7 Things You Need To Know About Justin Upton
Three years before the Diamondbacks took him on June 7, his brother B.J. went second overall to the Devil Rays.
He attended his senior prom (Great Bridge High, in Virginia) last month. "I brought Alex Collado," says Upton of his date, a junior who plays on the softball team. "It was really fun. We had a medieval theme."
He wears number 9 because of Twins infielder Michael Cuddyer, who graduated from Great Bridge in 1997. Says Justin, "He gave me one of his number 9 jerseys from when he played on Team USA."
He played on the 2004 RBI national team. RBI stands for Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities and is sponsored by MLB.
He volunteered as a fifth-grade teacher's aide this year.
He hit .519, had 11 homers and whiffed just twice in 54 regular-season at bats as a senior.
His favorite baseball player isn't his brother. It's Miguel Tejada. Says Justin, "I love to watch him play."
COLOR PHOTO
STEVE EARLY/THE VIRGINIA-PILOT/AP (UPTON)