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South Side's Blake Hickman's Dream Comes True as Sox Draft Him in 7th Round

By Mark Konkol | June 10, 2015 5:07pm | Updated on June 11, 2015 8:58am
 Simeon graduate and Englewood native Blake Hickman, a former star catcher, pitched for the University of Iowa before the White Sox drafted him.
Simeon graduate and Englewood native Blake Hickman, a former star catcher, pitched for the University of Iowa before the White Sox drafted him.
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Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com

Blake Hickman’s dream came true.

On Tuesday, the tough right-handed pitcher from Auburn Gresham got the news he had been waiting for his whole life — the Chicago White Sox, his favorite team, picked him in the seventh round of the Major League Baseball draft.

“I was sitting in the front room when I got the call. I was freaking out. I told my brother, 'The White Sox got me,' and he jumped all over me. Then my mom was jumping all over me,” Hickman said. “It was awesome.”

The former Simeon High all-state catcher turned University of Iowa pitcher doesn’t plan on wasting any time getting a jump-start on his professional career.

On Thursday, even before signing a contract, the 21-year-old college junior is heading to the White Sox training facility in Glendale, Ariz., to start working out in hopes of one day — as soon as possible — taking the mound at U.S. Cellular Field.

“I’ve been a Sox fan since I started playing baseball at Foster Park. … My dad would take us out of school early to go to White Sox games. … When they won the World Series my mom ran outside yelling 'The Sox won the World Series.' And everybody was looking at her because no one played baseball — the neighborhood was all basketball fans,” Hickman said.

“This is something every kid dreams about. It’s not going to really hit me until I get down [to Arizona] and see myself wearing a White Sox uniform. Then it’s really going to sink in.”

Hickman grew up playing ball on the South Side — including a three-year stint in Roseland Little League — before getting selected to play on the White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) team, which aims to get inner-city boys with talent a better shot at winning college baseball scholarships.

“The ACE program helped me get looked at by different colleges and put all of us in showcase games in front of scouts from schools that wouldn’t have seen us play because they won’t come to the city,” Hickman said.

And really, that’s what Hickman says helped him decide to play ball for the Iowa Hawkeyes rather than jump into the minor leagues straight out of high school.

After helping Simeon win the city championship in 2011, Hickman was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 20th round but didn’t take the North Siders up on their offer.

“It was a family decision. We all sat down and talked about it. I was 18 and wasn’t ready for pro ball. I felt I needed the college experience to meet new people and grow as a person,” Hickman said.

“Ultimately, it was the right decision. … The Cubs picked me in the 20th round, and the Sox got me in the seventh. Right now, I’m more prepared for pro ball, and I’m ready to get down to it.”

Hickman grew up near 77th and Paulina, a corner that was a frequent hangout for local gangbangers.

You might think that Hickman is one of those kids who “overcame the evils of his neighborhood” to realize his dreams, but he doesn’t see it that way.

“Everybody wants to hear how tough it was with the gang life and everything. Growing up in the city makes you tough, but I was never scared growing up there. I don’t regret living there. Growing up there gave us a vision of how we can have more one day, and we saw ourselves slowly moving up each year,” he said.

“And it’s not like I had to make a decision about joining a gang or walking away. There was never a decision to be made. Joining [a gang] was never an option. We were a strong family. We were smart enough to know that there was more to life than gangs.”

Hickman grew up idolizing his older brothers, who were both athletes. He remembers the time his brother, Christian, worked out for pro scouts at a pre-draft camp.

“I saw that as something I wanted to do. My brothers were doing the right things. My mom was getting up early in the morning for work and trying to make us feel like our lives were so much better than they actually were,” Hickman said.

“And here we are now. Hopefully, one day soon I’ll be able to take care of them.”

But first, it’s off to the Arizona heat.

“I got a call from a friend who played pro ball, and he already told me it’s going to be a love/hate experience. That’s a lot of hard work in a lot of hot weather,” Hickman said.

“But I’m ready. … I know things can change, but I want to play for the White Sox organization the rest of my life. I can’t wait to stand on the mound in front of all the fans. I can’t wait.”

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