By Mark Newman
NEW YORK -- The last time he pitched for Garner High School back home in North Carolina, Scotty McCreery threw a complete game and struck out nine. Then he was told, "You're going to Hollywood," and they gave him a number and sent him on his way to eventual glory.
Most people know the 2011 "American Idol" winner and his baritone country voice now, and his family and friends also know that he and baseball are inseparable friends.
On the day his new album, "Clear As Day," was released, McCreery, 17, came with his mother Judy and his band to the MLB.com studios to record several videos that will premiere soon. Then McCreery jumped into a black SUV and was whisked across town to the MLB Fan Cave on Broadway and Fourth Street, where he had some teenage fun and made a video to promote his just-announced assignment of singing the Star-Spangled Banner at Game 1 of the World Series on Oct. 19.
"It's a huge deal. Baseball's been my life until this singing thing," McCreery said. "To sing at the World Series game with the national anthem, it's the biggest stage in baseball so it'll be pretty amazing for me."
McCreery grew up a Red Sox fan because his father is from New England, and he also follows the Braves because of his roots in the South. He shot some billiards in the back of Fan Cave, and a rack of Red Sox balls were rolled onto the table for him. He signed the autograph wall, inscribing "Play Ball!" above his name. Then McCreery revealed a previously unknown fact.
"I've got a little baseball Hall of Fame history in my family: Jim 'Catfish' Hunter," he said. "He was on my mother's side of the family, so she can probably tell you. He was a Yankees and Athletics guy."
Judy explained: "My mother is from the northeastern part of [North Carolina], and so is Catfish Hunter. She says they are distant cousins, that their grandfathers were brothers, and they used to go to reunions together when they were small. She's a Hunter, he was from Hartford [N.C.]."
"I tell people we were closely related. He was my uncle," Scotty said.
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