Blackhawk graduate Brendan McKay was the fourth player chosen in Monday’s MLB Draft.

McKay, now playing for Louisville, was chosen by the Tampa Bay Rays and wants to both pitch and play first base.

That remains to be seen, since the path to the majors is much easier when the focus is on one position.

No matter how his final pro position is decided, I have immense respect for McKay.

Possessor of one of the longest scoreless streaks for a high school pitcher during his days at Blackhawk, McKay had a chance to play on a travel team or a regional all-star team of some nature. Instead, McKay stuck with his hometown Blackhawk American Legion team.

Even coach Bob Amalia, the high school and the Legion coach, didn’t expect McKay at the Legion sign-ups four years ago.

I’ve always appreciated athletes and entertainers who concentrate on representing the old hometown. Joe Namath always finds his way back to Beaver Falls whenever his schedule permits.

When Greg Meisner was playing in the NFL for West Coast teams like the Rams and the Raiders, he said he always had a special feeling when he came home to see the sign “Welcome to New Kensington.”

Arnold Palmer never forgot Latrobe. Jimmy Stewart never forgot Indiana. Bobby Vinton and Perry Como never forgot Canonsburg.

Anytime I would talk to the late coach Bud Carson, he would first ask how folks in Freeport were doing.

With the explosion of travel ball and these overrated barnstorming teams, young people aren’t being taught to highly regard their roots. They, and the rest of us, will be poorer for it.

As for McKay, he becomes the highest MLB Draft pick from a WPIAL school.

Previously, Knoch’s Scot Thompson went seventh in the 1974 draft. That was a stellar feat because Knoch did not sponsor baseball at the time.

Pine-Richland’s Neil Walker and New Brighton’s Terry Francona also were first-round picks.

As for McKay, since he’s going to an American League team, why couldn’t he DH on days he doesn’t pitch?

Schools to be razed

For anyone who’s old-school and likes old schools, June 23 will not be a happy day.

That’s the day the Armstrong School District will convey the old Ford City High School and the Kittanning Junior High buildings to the Armstrong County Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

The IDC will seek contract bids to demolish both schools with the anticipation that a developer will come along and build, perhaps, an apartment or condo complex.

In Ford City’s case, many will be saddened the day the wrecking ball comes.

With the age of the building, it would be too difficult and costly to bring it up to modern standards.

It’s a shame the Red Mihalik Gym can’t be preserved to at least be a community recreation center like the Tiger Gym in Apollo or the former Blairsville Armory.

The new Armstrong Junior-Senior High isn’t within walking distance to a youngster growing up in Ford City. Stories frequently were told where athletes would have access to the Ford City gym in off hours — with an express wink from the custodian on duty.

The gym was built as part of the Works Progress Administration program during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency. Though I’m no engineer, it probably wouldn’t be practical to raze the surrounding building and keep the gym.

I was glad to be assigned to cover the final Ford City home game there in 2015, a place chock full of history in the 77 years varsity basketball was played there. It will be interesting to see if the IDC gets a developer who would create a residential complex like Dalton’s Landing in Tarentum or the Ridge Avenue complex in New Kensington, site of the former high school.

George Guido is a Valley News Dispatch scholastic sports correspondent. His column appears Wednesdays.

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