BleedGopher
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per Anthony:
To answer your first question, no, Jaden Agassi never really got into tennis.
Oh, he’s dabbled in the sport associated with his world-famous parents, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. But that usually just results in Jaden smacking the ball as hard as he can, with no regard for the rules or the lines.
His mom and dad can have their 30 combined Grand Slam singles titles. Jaden just wants to hit grand slams.
“I love baseball,” he says. “I love the teammates, surviving and fighting with your brothers. Every game comes with a new set of challenges, and I really love figuring those out.”
The 18-year-old Agassi is following that love and forging his own athletic path. He’s a home-schooled third baseman and right-handed pitcher in the home stretch of his rehab from Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow. And he’s planning to begin his collegiate career at the University of Southern California in the fall after standout summers with Las Vegas Recruits, a college prep baseball academy.
With the Draft shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 6-foot-3, 212-pound Agassi probably won’t be going pro just yet. He says he views the Draft as “Plan B” and knows -- especially coming off an injury -- that he still has plenty to prove on the field, just as his parents once proved it on the court.
“I come from a sport where you eat what you kill,” Andre Agassi says. “You don’t hope someone believes in you -- you earn your way. Not much has really changed with him. When your parents have lived at the highest level of a sport, you’re not captivated by the grandeur hiding behind the curtain.”
So for now, the younger Agassi appears to be captivated more by the idea of playing for the Trojans and seeing where that leads.
But his is definitely a name worth keeping an eye on -- and not just because that name is so familiar to sports fans.
“He is a freaky strong kid,” says an evaluator from one Major League team, “with raw power.”
That power comes both at the plate and on the mound. Agassi has been ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 2 Draft prospect in Nevada because of his easy, low-90s velocity as a pitcher, his high ceiling with the bat and his good hands in the field. Agassi didn’t inherit his parents’ tennis tack, but he did inherit their hand-eye coordination and their ability to shine in the big moment.
The plan is for him to put all those skill sets to work at USC as a two-way player. At some point, though, he might have to pick a lane.
“Sooner or later, baseball will make that decision for him,” Andre says. “But objectively, with his composure and control of a game, he seems to really shine on the bump.”
www.mlb.com
Go Agassi and Graf!!
To answer your first question, no, Jaden Agassi never really got into tennis.
Oh, he’s dabbled in the sport associated with his world-famous parents, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. But that usually just results in Jaden smacking the ball as hard as he can, with no regard for the rules or the lines.
His mom and dad can have their 30 combined Grand Slam singles titles. Jaden just wants to hit grand slams.
“I love baseball,” he says. “I love the teammates, surviving and fighting with your brothers. Every game comes with a new set of challenges, and I really love figuring those out.”
The 18-year-old Agassi is following that love and forging his own athletic path. He’s a home-schooled third baseman and right-handed pitcher in the home stretch of his rehab from Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow. And he’s planning to begin his collegiate career at the University of Southern California in the fall after standout summers with Las Vegas Recruits, a college prep baseball academy.
With the Draft shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 6-foot-3, 212-pound Agassi probably won’t be going pro just yet. He says he views the Draft as “Plan B” and knows -- especially coming off an injury -- that he still has plenty to prove on the field, just as his parents once proved it on the court.
“I come from a sport where you eat what you kill,” Andre Agassi says. “You don’t hope someone believes in you -- you earn your way. Not much has really changed with him. When your parents have lived at the highest level of a sport, you’re not captivated by the grandeur hiding behind the curtain.”
So for now, the younger Agassi appears to be captivated more by the idea of playing for the Trojans and seeing where that leads.
But his is definitely a name worth keeping an eye on -- and not just because that name is so familiar to sports fans.
“He is a freaky strong kid,” says an evaluator from one Major League team, “with raw power.”
That power comes both at the plate and on the mound. Agassi has been ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 2 Draft prospect in Nevada because of his easy, low-90s velocity as a pitcher, his high ceiling with the bat and his good hands in the field. Agassi didn’t inherit his parents’ tennis tack, but he did inherit their hand-eye coordination and their ability to shine in the big moment.
The plan is for him to put all those skill sets to work at USC as a two-way player. At some point, though, he might have to pick a lane.
“Sooner or later, baseball will make that decision for him,” Andre says. “But objectively, with his composure and control of a game, he seems to really shine on the bump.”
Son of Agassi, Graf could be a future ace
To answer your first question, no, Jaden Agassi never really got into tennis. Oh, he’s dabbled in the sport associated with his world-famous parents, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf. But that usually just results in Jaden smacking the ball as hard as he can, with no regard for the rules
Go Agassi and Graf!!