under the radar

Chase Porch isn’t likely to show up on a Topps baseball card. His chances of playing in the major leagues, or even in an affiliated minor league, are razor thin. Still, his is a story worth recounting, a career worth tracking. To a baseball fan, it’s interesting stuff. Northeast Mississippi Community College sent out a release today announcing that Porch, a former Tigers outfielder, had signed with the independent Amarillo Sox of the American Association. Reading on in the release, one comes to find out that Porch was a seven-year starter (seven years!) for East Union, a teeny, weeny school in northeast Mississippi whose teams are nicknamed Urchins. He was drafted out of high school by the Atlanta Braves but didn’t sign, going instead to Meridian CC, where he pitched for a year. He left Meridian for Northeast, where, in 2008, he hit .431 with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs and earned third-team NJCAA All-America honors. From NEMCC, Porch went to NCAA Division II North Alabama. After a good season there, he signed with Pensacola of the American Association and was named the indy league’s rookie of the year in 2010. He’ll be back in the AA this summer. It’s a long way from The Show, but he’s playing the game. It’s a baseball tale, as yet unfinished.