"Brian was going to pitch that day," Mike Matusz said. "I'm rushing to get there because I had to coach another game for my older boy [Chris]. I told him that I was sorry that we were running late, and he said, `Don't worry, they won't start the game without me.' He was so calm and collected at 10 years old."
Move ahead a year and it's virtually the same story within a different tale, this time when Brian pitched in another district championship game in the 11-12 age bracket.
"This is the clincher," Mike Matusz said. "In Phoenix, we got monsoon storms in July and August, very violent. I'm driving, and I could see to the east, about six miles away, a storm coming up. The sky was black, and you could see the lightning. I told Brian, `It doesn't look like they're going to get the game in,' and he said: `Don't worry, we're going to play. Today's my day.' Well, sure enough, it looks threatening, but he pitches and also goes 3-for-3 with a walk. All three hits were home runs. He called it. `Today is my day.' So matter-of-fact.
"That's always been his demeanor. He's never worried about things."
Maybe that explains how an 18-year-old kept walking away from $1 million as representatives from six major league teams sat at his family's kitchen table one at a time, trying to gauge whether he would sign if drafted out of high school. More interested in being part of the college experience, Matusz set his price at $1.475 million, knowing he wasn't likely to receive it.
"When you're 18 and that kind of money is flashed in front of your face, it's a really tough decision," Matusz said. "What it really came down to is what I wanted to do. And I knew in college I'd be able to develop myself, not just physically but mentally, and become an all-around better person. And I learned so much more going to San Diego, from my coaches and teammates, moving away from home and trying something new. It was a great decision for me."
The Angels took him in the fourth round in 2005, but contract talks never reached the serious stage. Mike Matusz recalls a team official saying his son wanted first-round money, "and he's not a first-round talent."
"I think Brian wanted to prove him wrong," Mike said. "The Angels thought they could talk Brian into it. In hindsight, and after his experience with San Diego, the number should have been $3 million."
