When I was in high school and college it was unheard of for high school players from the Nashville area to make it to MLB. Hardly ever did a player from Nashville get drafted.
I went to Lipscomb University, which was a powerhouse in baseball during the 70’s and 80’s at the NAIA level under coach Ken Dugan. Yet as good as Lipscomb was, as many good players as went through the program, hardly ever did Lipscomb players get drafted to the pros.
There was only one I’m aware of — Steve Liddle. He was from Nashville and he played catcher at Lipscomb. He went on and had a stellar career in the pros for the Minnesota Twins.
The best player on my high school team was a left-handed pitcher named Raymond Harvey. Raymond played college ball at Lipscomb. He messed up his shoulder and his pitching career was over, but Raymond transitioned to be an outstanding outfielder and first baseman for Lipscomb. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians and played in the minors for eight years, mainly at AA and AAA. Sadly, Raymond died from cancer in 2016.
Vanderbilt wasn’t very good in baseball back then (Roy Mewburne), but I don’t remember any Vanderbilt players getting drafted by MLB teams.
Nowadays you see dozens of players from Nashville in the majors. Mookie Betts, for instance. There are dozens of former Vanderbilt players in the pros and several former Lipscomb players in the pros, like Caleb Joseph.
Was baseball talent that bad in Nashville in the ‘80’s? Or does modern technology allow pro teams to recognize talent in cities like Nashville easier?
OT: Is it easier for players from Nashville to get to the pros?
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Re: OT: Is it easier for players from Nashville to get to the pros?
Joey Cora, Scotti Madison, a slew of others drafted in early 80s Nuismer, Wasikowski. Edwards, Ambrose...