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Malave back with Scrappers and his second family
He was a player in 1999 and a hitting coach in 2010, now Dennis Malave is manager of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers
By STEVE RUMAN
NILES
It was June of 1999, and a 19-year-old Dennis Malave found himself in a foreign land, in unfamiliar territory and completely surrounded by strangers.
A native of Venezuela, Malave had just arrived in Niles with the rest of his Scrappers teammates as the franchise was set to begin its inaugural season of baseball in the Mahoning Valley.
Malave looked so out of place that Patti and Bob Bixler of Howland felt obligated to welcome him into their home. The Bixler family volunteered to be a Scrappers host family that summer, and they served as “parents” to Malave and former Major League all-star Victor Martinez.
“We went to a meet the team gathering prior to the start of the season, and here were these four boys just standing all alone, they looked so lost,” Patti said. “Other than Dennis, none of them spoke English. It was like they were in a different world. We brought all four home with us, and eventually Dennis and Victor stayed with us the entire summer.”
Dennis ended up playing three years with the Scrappers, and each summer the Bixler family gladly welcomed him into their home.
“What an incredible person, even as a very young man,” Patti said. “All that time he spent with us back then, he never raised his voice, never had a bad thing to say about anyone. Dennis is the kindest human being I’ve ever known.”
Jump ahead to June of 2019, and Malave again finds himself in the Mahoning Valley. Only this time, he is comfortable enough in his surroundings to call the area “a second home.” As for the Bixlers? Today Malave simply refers to them as “my family.”
Malave returns to the Valley, now as the Scrappers’ manager. When his playing career ended in 2004 he joined the Indians organization as a coach. He spent the 2010 season in the Mahoning Valley (and with the Bixlers) as the Scrappers’ hitting coach. He served in the same capacity in Arizona from 2011-17, and last summer he was a bench coach for the Akron Rubber Ducks.
Through it all, the relationship between Malave and the Bixlers continued to grow.
“That’s my American family, it’s fitting that we open the home season on Father’s Day because Bob is my American father,” Malave said. “To come here at a young age, not being able to communicate really well, and to have this family take me in and teach me the culture, the food, all of the customs. The impact it had on my life is unbelievable and I can’t ever thank them enough.”
Since ‘99, baseball has taken Malave to all corners of the country. Still, Patti said that Malave “has never forgotten a birthday, a Mother’s Day, a Father’s Day or Christmas.” When daughter Rachel became a bride, Patti said that Malave “drove hours and hours, just so he could attend the wedding and reception.”
A few summers back, Malave’s own mother returned the “host family” favor when she welcomed Patti and Bob’s son, Ross, into her Venezuelan home for the summer.
Even though Malave now has a 20-year history in professional baseball, and he is returning to familiar and comfortable surroundings, he is also heading into unfamiliar territory. After serving in various coaching capacities for the past 15 years, Malave began his managerial career Friday when the Scrappers defeated West Virginia 5-4 in the opening game of the season.
In some ways, Malave is returning to his baseball roots while at the same time starting over again.
“It’s going to be a learning experience for me, you never stop learning the game of baseball and now that I’m taking on a new role it presents new challenges and different responsibilities,” Malave said. “I vividly remember that first game here in ‘99, the emotions, the excitement, the atmosphere. I’m going to have that same feeling [tonight].
“Twenty years ago I was in the exact same situation that my players now face. Having gone through that experience is huge, because I know exactly what they are feeling. I want to use my own experience to help them ease into professional baseball.”
And, true to his nature, Malave says that a family environment will help create a smooth transition.
“We have young men coming from all different countries, all different cultures, but they all come here with the same goal in mind,” Malave said. “It’s important that they build a bond, a unity. We want a family atmosphere at the ballpark on and off the field.”
Such a family atmosphere will be present tonight when the Scrappers host Batavia in the home opener. While a broken ankle is likely to keep Patti away from the ballpark, Bob will be in attendance to cheer on his favorite manager.
“I love baseball, I love Dennis,” Bob said. “What better way to spend Father’s Day than to watch my son manage the Scrappers?”
Tonight’s first pitch is slated for 6:35.