DALLAS, GA — NBC Sports Philadelphia, the home of the Authentic Fan, sent Phillies Insider Jim Salisbury and baseball analyst Ricky Bottalico on a road trip to Clearwater, and the third pit stop took our guys to a high school ballpark.
Salisbury and Bottalico met up with Tony Boyd just outside Atlanta, at East Paulding High School, where blockbuster Phils offseason acquisition Zack Wheeler played high school ball.
Boyd gave Salisbury and Bottalico a tour of the ballpark, including a look at his retired No. 45 jersey, and the scoreboard which Wheeler donated.
Boyd told our guys what kind of a worker Wheeler was during his high school days, and how proud he is that Wheeler still comes back to Dallas, Georgia, to talk to his teams about the importance of putting in the work each day.
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s social media channels will be posting numerous photos, videos and anecdotes surrounding their trip on @NBCSPhilly. Salisbury will also be posting on his twitter account @JSalisburyNBCS.
Other notable stops during the Making the Trip route include:
• Atlanta, GA – former home of Fulton County Stadium, where Bottalico made his Major League debut
• Clearwater, FL
• Ricky and Jim will be filling up with Wawa food and fuel along the route
MLB
Tune back in for more episodes from the road here at NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com.