Goat Post: Issue 05

The MLB Draft — which starts this Sunday in Atlanta and is covered exceptionally well by MLB Network, the MLB app, MLB.com and all the official team sites — is near and dear to Goatnet’s backstory.

As we were just getting started, I reached out to Jimmie Lee Solomon, a fellow Texan and the person Commissioner Bud Selig entrusted with the Draft and many important initiatives related to amateur player development broadly as well as in underserved communities.

Jimmie Lee was instrumental in upgrading the Draft into a media property, but more, into an impactful, elevated experience that fit its prestige. Jimmie Lee played football at Dartmouth, had a tryout with the Houston Oilers and had a Plan B. Harvard Law School.

To know Jimmie Lee was to immediately understand why he was a mentor to Russell Wilson and a salt of the Earth list of great success stories.

So Jimmie Lee personified what Goatnet was all about. I think of him often. He not only got it. He was it. His spirit always will have a guiding place in this origin story and all progress that follows. We lost him to a heart attack out of the blue in October 2020. He was only 64.

I add this with great appreciation and confidence. The story of Jimmie Lee Solomon, a great of all time if I ever saw one, is one that should be celebrated for generations. And is.

So when any name is called and announced for the world to applaud, listen for the bell that is Jimmie Lee’s legacy.

As I dry the eyes, let’s turn to Goatnet and the strides we’ve made to introduce creator tools, to pump up this community through storytelling not just about greats, but FOR THEM, whether they’ve scratched the surface, whether they’ve dreamed of it, whether they’re pivoting from one great role to another.

We’re here like Uber to help provide better rides to next levels and to sharpen the views: behind, adjacent and ahead.

So let’s get to some of our earliest Goatnet alpha participants. From the delight of hearing your name to the weight of expectations that follow, being drafted changes everything, no matter how prepared bad ass ballplayers think they are, no matter how they picture Day 2.

It’s an opportunity. To prove so much, on the field and off. As we look ahead to this MLB Draft, click on this sampling of dudes who’ve either been all the way through it, who remain in the mix, working to live up, and a 17-year-old who’s a year away at best from the prime time walk on stage toward MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.

This is about more than picks and projections It’s about the people. The journey. The mountain only a tiny percentage of the population gets a chance to climb.

Scott Kazmir

15th overall pick, 2002 | New York Mets

Scott Kazmir’s draft story is a rare one — he and high school teammate Clint Everts were both selected in the first round, making history as the first pair of pitchers from the same high school with that claim to fame. While Scott would go on to earn 108 career wins over 13 MLB seasons, Clint didn’t reach the Majors. The truth is, barely more than 70% of first-rounders reach the big leagues. That drops to 49% in the second round and 32% between rounds 3–5.

Jason Heyward

14th overall pick, 2007 | Atlanta Braves

Drafted out of high school by his hometown team, Jason Heyward recalls the surreal moment of hearing his name announced. A dream became reality with little time to blink. Jason made his debut with the Braves at just 20 years old, hitting a home run in his first career at-bat in front of the hometown fans. The moment marked the beginning of a journey with ring-earning glory and spanning 15 MLB seasons — and counting.

Curtis Granderson

80th overall pick, 2002 | Detroit Tigers

Curtis Granderson wasn’t a top pick — and honestly, didn’t expect to have a long playing career. He told himself, at one point early on, he was done and thinking about how to put his college degree into play in the workforce. But time, team chemistry, the discipline instilled by his father, and a newfound joy put any doubts in their place. Curtis played 16 MLB seasons, became a three-time All-Star, and is now a leader in the game: In the boardroom, the community and on the air.

Termarr Johnson

4th overall pick, 2022 | Pittsburgh Pirates 

At just 21 years old, Termarr Johnson is already making noise at the Double-A level — but he’s not getting caught up in the hype. Drafted out of high school, he’s stayed grounded, focused on growth and committed to proving himself. For Termarr, being a top pick wasn’t the goal — it was cool for a minute but ultimately, a course to navigate, to overcome and dig deep to own.

Keon Johnson

Vanderbilt Commit | Class of 2026 

Looking ahead, Keon Johnson is a name we’ll hear again come draft time. The Gatorade Georgia Baseball Player of the Year, Keon is a poised, power-hitting shortstop committed to Vanderbilt. At just 17 years old, he already leads with maturity and represents a recurring theme of bright young stars entering the picture. But he knows as well as we do, the Baseball Gods also have a say. Keon trusts his approach and looks higher for his why, for the Mom who’s his rock.

The MLB Draft, part of All-Star festivities in Atlanta, takes me back not only to Jimmie Lee, his daughter, granddaughter and many friends, but also to the one season I spent in Atlanta early in my career.

It was 1995 through the Summer Games in 1996. The Braves won the World Series. Michael Johnson showed out in gold shoes. Muhammad Ali brought the heat. It was a very nice torch. And it’s where I first met Stan Kasten.

Looking back, it’s those kinds of achievers’ results that have shaped the Goatnet mission, and that is to power storytelling that pays forward.

If you’re in Atlanta next week, give a ring. Nothing beats the sound of bells.

Goat Big!