(Photo by: Nick Laham/Getty Images)
The emergence of a new Jedi.
From the small stage in Indiana, to the spotlight in Boston, Justin Masterson proves the force is strong within him.
Justin Masterson is a "righty killer" from the island of Jamaica. Growing up a devout Christan and the son of a youth minister, Masterson developed in to one of the best young arms in America.
He is a big 6'6", 250-pound pitcher with a three-fifths arm slot and slinging delivery. His weaponry includes a slider and changeup but the sinker Masterson throws—it's deadly. His teammates call him, "Jedi."
Masterson is quietly becoming a favorite of Red Sox fans. His unorthodox delivery and immediate success both contributed to his rising star at Fenway. Red Sox fans love a winner, and the fact that Masterson is home-grown helps breed a sense of pride for Sox fans.
There is something special about a player being "one of your own." Masterson has turned himself in to a coveted prospect since joining the Red Sox organization as a second-round draft pick in 2006. This past summer he was rumored to be the centerpiece of trade talks with the Texas Rangers for one of their catching prospects.
He is in demand now, but six years ago, Masterson couldn't get a second look from a Division-I baseball school.
In 2003, Notre Dame showed interest in the big right-hander, but Masterson ended up getting sick the day he was supposed to meet the Fighting Irish recruiter. Notre Dame never re-scheduled, and Masterson found his way to little Bethel College in Indiana.
Masterson spent two years at Bethel College and racked up 20 wins and 185 strikeouts in 185 innings. After his sophomore year, he knew he needed more tutelage to become a major leaguer. Masterson enjoyed Bethel College, as it was closely tied to his father's missionary church, but it lacked some of the basics of baseball, like a pitching coach.
"We didn’t really have a pitching coach at Bethel my sophomore year—we had a guy who tried hard and put his heart into it, but it just wasn’t what I was looking for. I had thought of transferring somewhere, though I had never voiced it, and I was looking for an opportunity," Masterson said in an interview with SOX1FAN.
A friend Masterson met while pitching in the Cape Cod Baseball League encouraged him to go West and join the San Diego State Aztec baseball team coached by Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Tony Gwynn.
Under Gwynn, he learned how to think like a hitter and used it to refine his approach on the mound. In 2006, Justin Masterson was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the second round (71st overall) of the amateur draft. He was referred to by a few sources as the "most overrated player taken in Round Two."
Currently, 58 of the 70 picks drafted before Masterson have yet to make the Majors.
As an integral part of the 2009 Boston Red Sox, Masterson has close ties and affection for Massachusetts. But his connection to New England started well before he ever donned a Red Sox uniform.
In the summer of 2005, Masterson spent his summer on the coast of Massachusetts soaking in the warm sun of Cape Cod. Many people travel to Cape Cod every summer for a relaxing vacation. Masterson came for baseball.
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