The name Tatis is synonymous with baseball greatness in San Diego and with fans worldwide.
It’s now a name heard at San Diego City College with the arrival of Daniel Tatis, the younger brother of Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr.
Daniel Tatis, a third baseman and catcher for the Knights, resembles his brother in looks and by his number, 23.
But he’s 5-foot-10 and compact. Fernando is a lean 6-foot-3.
The younger Tatis’ body type and skill set are closer to his father, Fernando Tatis Sr., who had an 11-year major league career playing for the Rangers, Cardinals, Expos, Orioles and Mets.
When thinking about where he wanted to play, Tatis, 18, said it was always going to be somewhere in San Diego.
“It’s mostly because my brother’s here, but I really like (San Diego),” he said. “It’s the most comfortable place that I’ve been so far.”
Tatis was born in Florida and grew up in the Dominican Republic before moving to California.
He had offers from other local schools, Southwestern and Palomar, but chose City to begin his collegiate career.
Tatis said that his aunt, Amy Castro, helped him make his decision, in part because she heard about City College head baseball coach Chris Brown.
Brown is in his 26th season as head coach for the Knights and is coming off a 22-win season in which City made the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
“(Castro) was one that had the connections. She’s the one,” Tatis said.
Brown was thrilled with their decision to pick City.
“We’re blessed and fortunate that he chose San Diego City College because he did have many, many choices to go to,” Brown said.
Tatis is currently hitting .300 with one RBI and one run scored through four games and seems to enjoy the process of getting better.
“We work a lot on getting better every day, fixing up the mistakes we make,” he said. “But it’s pretty cool because every day we try to improve something.”
Tatis has fit in seamlessly with the team both on and off the field and appears to carry himself like he’s just one of the guys.
“I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I’m a cool guy,” Tatis said. “I like messing around. I like having fun with my friends. I don’t like having tension and none of that. I feel like we have a pretty good relationship, all of us, and we try to keep cool all the time.”
Tatis doesn’t live in a dorm or a tiny apartment like most college kids. He lives with his older brother Fernando, which he’s always done.
“I’ve always lived with him, even in the D.R.,” he said. “We spend time together, train together. All of us, we’re one, together.”
Although they live together, the younger Tatis is soft-spoken and mild-mannered, differing from his brother’s brash and sometimes polarizing persona.
Despite not having the typical living situation of a college kid, he does have the hobbies of one.
Tatis says he enjoys playing video games like “Call of Duty,” listening to Dominican music artists El Alfa and Braulio Fogon and eating local food staples like California burritos and In-N-Out Burgers.
Despite his famous last name, Tatis said he doesn’t feel any added stress to live up to what comes with that.
“I think my family did a pretty good job in that area, and I don’t feel pressure at all,” he said. “At the end of the day, you have to live up to that name, but there’s no pressure.”
Tatis said he knows that success won’t be handed to him on the field, and his coaches have applauded his work ethic so far.
“We love his work. We love his work ethic,” assistant coach Anthony Fernandez said. “He’s versatile, and he can hit the ball. He’s got a strong arm. He’s also just a good person.”
Tatis and the Knights’ baseball team will play their next home game at Morley Field on Friday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. against LA Harbor.
Correction: This story has been changed to reflect the correct number of years that coach Chris Brown has been at City College. City Times regrets the error.
