Blogs > Burney's Bytes

Burney's Bytes will focus primarily on the local preps sports scene, but will also touch on some college and pro athletics, mostly in regards to athletes who hail and have played high school sports in Oakland County. My goal for the blog is to be conversational and anecdotal, a more relaxed and free formal take on high school athletics than you see in regular game day coverage.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Diamond Memories

Here's a list of some of the best prep baseball players I have personally had the pleasure of seeing play in person:
Andrew Good (Rochester) – Dominating the comp in the OC from the mound in the late-90s before being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks of MLB and having a short professional career. Won a state championship in 1997
JJ Putz (Trenton) – Arguably the best power pitcher in the state over the last 20 years. He won a state title in 1994 and the Mr. Baseball Award in 1995 prior to going onto room with future NFL star QB Tom Brady at the University of Michigan and having a very good MLB career as a closer with Seattle (All-Star selection and save in the game itself in 2007), the White Sox and the Mets. Reaches over the 100 Miles an Hour on the gun
Dave Borowski (Sterling Heights) – Another mid-90s pitching stud from Metro Detroit who made it to the "Show". Pitched for the hometown Detroit Tigers in the late-90s and early 2000s
Ryan Keyes (DCD) – The greatest diamond cutter to ever put on the DCD Blue and Gold. Helped his team capture a state title in 1995, won the Mr. Baseball Award in 1997 and finished his career with a .556 batting average, tops in state history.
Drew Henson (Brighton) – A nationally-recognized phenom of phenoms in state a dozen years ago who holds numerous state batting records. Played QB at Michigan and then joined the New York Yankees, tapped as their starting third baseman. However, an inability to hit MLB curve balls and sliders, led to a heavy crash and fall for what most experts dubbed a "sure thing" coming out of HS in 1998.  
Bob Malek/Casey Rogowski (CC) – This pair led the Shamrocks to a state title in 1999 and both were drafted into the majors, Rogowski – also a football stud – by the Chicago White Sox and Malek,(the best lead-off hitter in the area in over the past decade in my opinion) by the NY Mets. Malek made it to the Bigs, Rogowski did not.
Justin Ishbia (Birmingham Seaholm) – Older brother of Mat Ishbia of MSU hoops fame, Justin led the OC in batting average in both 1994 and 1995.
Dugan Fife (Clarkston) – This former "Fab Fiver" and Mr. Basketball Award winner was also an excellent shortstop and number two-hitter for the Wolves back in the early-90s.
Todd Krumm (West Bloomfield) – One of the best two-sport athlete to ever come out of the state. Took THA WB to a state championship on the baseball diamond in 1983 and played both baseball and football teams at MSU in the college ranks. Krumm was the starting free safety for the Spartans on their 1987 Rose Bowl winning squad and went onto have an NFL career with the Chicago Bears and NY Giants.
Matt Conway ( Brother Rice) – Best power hitter in the county over the past decade in my opinion. Led Rice to a state title in 2008 and is currently ripping it up for the Demon Deacons over at Wake Forest.

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