Bo Jackson was one of the greatest “5 tool” players in baseball history, a superb athlete who is still the only man in the world to become an all-star in Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Now an exciting new event called the “Bo Jackson 5 Tool Championship” will be held in conjunction with the 2009 WWBA World Championship at the Roger Dean Sports Complex in Jupiter, Fla., on Saturday night. Oct. 24.
Approximately thirty-five of the top amateur baseball players in the country will participate in the event, including some 20 Aflac All-Americans and other premier high school seniors who are considered top prospects for the 2010 Major League draft. The players will be graded as they run, throw, hit, field and hit with power in a home-run contest. They will be judged by a panel of well-respected baseball people who have a strong background in scouting, including Major League scouting directors and general managers.
Everything will be filmed and produced for television, and the event is sure to be popular with all the pro scouts, college coaches, players and fans who will be attending the WWBA World Championship from Oct. 22-26. The “5 Tool” event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the Roger Dean Stadium and the admission is free.
Jackson, 48, won the 1985 Heisman Trophy before starring in pro baseball and the NFL. He runs the Bo Jackson Elite Sports company in Illinois along with former Major League player John Cangelosi. The “Bo Jackson 5 Tool Championship” is a joint venture by Jackson, Perfect Game and Nike, and Jackson will be attending the event himself.
“I wanted to put on an event that would showcase the athletes’ individual skills in front of as many pro scouts and college coaches as possible,” said Jackson. “Sometimes when players get seen in a game situation, the attending scout that day might not get to see all his abilities. By partnering with Nike and Perfect Game at the largest scouting event in the country, we knew we could accomplish our goals.”
The “5 Tool Championship” will not interfere with any of the players’ games in the tournament. The players will be encouraged to have fun and stay loose during the event, and everything will be done to showcase their skills for the scouts, coaches, fans and TV cameras. Those in attendance will see many of the fastest runners, strongest arms and most powerful hitters in the Class of 2010, which will help promote interest in amateur baseball and the 2010 draft.
“The Bo Jackson 5 Tool Championship will be a great promotion for amateur baseball,” said Perfect Game President Jerry Ford. “Baseball fans will have the opportunity to see many of the very best prospects in the country, showing off their skills while learning how scouts evaluate talent. It is an honor having Bo Jackson involved, as he is probably the greatest ‘5 tool’ guy and one of the greatest athletes ever. This is going to be very exciting stuff.”
Jackson played four years in the NFL and eight years in Major League Baseball. A serious hip injury, which led to hip-replacement surgery, curtailed his professional career, but he’s remembered as an extremely fast, powerful tailback for the Los Angeles Raiders and a power-hitting outfielder for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and California Angels.
The names of the players who will participate in the “5 Tool Championship” will be announced soon, but it’s sure to include the cream of the crop.
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