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WJC
ALUMNUS IS A "HIT" WITH
THE PHILLIES
"When I was little, I
always thought that you went pro and
then they paid you a million dollars
and you bought cars and stuff,"
Blanton said. "But here I am
still living at home, working eight
hours a day."
As he prepares to enter his second
year in the Philadelphia Phillies
organization, Blanton, who currently
works in sports marketing at Image
Impact, has a new perspective on life
as a professional athlete and foresees
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season
as the true test of his shot in the minor
leagues. Blanton, who was selected in the
47th round, plunged into life as a Phillie
after graduating
from Jewell in May 2005 with a business administration
degree. In late June Blanton participated
in a rookie level mini-camp for Phillies draft
picks in Clearwater, Florida. Two weeks later,
Blanton headed to a low-A team, based in Batavia,
New York. Though Blanton started every three
to four games and hit about .217, he soon
found that managers already had expectations
of players based on the round they were drafted,
their age, or the amount they were getting
paid.
"The season went well, but I tell most
people I didn't get to play as much as I would
have liked," said Blanton. "At Jewell,
I missed like two games my whole career over
four years, and that was because I had the
flu. There, the younger, higher-paid players
would get more chances. It's an investment
for (the Phillies) and they want to see younger
guys develop and the big money guys pan out."
Blanton was surrounded by guys who were just
like himself - phenomenal college players
now equalized by the advanced level of play.
Facing a Division I ace every game was humbling.
Adjusting to the use of a wooden bat was an
arduous task. At times, Blanton said he felt
like a freshman again. But instead of getting
discouraged, he became more determined to
sharpen certain aspects of his game. "It's
just a different ballgame," Blanton said.
"I definitely learned a lot when I was
there, and I have been working in the off-season
to go back more prepared." Blanton's
work ethic is what William Jewell head baseball
coach Mike Stockton said set him apart from
many college athletes. "Even when he's
at the pinnacle of his game, he's still looking
to become better," said Stockton, who
is in his fifth year at Jewell. "Ben
realizes that just because he's doing such
good things, he doesn't stop. He tries to
keep making himself better."
And Blanton won't waste any time putting all
his off-season hard work to use. Spring training
is underway in Clearwater, Florida, where
athletes are evaluated through fitness testing.
"You really have to go in prepared,"
Blanton said. "I'm kind of excited because
hopefully I can show that I've been working
hard. It's kind of your opportunity to do
that."
After evaluation, players will be assigned
to a club within the system, based on their
perceived skill level. Blanton hopes to be
placed in the long season low-A division,
a step up from where he played last year.
The baseball farm system includes low-A, high-A,
double-A and triple-A branches leading up
to the major leagues. The long season low-A
level would require one month of spring training
and then a summer schedule similar to the
major leagues, about 150 games. If placed
at the short season low-A level, Blanton will
continue three months of spring training and
then start games in June.
"I think this year I'll know whether
they're going to give me the opportunity to
move through the system and how fast that's
going to work," Blanton said. Blanton
already has some highlights from his first
year in the minor leagues. In a game in Ohio
against the Astro's low-A team, he got to
start at short stop in front of a crowd of
8,000 people. He's had a couple of two-hit
games, but still is waiting for his first
post-college home run. And Blanton plans on
making more memories before he's done.
"It's been my dream my whole life,"
Blanton said. "So I figure I need to
at least give it a couple of years and see
if I can make it or not." Whatever his
future with the Phillies may hold, Blanton
will remain associated with Jewell baseball,
a program which he continues to promote. "One
of the coolest things about being drafted
was to get Jewell's name out there, in terms
of the national recognition for having a good
program," said Blanton, a Liberty High
School graduate who transferred to Jewell
after a semester at the University of Kansas.
Blanton finished his 2005 season with honors
including NAIA First Team All-American, First
Team All-Region V infielder, Region V Baseball
Player of the Year, HAAC First Team shortstop,
HAAC Baseball Player of the Year and William
Jewell College scholar-athlete. Blanton helped
the Cardinals set a school record for wins
in a season with 47 victories in 2004. He
finished 2005 with a season batting average
of .423 with 14 home runs and 65 runs batted
in. Blanton was the only NAIA baseball player
to reach double digits in doubles (22), triples
(10), and home runs during the 2005 season.
Though Blanton's achievements at William Jewell
speak for themselves, Stockton said he could
not have asked for a better all-around player.
"It's our goal in recruiting to find
what we term 'the package' - that is person,
student and player," Stockton said. "We
look for those three qualities. Ben exemplifies
that at the highest level."
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