The Improbable Rise of a Late-Blooming MLB Star

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Here's what's coming:

• The jaw-dropping rise of an unlikely MLB star

• Why an 85-year-old granny is unimpressed by Adidas

• How a team of misfits is erasing almost two decades of failure

Let's dive in.

What movie is the following quote from? “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard…is what makes it great.”

• A) The Sandlot (1993)

• B) A League of Their Own (1992)

• C) Moneyball (2011)

• D) Major League (1989)

The answer is at the end of this email! Look for the ⭐ emoji.

The Jaw-Dropping Rise of an Unlikely MLB Star

Before he was bat-flipping walk-off homers in front of thousands of roaring fans, Tim Anderson was just a quiet kid from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

"Tim was timid," said Scott Suttles, Anderson's high school basketball coach. "I know it's very difficult for people back in Chicago to be able to fathom that. But he was a shy, quiet kid."

Growing up, Anderson played sports to stay out of trouble. Baseball and basketball were always his top two.

But after Little League, he stopped playing baseball to focus on basketball.

And if it weren't for a devastating string of injuries – and a nudge from a friend – he may have never given baseball another shot.

"There were knee injuries," Anderson said in a documentary. "I broke one right before the Christmas break and then I healed up and came back and did the same thing to the other leg."

Before his junior year of high school, Tim's friend convinced him to try out for the baseball team.

"I missed the original [tryout] and the coach decided to leave it up to the seniors if they wanted to keep me on the team. They let me stay on the team and...for the first couple of weeks, I was like a cheerleader. Just cheering guys on."

There he was – MLB superstar Tim Anderson – on the bench, eating candy and cracking jokes with his teammates.

Zero college coaches or pro scouts were lighting up his phone. And he only had one year left to determine his future.

As a senior, Anderson led his basketball team to a state championship, which unfortunately ran into the beginning of baseball season.

"That kind of left me with half a season for baseball. And I went out and I played second for the remainder of the year and that was it."

Despite missing the first ten games, Anderson had a spectacular senior season – batting .420 while showcasing speed and power.

One day, Coach Neal Holliman of East Central Community College (Decatur, Mississippi) was in attendance recruiting another player.

As fate would have it, Tim hit two home runs that day, and Holliman offered him a scholarship after the game.

It was his only scholarship offer, so he happily accepted. But there were some rough patches in the beginning.

"He struggled when he first got here," Coach Holliman said.

"I think being away from home, and getting used to me...he told me he was calling some guys at basketball. He was thinking about leaving at the break and going somewhere to try to play basketball."

After some early uncertainty, Tim buckled down and committed to getting better.

And he did – at an unbelievable rate.

"You see players grow," Holliman said. "But I have never seen anybody grow week, after week, after week. It was like, when's the growing gonna stop?"

The work paid off. Anderson had a breakout sophomore season at ECCC, hitting .495 with 10 home runs, and earning NJCAA Male Athlete of the Year honors.

Pro scouts came out in droves to see the star shortstop in person. He shot up draft boards seemingly overnight.

Anderson was committed to UAB to continue his college career, but the White Sox called his name in the first round (17th overall). And just like that, he was a professional baseball player.

So, after parts of two seasons of high school baseball, one college offer, and two years of JUCO ball, Tim Anderson became a top MLB draft pick.

“You never know where you might end up at. Keep being you and never let nobody label you,” he told The Washington Post.

“When I step in between the lines, I know I’m the best. I believe it. So it’s on me to show it. It’s the right mindset to have. Guys are good. If I tell myself I’m anything less, then I’m beat.”

Tim Anderson made his MLB debut just three years after getting drafted. In his young major league career, he's already won a Silver Slugger Award and an AL batting title.

The San Francisco Giants have the biggest height disparity of all MLB teams in 2023.

There is a full 13-inch height difference between 6’11” pitcher Sean Hjelle (the tallest player in the league) and 5’10” infielder Thairo Estrada.

But the beautiful thing about baseball is it doesn’t discriminate.

Players of all shapes and sizes can (and will continue to) succeed at the game’s highest level.

⚾️ "They all said I was too short and couldn't throw well enough." Here’s how Daulton Varsho became an elite outfielder despite rarely playing there as an amateur or pro. [The Score]

👵 An 85-year-old grandmother, who runs a 10k twice a week to stay fit, has been chosen as one of the faces of a new Adidas ad. Her reaction is hilarious. [BBC News]

🏈 “This is the most extreme case I can remember in years…with the potential for extreme results.” Tyler Dunne breaks down the most intriguing player in this year’s NFL Draft. [Go Long]

📈 Once labeled a “bust”, this 28-year-old former 1st-round pick is off to a scorching start. Have the Oakland A’s found another diamond in the rough? [Just Baseball]

🏀 Earl Campbell III got cut from his high school team and had zero college offers after graduation. Now he’s playing pro basketball overseas. [Joker Mag]

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A team of misfits is erasing almost two decades of failure with their improbable playoff run. This is the most overlooked redemption story in sports.

⭐ Trivia Answer:

B) A League of Their Own (1992) – said by manager Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks)

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Til next time,
Tyler

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