Grassroots to the Pros
Grassroots Baseball is embarking on an exciting project called GRASSROOTS TO THE PROS. Throughout the 2025 baseball season we'll share early-day stories of Major League players - past and present – and their journeys to the highest level of baseball.
July 8 2025
Alec Bohm
Philadelphia Phillies • 3B
Photo: Courtesy Wichita State University
Photo: Jean Fruth
Alec Bohm, who was born and raised in the heart of the nation in Nebraska, now finds himself in Philadelphia in the heart of the Phillies lineup.
The NL East-leading Phillies’ starting third baseman’s appreciation for baseball was fostered early on, practicing in his childhood driveway with his dad. “When he was 5 or 6 years old, we were doing tee work out in front of the house and he was hitting BBs out of the air with a little dowel stick,” his father, Dan, recollected.
Alec left Omaha after high school to play college baseball in Kansas at Wichita State where he hit for power and average, batting .317 with 33 home runs and 125 RBI over three seasons and 166 games. Echoing what Alec’s father already knew, his coach Todd Butler said, “The one thing that was different from him and a lot of players that I’ve coached in my career was his vision to see the ball. It was exceptional.”
A factory for turning out baseball talent, Bohm became the 42nd Shocker to play in the Majors, after the Phillies selected him with the third overall pick in the 2018 draft and spending two seasons in the minor leagues.
Splitting time between “A” and “AA” in 2019 and excelling at both levels, Bohm won the Paul Owens Award, presented annually to the best player in the Phillies minor league system, and he was named second best prospect in the Phillies organization by Baseball America. With his success he bypassed a trip to “AAA” and earned a promotion directly to the big league club.
The 6’-5” corner infielder immediate realized success with the Phillies, hitting .338 in the Covid-shortened 2020 season to finish tied for second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Now six years into his Major League career, Bohm has a lifetime .277 average and hits in the middle of the order for the team located in the City of Brotherly Love.
July 1 2025
Marcelo Mayer
Boston Red Sox • IF
Photo: Courtesy Mayer family
Photo: Courtesy Mayer family
Photo: Courtesy Mayer family
Growing up in Chula Vista, California, all that Marcelo Mayer wanted was to play baseball.
A shortstop at East Lake High - the same school that produced retired five-time All-Star Adrian González who also played for Boston- the Red Sox selected Mayer with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft, their highest slot since 1967. A star in the making, Mayer committed to the University of Southern California to play baseball when he was in the EIGHTH grade, but when the Red Sox called, his plans changed.
Four years after a steady climb through the minor leagues, the affable left-handed hitter made his Major League debut on May 24 against the Orioles in Fenway Park.
The versatile 22-year-old infielder has spent every waking moment living and breathing the game since his dad, Enrique, put a Wiffle ball bat in Marcelo’s hands he was five years old and turned the family home into an indoor practice facility.
“I spent almost every day of my childhood playing baseball, either in the house with a tennis ball or a Wiffle ball, or outside with my friends,” Mayer said prior to a Red Sox-Giants game at Oracle Park. “Inside the house my dad would throw to me, but I started breaking too many things, so that stopped.
“In my neighborhood we would get chalk and draw bases and a mound in the street and play until the sun went down. My garage door was almost completely black from all the times I threw the ball against it. My sister and brother used to get upset with me, because they would be trying to watch a movie and all they could hear was that tennis ball banging against the door all day.”
Mayer has fond memories of playing East Lake Little League in Southern California and values the lessons he learned. “My favorite memory is my first homer, because it was actually a two-homer game against the Pirates when I was playing in the Majors division. I learned a lot of valuable lessons along the way. My dad did a really good job of teaching me to play the game the right way. It’s important to have a good attitude, because this game is going to humble you and you’re going to fail a lot. As a kid, the last thing you want to do is fail - you make an out and you cry. You learn to deal with failure and get better.” All these years later, he still reaches out to his dad to go over his at-bats.
Although he grew up just a short drive from the Padres’ home, Petco Park, his eyes were always trained on Yankee legend and future Hall of Famer, Derek Jeter.
“He was my idol. I loved everything about him -- how he handled himself with the media, how he was on and off the field. It’s really hard not to like him, because he did everything the right way. He was such a good role model for kids who watched baseball. I didn’t collect baseball cards, other than his. His is the ONLY one I have, believe it or not. I have about five Jeter cards.”
Marcelo knows well that it was hard work that fast-tracked his arrival to the majors, but he is quick to point out the underlying support he received that helped make his dream a reality.
“I wouldn’t be in the majors without my family, who sacrificed so much for me to get to this point. It was truly a team effort. I’m super grateful to have a family that helped me so much.”
When asked if he had picked up any of the Boston dialect, Marcelo laughed. “I don’t think that will ever happen, but every time I hear someone say “wicked” I have to chuckle, because it throws me off.”
June 25 2025
Andre Dawson
Hall of Famer • RF
Photo: Jean Fruth
Andre Dawson combined raw talent and an unsurpassed level of resiliency to become one of baseball’s most feared five-tool players during an indelible 21-year career.
The slugging outfielder from Miami put up monster numbers despite having to overcome more than a dozen knee operations. He earned a well-deserved plaque in Cooperstown’s hallowed Hall in 2010 where he shared what fueled his determination from the induction stage: “I will never forget that it was my love for the game that propelled me and kept it going when times got tough. I will never forget that if you love this game, it will love you back.”
Dawson’s baseball journey began in 1963 when he first donned a Little League uniform, later playing college baseball at Florida A&M. He was discovered by Expos scout Bill Adair and Montreal selected him in the 11th round of the 1975 amateur draft. A talent from the get-go, he earned National League Rookie of the Year honors just two years later.
With the rare combination of power and speed, Dawson amassed 2,774 career hits, 438 home runs, and 314 stolen bases. He was an eight-time All-Star, earned eight Gold Gloves, and was awarded four Silver Slugger awards.
In 1993 he joined Willie Mays – a childhood hero -- as the only players in history with 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases (the exclusive club has since added Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltrán). Dawson reminisced during his Hall of Fame speech, saying “All I ever wanted growing up was to be like Hank Aaron and Willie Mays, and now I get to shake their hands and be treated as a friend.”
The soft-spoken Floridian was renowned throughout his career as “The Hawk”, a nickname bestowed upon him when he was a young boy his uncle who recognized his keen batting eye and assertive style of play. Although Hawk never played for the Cardinals, Blue Jays or Orioles, he did hit .291 vs the three “bird” teams, 12 points higher than his career .279 batting average.
Despite the menacing scowl on his face whenever he stepped into a batter’s box, Hawk has a heart of gold.
Nearly 10 years ago during a torrential South Florida rainstorm, he spotted a baby parrot lying in the road near his home after the newborn had fallen from a tree. No stranger to the world of ornithology, Hawk had cared for a parrot named “Pedro” for 21 years before he sadly passing away. He nurtured his new feathered friend back to health and named him “PJ” – short for Pedro, Jr.
Of course The Hawk loves parrots. After all, birds of a feather flock together.
May 27 2025
Greg Maddux
Hall of Famer • P
Photo: Jean Fruth
As a pitcher who relied on precision and ball movement rather than overpowering velocity, Hall of Famer Greg Maddux would be an anomaly in the Major Leagues today. Given that he was the first pitcher in history to win four consecutive Cy Youngs, is the only pitcher in history to win 15 or more games 17 straight times, owns a record 18 Gold Gloves, and his 355 career victories rank eighth all-time, he would be welcome on ANY staff today.
Maddux was born in Texas but spent his grade school years in Spain, where his father was stationed with the Air Force. He first picked up a baseball on the Base in Torrejon de Ardoz when he was 5, and the next year Greg’s dad became his first coach, teaching him how to throw, and, how to enjoy the game. The Maddux family – including Greg’s older brother Mike who spent 15 years in the Majors and is the pitching coach for Bruce Bochy’s Texas Rangers - was on the move again, relocating to Las Vegas when Greg was 10.
Ralph Medar, a retired scout who developed young players, took the Maddux brothers under his wing. He taught Greg his pitching fundamentals: movement; location; the ability to change speeds; and velocity … In that order. Medar told the high school sophomore that he was going to need more than just velocity to get hitters out. “Movement and location will last longer than hard and straight.” His mantra proved prophetic.
Greg was drafted out of Valley High by the Cubs in the second round of the 1984 draft and was in the Majors two years later, joining the team when he was 20 and still looking quite youthful. As Greg recounted during his Hall of Fame Induction speech, “My first day in the big leagues, the starting pitchers were Nolan Ryan and Jamie Moyer. Twenty minutes before the game I was sitting on the bench, and my first manager, Gene Michael, thought I was the bat boy.”
Nicknamed “The Professor” because of his meticulous preparation and “Mad Dog”, which captured the intensity & competitiveness, Maddux spent 23 seasons in the Majors, longer than all but 20 players in history.
May 21 2025
Salvador Perez
Kansas City Royals • C
Photo: Jean Fruth
Salvador Perez is quietly building a Hall of Fame resume. The heart and soul of the Royals has spent his entire 14-year career in Kansas City where he’s earned nine All-Star Game selections, five Gold Gloves and five Silver Slugger awards. Appointed team captain in 2023, he’s taken two teams to the World Series and helped the 2015 club win the franchise’s second title, hitting .364 and being named Series MVP along the way.
The Venezuela native who made his Major League debut at 21 years of age did not have an easy upbringing. He was raised in Valencia by his mom and grandmother after his father left home when he was a toddler. The bedroom in his grandmother’s home had a dirt floor.
Salvy was playing baseball by age 6 and one of his teammate and opponents as a young boy was current Astros star, Jose Altuve. Two years later he knew he wanted to catch, and he set a goal of becoming a professional player by the time he was 14 years old. He wasn’t far off, signing with Kansas City – a place he had never even heard of – when he was 16.
“El Niño” (Spanish for “the kid”), as Eric Hosmer - his teammate of seven years - dubbed him in 2011 when both were rookies, wears his Royals uniform with pride and loves the impact he has had on aspiring ballplayers. As he once told writer Ian Kraft of Royal Rundown, “I love seeing kids wear my jersey. It means a lot to me. I love Kansas City. I want to stay here for the rest of my career.”
With regards to Cooperstown, Salvy said, “I want to be a Hall of Famer in Kansas City, and maybe a Hall of Famer in MLB, too. But, for now, I want to see my number right there next to Frank White and George Brett. That would make me smile.”
It’s needless to say, but he is well on his way. 🇻🇪
May 18 2025
Jacob Wilson
Athletics • SS
Photo: Jean Fruth
The Athletics’ Jacob Wilson has hit the ground running through the first quarter of the baseball season, sitting atop the leader board in both batting average and hits among ALL Major League shortstops. The A’s 23-year-old leadoff hitter also became the first rookie in American League history to notch 40 singles and 20 RBI in as few as 36 games. It was last accomplished by a rookie in the National League in 1957.
Like father like son, Wilson became the 12th player from Thousand Oaks (CA) High School to make the majors, following in the footsteps of his dad Jack who played shortstop for 12 seasons – primarily for the Pirates - and also graduated from Thousand Oaks.
Jacob has fond childhood memories of going to nearby Dodger Stadium to watch batting practice from the field when his dad’s teams came to town, and to Spring Training. “I remember going to the Spring Training fields every day and going to the back fields and hitting with him,” Jacob told MLB.com writer Jesús Cano. “Watching him do all his work while I just sit to the side watching him. It was pretty cool growing up and seeing him be able to do all of that.”
After his retirement, Jack returned to Thousand Oaks High School to coach Jacob, later becoming an assistant coach at Grand Valley University where Jacob played college baseball and moved from third base to shortstop. “He’s loved it (the game) from the time we can remember from when he was little,” said Jack. “Him getting to see and getting to watch me go through my career and go to all the stadiums, and him falling in love with the game, and to see him getting to do what I got to do and living the dream, it’s just pretty cool.”
In 2023 the A’s selected Jacob with the sixth pick overall in the MLB Draft. A year later he was wearing an Oakland A’s uniform, as Jacob and Jack became the 270th father-son combination to play in the majors.
Shot with the new Sony A1ii + Sony 50-150mm f/2.0 GM lens.
April 14 2025
Aaron Judge
New York Yankees • OF
Photo: Jean Fruth
Long before Aaron Judge was swatting home runs at a Ruthian pace (both Babe Ruth and he had 321 homers through their first 1,000 games in pinstripes), he played Little League in Linden, CA, his hometown in the San Joaquin Valley.
It was there that the Yankee phenom hit his first over-the-fence home run. His dad was there to see it, and the ball can still be found in his childhood bedroom.
Being both the biggest kid on the field and following in his dad’s recreational softball footsteps, the slugger primarily played first base. As an eight-year-old, he was already modeling his crouched batting stance after his childhood hero, Giants shortstop Rich Aurilia.
The affable outfielder’s favorite memories from his grassroots days include playing with his friends and getting a hot dog and a Pepsi after games. As he told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, “Our concession stand was right there, and everyone was running, even if we lost the game. I used to love sliding practice and all the fun things we would do. We had some pretty good teams back then, so it definitely got me ready for the big leagues.”
His advice to kids playing today is to work hard and soak up and to enjoy the experiences. “You might be in the World Series in 20 years, who knows?”
Aaron would know as this photo of him from last year’s World Series will attest, 23 years after putting on his Little League uniform with a smile and a dream.
April 10 2025
Johnny Bench
Hall of Famer • C
Photo: Jean Fruth
“One day, when I was about 4 years old, my dad and I were watching The Game of the Week on television, and the announcer said, ‘Now batting, the next superstar, the switch-hitting center fielder from Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle.’ I looked at my dad and said, ‘You can be from Oklahoma and play in the major leagues? That’s what I want to do.’ ”
April 6 2025
Jung-Hoo Lee
San Francisco Giants • OF
Photo: Jean Fruth
Photo: Jean Fruth
The Giants are off to a 7-1 record - their best start in 22 years - thanks in part to center-fielder and middle-of-the order hitter Jung-Hoo Lee. The superstar outfielder hit .340 over seven seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before signing with San Francisco prior to the 2024 season.
Like father like son, Lee was an MVP in the KBO, 28 years after his father Jong-Beom Lee earned the honor after stealing a league record 84 bases. Jong-Beom’s nickname was “Son of Wind,” and when his son arrived in the US he introduced himself to Giants fans as “The Grandson of Wind.”
Though raised in Korea, Lee was born in Nagoya, Japan – not far from where his hero Ichiro Suzuki grew up - when his father was playing for the Chunichi Dragons. Lee followed Ichiro’s career closely, emulating his batting style and wearing #51 out of respect to his Hall of Fame hero. Like Ichiro, in grade school Lee announced his future plans to play professional baseball.