Friends’ Central’s Justin Rubin is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
One of Friends’ Central’s leading hitters as a freshman, the sophomore shortstop is keeping up the pace this spring, as in his first 12 games he is hitting 17-for-30 with 24 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .689. As a pitcher, he is 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA in 18 innings pitched (as of April 15), with 20 strikeouts and only two walks. He comes from a successful athletic family (see “Family members” under the “Fun Facts” section below).
Q: What has been your most memorable experience as a Friends’ Central baseball player to date – can you share it with us?
A: My most memorable experience as a Phoenix occurred this past year during our Myrtle Beach spring break trip. We came from behind and completed a walk off victory against a very talented Chagrin Falls team from Ohio.
Q: Tell us a little about your start in baseball. Who have been your biggest baseball mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you about baseball?
A: I developed a love for the game starting at a very early age. My dad was a college baseball player and I grew up watching my brother play, so the sport has always been present in my life. My earliest baseball memory is hitting a grand slam in T-ball, which in hindsight is not really something to brag about because in T-Ball there are no outs, so every inning ends with a grand slam. My dad has definitely been the biggest mentor in my career. The most influential message my dad taught to me was his own motto that “the only thing in life you can control is your attitude.”
Q: Who is your favorite baseball player and why?
A: Jimmy Rollins has always been my favorite baseball player. He was the reason behind me wanting to become a shortstop and his nickname, “J-Roll” inspired my nickname “J-Rube.”
Q: What is your favorite ballpark and why?
A: My favorite ballpark to go watch a game is definitely Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies are hands down my favorite sports team and there is no place more appealing for me to go down and watch a baseball game, first pitch to last.
Q: You wear uniform No. 12 for Friends’ Central – was there a reason you chose this number, does this number have any significance to you?
A: No. 12 has always been my favorite/lucky number for as long as I can remember. I can’t remember the exact reason I picked 12 but I think it has something to do with either my birthday, which is the 12th day of the month, or wanting to be greater than my brother, who always wore No. 11.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a game.
A: I am a big fan of visualization. I try to picture what I want to happen as many times as I can throughout the day. I am a very routine-based person so I try to stick to my routines as closely as possible on the day of a game.
Q: What’s your favorite subject in school? What do you think you might like to major in at college? Is there a career field that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite subject in school has historically been math over the years, however, I must admit that I’d be lying if I told you that I’m enjoying PreCalc. I definitely see myself majoring in business in college and I would like to work in the stock market when I’m older.
Fun facts – Justin Rubin
Favorite book: Honus and Me.
Favorite author: Dan Gutman.
Favorite TV show: Friends.
Favorite movie: Step Brothers.
Favorite athlete: Jimmy Rollins.
Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Right Above It, by Lil Wayne.
Favorite team: Philadelphia Phillies.
Favorite place to visit: “The beach.”
Favorite pre-game meal: “home-cooked meal made by my mom.”
Person I most admire, and why: “My parents. I aspire to be like them when I grow up and I know I can always count on them to be there for me no matter what the circumstance is.”
Family members: “My Dad (Jon) played baseball and football at the University of Pennsylvania – he’s been my coach all my life and is my current high school coach. My mom is a Hall of Fame inductee for both lacrosse and field hockey at Brown University. She coached lacrosse at Friends’ Central and won a state championship. She now focuses on helping athletes with the mental aspects of their respective sports.
“My older brother Bryan plays baseball at Vassar college and is also a budding singer/songwriter. Check his instagram out @rubyplaysmusic.
“My older sister Jesse plays soccer at Washington University in St. Louis. they won a national championship her freshman year.”
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
