CLEVELAND, Ohio – “I never saw him play.”
That’s what Scott Stricklin told me when I asked him about the recruiting of Charlie Condon.
Stricklin was the Georgia coach when he first heard of Condon.
Now, even casual fans know about Condon, a candidate to be Cleveland’s top pick in Sunday’s MLB draft.
Condon was picked as the nation’s top amateur player, winner of the Golden Spikes Award. He led all of college baseball with 37 homers. He had more walks (57) than strikeouts (41). He had nearly as many homers as strikeouts. He did it in the SEC, the nation’s premier baseball conference.
Stories by Terry Pluto
No one saw anything like that coming. No one … at … all … anywhere.
Even though he was a .500 hitter at the Walker School (a private academic school in Marietta, Ga.), there was no interest. Oh, he also was quarterback of the football team. Team captain of about everything, including being class president. The school is near Atlanta. Condon was a 6-foot-5, 180 pounds as a senior.
“Rhodes College really wanted him,” recalled Stricklin. “That’s a D-3 school in Memphis. They wanted him to play quarterback and baseball.”
But Condon’s dream was to be a Georgia Bulldog.
Former Kent State coach Scott Stricklin was Charlie Condon's first college coach.LC- The Oregonian
The amazing phone call
A friend named Paul Fletcher called Stricklin. Fletcher was a well-known summer league coach in the Atlanta area. He played at Tennessee. He scouted for a few MLB teams during his long career. He was calling schools, begging them to look at Condon.
“He was a true walk-on,” said Stricklin. “I looked at some video, and Charlie was this lanky kid who was athletic. But we didn’t help him in any way. He applied to Georgia’s Terry College of Business. It’s hard to get into that program.”
Because of his strong high school grades, Condon qualified for the Hope and Zell Miller scholarships. As for Stricklin’s claim about the business school being selective, checking online showed admission rates between 35% and 40%.
Stricklin never met Condon until the player sought out the coach and introduced himself.
Yes, this is how it started for a young man who also was named winner of the Dick Howser and Bobby Bragan awards as the nation’s top college player.
“We decided to redshirt him (in 2022),” said Stricklin. “We really wanted him to add weight and strength. Charlie attacked it. He never wasted a moment. He worked on his game. He worked on his body. He just worked.”
Scott Stricklin was Charlie Condon's coach when Condon was a walk-on at Georgia. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Breaking out
The finance major also was setting himself up to make the SEC All-Academic Team in the next few years.
“In school, he’s exceptional,” said Stricklin. “After his redshirt season with us, he played in the Northwoods summer wood bat league. He had a very good season (.286 with an .830 OPS). He made the Northwoods All-Star team. We knew then we could have something good.”
It’s also when Condon earned his scholarship.
In 2023, Stricklin played Condon mostly in right and left field. Now a sophomore academically, Condon had grown to 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds as he began his first year of college baseball.
He broke loose, batting .386 (.800 OPS) with 25 homers and 68 RBI in 56 games. He was the Baseball America Freshman of the Year and won many other awards.
Stricklin said one day near the end of that (2023) season, he was standing with Condon near the batting cage.
“Did you see this coming?” Stricklin asked Condon.
“No way, Coach,” he said.
Both men smiled.
“There’s not a brash bone in his body,” said Stricklin. “He was around (in high school), but it was like no one saw him. Not the college recruiters. Not scouts. No one. He remembers where he came from. He really was a nobody (in the baseball world).”
Here comes the draft
Perhaps the name Scott Stricklin is familiar. He was the baseball coach at Kent State for eight seasons. His last year was 2013.
Stricklin took Kent to five NCAA tournaments, including the 2012 College World Series. His next stop was Georgia. He was fired after the 2023 season after 10 years with the Bulldogs.
What would he tell teams looking to draft Condon?
“He checks all the boxes,” said Stricklin. “I compare him to Paul O’Neill or Kris Bryant – guys who are long, physical, and athletic.”
But there’s more.
“He’s loyal,” said Stricklin.
Many players who are redshirted in their first year decide to transfer. After his breakout 2023 season, Condon could have entered the transfer portal and been in line for major NIL money. He stayed true to his school.
“When it comes to character issues, he’s off the charts,” said Stricklin. “He’s smart … hard-working and humble. He really is the kind of young man you’d want your daughter to date.”
As for the future?
“I don’t know where he’ll be drafted,” said Stricklin. “Cleveland has the first pick, the Reds are second. I bet he ends up in Ohio. I admit, I am rooting for Cleveland to take him.”
- This post has been updated to correct that Scott Stricklin, not Charlie Condon, was speaking in one of the quotes.
Check out Terry's new weekly newsletter that he's writing exclusively for subscribers. Learn more and sign up here.
If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. 21+ and present in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.