Whitney Vaughn
Published: March 3 2004
Many a young boy’s dream is to play on a major league baseball team. One Pensacola native may have his dream come true.
Rhett James, a former PJC graduate, continues to work on his dream in his final year of college at Florida State University.
James attended PJC and played on the baseball team from 2000 to 2002, setting many school records in the positions of pitcher and third baseman. His records included a single strikeout record (113) and a new earned run record (.78). He was named junior college’s “Pitcher of the Year.”
He says his most memorable experience at PJC was when the team went to the state tournament in Kissimmee and he pitched 22 innings in five games. The team came in third place overall.
“The coaching staff at PJC helped me achieve my goal of pitching at an accredited university,” James said.
PJC Head Coach Bill Hamilton and Assistant Coach Doug Martin pushed James to strive for being the best.
“Coach Martin was my coach in high school and at PJC. He pushed me to do my best and he is one of the biggest influences in my baseball career,” James said.
After James graduated in 2002, many teams were looking at him as a possibility. He had to make a decision between the University of Florida, Florida State University, Louisiana State University, Ole Miss, Tennessee State University, and the University of West Florida. James decided to sign with the No. 1 ranked Florida State Seminoles. Last year, James made 36 appearances on the FSU mound during the season. He ended up finishing second in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
James is glad that he played baseball for PJC before jumping straight onto FSU’s team.
“There is more team chemistry on a junior college team because there is not a big difference in age between the players. At FSU, there are freshman playing with seniors who are three to four years older, and it takes more effort to create that team chemistry, and it does not come naturally,” he said.
As a junior, the camera crews only caught James a few times on the mound as a relief pitcher. Now as a senior, he will be showing off his talents more for the public.
“We’re going to use him in the middle instead of as a starter,” FSU Coach Mike Martin said. “We just felt like the best thing for our ball club was to give him the ball as much as possible. He is so resilient. We decided to go into a series knowing he can pitch every day, and we can’t do that if he’s a starter.”
James appreciated his time at PJC.
“(Junior College) is a good step between high school ball and university ball. Playing at a junior college first gives a player build-up time both in strength and maturity. It is like a stepping stone to another level of baseball and there is an advantage to having that step between the two,” James said.
According to Eddie Martinez-Esteve, FSU Freshman third baseman, “Rhett James is the toughest pitcher to face. He will not give you a fastball.”
James lives for the moment when the bases are loaded, the score is 2-0 FSU’s way, there is one out, and the other team’s strongest hitter is up to bat. Coach Martin calls the bullpen and sends James to the mound. That would be a perfect night for James. He lives for the excitement in the field.
The dream of a young boy that played for PJC may come true in the next year.
Several major league teams are scouting James this season. The Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamond Backs, and Atlanta Braves are all looking at James. Now it will be up to James again to make a decision among baseball teams.