Early Years
Magadan is 6'4" tall, weighs 245 lbs, batted from the left side, and threw from the right. While a student at Jesuit High School of Tampa, Magadan was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the twelfth round of the 1980 Major League Baseball Draft, but elected not to sign and remain in school. His status as a prospect improved after he led West Tampa Memorial Post No. 248 to a win against a team from Richmond, Virginia in the American Legion World Series and was named series Most Valuable Player. He also received the George W. Rulon American Legion Baseball Player of the Year award.
After high school, Magadan attended the University of Alabama, where, in 1983, his .525 batting average led the entire National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), while setting an SEC Southeastern Conference record, and is still the fifth best in NCAA history. After defeating Michigan and Arizona State University twice, Alabama lost to the University of Texas at Austin in the 1983 College World Series. Magadan was named the All-Tournament Team's first baseman. He also was selected as an AP All-American, was named the starting designated hitter on The Sporting News's college All-America team, received College Player of the Year honors from Baseball America and won USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award as the best amateur baseball player. His .439 career batting average is the SEC record and tenth best in NCAA history.
Read more about this topic: Dave Magadan
Famous quotes related to early years:
“I believe that if we are to survive as a planet, we must teach this next generation to handle their own conflicts assertively and nonviolently. If in their early years our children learn to listen to all sides of the story, use their heads and then their mouths, and come up with a plan and share, then, when they become our leaders, and some of them will, they will have the tools to handle global problems and conflict.”
—Barbara Coloroso (20th century)