By now, most of you have noticed that Wallyhood does not have a sports desk—and a good portion of you think that is just great, and maybe it’s a reason why you’ve stuck around for as long as you have. But as a diehard baseball fan in a pathetically beleaguered baseball city, I was both surprised and delighted to hear a piece on KNKX by my favorite radio host, Kirsten Kendrick. It features a pitcher on last year’s state 3A champion Lincoln High School baseball team, Bjorn Johnson. Unlike most such stories, it focuses on the journey of Bjorn and his parents from Lincoln to spring training for the Major League team Milwaukee Brewers, and the kinds of decisions they had to consider—from choosing between a scholarship at Auburn and the potential jump start to a career in professional athletics, to choosing an agent.
Wallyhood has tried to establish a direct line to Lincoln and other schools in the area, so far to no avail. But this is a nice story about our neighborhood high school, its surprising rise to the state championship, and insights into the evolution of major league sports players. Kudos to Bjorn and his parents, and good luck in the days to come!