NewsMaybin set to make name for himself
Center fielder welcomes questions for Club MLB interview
By Tim Ott / MLB.com
04/27/09 4:13 PM ET
Many baseball fans outside of Florida aren't familiar with Marlins center fielder Cameron Maybin just yet.That likely won't be the case for long, though, as Maybin has the tools to develop into a big league star. He's also set to be interviewed for MLB.com's new kids site, Club MLB.
Young fans will have the opportunity to contribute to the interview by e-mailing any questions they have for the exciting 22-year-old outfielder.
A native of Asheville, N.C., Maybin has excelled at baseball every step of the way. His immense talent was apparent during his freshman year at T.C. Roberson High School in 2002, when he earned Most Valuable Player honors for leading his team to the state title.
Maybin was named the North Carolina Gatorade High School Player of the Year Award after hitting .536 with eight home runs and 41 RBIs during his junior season, and he was even better during a senior campaign that saw him slug 15 homers, steal 32 bases and set a state high school record with his .662 batting average.
His outstanding play drew serious attention from Major League teams, and the Tigers selected the wiry speedster with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 Draft.
Maybin quickly emerged as a standout player in the Minors. He batted .304 with 27 stolen bases in his first professional season, then skyrocketed up Detroit's organizational ladder with a .316 average, 14 homers and 25 steals across three Minor League levels in 2007. The Tigers were so impressed with the young outfielder that they brought him up get a taste of the Majors at the end of the season.
Despite his promising performance, Maybin learned that life can change in a hurry in the big leagues when he was traded to Florida as part of a deal that sent All-Stars Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit on Dec. 5, 2007.
Maybin was surprised by the trade, but he continued to push to get back to the Majors. He earned another late-season callup by the Marlins in '08, and responded with an impressive .500 average and three steals in eight games. Encouraged by his development, the team decided to make him the starting center fielder for the '09 season.
Maybin likely could have excelled in any sport he chose. Athleticism certainly runs in his family; one of his cousins is Rashad McCants, a former University of North Carolina basketball star and current guard for the Sacramento Kings.
However, there was little question in his mind as to which game he wanted to play.
"Baseball is a fun sport," Maybin told MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. "It teaches you a lot about life and different situations. ... [It] has always been my first love, and it is to this day."
Maybin is still establishing himself in the Majors, no small task in a league filled with the greatest baseball players in the world. However, as he demonstrated with a home run off pitching legend Roger Clemens in just his second big league game on Aug. 18, 2007, Maybin is capable of banging with the big boys.
By the time the '09 season is through, Maybin will likely have proven he's capable of much more. And young fans can find out just what the former North Carolina schoolyard phenom expects of himself and his team by e-mailing their questions for the upcoming interview.
Tim Ott is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
