Blake DeWitt is in demand
The Dodgers third baseman has heard from family members and friends about the commotion his unexpected rise has caused back home.
Blake DeWitt has heard from family members and friends about the commotion his unexpected rise has caused back home.
DeWitt has heard how Dodgers jerseys and caps are being worn around Sikeston, the small farming town in southeast Missouri where he grew up. He knows that when the Dodgers face the St. Louis Cardinals tonight at Dodger Stadium, the town's 17,000 residents will be able to hear the game not only on the local Cardinals' radio affiliate, but also its sister country music station that became part of the Dodgers radio network earlier this month.
"He's turned this whole town upside down," said C.J. Cruze, the program director for KRHW-AM.
Part of the reason, Sikeston Mayor Mike Marshall said, is that many people in town know him personally or, at the very least, knew of him long ago. As a four-time all-state player in high school, his games were broadcast on Cruze's station. DeWitt's father works at the city-owned power plant, his mother is an elementary school teacher, and several members of his extended family own local businesses. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back James Wilder is also a Sikeston native, but, Marshall said, "It didn't seem to catch on like this."
Marshall, who declared April "Blake DeWitt Month" in his city, said the summer will be called "The Summer of Blake." Marshall added that he wants his town to have a parade in DeWitt's honor when he returns home this winter.
DeWitt, the second of the Dodgers' two first-round draft picks in 2004, laughed when told about the idea of a parade.
"It means a whole lot to know you have that many people care about you," he said. "It's a good feeling."
But not overwhelming.
In fact, the kid from the town that Marshall described as "small enough that you can't brag about your family or lie about your age" has appeared to Dodgers Manager Joe Torre to be completely unfazed by the chaotic events this spring that led him to become the starting third baseman of a big-market team as a 22-year-old rookie.
"I think that's a Midwestern demeanor," third base coach Larry Bowa said.
Bowa said the calm that DeWitt showed when being called up from minor-league to major-league camp in spring training made him comfortable enough to tell Torre that DeWitt was capable of playing third base in the absence of the injured Nomar Garciaparra, Andy LaRoche and Tony Abreu. Torre saw DeWitt play sparingly this spring because he traveled to China with a split squad for a pair of exhibition games.
