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FACA Classic: A Source For Memorable Moments

FIREMEN’S FIELD BOASTS PLENTY OF RISING TALENT

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: May 23, 2008

Crowds of people gathered and the stands were nearly filled to capacity, as the players made their way to the batter's box to give everyone a thrill.

Onlookers sat with their eyes on the dugout and waited for the hulk of a teen to stroll up to the plate with bat in hand.

With a smile on his face, he took his position and watched the first pitch go low and then sent the second pitch over the left field wall to the delight of the spectators. A cheer was heard as ball after ball was sent into the stratosphere — and a few are still probably circling the globe.

That display didn't happen in some big league park or on the highlight reel on ESPN, but right here at Firemen's Field in 2002 when a man-child named Prince Fielder of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne attended the FACA All-Star Baseball Classic.

His reputation had proceeded him, and fans from all over wanted to see what was going to be a sure-fire big leaguer in action.

I remember the entourage that Fielder came with dwarfed some teams. His big league father Cecil, a former Detroit Tiger slugger, was chatting with the scouts and press to hype his son, who would go on to become the seventh overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Prince was always gracious with fans, and the scouts — who are usually very subdued — were in visible awe of this kid's power. One scout told me that he had one of the best swings he'd seen since Alex Rodriguez, who participated in the FACA Classic in 1993.

The electricity around the ballpark with the Fielder clan in attendance was one I won't soon forget, but the yearly event has always given a glimpse into baseball's future.

Classic Appeal
Florida has always been a hotbed of baseball talent, and the beauty of this event is that you don't know which players will be on the fast track to the major leagues. Baseball purists travel to see the kids that they've been following in Baseball America or other publications.

Who knew that in 2003, a goofy redhead from St. Petersburg named Jesse Litsch would hop-skip from South Florida Community College to the starting rotation for the Toronto Blue Jays.

That year, pitcher James Houser and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia were the kids on the scouts' radar. Neither of those kids disappointed, as Houser mowed down batter after batter in his couple innings of work while the radar guns behind the plate were more plentiful than fans in the stands that year. But it is Litsch who is starring on baseball's grandest stage along with Saltalamacchia, who plays for the Texas Rangers.

"This is a time you can see these kids when they're just playing the game," said FACA co-coordinator Travis Rapp. "The scouts are there to evaluate the players, but it's just about playing the game. All these kids are special if they made this team, and people should come out and see baseball at its purist form."

That's the beauty of the All-Star Classic.

You never know who you'll be telling friends about seeing right here in Sebring. You may even see a few kids running around to find a home run ball that sailed over the wall — maybe the same wall that former Yankee great Lou Gehrig hit his first longball.

This should be a celebration of youth and the purity that is baseball. With steroid scandals in sports, we should be marveling at the talent that will be on display over the next two days right in our own backyard.

Remember Hosmer
American Heritage High School of Plantation celebrated its first-ever Class 3A state championship on Tuesday after beating Fort Pierce John Carroll 8-2 and could win the mythical national championship, as they're ranked No. 1 in the nation by Baseball America.

Two of the players that led the team to that championship will be here for all to see: Catcher Adrian Nieto and first baseman Eric Hosmer.

Hosmer, a projected top-10 selection in the upcoming major league amateur draft, went 3 for 3 with a homer, double and a triple, while Nieto hit two home runs in the championship game.

The buzz around Hosmer reminds me of my first FACA Classic — even before it came to Sebring — back in the days when it was held at Baseball City, the former spring training home for the Kansas City Royals.

It was 1990 and I went with my friends who told me that the FACA Classic was a cheap place to go watch some good baseball. While watching batting practice in the amazing stadium, a skinny kid came to the plate and was peppering the outfield with well-placed hits and showed he could hit for power, too. I fumbled for the program and saw that his name was Larry Jones, otherwise known as "Chipper."
Hosmer may give fans in attendance the same feeling, as they search to find out who this kid is and let that name burn into their minds for future reference. I look forward to seeing this kid on display, but more than anything is to get a sense of who this kid is as a person while interacting with his teammates in the dugout.

Back In The Day
I've heard all the stories about what it was like to watch Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro and Tom Gordon at the FACA Classic, and what it was like to see these All-Stars before they became millionaires and how their legend was elevated in Highlands County.

This event only comes around once a year, and the stands should be filled and the fences lined with fans that want to catch a glimpse at history. With five of the top 50 baseball prospects in the country converging on this little town in Central Florida, history is what could be made right here.
You never know which pitch will be the one.

The question is, do you want to be the one listening to the stories, or telling them?

Chris Hoffman is a sports reporter for Highlands Today. He can be reached at choffman@highlandstoday.com.

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