Michael Burgess might be the #1 one prep baseball player in the country and he may have 5 tools which seem destined for major league production but there is a shadow from the past that might tell many GMs to run away. Run away and look elsewhere. And what is the reason behind this, look no further than the giant H which is plastered on his left pectoral. That H stands for Hillsborough, as in Hillsborough High School in Tampa, Fl, a breading ground for both terrific baseball talent who are a bit unstable mentally. Doc Gooden, years of coke abuse. Gary Sheffield years of whining about money, trade demands, and bashing people after he's left the door. Carl Everett, a genuine loose cannon who was so nuts he proclaimed that dinosaurs never existed. And finally Elijah Dukes and his whole saga with threatening to kill his wife. Not very difficult to find a pattern here, they all have superior talent, but my oh my the headaches that organizations must go through to put up with them being on their roster. Wouldn't it make more sense with a top pick, to go with someone who is less likely to be nut? Especially seeing as he has already had conversations with Doc, Sheff and Carl on what it takes to make it at the next level.
So when Burgess name slips a few picks in next weeks MLB draft, he can blame his predecessors for giving Tampa Bay a bad wrap and he can either go out and prove the past wrong, or he can follow in their foot steps, and both be a genuine talent as well as a complete nutcase. He's probably got a head start in the nutcase category with his statement that looks forward to being the first player to hit .500. Watch Out, MLB, here comes your next entertainer...
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