Greatest 21 Days Baseball Profiles

Eric Mangham went to Florida State on a football scholarship, but injuries and the pull of his first love, baseball, soon led him to forgo the scholarship for an uncertain future on the school's baseball team, The Tallahassee Democrat wrote in May 1984. Within months, though, Mangham had not only proved he'd belonged, he became a trusted starter as the club readied for regionals, The Democrat wrote . "I knew I could run, I knew I could hit, I knew I had a strong arm," Mangham told The Democrat then. "All I needed was an opportunity." Mangham eventually took that opportunity all the way to the pros. His pro career lasted nine seasons . He made AAA and Mexico. Mangham's pro career began in 1986, taken by the Dodgers in the 17th round of the draft out of Florida State . In 1986, Mangham and Florida State made it all the way to the College World Series final . The team reached the final on a Mangham sacrifice fly . "My job was to hit the ball, make ...