Saturday, October 29, 2011

Grady Sizemore Baseball Star

Grady Sizemore III was born on August 2, 1982, in Seattle, Washington to Donna and Grady Sizemore II. (Click here for today's sports birthdays.) Grady’s mom worked as an accountant. His father was an insurance adjuster.

The Sizemores lived in Everett, an easy drive north of Seattle. Like Derek Jeter, Grady was the product of a mixed-race marriage. Donna is white, while Grady II is African-American.

Grady II was a pretty fair baseball player in his day and enjoyed a good career in college. By contrast, he encouraged his sons (Grady and his younger brother, Corey) to play whatever sport was in season.

Grady’s baseball career started at 18 months, when his parents bought him a Fat Albert baseball bat. The first time he gripped it, his stance was so perfect that the Sizemores felt compelled to snap a picture. The family still has it today. By age four, Grady was hitting overhand pitching with an aluminum bat.

Grady Sizemore

Curtis Granderson Baseball Player Profile & Photos

Born: 1981/03/16
Age: 30
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185
Place of birth: Blue Island, IL
Bats/Throws: L / R

Curtis Granderson was born on March 16, 1981 in Blue Island, Illinois. (Click here for a complete listing of today's sports birthdays.) His parents, Curtis Sr. and Mary, were both educators and impressed upon him the importance of staying in school. Curtis Sr. worked as a gym teacher at Nathan Hale Elementary, and Mary taught science at Curie High School.

The Grandersons lived in Lynwood, a southern suburb of Chicago. A gifted student, Curtis heeded the advice of his parents and spent plenty of time hitting the books. Intelligent and articulate, he felt right at home in the classroom.

His parents were there to catch every one of their son's highlights. Mary never seemed to miss a game, and Curtis Sr. coached a couple of his boy's Little League teams.

With Chicago close by, Curtis rooted for the Cubs and White Sox. When he discovered WTBS, he began following the Atlanta Braves, especially after they rose to prominence in the National League. The player Curtis most identified with, however, was Ken Griffey Jr. He marveled at Junior's combination of speed and power at the plate and loved the way he roamed the outfield.