Every Little Leaguer’s dream is to become a professional baseball player—to play in the big leagues.

That dream continues with a player into his high school days, then into college. But most players’ dreams end before reaching high school.

Steve Adkins is a different story. The former DeKalb High School star had his dream come true when he was drafted by the New York Yankees two years ago.

Adkins, a 6-foot-6-inch left-handed pitcher, was picked in the 14th round of the 1985 June draft and sent directly to Oneonta, a Class A team. From there, Adkins went to Fort Lauderdale, then to Prince William, where he finished this season.

Adkins said playing in the minor leagues is great.

“I’m really enjoying myself,” he said. “It’s a lot different than playing in college. Here, it’s a job. Playing 140 games makes it a long season.

“For a pitcher, there’s no substitute for experience. With each game I feel I’m getting a little better and a little smarter.”

In his high school days, Adkins was not always a pitcher. Dave Pettengell, Adkins’ high school baseball coach, said, “I coached him in his senior year, and he didn’t always do as well as he’d like. He played first base a lot and did a heckuva job. I knew he had the ability to play somewhere. When he got better coaching, he got better control.”

After high school, Adkins was recruited by the University of Pennsylvania as a football player. He played both sports for a couple of years before deciding to stick with baseball.

Adkins big break came when he was in the right place at the right time.

“In my senior yar, our team made a trip to Florida during spring break to play in a tournament,” Adkins said. “There happened to be a big tournament in Orlando, a little farther south from where we were playing. This tournament had some of the big name schools there, like Michigan and North Carolina.”

Adkins said some big-league scouts planned to watch that tournament, but came a day early. They came to his game because it was the only one in the area that day.

“I happened to be pitching that day against Liberty University,” Adkins said. “It was great timing because it so happened I had a good game that day, pitching six innings and striking out 15.”

After the game, a scout from the Yankees gave Adkins some information cards to fill out. Meade Palmer, the scout who ended up signing Adkins, came to a few of his games.

“Apparently I did well enough,” Adkins said, “because four days before the draft, I was invited along with four other players to a tryout at Yankee Stadium before the big brass.”

Adkins said he felt he had a good chance of making it because of his size and being a left-hander, but that did not stop him from being a little anxious on draft day.

“I was very relieved when I finally heard the Yankees had drafted me,” Adkins said.

Playing professional baseball, especially on the minor league level, is not all fame and fortune. As a matter of fact, Adkins paints a different picture.

“I’m playing for Prince William, and let’s say we have a road game at Winston-Salem,” Adkins said. “Winston-Salem, the farthest city away, is about a six-hour drive. In other leagues, the travel time is worse. We would get up at 7 a.m. and the bus would leave the stadium at 8 a.m.”

Adkins said the bus rides are not fun. “It seemed like every bus we had, the air conditioning would break down. With 45 guys on the bus, it can get a little warm and uncomfortable.”

e said the team would arrive in Winston-Salem around 2:30 p.m. and relax at the hotel for a couple of hours. The players would leave for the ballpark at 5 p.m., with the game starting at 7 p.m. Most of their ballgames last about four hours. Then they would go back to the hotel and leave around noon the next day.

Adkins said some of the hotels they stay at are nice, like a Hyatt, but in another city they would stay at Harvey’s Hotel.

“It really depends on the home team,” Adkins said. “They instruct us on where to stay. If they have a deal with someone who sponsors them, then that’s where we would stay. But we don’t spend that much time in the hotels, so it doesn’t really matter what the hotel is like.”

When Adkins was drafted, he held out for a better contract.

“I felt that the better an investment a team makes in you, you will be given a better chance to advance. If they put a lot of money into you, they’re going to make sure they get their money’s worth.”

Adkins said also he wanted to take some time off after the long season at Penn. His arm was tired and he did not want to start playing right away.

Adkins’ pitching repertoire includes a fastball, which is clocked at 85 mph, a change-up, slider and a knuckle-curve. The knuckle-curve is not a common pitch in baseball today, but Adkins said it was necessary for him to learn it.

“Entering college my freshman year, I had a lot of trouble throwing a conventional curveball. So Bill Wagner, my pitching coach, told me to try the knuckle-curve. He showed me what to do. As the years progressed I became better and better with the pitch, until I could completely control it in my senior year.”

The reality of someday being traded has given Adkins some thought.

“As a minor league player, you get excited that another club wants you,” he said. “They’ll probably give you a better chance at making the club. The Yankees don’t bring up a lot of young players. You think about it a lot.”

If he was to be traded, Adkins said he wouldn’t mind playing for the Chicago Cubs. He said the Cubs always are looking for young left-handed pitchers, so he might have a better chance. He also would like to play for a club close to home.

One person Adkins has learned from is Marty Bystrom, a former major league pitcher who is currently rehabilitating from arm surgery. “Marty has taught me to go out and do my best whenever I pitch. If I do bad one night, I can’t let that get to me. A young pitcher can’t get on an emotional rollercoaster.”

Adkins hopes to play next year for Albany, the Yankees’ Class AA affiliate. The next step would be on to Columbus of the AAA league. After that, it would be on to the Big Apple and Yankee Stadium.

Only time will tell if Adkins gets his shot at playing in the big leagues. If he does not make it, it would not be because of a lack of determination.

“Realistically, I feel I have a chance,” Adkins said. “Being a left-hander helps. I’ve learned a lot since I left Penn, and I still have more to learn before I make the majors.”