On July 31, two former Foresters made their big-league dreams come true . . . in a big way!
In his first at-bat in the Majors, DH Ryan O’Hearn (Sam Houston St.) hit a two-run homer for the Kansas City Royals. Believe it or not, he hit it off of another Forester, veteran James Shields, a member of the ’Sters HOF. Ryan has had a fine minor-league career and hopes to stick with the Royals.
On the same night, infielder Jeff McNeil (Long Beach State), who had been called up to the Mets on July 24, hit HIS first big-league homer! It was the first run for New York in the Mets’ now-infamous 25-4 loss to the Nationals.
Both players were part of Foresters’ national championships. Here’s the lineup card from Ryan’s 2012 championship game, along with a snap of what Jeff looked like during his two seasons in Santa Barbara. Congrats and best wishes to them both. ’Ster it up!
