Spring Break
Ex-Diamond Dog Beckham having a blast in the majors
MICHAEL FITZPATRICK
Issue date: 3/4/09 Section: Sports
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Not only is the former Diamond Dog shortstop a professional baseball player with a legitimate chance to make a major league roster as a rookie, but the same day his team - the Chicago White Sox - was in Tucson for a spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, his old college team was in the same city for a weekend series against the Arizona Wildcats.
Prior to Friday's game, Georgia went to see Beckham during batting practice, a gesture he truly appreciated.
"I appreciated them doing that because they didn't have to do that," Beckham said. "It's nice to know that you still have some great friends and these guys are obviously still my great friends and I'm glad they came out here and I'm glad I got to see them."
Beckham got his first hit and RBI as a professional - a double that scored White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko - against the Diamondbacks.
Following the game, Beckham stayed behind in Tucson to watch the Georgia baseball team battle the Wildcats.
"It was awesome," senior pitcher Trevor Holder said of seeing his former teammate. "It was good to see him, [Arizona prospects] Brooks [Brown] and Joey Side. It's always good to see Gordon and see that he's doing well."
After the College World Series ended on June 23, Beckham took a few weeks away from baseball over the summer before heading to the Arizona Fall League.
"I went to the beach and went to the lake and enjoyed myself and took some well deserved time off," he said. "I needed it."
During the fall league, Beckham torched the competition as he batted .533 with three home runs and 11 RBIs over the final seven games with the Peoria Saguaros to finish with a .394 average.
For the No. 1 prospect in the White Sox farm system, you might think the pressure to perform could be too much for Beckham to handle.
But he doesn't even think about it.
"A lot of people would think it does, but I enjoy playing and that's the main thing, and that's what gets me through all the trash that's out there," he said. "That's great that I'm their top prospect, but does it matter? No."
Beckham, Georgia's single-season (28) and career home run leader (51) hit his first home run of the spring against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
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