By Justin Cuthbert @jccuthbert
SPECIAL TO SPORTSNET.CA
DUNEDIN, FL – Staring in the face of adversity is a lot easier with a smile on your face.
Seth Conner is a 21-year-old catching prospect for the Toronto Blue Jays who was selected in the 41st round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft.
His steady ascension through the Blue Jays’ minor-league developmental system may come as a surprise.
In his young career, Conner has been instructed, on multiple occasions, to reinvent himself as a baseball player to appease coaches and experts.
His athletic transformations have required unrelenting hard work, but through it all, Conner has maintained unwavering positivity.
“For me, it’s just about going out there and doing the best I can possibly do and hopefully perform,” said Conner. “That’s all you can do to make yourself be seen.
“I like being the underdog and I like working hard.”
Conner was a star shortstop at Logan-Rogersville High School in Missouri, the centrepiece in a town of just over 2,000 people.
Despite his talents on the diamond, his coaches believed that his only chance to make it to the next level was to become a power-hitting, corner infielder.
So, before his senior season of high school, Conner put on 20 pounds of muscle and forever vacated his residence between second and third. In turn, he doubled his career output in home runs, hit .473 and led his dark-horse school to the State Championship tournament.
His stellar senior season earned him a draft selection from the Blue Jays, who promptly threw another curve ball at Conner. They asked him to convert to catcher.
Conner has handled his trials and tribulations as a baseball player with the most positive attitude, and remains grounded by his religious beliefs.
“I believe in my faith,” he said. “If I am meant to play in the big leagues, I’ll play in the big leagues.
“All I can do is be the best teammate I can possibly be, and work as hard as I possibly can to get there. Let the chips fall as they fall.”
He admits that can seem a daunting task.
“I will play until someone takes that uniform off or God tells me to do something else.”
Small town legend
He is somewhat of a small town legend in Rogersville because of his knack for clutch hitting.
In his first workout for a Blue Jay scout, he boasts to have enjoyed his greatest in-cage session. His final swing produced a home run estimated at over 500 feet.
In his first game for the class-A Bluefield Blue Jays – a game in which his cross-country commute had him arrive at the stadium just in time to hear the National Anthem – Conner was inserted as a pinch hitter and broke up a no-hit bid with Bluefield down to its final strike.
His 1,236th overall draft selection cannot be attributed to Conner’s resolute modesty.
His humble roots, dedication to faith and sheer work ethic has shaped Conner into a baseball player that thrives in the wake of adversity.
“I hope that if I was a first rounder, I would be the exact same guy that I would be as a 41st rounder.
“And, I hope that if I am a big leaguer, and an all star in the big leagues, then I would be the same guy that is talking to you right now. That’s my goal,” he said.
Conner has never visited the city he was drafted to. But, if he continues to overcome odds, he may find himself behind the plate north of the border sooner, rather than later.
