Charlie Blackmon was center stage Monday at one of baseball’s biggest nights, competing in the 2017 MLB Home Run Derby. On Tuesday, he’ll bat leadoff for the National League in the All-Star Game. Neither of those things might have happened if it weren’t for a little white lie and a cinderblock.
In the latest installment of “Draw My Life” from Whistle Sports, Blackmon reveals how he transitioned from being a sub-par pitcher at Georgia Tech to an All-Star hitter for the Colorado Rockies.
Between his junior and senior seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Blackmon was a struggling left-hander who couldn’t even make the team’s travel roster. So, on a road trip to play summer ball in Texas, Blackmon decided to make the switch to the outfield and focus on his hitting. In the video, Blackmon tells of how he duped his summer league coach into letting him play outfield and how that little fib resulted his becoming a high draft pick.
His high draft status (second round, 2008) didn’t mean much when he arrived in the minors, however. Blackmon soon realized that he would have to refine his swing if he ever wanted to make it to the big leagues. With the help of a Double-A coach and a cinderblock, Blackmon dialed in his swing mechanics and was on the fast track to the major leagues.
