Charlie Blackmon wasn’t supposed to be a big-league center fielder. That much was made clear to him many times.
First it was at Atlanta’s North Gwinnett High School in 2004, where as a lightly recruited 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher Blackmon’s only scholarship offer was from Young Harris Junior College.
Then, it was at Georgia Tech, where he transferred after excelling on the mound in junior college — and being drafted for a second time as a pitcher — only to sit on the bench his junior season with arm troubles, not even getting to travel with the team.