Family, baseball, and the University of Southern Maine were some of Vinnie Degifico's greatest loves. People from those three corners of his life showed how much they loved him in return by coming together for a tribute to his memory.
Vinnie Degifico
With emotions from his death last year still fresh, the mood swung between tears and laughs at a ceremony to retire the number that Degifico wore on his jersey during a stellar playing career for the Huskies. He's the only person to receive that honor across any sport in the history of USM Athletics.
Head Baseball Coach Ed Flaherty used to be skeptical about the tradition of retiring numbers. He felt uncomfortable singling out any individual in a team sport. But Flaherty made an exception for Degifico as someone who embodied the "team first" philosophy.
"To have your number retired, you've got to be special. He's that guy," said Flaherty.
Degifico made the most of the three years that he played for Flaherty at USM. In 1986, he led the nation across all NCAA divisions with a .526 batting average. The following season, his power hitting propelled the Huskies into the NCAA tournament. He set nine program records and earned two All-American selections.
The buzz around Degifico attracted big league scouts and the Red Sox drafted him in 1987. After five years of development in the minors, an ankle injury ended his dream of playing professionally. But he was far from done with baseball.
Tyler Delorme (far right) catches up with the Degifico family during a Huskies game.
Flaherty welcomed Degifico back to USM as an assistant coach. He thrived in the role for 28 years until he died of cancer last June. His impact continues to be felt by the hundreds of players that he mentored.
Tyler Delorme was one of those players. As hitters, he and Degifico had a lot in common. Both are record breakers and Husky Hall of Famers. But Delorme almost didn't get the chance to prove himself. Flaherty was ready to cut him after a disappointing tryout. Degifico saw Delorme's potential and convinced Flaherty to change his mind.
"I pretty much owe my entire baseball career to Vinnie. He's had a profound impact on my life," Delorme said. READ MORE https://usm.maine.edu/news/the-first-number-ever-retired-by-usm-athletics-belongs-to-vinnie-degifico%ef%bf%bc/
