Former ECU Pirate Becomes Program’s First Major League All-Star

My father was a professional photojournalist. If he told me once, he told me a thousand times, "When it comes to sports, you never root for a team or player, you root for the story." Last night major league baseball held its annual all-star game. And the story that emerged for me? Former East Carolina University Pirate, Jeff Hoffman making history. Last night, he became the program's very first big-league all-star.

Watching the Major League Baseball All-Star Game last night, the field was littered with "phenoms." The Shohei Otanis of the world have been stars since the moment they walked on the field. Jeff Hoffman's journey is far more complicated and inspiring. If you embrace those who don't give up, if you embrace those that embrace "the grind," then you'll embrace Jeff Hoffman. On his way to being one of eight Philadelphia Phillies in the all-star game, the former ECU Pirate standout has had many bumps in the road. In 2014, Hoffman was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. In the ten years since, he's been associated with the Cincinnati Red, Colorado Rockies, and Minnesota Twins. In baseball parlance, he's been a "journeyman." Jeff signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies organization in 2023. A year later? He's a major league all-star.

Behind just about every journeyman athlete, you'll find a strong family support system. Jeff Hoffman is no exception. So, it should come as no surprise that the first phone call he made when he found out he was going to be an all-star was to his wife, Marissa. Hoffman tells The Morning Call, “It was one of those things where we talked about doing stuff like this, when my career was first starting, and obviously it didn’t go as smoothly as you would have wanted to or hoped. But that whole journey is what makes it as special as. I’m so thankful for all the bumps in the road.”

Jeff Hoffman made his all-star debut to get the final out of the eighth inning for The National League last night. He didn't allow a run and got the out he needed.

Major League Baseball kicks off today (3/30) with the season's first games. As we mark the start of a new season, we look at country singers who have also played baseball either through high school, semi-professional, or as a country superstar with baseball dreams to fulfill.

Let's count down five country stars who have also spent a reasonable amount of time in the batter's box.

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Eric played many sports in high school. He played baseball, basketball, football, and golf until a knee injury during his sophomore year in high school derailed his dreams of going pro. He told Greensboro.com a few years back, "I even played golf because, in my junior and senior years of high school, I realized that if you were a golfer, you got to leave at 10 a.m. to go to matches. You didn't have to be at school all day, and, well, that's me right there (laughs). So I picked up golf real quick when I realized you got to get out of class."

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Kenny played baseball at Corryton, Tennessee's Gibbs High School. He told ESPN several years ago why he was a die-hard Red Sox fan. He said, "It's a product of, oddly enough, where I grew up. I didn't grow up in the Northeast or New England at all. But when I was a kid, growing up, we didn't have cable.The only access to baseball I had was 'This Week in Baseball,' and I looked forward to that as a kid. The only games they had on Saturdays always seemed like the Red Sox or Cincinnati Reds." He added, "I loved those two teams growing up. Even playing Little League, I wanted to be on either the Reds or the Sox as a kid, so that's where it started."

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Scotty was his high school's baseball team pitcher. Scotty was still pitching for his Garner Magnet high school in North Carolina while be competed on Americal Idol in 2011. At the time, the right-handed junior compiled a 6-1 record with a superb 1.07 earned run average.

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Young played baseball in College. Brett was a pitcher on his high school baseball team and led the squad to a CIF championship. He went to Ole Miss on a baseball scholarship in 1999 after turning down the pre-draft selection by both Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Minnesota Twins. His pursuit of a professional baseball career was cut short by an elbow injury while at Fresno in 2003.

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Garth played in the spring training camps of two MLB teams in the late 1990s. In 1998, Brooks launched his Touch 'em All Foundation with Major League Baseball. He also began with a short career in baseball when he signed with the San Diego Padres for spring training in 1998 and 1999. The following season, Garth signed with the New York Mets. In 2004, Brooks returned to baseball with the Kansas City Royals. He got his first and only hit off Mike Myers during his final spring training game with the Royals.