Prospects shortstop looking a little green, but not on the field
Unique nail colouring fails to hide 20-year-old's immense talent with a bat
By Cam Tait, The Edmonton Journal, June 2, 2009
At first blush, Dillon Hazlett looks like your typical young baseball player -- until you see his fingernails, which quite frankly you can't help but notice.
They're painted green. Bright green.
"It's my favourite colour," explained the 20-year-old Hazlett, a shortstop for the Edmonton Prospects of the Western Major Baseball League.
Hazlett, who started painting his nails while he was having a good hitting streak in high school, and the Prospects opened their regular season in Edmonton during the past weekend, winning two out of three games against the Lethbridge Bulls.
After losing the opener on Friday by an 8-0 score, the Prospects came back to trounce the Bulls 10-2 in the second game on Saturday.
Hazlett got the ball rolling for the Prospects in that game with a single up the middle in the fourth inning before coming around to score the first run of Edmonton's season.
Hazlett, a native of Topeka, Kan., has had plenty of success with the painted fingernails.
It certainly worked for him at Allen County Community College in Burlingame, Kan., last season, where he led the team with a lofty .470 batting average while stealing a team-high 35 bases and slamming 12 home runs with 53 RBI in 50 games.
While that offensive production would naturally leave others green with envy, surely Hazlett has had slumps like everyone else? Then what does he do with his nails?
"I switch 'em up and use different colours," he said. "I have different shades of green and orange and blue."
Oilers colours. Perfect for Edmonton.
The Prospects are back in the 11-team WMBL after a year hiatus. The league is made up of mostly college baseball players from Canada and the U.S. There are eight local players, mostly pitchers, and nine Canadians on the Prospects.
Hazlett was scouted by Prospects manager Andrew Ehling and asked to come to Edmonton.
"He's a great athlete and has a lot of range," said Ehling. "Whenever he bobbles the ball, he always knows where it is -- if he doesn't catch it clean, he still can make a play.
"He has such a strong arm ... and getting to ground balls and making plays on them on a consistent basis is very impressive."
Shortstop wasn't where Hazlett first dug his cleats into a baseball diamond, he was initially a second baseman.
"I found there was more action at shortstop," he said.
Hazlett says he is focused on the Prospects' season, but admits he's also thinking about the upcoming Major League Baseball draft.
"I try not to think about it. They say I'm going to get drafted, but you never know. We'll wait and see what happens."
In fact, he's been invited to work out with the Kansas City Royals.
"I don't know if I'll go or not," he said with a laugh.
Hazlett recognizes it would be a great thrill to be drafted by a major league team. It would be even sweeter if his name was called by the Atlanta Braves.
"They've always been my favourite team," said Hazlett. "I remember watching baseball when I was just a kid with my great, great granny and that was her favourite team and it became mine."
So Hazlett has his bags -- and nail polish -- ready to go.
NEWS ARCHIVES:
Edmonton Prospects Announce 2009 Head Coach
Edmonton Prospects are pleased to announce Andrew Ehling will be the Head Coach for the 2009 WMBL Season. Coach Ehling hails from Hutchinson, Kansas and is a graduate of Kansas State University. Andrew brings a solid playing and coaching resume to the Prospects Collegiate Club. Coach Ehling started his college playing career at Butler Community College in Kansas, and from there he moved onto the pitching staff of the Kansas State Wildcats of the Big 12, NCAA DI. After his playing career he began coaching with his alma-mater the K-State Wildcats. After K-State he took the Pitching coach position at Odessa Community College in Texas then moved on to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas where in 2 years he has led the pitching staff to a 69-41 overall record. Management is very excited to have someone of Coach Ehling’s calibre behind the reigns of the 2009 Edmonton Prospects.
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Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008 - "Baseball's Man For All Reasons"
A look at Cam Houston, Assistant Coach, Edmonton Prospects
By Brian Swane, Sun Media Click here for PDF Version or
Click Here for Word Document
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September, 2008 - "Prospects Find Home at John Fry"
By Brian Swane, Sun Media Click Here for Word Document
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May, 2008 - "Prospects Announce Move To Edmonton"
The St. Albert Prospects, of the Western Major Baseball League, are pleased to announce that the club has reached an agreement with the City of Edmonton on the use of John Fry Park for the 2009 baseball season. John Fry Park has recently gone through major renovations to its infield and outfield surfaces in preparation for this summer’s 2008 IBAF World Junior AAA Championship hosted by the Edmonton International Baseball Foundation.
With the move back to Edmonton, the club will become the Edmonton Prospects Baseball Club and will focus its marketing, sponsorship & community activities in the Edmonton and Greater Edmonton region.
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