Spent a few minutes with Gordon Beckham and D.J. Shockley today. Two guys in different places. Beckham was just voted Sporting News A.L. Rookie of the Year. Shockley was dealing with being cut loose by the Falcons. Both of these young men are class acts, during the good times and the bad.
    My message to D.J. was to keep the faith. He's too young to give up on the dream and go to work in a regular job like the rest of us. Keep the dream alive. Find a place where he can play the game...be it Canada, or that new league (UFL). The toughest thing--besides the embarrassment of getting cut in front of the home folks---is the realization that he was so close to making it with the Falcons. If he doesn't hurt the knee in the preseason a couple of years ago, he ends up getting regular season playing time that season, and maybe earns a job. But it just didn't work out. 
    He said, "I'm just trying to wrap my head around this and stay positive." Surely some opportunity will come his way. 
    Caught up with Beckham today too. He's back in Atlanta for a little downtime (golf and family time), after a whirlwind 12 months. The White Sox took him with the 8th pick of the 1st round in June of last year. He's in the show a year later playing major league ball in Chicago. Amazing climb. He wasn't even drafted out of high school. Gordon hit .320+ in his two minor league stops (Birmingham & Charlotte). He played in 103 games for the White Sox this season. Hit .270, with 14 homers and 63 RBI. 
    One of his best moments of this Rookie of the Year season was his grandpa driving up to Cincinnati to see him play a couple of weeks after this promotion. Gordon hit his 1st MLB HR that day. Memories that will last a lifetime. And it couldn't happen to a better guy. 
    "Being voted the Rookie of the Year by the players makes this a great honor," he said. Boy howdy. Pencil him back in at 3rd base in 2010. The White Sox have them a player.