Travel Baseball Teams in North Carolina

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MLB Players from North Carolina

North Carolina is baseball country. The state has produced plenty of Major League Baseball players, with fully 36 listed as still active in the sport (http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?loc=North%20Carolina). Among them are Ryan Zimmerman, Madison Bumgarner, Brandon Philips, Chris Archer, Josh Hamilton, and Brian Roberts.

Ryan Zimmerman

Ryan Zimmerman was born in Washington, North Carolina in 1984. He moved to Virginia in 6th grade; there his path would cross with other future big leaguers like Mark Reynolds and B.J. Upton. One team he played for was the Tidewater Drillers, in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

Because his mother had multiple sclerosis, Zimmerman had to take on more responsibility than many his age. But baseball went on. Zimmerman played for Kellam High School and played in summer leagues on the side.

He played shortstop at the University of Virginia and was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the first round of the 2005 draft (age 20). He played briefly for the Harrisburg Senators but was called up to the majors by the end of 2005.

Chris Archer

Chris Archer was born in 1988 in Raleigh. He played at Clayton High School. He refers to a former junior varsity coach as an ‘unofficial brother’; for a multiracial child raised by grandparents, the coach served as more than just a baseball mentor (http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/rays/rays-archer-on-a-mission-for-self-discovery/1277235).

After a stellar senior year, seventeen-year-old Archer was selected in the 5th round of the 2006 draft. He spent quite a bit of time in the minors and was traded more than once. The Lake County Captains, Daytona Cubs, and Tennessee Smokies were among the teams he played for. He also got to see a little time on the United States National Baseball Team.

He made his MLB debut in 2012 at age 23.

Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton was born in Raleigh in 1981. In elementary school, he wrote about his plans to become a major leaguer (http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/J_Hamilton/J_Hamilton_bio.html). His parents both played ball with him; his father gave him plenty of coaching.

Hamilton became a center fielder and pitcher at Athens Drive High School. A teen Hamilton was the first pick of the 1999 draft. It would, however, be a long time before he would play in the majors. Injury contributed, but so did drugs. Hamilton played for a few minor league teams, including the Charleston RiverDogs, before earning his first suspension.

Hamilton finally made his MLB debut in April of 2007; he would turn 26 that May.

From there, it has mostly been upwards. Hamilton has been an All-Star five times. In 2010, he was selected as the AL's Most Valuable Player.

For Hamilton, staying in baseball has partly been a matter of staying away from alcohol.

Learning from the Big Leaguers

Chris Archer routinely sends out words of inspiration to his followers. "Important achievements require clear focus, all out effort, and a bottomless trunk full of strategies," he tweeted recently (https://twitter.com/ChrisArcher42).

There's no doubt about it: Those who have made it in the majors have put in plenty of time on the field. Sports Illustrated has a photo of a young Ryan Zimmerman in Little League garb (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1207/pro-athletes-in-little-league/content.32.html).

Hamilton recently dropped in on a youth baseball team, giving them quite a thrill. He himself is listed as one of the notable alumni of IMG Baseball Academy (http://www.imgacademy.com/sports/baseball/notable-alumn).

But talent and training aren't enough. For Hamilton, it's been instrumental to find role models in life as well as on the baseball field. He has had not only coaches but accountability partners. “I’m proof that hope is never lost,” he has said (http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/J_Hamilton/J_Hamilton_my-say.html).

Archer has also needed role models at points along the way -- and now likes to be one. "Infinite possibility. That's where my mind is at," he tweets. "Where is yours?"

Travel Baseball Teams in North Carolina

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