In honor of Opening Day, here are the 10 best baseball players who played their high school ball in Washington:
1. Ryne Sandberg: "Ryno" went from Spokane's North Central to the Hall of Fame in 2005. Sandberg is generally recognized as one of the best second basemen of all time. He hit .285 with 2,386 hits and 282 home runs in 17 seasons, mostly with the Chicago Cubs. He was a 10-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove, won seven Silver Slugger awards and was in the NL MVP in 1984. He also won the Home Run Derby in 1990. He currently manages the Triple-A Iowa Cubs as he pursues his dream of managing in the majors.
2. Tim Lincecum: The diminutive pitcher played at Liberty (Renton). He's won the last two National League Cy Young awards for the San Francisco Giants and enters the season with a 40-17 record with a 2.90 ERA.
3. Earl Averill: The Snohomish outfielder began his major league career by hitting a home run in his first at-bat. Averill was a six-time All-Star for the Cleveland Indians in the 1930s. He hit .318 in 13 seasons with 238 home runs. He was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975. The Averill Youth Complex sits on Second Street in Snohomish.
4. Ron Santo: A graduate of Franklin in Seattle, Santo had a distinguished 15-year major league career. He was a nine-time All-Star and won five Gold Gloves at third base. He played most of his career with the Chicago Cubs and hit .277 with 342 homers. Santo's struggles with diabetes have resulted in the amputation of both legs. He is in his 19th season as a Cubs broadcaster.
5. John Olerud: The Bellevue first baseman had a decorated career. He was the 1988 Baseball America College Player of the Year after earning All-American honors at first base (.464, 23 HR, 81 RBI) and pitcher (15-0, 2.49 ERA). Over 17 major league seasons, Olerud had 2,239 hits and 255 homers. He was a two-time All-Star (1993, 2001) and won two World Series rings (1992-93) with the Toronto Blue Jays. He won three Gold Gloves (2000, 2002-03) with the Seattle Mariners.
6. Fred Hutchinson: The pitcher who attended Franklin has become an important figure in his hometown. Hutchinson compiled a 95-71 record with a 3.73 ERA for the Detroit Tigers from 1939-53 (he spent four years in the Navy during World War II). He earned a spot on the 1951 AL All-Star Team. He became a successful manager after his playing days and led the Cincinnati Reds to the World Series in 1961. He died of cancer in 1964. A year after his death, his brother, Dr. William Hutchinson, founded the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in his honor. That same year, the Hutch Award, which is awarded in Seattle, was created for the player "who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire of Fred Hutchinson."
7. Randy Myers: The Evergreen (Vancouver) grad had 347 career saves over 14 seasons with seven teams. Myers was a four-time All-Star and two-time Rolaids Relief Man of the year (1993, 1997). He also earned the National League Championship Series MVP in 1990. That year, he was part of the famed "Nasty Boys" bullpen trio that helped the Cincinnati Reds to the World Series title.
8. Ron Cey: The third baseman who graduated from Mt. Tahoma (Tacoma) was a six-time All-Star, playing mostly for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the 1981 World Series MVP for the Dodgers. He hit .261 with 316 homers in 17 seasons.
9. Grady Sizemore: Sizemore graduated from Cascade (Everett) and was a regular with the Cleveland Indians by 2005. He is a three-time All-Star (2006-08) and has won two Gold Gloves in center field. Entering the season, he hit .275 with 129 homers.
10. John Lester: A product of Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma), Lester has become a heart-warming baseball story. Lester recovered from a 2006 case of lymphoma and pitched a no-hitter with the Boston Red Sox in 2008. Lester has become one of baseball's top pitchers (he enters the season with a 41-16 record with a 3.66 ERA) and is favored by some analysts to win the Cy Young this season.
