Former Eagle Lorenzo Cain named ALCS MVP
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (October 16, 2014) – Former Tallahassee Community College baseball star Lorenzo Cain is heading to the World Series and he's taking a piece of hardware with him.
Now the starting centerfielder for the Kansas City Royals, Cain and his teammates defeated the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, 2-1, to complete a four-game sweep in the American League Championship Series.
In the midst of a jubilant celebration in front of the Royals' home crowd, Cain was named the ALCS Most Valuable Player and received the Lee McPhail Trophy after batting .533 (8-for-15) with two doubles and five runs scored against Baltimore. His eight hits matched Willie Wilson's franchise record for an ALCS, set against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1985 – the last time Kansas City advanced to the World Series.
That was also the last time the Royals made the playoffs period. But behind Cain, Kansas City has more than made up for lost time, becoming the first team in Major League history to open the postseason with eight straight wins.
Meanwhile, Cain's journey to the Major Leagues is trending, both locally and nationally.
Despite not playing organized baseball until he was a high school sophomore, Tallahassee head coach Mike McLeod signed Cain out of Madison County High School in 2004, the same year the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 17th round of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft. But Cain enrolled at TCC that fall and, in 2005, batted .341 with two home runs, 44 RBI and 19 stolen bases en route to being named second-team All-Panhandle Conference.
Utilizing the now-extinct draft-and-follow process, the Brewers signed Cain after his freshman season at Tallahassee and, thus, began his journey to stardom.
"How can you be more proud for someone," said McLeod. "Here's a young man from Madison, Fla., who has grown up and become the MVP of the ALCS, and it couldn't have happened to a more humble and hard-working guy."
"What I saw in Lorenzo was a will to succeed that was unmatched, and he's had some great people in his life – (high school baseball coach) Barney Myers and (Milwaukee Brewers scout) Doug Reynolds, in particular – and great instructors throughout his professional organizations. It's a blessing to see something so great happen to such a great individual."
Cain debuted with Milwaukee in 2010, appearing in 43 games and batting .306. Rated as one of the Brewers' top prospects, he was sent to Kansas City the following offseason as part of a blockbuster trade for ace pitcher Zack Greinke.
Now four years into his tenure with Kansas City, Cain is fast becoming a household name. He played in a career-high 133 games in 2014 and, not coincidentally, enjoyed his best season as a professional – a .301 batting average, five home runs, 53 RBI, 28 stolen bases and a highlight reel of defensive gems.
His stellar play continued into the postseason, where he has batted .353 over eight games. In being named ALCS MVP, he joined the likes of Hall of Famers George Brett, Ricky Henderson, Kirby Puckett and Roberto Alomar.
Now comes the sport's biggest stage and the opportunity for Cain to write another chapter in what has become a dream season.
Kansas City, who has home field advantage in the World Series, will host the San Francisco Giants beginning Tuesday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. eastern and all games will be carried by FOX Sports.