Sports

Georgia’s other drought

• There’s been only two outside of Druid Hills’ Ron Blomberg in 1967, and it’s been 12 long years since a blue-chip baseball prospect from the state of Georgia has been chosen as the top overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft – although that will likely end today as either Leesburg’s Buster Posey or Griffin’s Tim Beckham appear destined to go No. 1.

Danny Aller

On June 20, 1967, it seemed to be just another hot day out in DeKalb County as a bright-eyed 18-year-oldnamed Ron Blomberg waited nervously behind a set of high school stadium bleachers — dressed from head to toe in a traditional cap and gown — to hear the principal call out his name for senior graduation.

But this ceremony would be anything but normal.

Unbeknownst to Blomberg — considered the best amateur baseball player in the United States at the time — he was about to be selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft by arguably still the world's most renowned sports franchise: The New York Yankees.

And in front of his hometown fans, members of the Yankees brass were about to announce the decision to the world.

"Everyone was there! My family, my friends, my teammates — and press from all over the world; like 75-to-80 reporters. Oh, man, it was unreal! Just unreal!" said Blomberg, now 59,

during an interview with The Herald last weekend via telephone from his home in Atlanta, not far from where he grew up. "Here I was, 18 years old — just a kid at graduation — and I was about to be the the No. 1 pick in the draft, for the greatest team in the world. It was a wonderful feeling."

Little did Blomberg know, his signing as the No. 1 overall pick — now 41 years later — would mark the first time in Georgia history that a promising star from the Peach State would be taken as the top selection in the MLB Draft.

And while there’s been only two Georgia No. 1s since then in four-plus decades, all that could change today.

At 2 p.m. this afternoon at the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., in a draft scene far removed from the bright lights and cameras like that of the NFL, NBA or NHL, one of two amazing prospects from Georgia — Leesburg's Buster Posey, a junior catcher at Florida State, and Tim Beckham, a senior shortstop from Griffin High School — will likely be made the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

And it's a pick that not only belongs for the second year in a row to the American League's Tampa Bay Rays, who have the best record in the AL, but one that — if what 95 percent of baseball prognosticators say proves to be true — will crown the first No. 1 from Georgia since Kris Benson (Kennesaw, 1996) and before that, Mike Ivie (Decatur, 1970).

"I wish them both luck, whoever it is," said Blomberg, who now serves as a scout for the Yankees, as well as a motivational speaker, traveling cross country to spread his message. "It'll be an unbelievable day, and they should enjoy it no matter what happens — because they've earned it."

Of course, before the trio’s feat by a new Georgia player can be replicated, first things first: The Rays' organization has to make a decision about No. 1 — a choice that still has an outside chance of going to one of the other highly touted prospects in this year's draft — Vanderbilt's Pedro Alvarez, San Diego left-hander Brian Matusz or California high school catcher Kyle Skipworth, all of whose names have been seen at one time or another on top of mock draft boards for the last three months.

But at the end of the day, most baseball insiders will agree that the common-sense, can't-miss-pick simply comes back to either Posey or Beckham — two players who have quickly become the pride of a state known for producing some of the best.

"I'm very surprised to know Buster or Tim could be the first in that long," said Posey’s mother, Tracy, on Tuesday, less than 48 hours before the family was to travel to Tallahassee, Fla., where she added that they would learn — as a family, in a "low-key deal" — her son's future. "After all, Georgia's had a lot of good ones over the years."

But none like Beckham or Posey.

And certainly none like Blomberg.

BLOMBERG OF ’67 VS. POSEY/BECKHAM OF ’08

In the words of the fictional San Diego news anchor Ron Burgundy, one line best sums up Ron Blomberg in the late 1960s: He was kind of a big deal.

"Back then, I had 25 to 50 scouts coming to watch me in the 10th grade — and not just for baseball," said Blomberg, who also starred in basketball and football for Druid Hills and was offered between 100 to 125 scholarships for both sports in 1967, one such offer coming from legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. "By the 11th grade, I knew I was going to be drafted high in baseball, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I really enjoyed basketball and football, and I even liked the thought of playing college baseball. But it just so happened in 1966, the Yankees had the worst record in baseball that season and would have the top draft pick the next year. And, I mean, come on — it's the Yankees.

"You don't say no to the Yankees."

So Blomberg — still the only athlete to this day to have ever been named a Parade All-American in all three sports — spurned Wooden and others, turning down hundreds of scholarship offers for the lure of Major League Baseball.

And on June 20, 1967, he signed for "exactly $105,000" — an amount of money that pales in comparison, even 41 years ago, to the $5.6 million last year's No. 1 pick from Vanderbilt, David Price, received from the Rays.

"Man ... baseball sure has changed, hasn't it? Yeah, ($105,000) was a lot of money at the time — but nothing like this $4 and $5 million these guys are getting now, all guaranteed," said Blomberg, who was immediately designated in ’67 to the Yankees' AAA club in Johnson City, Tenn., where he hit .326 with a .565 slugging percentage for two years before being called up in September 1969. "Right after the draft was over and the attention had died down some, the only thing I was guaranteed was I would be making something like $500 a month, roughing it in the minors and taking 6- and 7-hour bus trips to play games in the Appalachian League."

After one year, however, Blomberg got a raise — sort of.

"Geez, I think it was, like, $200 bucks — and that meant I had a good season, " he laughed. "Baseball's just not what it used to be. I still love the game, but back then it was just that: a game. Now, it's a business."

Of course, these days inflation favors Posey and Beckham, both of whom — no matter whose draft board you've looked at in the weeks leading up — have never fallen to further than No. 5, and will be all but guaranteed millions of dollars in bonus money.

And why not? After all, Blomberg said it himself, "They've earned it."

Though none more so in this year's draft than the two boys from Georgia.

First, there's Posey, the star pitcher who played for arguably one of the traditionally best baseball programs in all of South Georgia — the Lee County Trojans — and a team he hurled all the way to the Class AAAA state title game his senior year, posting a 10-1 record with a 1.53 ERA to go along with a crushing .544 batting average and a school-record 46 RBI.

Despite losing the championship, Posey's name piqued the attention of scouts even back in 2005 as he was drafted in the 50th round by the Los Angeles Angels. But the Georgia Gatorade and Louisville Slugger Player of the Year instead opted to take a scholarship from Florida State, which recruited him as a pitcher, then moved him to shortstop his freshman season.

As a freshman, Posey started all 65 games for FSU, leading fellow freshmen across the nation that year in hits (85) and was second on the team only to Shane Robinson in hits, multi-hit games and batting average (.365).

But when Posey’s sophomore season came around, so did another position change by FSU coach Mike Martin, who badly needed a role filled at catcher — a position Posey had never played.

"I didn't really think about it in any way other than how I could help my team," Posey said during an April interview with The Herald on FSU's campus about his comfort level of moving behind the plate after spending a career on the opposite side. "But I think it worked out OK."

That it did.

While other, less-talented players may have been swallowed into an abyss of obscurity after being asked to move to a spot on the field outside their normal range of abilities, Posey excelled. His batting average rose to .382, he was named a First-Team All Atlantic Coast Conference selection, a First-Team NCAA All-American and became the first sophomore to ever be named a Johnny Bench Award finalist, given annually to the nation's best catcher — once again, a position Posey had never, ever played before that season. "He sure is special," FSU assistant coach Mike Martin Jr. said of Posey.

"There's not many I've ever seen in all my years like him, if at all. And, in my opinion, there's not a player other than Buster who should be No. 1 on draft day."

Of course, Martin Jr. also has Posey's stunning junior season to back him up — a season in which Posey has already been named the NCAA Division I National Collegiate Player of the Year, the ACC Player of the Year, the NCAA Academic All-American of the Year and once again is a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award (he finished second in 2007, by the way), as well as the Golden Spikes and Dick Howser awards. Posey also currently leads the NCAA in batting average (.472), on-base percentage (.572) and slugging percentage (.908), and even returned to his roots this season for FSU, showing his renowned versatility by becoming an accomplished pitcher as he currently leads Florida State in saves (6) and has not allowed a run in eight appearances.

"I started hearing about Buster a few years ago when I was doing some scouting for the Yankees, and he's even come a long way since then," Blomberg said. "But I'll admit: I've never seen him play because the Yankees never asked me to go (to Leesburg or Tallahassee). He was doing so well and projected to go so high, they knew they'd never have a shot at him."

Closer to Blomberg, however, is the small town of Griffin, better known as the home of former NFL star Willie Gault than that of the one guy in Beckham who could steal the title of No. 1 right out from under Posey's nose.

In recent years, North Georgia has become a breeding ground for some of the best in the bigs, like Jeff Francoeur, Nick Markakis, Brian McCann, Michael Barrett and even two pitchers from the University of Georgia expected to be early-round selections in this year's draft: Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, Gordon Beckham (no relation to Tim), and SEC Pitcher of the Year Joshua Fields.

But again, Blomberg admits he's only followed the high school Beckham through the media coverage.

"There's been a lot of talk about this kid. How — just like Buster — he's the real deal," Blomberg said. "But, again, the Yankees knew they'd never have a shot at him, so I've never been to a game or seen him play. I hear he's impressive to watch, though."

As for Tim Beckham's argument for the No. 1 pick, his biggest upside is youth and athleticism — not to mention a bat that does things that just ain't right for a kid his age.

As a junior, he hit .512 with six homers, 36 RBI and 16 stolen bases for GHS — and before his senior season even began, he signed a scholarship with the University of Southern California. Griffin then proceeded to lead his team to the Class AAAA state title game this year for the first time since 1981, batting .482 with a .570 on-base percentage from the leadoff spot.

Griffin was swept, 2-0, by Loganville, but Beckham recorded five hits and reached base in all but one in his at bats.

SI.com baseball writer Bill Trochhi wrote in an article published Wednesday about Beckham that, "(He) is a five-tool shortstop who excelled on the high school all-star circuit the past two summers, wowing scouts with his athleticism in the field and on the basepaths. At (6-foot-2), 190 pounds, Beckham is physically mature, and most scouts feel he will be able to remain a shortstop at the major-league level. Baseball America rates Beckham as the top high school prospect in the country."

"He's got soft hands at the plate and in the field," said Griffin (Ga.) coach Jamie Cassady in the same interview with SI. "Tim is the best player we've had, and it is not even close."

But who the Rays take today will be anyone's guess until after 2 p.m. "They're all top-notch kids, they really are," Rays scouting director R.J. Harrison said in an interview with the Tampa Tribune on Tuesday. "You'd be proud to have any of them."

LIFE AFTER NO. 1

Blomberg, unlike some high-profile draft picks in pro sports, managed to never become irrelevant in the media's eyes — or broke financially — like

some stars before him and since him.

And for those players like Posey and Beckham who will surely be on their way to becoming millionaires after today, Blomberg offers some advice: "Never stop working hard — and always be smart in everything you do."

After all, Blomberg debuted with New York less than two years removed from being drafted, but his career — due to a rash of nagging injuries — never flourished the way he, or the Bronx Bombers, had hoped it would.

He was sent down shortly after being called up, then returned in 1971, hitting .326 with a .565 slugging percentage. By 1973, he was batting over .400 with the Yankees, who were in first place at the time. Blomberg was even featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News, and it was during that year that he also became known for a piece of baseball history that was partly responsible for his honorary spot in the Hall of Fame: Blomber was the first "designated hitter" in the history of MLB when -— on April 6, 1973 at Fenway Park in Boston —- he entered as the game's first-ever DH, and was subsequently walked by Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant.

Though, the creation of the position would always be attached to his name.

Blomberg retired in 1978, but never turned his back on baseball, instead embracing his role as a one-time national hero and a sure-fire celebrity in the eyes of New York Yankees fans for all eternity. These days, he spreads his motivational message to schools, charities and major corporations across the country.

"Well, I use my days as a baseball player to relate a lot of what I'm trying to get across when I speak, about how you can always reach the goals in your life. Just because they're not easy, doesn't mean they're not attainable," Blomberg said. "Life throws us a lot of curveballs and strange things happen. But through it all, you have to be focused on success and nothing less. I played Major League Baseball — that was my job — and I worked extremely hard at it. And my message to people is to know that as long as you're willing to work for things, they can be yours.

"Just like what Buster and Tim have done."

As for the ugly side in the life of a superstar, Blomberg came up in an era in which he says "the game was simply more of a game, back then," and admits he never really dealt with some of the pitfalls facing players today who are drafted No. 1.

But now as a scout who must have a keen eye for talent — talent that can be molded into success — Blomberg says he has seen players even better than Buster and Tim who have let it all slip away.

"I still love the game of baseball, but the money aspects of the game — and really, in all professional athletics — I truly dislike," Blomberg said. "Because of security for the players, baseball is no longer fan friendly in the sense that if a player signs an autograph, now they have to worry about it being sold on e-Bay. Or players who make so much money they don't feel like they have to talk to reporters. In my day, we had to talk to the media and we had to sign autographs — which is fine, because the fans and media support the game, and we did what was right.

"I'm sure Buster and Tim and these guys are all good guys, but being No. 1 these days means you're going to be coddled, babied — even nurtured — way too much. These teams turn these guys into high-maintenance players, ones who must have their own trainer, special bats, 12 gloves, or whatever. It didn't used to be like that, and (whoever is No. 1) has to know how to handle it so that it doesn't affect what they're there to do — and that's play baseball."

While less is known among the common populous about the maturity level of Beckham — considering he's received mostly local and regional coverage up until a few months ago — Posey is a well-documented leader and top-notch student-athlete at FSU, posting a perfect 4.0 GPA with a major in finance.

Meaning if it came down to the Rays looking for the guy with the most achievement and maturity thus far in his career, Posey is the clear choice.

But even late Tuesday night, baseball writer Jonathon Mayo — the same MLB Draft insider who first predicted Posey would be the Rays' No. 1 pick three weeks ago on the league's official Web site, MLB.com — was now predicting in his final mock draft board that Beckham had overtaken Posey in the running, leaving the Lee County native, in his book, as the No. 5 pick for the San Francisco Giants.

"If the Rays don't take (Posey) and the Pirates take Alvarez, (the Giants at No. 5) is the next place Posey can end up," Mayo wrote. "The Giants supposedly are leaning toward a bat even if Posey's gone, with (South Carolina's Justin) Smoak and Skipworth being possibilities. IfMatusz were around, they might discuss going in that direction, but they'll be pleased as punch to get the FSU catcher."

However, when the Rays hand down their selection, there will be no announcement over the loud speaker in front of their player's entire graduating class like there was for Blomberg in 1967, but rather just a camera from ESPN on hand and an MLB.com writer sitting in a draft room from the World Wide Sports Complex — in some place called the "Milk House" — where he or she will post the picks one-by-one on the league’s Web site.

Posey, meanwhile, will be in Tallahassee, practicing with his teammates in preparation for Friday's NCAA Super Regional showdown with Wichita State in Game 1 of the best-of-three series.

And while it was Posey's five HRs and 13 RBI which helped propel the Seminoles out of the losers' bracket of the NCAA Regionals last weekend -— FSU scored 74 runs during four games in three days to advance — there will be little fanfare on the school's campus today outside of the normal practice schedule.

"Because he's still playing, and because he so badly wants to get the team back to (the College World Series), it's both good and bad the timing of everything," said Tracy Posey, who added the Posey family even turned down a request by ESPN to follow Buster on draft day because he wanted to maintain strict focus on helping FSU reach the CWS for the first time since 2000. "But even if he does end up going No. 1, Buster's the kind of kid who won't let it affect him — or his mood — one way or the other. And while some may see that as nauseating or boring because they just want to see some kind of emotion from him, I don't think where he gets picked will have any bearing on (how he comes out Friday against Wichita).

"Buster's first goal — before anything else — has always been his team."

There's no word on whether Beckham will make the journey to Central Florida, but one thing is for sure: This is a day both he and Posey have waited — and worked toward — for their entire careers.

When Beckham signed with USC back on Nov. 26, he was asked if he was likely to ever throw a pitch for the Trojans because of his rumored status as a top pick in the upcoming draft.

The Griffin senior just smiled at the reporter and replied. "(Wait until) June 5."

And now that it's here, Blomberg says he's OK with the fact that after today, he, Ivie and Benson may have some new company.

After all, the former No. 1 pick said, "It was only a matter of time."

The Associated Press, Tampa Tribune, Griffin Daily News, MLB.com, SI.com, Florida State baseball sports information director Jason Leturmy, the New York Yankees and Herald staffer Barry Levine all contributed to this report.

More Sports>>