By Bobby Narang
Through his illustrious coaching career, Nazareth High School baseball coach, Lee Milano, has enjoyed many special moments.
He took over the Nazareth program in 1999-2000 after his brother, Bill, left to take over the Maine South program.
Since inheriting the program, Lee Milano put his own stamp at the private-based LaGrange Park school. He immediately recorded back-to-back 20-victory seasons, to kickstart a memorable run in which the Roadrunners became one of the top teams in the Chicago area.
Milano led the Roadrunners to a Class 3A tournament second-place finish, a pair of third-place trophies, and a fourth-place finish.
He had the opportunity to coach all four of his sons at Nazareth, and produced several college-bound players.
But Monday’s game was memorable for a different reason. With Benet Academy racing out to an early 3-0 lead, the Roadrunners seemingly were in trouble of disappointing a packed crowd. Besides the warm weather and battle of East Suburban Catholic Conference contenders, the majority of the crowd was in attendance to witness win No. 500 at Nazareth for Lee Milano.
The Roadrunners mounted an historic comeback to win a historic game, by scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull out a 4-3 victory over Benet.
Soon after Wylder Guido’s single up the middle knocked in Sebastian Gutierrez for the walk-off victory, Milano was mobbed by his players, including his twin sons, Joesph and Anthony.
“I was worried going into the game and didn’t want to talk about the 500,” Lee Milano said, now sporting a 500-261 all-time record at Nazareth. “It showed the first couple of innings. There was a lot of adrenaline. I’m just very lucky, from the parents and players we’ve had here. I won my first game (here) a couple of weeks after my eldest son was born in March 2020. It seems like yesterday. It’s surreal for me. It’s gone by so quick, and I’ve been fortunate to having all four of my kids involved.
“They grew up here. I was so fortunate. I’ve had great parents, administration and parents. This (day) was a great atmosphere, almost like a playoff atmosphere. Every pitch mattered. It’s a good win. Benet is a hot team. This is a big win for us before (Tuesday’s) seeding meeting. I’ve known a lot of these kids for a long time.”
The mid-May Conference game had all the makings of a playoff game. The Roadrunners scored three runs in the last two innings to send home the crowd happy. Milano was besieged by supporters after the game, receiving several pasteboards, balloons, a cake, and a Gatorade bath from his players.
“It was very nerve-racking, but I knew this team has a bunch of talent,” son Joseph Milano said. “I knew we could do it. It’s special. I’ve dreamed of this my whole life. Last year, I knew we needed 20 wins in my senior year to accomplish this, but to do it at home is just special. Words can’t describe how happy I’m right now.”
Guido’s walk-off hit came on a two-strike pitch, in which he followed the advice from Milano to shorten his swing and choke up on his bat.
“Coach Milano means a lot to me,” Guido said. “I’ve known him since I was little. He’s always been right behind me. I really wanted to get this one for him. I was confident and ready. I shortened my swing and choked up. This was awesome, to do it for coach on such a big day.”