TRENTON — In 2009, Sean Black was the second South Jersey player selected in the Major League Baseball draft. The first guy was named Mike Trout.
Black, a graduate of Lenape High School in 2006, was picked by the Yankees in the seventh round four years ago out of Seton Hall University. You might recall Trout was the American League Rookie of the Year last season. The 25th-overall pick in 2009 by the Angels finished second behind Detroit's Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera in the Most Valuable Player voting last year.
Trout, who was compared to Mickey Mantle coming out Millville, is the anomaly. The road to the Major Leagues is more often marked by stops in small towns across America before making "The Show."
Black is taking the small town route to what he hopes is the Big Apple. He was promoted from the Yankees' A-Advanced Tampa team on Monday to their Double-A affiliate, Trenton.
The 25-year-old made his second start for the Thunder — and first home start — Sunday afternoon against the Portland Sea Dogs, a Boston Red Sox affiliate, in an Eastern League game. Black allowed runs in the first and second innings and issued five hits in four innings of an 11-0 loss.
"Ultimately, you want to move as fast as you can and obviously I wish I was here before now, but I am here now," said Black after dropping to 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA. "You got to go out there and pitch well, and if you do that, you are going to keep moving if you are pitching well."
Last week, in his debut with the Thunder, Black allowed one run, five hits and three walks in a 5-1 win in Akron to snap Trenton's then-five-game losing skid. In his second start, the 4,860 crowd at cozy Arm & Hammer Park on the banks of the Delaware River included his father, Jesse, and grandmother, Jeanette. Both were celebrating their birthdays.
"We were going to have a home party, but we brought it here," said Black's mom, Meg, who was wearing a white Yankees hat.
"It really is a great birthday," said Jesse, who turned 58, sitting nine rows behind home plate. "I couldn't ask for anything more."
Perhaps only a shorter game to get home and eat some birthday cake. This game lasted three hours and 21 minutes — or almost long enough for next year's birthdays.
Still, Jeanette, who turned 85, was just elated to see her grandson pitch saying, "Sean is such a nice young man, he really is."
Black, who was originally drafted by the Washington Nationals in the second round in 2006 with the 57th overall pick, but did not sign, is 25-24 now in five seasons in the minors.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound right-hander was 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA in 12 starts with the Tampa Yankees in the Florida State League before being called up to Trenton. He now is not only closer to the majors, but also to home, where he now lives.
"It was exciting," said Black about pitching so close to home and on a such a special day. "I knew it would be a great birthday present for my dad."
Former Lenape teammates Keith Carman and Gary Dehagopian, also seniors in 2006, sat behind home plate to see the kid they played little league with in Mt. Laurel pitch on the doorsteps of the major leagues.
"It is a good ego-booster for me," said Dehagopian, who was Black's catcher at Lenape and was good enough to play at Siena. "To this day he is the best pitcher I ever caught. He was a whole different level."
Seeing him play on this level was not only cool, but convenient. Carman said he used to make road trips to see his buddy pitch in Tampa.
"We will be at every game he pitches," said Black's sister, Jane, 21, who was here with her brother Brian, 23, and about two dozen other family members and close friends.
Former Seton Hall teammates Mike Boggi and Chris McGlyn made the trip from their North Jersey homes to see their old roommate pitch in their home state.
"This is surreal," said Boggi. "I waited a long time for him to get to Trenton."
Black's father, Jesse, quickly added, "not as long as him."
Indeed, the road to the major leagues is filled with stops in small baseball towns like Trenton.
"Ultimately, there is no reason to be upset or anything that I could've been here before," said Black. "If you pitch well, you are going to move. And, that is the bottom line.
"It is just going out there and showing you can pitch at this level. And, then go even further."
Like pitching against Trout in Yankee Stadium.
Reach Kevin Callahan at kcallahan@gannett.com