  "I don't really try . . . well, I guess I do try for them, to an extent," Healy said. "It's fun to strike someone out. It makes
you feel like you totally won the personal battle with the batter. If a guy hits a ball hard, even if we get an out on it,
sometimes I feel like I lost the battle.
  "Against GA, I wasn't throwing as hard as normal, so I had to set up the hitters a lot more. My fastball wasn't popping.
I mixed speeds and pitched to spots, which was something I'd never done. It was interesting."
  "Dave wants the strikeouts. He's that kind of pitcher," Mellor said. ''Batters sometimes are able to fight off the first two
pitches, then he pumps it up a notch to get the strikeout."
  Healy has grown from 6-2, 160 pounds to 6-4, 185 pounds in merely the last year. Always capable of performing well
in the classroom, he is now doing better than ever. Healy climbed on to the honor roll in the last trimester and he has
scored 1,030 in the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
  Healy plays the outfield or first base when he's not making opposing batters wonder why a nice hunk of aluminum has
suddenly become so useless. Healy produces when he is not pitching. He is hitting just above .400 for the 13-2 Quakers,
who possess two other players - catcher Steve Floirendo, first baseman Joe Capriotti - worthy of All-City consideration.
  "Playing the field is like a rest," Healy said. "Pitching is my favorite, but I enjoy the outfield and first base. I enjoy it in
a different way."
  Healy was not a student at Penn Charter when Gubicza attended the school, but he can remember seeing his brother,
Bob, play youth ball against Mark.
  "I wouldn't say Mark Gubicza is a hero of mine, but I sure follow his progress," Healy said. "When a local guy makes
the major leagues, of course you think about how he's doing and you pull for him.
  "No, nobody says I throw like him," he added, with a laugh.
  For now, getting results like Gubicza is more than enough for Dave Healy.