CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/28915
men are living big league dreams right now. Dallas Poulk, the former Pine Forest High School star and second baseman who went on to earn All-American status playing for N.C. State a couple of seasons ago, was a 19th round draft pick of the Florida Marlins. He played for the Marlins Minor League team in Jamestown, N.Y. and with their Single-A team in Greensboro last season. Poulk hit .258 with 48 hits, 21 RBIs, nine doubles, a triple and a home run in his first pro season. He will report to spring training this year with high hopes for another great season. Another minor leaguer is Hope Mills’ Blake Maxwell. Maxwell, who played at South View High School and Methodist College, led the Red Sox organization in wins last season, going 11-1 with minor league teams in Salem, Portland, and Pawtucket. Maxwell will also be heading to spring training with great expectations. Somewhere in our area right now, among all the recreation teams and traveling teams, there are young players developing the talent that will allow them to compete for a shot at playing professionally. Someday our area will have another Calvin Koonce, the Hope Mills pitcher who went on to play for the 1969 World Champion “Amazin’” Mets. It just doesn’t seem right that, in addition to their exhausting efforts on the field, these players have to raise the money for the opportunity, but they do. Oh well, let’s all go out and buy some lollipops.CV Want more baseball? Check out “We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball” which is currently on exhibit at The Arts Council. The exhibit includes 33 original oil paintings, 13 sketches and an array of educational materials. It will be open through April 16 and is free to the public. For more information contact The Arts Council at 910.323.1776. Also, the Fayetteville SwampDogs’ season begins on May 31 and season tickets are available now. Call 910.426.5900 for more information. HOW SECURE IS YOUR HOME? MONITORING $18.95 A MONTH! Security Systems WWW.HOLMESSECURITY.NET 910.483.1196 Authorized Security Dealer CityViewNC.com | 55