White slams homer in minor league debut

Shelbyville native Jonathan White's dream continues to flourish as a reality that he has worked so hard for most of his life.

The single-minded purpose and the thousands of hours preparing mentally and physically while his friends were at the mall, in the theaters, or playing video games separated him from the typical high school player -- and the hard work's harvest was one of the most dominant seasons that any Shelbyville Central athlete has ever had his senior season.

White signed with Vanderbilt, where balancing his duties in the classroom was as challenging as hitting an 85 mph slider on game day.

He was the first to admit that the two tasks combined were borderline overwhelming, yet he excelled at both.

He received his diploma in one of the proudest days of his life and then realized his lifelong goal as an athlete just a few short weeks later.

Going pro

In typical fashion, the 6-2, 198-pound White was in the weight room when his name was called in round 40 by the San Francisco Giants with pick 1,197 overall. It wasn't until he picked up his phone to find numerous text messages congratulating him on being drafted that he started to get excited.

"I was doing pullups at the high school gym when my phone started going crazy," White said. "I just sat down and thanked the good Lord for bestowing His blessings on me.

"Even then it wasn't until the Giants actually called me and told me that they had drafted me that it really sunk in. Things really happened pretty fast after that."

Quick start

He was on a plane bound for Scottsdale, Ariz., less than a week after the draft ended.

The whirlwind process slowed a bit from there.

"The first week was spent taking physicals, in the classroom, or going through a battery of tests to assess our skills," White said. "We didn't do much of anything baseball wise but it all had its purpose.

"We agreed on a contract pretty quickly and I was assigned to the rookie team in the Arizona League (AZL). It was definitely a thrill to sign on the dotted line. It made it all real."

Big leap

The jump from a small-town high school baseball program to the SEC was extremely challenging. The transition to the professional ranks will be the ultimate test.

"It starts in high school where you think you know it all and you get to college and find out how little you really know," White said. "I played five years in the best conference and for the best coach (Tim Corbin) in America and when I got here I discovered very quickly that I still have a long ways to go knowledge and skill wise to achieve my goals.

"It is a little scary to be out here on my own but very exciting to be starting the next phase of my life."

New beginning

White started his first game on Tuesday night against the Cubs affiliate and crushed a home run in the third inning for his first professional hit.

He reached base three times from the lead-off position and played left field flawlessly in his debut.

"It was a surreal experience rounding the bases after the home run," White said. "It was good to get my feet wet and show them what I can do.

"I can't wait to get back out on the field again.

"Tell all the folks back there to not forget about me.

"I miss them and I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I would have liked after school ended but I will definitely be working hard to make them proud."