Coral Springs High alum to start in center field.
Springs High alum takes center-field job
JUPITER – Growing up in Coral Springs, Lewis Brinson was an enthusiastic Marlins fan but never attended an Opening Day game.
His first will come Thursday in uniform, batting first and starting in center field against the Chicago Cubs at Marlins Park.
Brinson, the key acquisition in the trade with Milwaukee for Christian Yelich, got the word from manager Don Mattingly prior to Sunday’s Grapefruit League finale.
It was the payoff for an outstanding spring training and a quest that began at Coral Springs High before being drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round (29th overall) in 2012.
“Growing up loving the Marlins and now to get the opportunity to play for them Opening Day with all the guys that we’ve grown as a family just in spring training, it tells me where I’ve come from,” Brinson said. “It’s going to be an emotional day for me and my parents and everybody who has been with me through the ride.”
A year ago Brinson bought a ticket to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ season opener in Phoenix. He was in the Brewers’ minor league camp nearby and decided to attend along with a teammate.
“Very humbling,” he said. “First Opening Day, I’m very excited about that.”
Although the Marlins broke camp after split-squad losses to the Houston Astros and New York Mets, a number of roster moves remain. They have until an hour before the opener to set the 25-man roster.