Emerson Hancock’s presence was daring. He set his eyes on an opposing hitter and nearly everyone watching in Foley Field could pinpoint what was coming, including the batter who waggled his bat with nothing but hope. It then became a four-step process: a wind-up, 96 mph pitch dotting the corner, swing-and-a-miss and a trudge toward the dugout with the infamous shrug to express a puzzling demeanor.
Hancock, Georgia’s Friday night starting pitcher as a sophomore, grew up idolizing a professional who carried many of the same qualities. Justin Verlander, a 36-year-old grizzled hurler for the Houston Astros, could hit triple digits in his hayday and had opposing Major League hitters wondering how to make contact.