If you follow “Survivor” at all, you know that the upcoming season features a pretty famous nephew.
And no…I’m not talking about Brandon Hantz, nephew of three-time “Survivor” contestant and “Survivor” Hall of Famer Russell Hantz.
I’m talking Albert Destrade…nephew of one of the Florida Marlins original bats and former ESPN baseball analyst Orestes Destrade. And like his uncle, Albert, too, has baseball in his blood.
The 26-year-old played for the University of Tennessee-Martin baseball team in 2007 after transferring from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. Sure, he batted only .213, but dude started 20 of the 30 games he played his senior year at UT Martin.
“Albert was only here a year, but from a teammate standpoint, he was well-liked,” Skyhawks head baseball coach Bubba Cates said. “He was a good guy to be around. Everyone that knows Albert is excited about this opportunity for him.”
But being a former ballplayer isn’t the only reason I did the younger Destrade…we’re both fans of “Bull Durham”. Check out his “inspiration in life” from his “Survivor: South Pacific” bio over at CBS.com.
I’m going to go with the lead character from the movie “Bull Durham.” Kevin Costner’s “Crash Davis” exemplifies a lot of attributes I can relate to. He is a hero of mine because of how he goes about his business as a ballplayer. He’s a life-grinder. Plus, he’s colorful and full of wisdom.span>
Albert continues the current trend of former collegiate and pro athletes on the popular CBS show. Last season, contestants Steve Wright and Grant Mattos spent some time in the NFL.
When Albert is done in Samoa…he’ll be heading back to his current job as head coach for Plantation (Florida) High School baseball team.
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