Travel Baseball Teams in Washington

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MLB Players from Washington

Jon Lester, Tim Lincecum, Grady Sizemore, and Michael Brantley are all well known in the world of pro baseball. But that’s not all they have in common! All were born in the Evergreen State. They are among 34 Washington-born players.

Jon Lester

Pitcher Jon Lester was born in 1984 in Tacoma. Lester played – and excelled in – youth sports. He joined the varsity team at Bellarmine Prep as a freshman and was league MVP three times during his high school career.

Lester was selected by the Red Sox in round two of the 2002 draft. Despite his stellar high school performance, Lester spent four years in the minors. The Augusta Greenjackets and Portland Sea Dogs were among the teams he played for.

In 2006, soon after his MLB debut, Lester was diagnosed with lymphoma. After successful treatment at Fed Hutchinson Cancer Center, he returned to the field. It took some time to get his fastball back; there was another brief stint in the minors before he was ready to pitch again for the Red Sox. But, as another player told him, “You beat cancer. This should be easy.” (http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/J_Lester/J_Lester_bio.html)

Soon after, Lester was pitching in the World Series.

Lester founded an organization called NVRQT (never quit).

Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum was also born in 1984, a little to the north in Bellevue. He learned baseball from his father. He played youth sports and made All-Star.

Lincecum attended Liberty Senior High School. His size was against him when he began: He had not yet hit five feet. Thankfully, he grew a lot in the next couple years – though he continued to feel that is scrawniness gave him something to prove. By his junior year, he was ready to pitch for the varsity baseball team.

Lincecum attended the University of Washington and pitched for the Huskies; in 2006, he was named PAC-10 Pitcher of the Year. He was selected in the first round of the draft.

He played in the minor leagues for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes and the Fresno Grizzlies. It was a relatively short trek; he made his MLB debut in May 2007 at age 22.

Lincecum was on the 2010 and 2012 championship teams. He has been an All-Star multiple times and has won the Babe Ruth Award and Cy Young Award. One thing he is very good at: strikeouts.

(http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/T_Lincecum/T_Lincecum_my-say.html)

Grady Sizemore

Grady Sizemore was born in 1982 in Seattle. He was given a bat when he was a toddler. As a youth, he played several sports.

Sizemore played at Cascade High School in Everett. He was a third round draft pick in 2000 and signed while he was still 17. He began his minor league career with the Bradenton Expos. He was traded while still in the minors -- but he also had the opportunity to play for Team USA during this period. He made his MLB debut in 2004.

Sizemore has seen more than his share of injuries, and that has meant time away from the MLB. In 2014, he is making a comeback. A Sports Insider has noted that it’s starting to look “like it's 2008 all over again (http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/jon-heyman/24490200/the-grady-gamble-so-far-sizemore-revival-is-something-to-behold)”.

Tomorrow’s Ball Players

Right now there are young Washington players like Duke Welker working hard to cement the transition from the minors to the majors. There are even younger players on youth teams: some having fun, others, dreaming away. Many feel they have something to prove.

Success as a sports player is a combination of athletic ability, passion, and practice. "Since baseball is my favorite sport, it's easy to go out and do what I do,” Lincecum has said (http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/T_Lincecum/T_Lincecum_my-say.html). What Lincecum does is work hard on the field… and off! Even when he was a boy, his father was helping him analyze his play.

Grady Sizemore has said, “The more you play, the more you learn—about your swing and about yourself (http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Sizemore/Sizemore_MySay.html)."

Travel Baseball Teams in Washington

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