The Chicago Cubs got themselves a special talent when they signed center fielder Cody Bellinger.
While the two-time All-Star is coming off some rough seasons, he’s a talent that will improve the Cubs.
However, a story he shared during his time in high school now sheds new light on the outfielder.
In an interview, Bellinger shares how he learned to play first base during his high school years.
Cody Bellinger learned to play first base while taking a baseball class in high school pic.twitter.com/YW1FvBlV7O
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) January 21, 2023
He describes how he was short growing up, and how this led him to playing the outfield.
However, a growth spurt, and his inability to handle this spurt, got him sent over to first base.
Luckily for him, his sixth-hour class was a class on baseball.
He credits the class for making him the player he is today.
While he plays center field, he came up into the majors as a first baseman.
Had he never had the growth spurt at a later age, or a baseball class in high school, he might have never made the majors.
However, he knows these things and tells the audience how the simple things in high school made him the player he is today.
Since coming to the majors, he’s won the NL MVP, NLCS MVP, NL Rookie of the Year, and Silver Slugger Award.
He also has a Gold Glove, which he won in 2019, playing as an outfielder.
Everything that he’s accomplished in his MLB career is thanks to his high school years.
His story shows how important it was for him to have a great place to learn about baseball and transition into an All-Star player.
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