Travel Baseball Teams in Ohio

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MLB Players from Ohio

What do Scooter Gennett, Derek Holland, Adam Eaton, Nick Swisher, Matt Maloney, and Brian Bixler have in common? All were born in Ohio, and all made it to the major leagues. They are among 41 Ohio-born MLB players who are active in the pros.

Scooter Gennett

Second baseman Scooter Gennett was born May 1, 1990 in Cincinnatti. His dad was an associate professional baseball scout. Gennett notes that his dad was tossing him a baseball when he was a two-year-old (http://www.maxpreps.com/news/BHWBHTQlEd6pcwAcxJTdpg/top-100--gennett-leads-sarasota-in-upset-of-national-no-1-jesuit.htm). Later, they would attend Reds games together; through discussion, Gennett's father taught him to be "a student of the game".

Gennett played in the infield on a successful Sarasota High School team. His team won the championship his sophomore year. Gennett was also involved with USSSA baseball briefly as a teen. He was drafted in 2009 in the 16th round (and might have gone higher if he wasn't expected to play college ball).

Gennett played in the minors for Nashville, Huntsville, and Brevard County. He got a chance to play in the All-Star Futures Game. He made his MLB debut in 2013 when he was 23.

Derek Holland

Pitcher Derek Holland was born in Newark in 1986. He also spent some time in Babe Ruth league. He played in high school but was not considered a star (http://www.yappi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229761).

Holland went to a showcase camp in Arizona in 2005, and this helped him find a college-level team that wanted his talent: Wallace State Community College in Alabama. He headed off to community college... 600 or so miles from home.

It turned out to be a sound decision. The Wallace State team would make it to the junior college world series. Two people Holland played with in his community college days would also make the majors: Jake Elmore and Craig Kimbrel.

Holland was drafted in 2006 in the 25th round and headed to the minor leagues. He spent time with Clinton, Bakersfield, and Frisco. His major league debut came in 2009 when he was 22. It wouldn't be long before Holland would pitch in the World Series.

The Derek Holland Baseball Clinic is held one day a year. It helps Newark area elementary and middle school students develop the skills to play high school ball.

Nick Swisher

Outfielder Nick Swisher is a second generation major leaguer. He played several sports at Parkersburg High School. He opted to play baseball at Ohio State University even though there were more football teams showing interest. It was a good move as he earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was a first round draft pick in 2002 at age 21.

Between 2002 and 2004, Swisher worked his way through the minors, from the Class A Vancouver Canadians to the AAA Sacramento River Cats. His big league debut came in 2004.

Swisher will be remembered for more than just baseball. He released a children’s album called “Believe” with proceeds to go to charity. He once grew out his hair and donated it to a cancer charity in honor of the grandmother who raised him (and later succumbed to cancer).

Tomorrow's Ball Players

Youth sports can be instrumental in development, even for those who don't have major league talent. Attitude goes far. At 5'9, Scooter Gennett is shorter than the average baseball player. He has said, "If you're an infielder, the shorter you are, the closer you are to the ground to field the ball (http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120621&content_id=33689940&vkey=news_mil&c_id=mil).”

The following advice may have broader application: “My best advice to younger players is to always try your best at everything you do,” he says. “Be coachable and learn as much as you can... Be a good sport and team player (http://www.maxpreps.com/news/BHWBHTQlEd6pcwAcxJTdpg/top-100--gennett-leads-sarasota-in-upset-of-national-no-1-jesuit.htm).”

But life isn't all sports. Gennett’s nickname doesn't come from anything sporty or wheeled. Once upon a time, when he was little, there was Sesame Street...

Travel Baseball Teams in Ohio

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