Two Hit Whit

It has been about a month now since Whit Merrifield got the call to the major leagues.  All of those local Rocky Mount folks who know the Merrifield family still here in Rocky Mount are thrilled at a some what local player Whit Merrifield is tearing it up now that he calls The Kansas City Royals home.

Whit who has always known Advance as home and his only trips to the City On The Rise were to visit Kin folks.  Merrifield has now played in 27 games since he became a major leaguer and in those games has 39 hits or about a hit and a half per game.  The radio and TV crew for the Royals have nicknamed Whit "Two Hit Whit" since it seems he gets two hits every game.

His batting average is 339 in 27 games.  Ten doubles, a triple, two home runs and has 12 RBI in which four came Saturday night which is his career high in one game.  It has taken the hero of Carolina's (South Carolina) first College World Series victory into his sixth year before he got the call to play in the really big stadiums.  He is hitting so well and getting on base so much he has now become the Royals lead off hitter.

Merrifield is doing it on the field and he was even featured in the New York Times Sunday in a story featuring his family including Granddad Bill Sr.  Now at 86 he has been seen at many of the Royal away games having driven from Advance.  It took six years of riding buses in the minors.  The start that Whit Merrifield has had there will be no going back now.  He's in the Majors to stay.

The Rocky Mount Telegram featured a story also Sunday of John Haggerty from right here who this week is in Omaha Nebraska where he is working as an umpire.  All of us who have ever seen John umpire baseball games knows he is one of the best any where and making  it to Omaha proves it.

I remember several years ago making comment on this blog as I had been to Raleigh to see ECU and State baseball on a Wednesday night with Billy Godwin as coach of ECU and Elliot Avent for the Pack and Even the umpire behind the plate was from Nash County John Haggerty.

The World Series has two crews.  Two veteran College World Series Umps who are the crew chiefs, two rookies and four that have been there before.  Working in a crew of four that means by Tuesday night John will have worked a game behind  the plate.  That's the ultimate of a career that started while John was still in high school.  Congratulation Mr Clean!!!!!!!