Oh, I tell ya, if you don’t know ’bout Michael Lorenzen, let me tell you a little bit ’bout him. He’s a pitcher now, real good one too, but you might not know that he started his journey way back in high school, right there in Fullerton, California. Now, don’t be thinkin’ he just picked up a ball one day and started throwin’ strikes. No, no, he worked real hard from the get-go.
Michael, or Mike as some folks call him, went to Fullerton Union High School, that’s where he really started to show folks what he was made of. Back then, he was part of the school’s baseball team, and lemme tell you, he sure didn’t hold back. As a freshman, that boy had a bat in his hand and a fire in his belly. He was hittin’ over a .400 average! Now, that’s no small feat for a young fella, especially at such a young age.
Now, as he was gettin’ better at the game, there were folks payin’ attention. See, the Tampa Bay Rays, they spotted Michael in 2010, right outta high school. They liked what they saw so much, they picked him in the seventh round of the Major League Baseball draft. But Michael, he wasn’t ready to sign up just yet. Nope, he had bigger plans. He figured he’d go on and get himself an education, so he went to California State University, Fullerton instead, to play with the Titans. Real good choice, I’d say!
He wasn’t just any ol’ player at college, mind you. Mike didn’t just play ball for fun, no sir! He worked hard as a pitcher and an outfielder. He was the real deal, no doubt about it. And it paid off. When the Reds came a-callin’ in 2013, they weren’t messin’ around. They picked him in the first round of the draft, and from there, things really started to take off. He made his Major League debut with the Reds in 2015, at just 23 years old. That’s real young, ya know!
Now, let’s talk about somethin’ real special, what really got folks talkin’. It was on August 9, 2023, when Michael Lorenzen, playin’ for the Philadelphia Phillies, did somethin’ mighty rare. He pitched a no-hitter! Yep, he shut out the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. That’s a huge deal in baseball, trust me. Only a handful of pitchers have done that in the big leagues. To say folks were excited is an understatement!
What’s even more special is that Fullerton Union High School, where Michael went to school, has a history of producin’ pitchers who’ve thrown no-hitters. It’s like a tradition there, or maybe a secret recipe for success! Michael Lorenzen sure kept that tradition goin’ strong, didn’t he?
Folks like to talk ‘bout how Lorenzen has made it big, but it’s important to remember where he came from. A lotta hard work, determination, and maybe a little bit of luck, all mixed together. He didn’t just come outta nowhere, no sir. He worked his tail off, first at Fullerton Union High School, then at Cal State Fullerton, and then in the big leagues. And now, here he is, making history and showing everyone that if you put your mind to it, there ain’t no limit to what you can do.
So, I reckon that’s the story of Michael Lorenzen, from a high school boy with a big dream to a Major League pitcher who’s throwin’ no-hitters and makin’ a name for himself. It just goes to show you—sometimes the folks from small towns and high schools end up doin’ big things, if they work hard enough. Ain’t that right?
Tags：[Michael Lorenzen, Fullerton Union High School, No-hitter, Philadelphia Phillies, MLB Pitcher, California State University Fullerton, Baseball]
