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Millbrook Native Austin Adams in ‘The Big Leagues’; Now a Free Agent, He Looks to Inspire Student Athletes

By Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer

It’s not easy to ‘Go Pro’ in any sport. In fact, according to NCAA and NAIA stats, only one out of every 250 college students make it to the professional level in their respective sport. In other terms, the percentage of that one athlete compared to the entire U.S. population would be .00005. That’s essentially your chance to make it to the big leagues.

Within that small percentage is Millbrook native Austin Adams, who has been in major League Baseball for the last six years.

Adams, who started playing tee ball when he was four-years-old, has always had an affinity for the sport. Growing up, Adams was a multi-sport athlete, competing in football, baseball, and basketball. But in the end, he attributes his love for sports to his interest in hunting.

“I always loved being outside – hunting, fishing, and what not. Something about that really translated over the field, mound, court or whatever sport I was playing,” Adams said.

Unfortunately, Adam’s size wasn’t able to carry him through sports such as football and basketball.

“I was just a small little guy,” Adams said laughing. “Luckily, that really helped me focus on baseball. I knew it was the sport that I always wanted to be a part of the longest.”

After graduating from Stanhope Elmore High School in 2005, Adams had the opportunity to play baseball at Faulkner University where he was used in a multitude of positions. He even led the NAIA in saves his junior year, which caught the eyes of major league scouts.

“I was initially drafted in the 27th round in 2008 by the Milwaukee Brewers as a short stop. But I felt like I could make it even higher than that. I ended up returning for my senior year and got drafted in the 5th round by the Cleveland Indians. They actually liked my pitching skills, so that’s the position they decided to draft me in,” Adams explained. 

Like most people drafted in the MLB, Adams had to wait a few years to make his actual debut. He had to spend several years in AAA, moving around several cities, such as Columbus, OH, Kinston, NC and Akron, OH. That kind of movement can certainly take a toll.

“It was definitely tiring,” said Adams. “Moving around all of those cities, shacking up in apartments year after year with different teammates, it was a different experience than what I was used to,” Adams said.

That other experience that Austin referred to was about his time spent in Millbrook, a city for which he has great respect and admiration.

“I’m not a big city guy. I’ve lived in Detroit, Cleveland, Akron, Columbus, you name it. None of it stacks up to Millbrook in my eyes. I love the small town feel and the welcoming vibe you get from the people here. It’s always going to be my home,” Adams said.

Even though it is Adam’s true home, a place where his family and friends live, he knew he still had a job to do – a job that, unfortunately, required a great deal of movement and sacrifice.

That sacrifice did pay off, however, as he got his big break in 2014 when the Cleveland Indians brought him in as a relief pitcher. He would stay with the Indians until 2016, and during that time would pitch in 21 games with 44 strike outs.

After tearing his rotator cuff, labrum and biceps going into the 2012 season, Adams took some time to heal. Around the same time, he married his now wife, Kara. They currently have two children, Sutton and Ellie, who are one and two-years-old.

“My family means everything to me. The joy they bring me is hardly comparable to anything else. I hate to be away from them when I have to travel, so I try to bring them along as much as possible,” Adams said.

And after a few years break, that travel did pick up again.

In 2019, Adams finished two games for the Minnesota Twins before being selected off of waivers by the Detroit Tigers, where he finished 13 games. During that time, Adams had 14 strikeouts and four homeruns allowed. Today he is a free agent, free to talk with any team he desires. He is looking at options at the moment.

Even though he’s played baseball his entire life, Adams says he still gets nervous when he goes up to the mound.

“Every time I come into a game, I think about how blessed I am. And I absolutely get nervous when I go up to pitch. It’s not a bad thing. It’s more of a feeling that I’m actually living my dream and doing what excites me the most,” Adams said. “I was always told that if your job’s weighing you down and you feel like you’re actually working, then it’s not the right job for you. After all these years, I still don’t feel like that.”

Adams was able to get to the level that so many other individuals are hoping to be a part of as well. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make it to the professional level at any sport – but, it’s not impossible.

“Forget the numbers, forget the statistics. If you’re an athlete with high aspirations, such as professional sports, then make it happen. If that’s what you’re aiming for, what you’re pursuing, then make yourself the best you can be on and off court, field, or whichever sport you play,” Adams said.

Currently, Adams lives in Millbrook with his wife and two children, where he hopes to continue to inspire other student athletes who want to play in the Pros.