This the best time of year to be a sports fan. The NFL is in full swing. College football is starting to get into conference play. Training camp has ushered in a new season for the NHL. Were it not for the lockout, basketball fans would be gearing up for a whole new season of action in the NBA.
To top it all off, the MLB post season has begun! America’s favorite pastime has begun its journey towards crowing a new World Series champion. Along the way the world is bound to be reminded why some of the stars of today are who they are. With many of them, their success comes as no surprise.
Ask anyone at Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore back in 1998 and they would probably have said that Teixeira, a member of the ’98 all-USA Today high school team, was destined to be in the World Series.
For Derek Jeter, the 1992 Player of the Year from Central High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan, making the World Series was considered just a matter of time. The same could be said for the ’93 Player of the Year, Alex Rodriguez from Westminster Christian School from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.
Josh Hamilton’s career has seen some ups and downs since he was named to the ’99 all-USA Today team. Thanks in part to the hard-hitting outfielder, the Texas Rangers are in the midst of making another run at the World Series in 2011.
There was some that wondered why Zack Greinke chose to go to Milwaukee, a team that had only seen the right side of a winning record since once (in 2008; 90-72) since the early 90s. Apparently the pitcher from the 2002 all-USA Today high school team (and Apopka High School) knew what he was doing.
With the 2011 post season underway and new stars already set to emerge, like Tampa Bay Rays rookie pitcher Matt Moore (2007 Gatorade High School Player of the Year for the state of New Mexico), there is one question that is begging to be asked—who’s next?
Could it be former Las Vegas high school slugger and 2009 Baseball America Player of the Year Bryce Harper? What about Kaleb Cowart, the third basemen/ right handed pitcher from Cook County High School (2010 BA Player of the Year) or Dylan Bundy, also a third baseman and pitcher, from Owasso High School (2011 BA Player of the Year)?
Maybe the next post season super star will be Javier Baez who hit .771 his senior year at Arlington County Day School in Jacksonville, Florida? The Yankees thought enough of Dante Bichette Jr.’s play (.640 batting average, 10 homeruns, 40 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases) during his senior year to take him in the first round. For eight other players just as talented, you just need to look at the roster for the 2011 Baseball America first team.
Of course award winning play in high school does not a perennial World Series contender make. There are plenty of players that have received first team national-level honors that did not go on to have a glorious MLB career.
Then again, if it was that easy to pick out the next superstar in waiting, watching would not be nearly as much fun!