Joliet Catholic Academy

Baseball: Quigley fails physical, returns to Slammers

Flash back to 2003.

Ryan Quigley had graduated from Joliet Catholic Academy and was preparing to begin his collegiate baseball career as a pitcher at St. Xavier University.

“I had both knees scoped that summer,” he said. “There were no ligament problems, just some cartilage. I have had no problems with the knees, nothing that caused me to miss a start, miss a game or miss a practice since then.”

He did have Tommy John surgery on his right (pitching) elbow early in the 2008 Frontier League season, which caused him to miss the rest of that season and all of 2009. But he was throwing very well this season as the closer for the Joliet Slammers.

So well, in fact, that the Washington Nationals purchased his contract on Monday. He hustled out to New York, ready to pitch with the Auburn Doubledays, the Nationals’ affiliate in the Class A New York-Penn League, with Friday being opening night.

The Auburn team doctor, who also is the team doctor for Syracuse University, examined him.

“He cleared me to play,” Quigley said. “The elbow was fine. He said everything was fine. But as a matter of routine, he had to send the X-rays and results of my physical tests to the head team doctor in Washington.

“The doctor in Washington never saw me. But he looked at the X-rays and said I was not worth the risk liability-wise. He felt the arthritis in my knees was too bad.”

Just like that, Quigley officially had failed his physical and no longer was in the Nationals organization. The Slammers welcomed him back. He was with them this weekend in Traverse City, Mich., and will be with them tonight when they return to Silver Cross Field to begin a series against the Rockford RiverHawks.

“It has been a roller coaster for a couple of days,” Quigley said.

Quigley, 26, has been dominant statistically in the early portion of the Frontier League schedule. He has six saves in six chances and 14 strikeouts while allowing just five hits in 81/3 innings.

Pitching coach Carmen Pignatiello, who pitched briefly in the major leagues with the Cubs during his career, said Quigley throws “a major league slider.”

That begs the question. Even if Quigley continues to shine, does this setback make it less likely another organization will give him a shot?

Longtime Joliet Catholic physics teachers dies — Joliet news ...

Memorial services have been set for a long-time Joliet Catholic Academy science teacher who died Saturday.

Fr. Ray Foster taught physics, chemistry and physical science at JCA for 20 years and was a 1964 graduate of Joliet Catholic High School. As the school’s athletic chaplain, Foster’s pre-game end zone prayer was part of JCA tradition.

“Fr. Ray was not just a Carmelite, he was our Carmelite,” said Sr. Faith Szambelanczyk, JCA president. “Fr. Ray loved being a Carmelite, he loved his family, he loved the Marines, and he loved JCA. Fr. Ray consistently supported our Catholic identity, his spirit filled our halls, and his ‘Our Lady of Victory’ resounds in our chapel.”

Foster grew up on the southeast side of Chicago, but his family moved to Joliet after he finished grade school. He was in the Navy and Marines Corps for a total of 25 years before coming to JCA.

He was was inducted into JCA’s Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Visitation will be held 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 2 at St. Jude Parish, 2212 McDonough St., Joliet. A funeral service will be held 10 a.m. Friday at St. Jude with a cemetery service to follow at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood) at 12:30 p.m. A memorial mass was held at the school on Tuesday.

A Facebook page was created in his honor, titled “To the greatest physics teacher and the funniest man at JCA Father Ray.

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