The countless hours spent hitting ropes in the batting cage, shagging flies and fielding ground balls paid off in a big way as an unexpected family reunion took place this summer at Citi Field, the home of the Mets. After eight years and over 2,700 minor league at-bats, East Rockaway native Reid Gorecki was summoned to the big leagues by the Atlanta Braves who were in Flushing for a three-game series.
 
With hundreds of friends and family members among the crowd of 40,000, Gorecki picked up his first major league hit and RBI when he singled to center off Mets’ reliever Sean Green. Just 24 hours later, the Kellenberg Memorial High School graduate got the better of former Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana by lining a single to left field.
 
The 28-year old Gorecki was ecstatic. “I can’t explain how unbelievable this is,” Gorecki said. “Getting the call up to the majors is something I have worked for my entire life. To be able to do it here in front of my family and friends; it’s really a dream come true.”
 
Gorecki had been starring for the AAA Gwinnett Braves when he was told that he’d be making the 30-mile drive down I-85 to join Chipper Jones and the Braves in Atlanta. He was floored by the news. “The excitement came over me real quick,” he said. “I kind of thought they were messing with me at first. When it finally hit me, I got everything in my bag as fast as I could and headed out. It was just an amazing feeling.”
 
Baseball has been a staple in the Gorecki family since the 60s. Ron Gorecki, who taught in the New York City school system for 41 years and coached baseball at various NYC high schools, played for LIU-Brooklyn in the first ever Division II College World Series in 1968. Though he never had to push his two sons to play, both of his children became professional baseball players. His oldest son Ryan was drafted by the Texas Rangers and spent six seasons playing minor league ball, the last two with the Long Island Ducks.
 
Ryan Gorecki couldn’t have been happier for his younger brother. “Most people just don’t understand what a minor league baseball player goes through,” he said. “Now, he never has to validate himself. He’s a big league ballplayer. He faced Billy Wagner. He got a hit off Johan Santana. It’s just an unreal time for our whole family.”
 
Gorecki’s ascension to the big leagues certainly wasn’t an easy one. After having an outstanding spring training, he was released by the St. Louis Cardinals in March of 2008. With his baseball career in the rearview mirror, Gorecki picked up a job selling online advertisements for Restaurants.com.
 
Susan Gorecki knew that her son’s baseball playing days were not over. “When Reid was released, it was traumatic and completely unexpected,” she said. “It was a heartache. He’s played baseball his whole life. I figured it would be tough for him to find a place to play, but I knew someone would pick him up. I just knew it wasn’t the end.” 
 
That someone was Tommy Shields, who had scouted Gorecki and encouraged the Cardinals to draft him out of the University of Delaware. Shields, now the minor league field coordinator with the Braves, helped Reid get back on the ball field. Gorecki made the most of the opportunity. After a breakout season in AA Mississippi in 2008, he followed it up by hitting .286 with nine homers and 49 RBI with Gwinnett prior to being called up.
 
Instead of following their son’s minor league games on the internet, Susan and Ron have a new hobby; following Reid and the Braves up and down the East Coast. The proud parents have now seen Reid don a major league uniform in New York, Atlanta and Philadelphia.
 
When the Braves arrived back in Atlanta after taking two of three games from the Mets, Gorecki got his first major league start in a loss to the Florida Marlins. He doesn’t know how much time he’ll see, but he’ll be ready when manager Bobby Cox calls his name.
 
"I'm going to make the most of the opportunity,” he said. “Whether it’s stealing a base, playing good defense or making good contact, I will be ready to help the team. I’ve been looking for this opportunity for a long time.”