ALL TIME TOP LEADOFF HITTERS

We mentioned the best current HS leadoff hitters, but who are the best of all time you have seen as a high school player? Not what they did in college/pro ball, but the best you saw in HS?

 

I personally used guys that were not typical leadoff guys in the #1 spot when i could because leadoff is only leadoff one time a game-I wanted my best hitter up as many times as I could.For example,I used Matt Ellington in the top spot part of Jr and Sr years because people were either walking him or giving him nothing to hit.We moved him to leadoff to set the tone and get him as many AB's as possible.I also used Austin Grissom that way from 96-97.He went on to UNC=G and Mt. Olive. I faced AD Thorpe at S.Durham-he was a tough out wherever Pete hit him.I also remember Landon Powell hitting leadoff at Apex for the same reasons I mentioned earlier.In high school,if you have that tough,gritty,hard to K guy at leadoff-you are blessed,if not, I feel you have to improvise and if you can put that athlete/great hitter #1 and have another good guy to hit 3rd, you can put some runs up.

 

10 Years ago

Lead off- Jason Tuttle
2nd spot- Willie Stewart
3rd spot- Eric Ketchie
Clean Up- Alec Zumwalt

Tuttle played at Elon then some for Montreal and The Nationals.. Still playing Independant League somewhere I believe..

Willie played at UNCA and is now the head coach there.

Ketchie- everything he touched turned to gold. baseball, football, even won a Toughman contest.. and had never been in a fight..Won at 2 levels and should have went on to the Nationals but in the Regional championship fight, dislocated his shoulder beating a guy! Whew!!

Zumwalt played for the Braves organization and others.. Is a pitcher now but in the day, hit several balls up in the tobacco fields in K Vegas... Probably the best power hitter I can remember.. But then my memory ain't too good at times.. hahaha But he was a good one!

Thats a TOUGH top 4 there...They could hurt your feelings pretty fast!

 

About 5 or 6 years ago a young man at South Caldwell named Brent Curtis. Switch hitter and very very fast. Would bunt a lot from the left side and almost an impossible out. If he got to first it was almost an automatic double. Very few strikeouts.

 

I remember Matt Ellington

in the lead off spot for Northern Vance. Now thats a heck of a way to have to start a game , pitching to that kid. Two guys come to mind for me that played for us. Quincy Jones and Chris Luck. Quincy was a great leadoff guy. Tremendous baserunner with excellent speed. He had power , he hit 7 hr's his sr year in the lead off spot. He could drive it gap to gap and beat out ground balls. He also was an excellent bunter. He went on to earn AC honors at NC A&T. Chris Luck hit in the lead off spot for us last year. He was tremendous. He had great power he hit 10 bombs last year and he could run the bags with the best of them. He was not the most disciplined lead off guy but he found ways to reach.

 

Tyrus Raymond Cobb

aka The Georgia Peach

 

MIdnight... you must be old if you saw him play in HS...

just kidding!

 

Tuttle!

Darned correct!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

had the honor to coach jason tuttle his senior year (in my brief stay at parkland) great leadoff hitter and centerfielder.
another good one that most people will not remember is zach greene (west forsyth-2000) went on to play at surry and then pfeifer.

 

Tuttle

Yes, Tut was a good one. I coached him in Tball through 15 years old except for a year his dad coached. Heck of a kid and player. I still have those "signed" Tballs just in case!! hahaha He may buy them from me some day. He also played for the Kville Legion team when they went through that stretch of great teams, as did Willie and Zumwalt..