Have you played with or played against any Major Leaguers?

[walk-on-wildcat]

I've played with many minor leaguers that had some great stories.

The only 2 that I actually faced was Jason Payton, and Brian Anderson. I'm not sure what Brian is doing now but he was in the majors last year with KC. Jason changed his name to Jay.

A good college buddy of mine (kid) was from Springfield , Ohio. He had some older brothers, and he was close with 3. They all happened to go to his high school. Dave Burba played with his older brother. He saw him in St. Louis and Dave brought him and his boy on the field after a game a few years ago. Dustin Hermanson was a close friend, and when Kent State played at Ohio University Hermanson partied to much with us and was benched for the game because he was late and hung over. Rick White was a friend of another brother.

I just found this on the subject of Springfield, Ohio:

Birthplace of: Mike DeWine - politician, Lillian Gish, Dustin Hermanson - 2005 Major League Baseball player (Chicago White Sox, born: Dec 21, 1972), Jason Collier - NBA player (Atlanta Hawks, born: Sep 8, 1977), Jimmy Journell - 2005 Major League Baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals, born: Dec 29, 1977), Rick White - 2005 Major League Baseball player (Pittsburgh Pirates, born: Dec 23, 1968), Elgrace Wilborn - College basketball player (Western Kentucky Hilltoppers), Isiah Carson - College basketball player (St. Bonaventure Bonnies), Luke Alexander - College football player (Bowling Green Falcons), Matt Cox - College football player (East Carolina Pirates).

http://www.city-data.com/city/Springfield-Ohio.html

[Officer Craig]

Kevin Mitchell down the street. Played hoops with him a couple of times. Real cool cat and he lived with one of the Nixons. That kid pulled so many ladies and had a mean lefty curve ball in whiff when he played with us. Mitchell threw whiff to us for about 5 minutes but I don't think he ever batted against us. Man that was a fun year for a stoked little Giants fan, collecting his cards AND "hanging" with him when he came around.

[wosn99]

Originally Posted by Officer Craig

Kevin Mitchell down the street. Played hoops with him a couple of times. Real cool cat and he lived with one of the Nixons. That kid pulled so many ladies and had a mean lefty curve ball in whiff when he played with us. Mitchell threw whiff to us for about 5 minutes but I don't think he ever batted against us. Man that was a fun year for a stoked little Giants fan, collecting his cards AND "hanging" with him when he came around.

OC,

You are gonna love this... When I worked for Old Navy in San Fransisco, we had a day at Pac Bell Park. We got to take batting practice, play catch, eat all the free concession food we wanted and tour the ball park. I got to play catch with Vida Blue and got lucky enough to fly out to the warning track in right field during batting practice, albeit with an aluminum bat.

[gil=theonetruth]

Todd Lundwall, played with and against him

[Chicat]

Define "play" . . .

I hung out with Jim Parque (White Sox/Devil Rays lefty starting pitcher) during Spring Training two years in a row because he lived next to me at Winterhaven. So when I say "play" I mean we went out to bars, clubs, strip clubs, on hikes, and even to Mexico a few times. I never actually played baseball with him, but I did kick his ass in darts and pool on a regular basis.

[barringer97]

High School against Shawn Green. He went to Tustin, I went to University. I also played against Erasmo Ramirez from the Rangers, he's from Santa Ana.

[BallinestCat27]

I play for Malibu High and last year in the first round of the playoffs we faced a kid named Ryan Tucker from Temple City High (I think it's in Pasadena?). We had a loaded team, as good as we've ever been, and thought we had a legitimate shot at getting to him. He got up to the mid 90s with a nasty change and a solid deuce, Ked 10 or 12, only gave up 2 or 3 hits, but had some control problems, so we managed 2 runs, both on passed balls. At the time we knew he was a fairly big name as far as So-Cal HS baseball went, but didn't realize how much scouts, etc. liked him.

A couple weeks after we lost to them I was looking at the MLB draft results to see if I recognized any names. I thought it would take me 20-25 rounds before I saw anyone we'd played against, but Tucker went in the first to the Marlins. I'm a senior now and it's weird to think someone only a year older is getting paid by the Marlins to play baseball.

[JMarkJohns]

No, but my next door neighbors grandson is Jason Stanford of the Cleveland Indians.

[Officer Craig]

Wosn99, that is sweet!! Would have loved to do that.

Barringer, by any chance you know a dude named Zach that played ball real well at either Tustin or Uni and played college ball at UCSB?

[alieberman]

I went to high school with Paul Konerko. But while he was playing baseball, I was smokin the weed. We didn't have much in common.

[TucsonDon]

Originally Posted by alieberman

I went to high school with Paul Konerko. But while he was playing baseball, I was smokin the weed. We didn't have much in common.

Friends w/Steve Lyons daughter?

Played against a lot of kids who are currently in minor league systems everywhere, but only one of them has made it to the show, and that's Conor Jackson.

[barringer97]

Originally Posted by Officer Craig

Barringer, by any chance you know a dude named Zach that played ball real well at either Tustin or Uni and played college ball at UCSB?

There was a Zach De Nega? I think that was his name.

I am good friends with John Minton, he closed for UCSB from 94-98. He is good friends with Zito (he was at UCSB for a year) and Michael Young. We hung out with them one night when the Rangers were in town. It was classic.

UCSB has some impressive baseball alums.

[Mustache Man]

Originally Posted by TucsonDon

Friends w/Steve Lyons daughter?

Played against a lot of kids who are currently in minor league systems everywhere, but only one of them has made it to the show, and that's Conor Jackson.

Same with me, only guy I played with that's made the majors is Chad Hermansen, but he didn't exactly have a distinguished pro career.

[chisox85]

Originally Posted by walk-on-wildcat

I've played with many minor leaguers that had some great stories.

The only 2 that I actually faced was Jason Payton, and Brian Anderson. I'm not sure what Brian is doing now but he was in the majors last year with KC. Jason changed his name to Jay.

A good college buddy of mine (kid) was from Springfield , Ohio. He had some older brothers, and he was close with 3. They all happened to go to his high school. Dave Burba played with his older brother. He saw him in St. Louis and Dave brought him and his boy on the field after a game a few years ago. Dustin Hermanson was a close friend, and when Kent State played at Ohio University Hermanson partied to much with us and was benched for the game because he was late and hung over. Rick White was a friend of another brother.


I just found this on the subject of Springfield, Ohio:

Birthplace of: Mike DeWine - politician, Lillian Gish, Dustin Hermanson - 2005 Major League Baseball player (Chicago White Sox, born: Dec 21, 1972), Jason Collier - NBA player (Atlanta Hawks, born: Sep 8, 1977), Jimmy Journell - 2005 Major League Baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals, born: Dec 29, 1977), Rick White - 2005 Major League Baseball player (Pittsburgh Pirates, born: Dec 23, 1968), Elgrace Wilborn - College basketball player (Western Kentucky Hilltoppers), Isiah Carson - College basketball player (St. Bonaventure Bonnies), Luke Alexander - College football player (Bowling Green Falcons), Matt Cox - College football player (East Carolina Pirates).

http://www.city-data.com/city/Springfield-Ohio.html

If we're talking about the same Brian Anderson he is now playing for the Chicago White Sox. He hit his first 2 career home runs off Felix Hernandez earlier this year and the Sox are really excited about where the former U of A ball player can propel his game to in the next few years.

[walk-on-wildcat]

This is a different Brian Anderson. He is a left handed pitcher.