Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It has been 10 years since a Western New York native last played in baseball's World Series. The last was Lewiston's Kevin Siegrist, who was a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013.
The last position player from Western New York to play in the World Series was Dave Hollins from Orchard Park 30 years ago when he played third base for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993.
Neither Siegrist nor Hollins were able to claim a World Series title in their appearances in the Fall Classic.
Jonah Heim is hoping not to suffer the same fate as Siegrist or Hollins, as the Buffalo native and his Texas Rangers teammates are gearing up to face the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 1 of the World Series starting Friday.
Heim was drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles just before graduating from Amherst High School. While he was slated to play collegiate baseball at Michigan State University, Heim ended up forgoing a collegiate career and signed his rookie deal with the Orioles that same summer.
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After spending his Freshman season playing at Kenmore East High School, Heim ended up going to Amherst, where he played his Varsity Baseball under the tutelage of manager Brian Davis for three seasons. What stands out most to Davis in his three years coaching Heim was the amount of hard worker he put in as a teenager.
"We recognized his talent right away, but he was a very hard worker, which is sometimes rare with kids who come up with a lot of talent. But with Jonah, that was probably the first thing we noticed with him," said Davis in an interview with WBEN.
Having played and coached a lot of baseball in his life, Davis has seen a lot of good players at both the high school and collegiate levels. However, he knew Heim had that "it" factor. While it doesn't surprise Davis of Heim's success at the next level, he understands how difficult the road is for a player like Heim to make it to the majors.
"Primarily because of injuries, especially with the position he plays. One injury could end your career when somebody else can slide in and take your spot," Davis said. "I think the work ethic that we saw when he was here in high school definitely helped him through the minors, as he was in the minors for seven years, not being dejected, continuing to work hard, and then when he was given the opportunity then finally in 2020 to make the most of it and to now ascend where he is. So not really surprised talent-wise, just fortunate that he didn't get injured and he was able to get that far."
Buffalo Baseball Hall-of-Famer, and Buffalo Bisons broadcaster Duke McGuire has been a staple of Western New York baseball for years. He, too, was a graduate of Amherst High School and was also drafted in the MLB a total of three times.
McGuire caught his fair share of Heim during his playing days at Amherst, and remembers the attention he got from scouts quite often.
"I just remember all the scouts coming to all the ball games to see how he was doing, checking up on him, and there was a bunch of them. Believe me, there was a lot of scouts around," said McGuire with WBEN. "I think the whole talk was about, is he going to hit enough? They were not worried whatsoever about his defensive skills, those are obviously, he's got a great arm. It's just a question of whether he's going to hit."
Having played in the minors for a while, McGuire knows it's a grind for many young players on their journey to the MLB, and not everyone is lucky enough to climb the ranks to ascend to the top.
"It's financially tough, but back then, the money wasn't great. Now, they have a X amount of dollars and it's a lot more than what it used to be, obviously. Some of these guys that are higher draft choices have pretty good bonuses, so they can live on that for a while. But the minor league pay is, for the most part, especially in the lower levels is horrible," McGuire said. "Sometimes guys put a lot of pressure on themselves, because they might have a young family and they're not making a lot of money. They figure, 'Well, I've got to do well, I've got to do this, I've got to do that,' and they overwhelm themselves. It's a tough road to hoe."
After spending time in the minors with the Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland Athletics, Heim finally got his first call to the majors during the 2020 season on a limited basis. He managed to get 41 plate appearances with the A's, picking up eight hits and five RBIs.
Then during the 2021 offseason in early February, the A's traded Heim to the Rangers, where the catcher has developed nicely into becoming the team's No. 1 catcher this season. The 28-year-old had a career season with the Rangers in 2023, picking up 118 hits, 18 home runs, and registering 95 runs-batted-in (RBIs) while averaging .258 at the plate. It was good enough to earn Heim his first-career nod as a MLB All-Star.
For Davis, it's been a whole list of surreal moments for him seeing Heim come up through the ranks and make his presence known with the Rangers this year.
"Going back to the minors, I remember watching him play in Aberdeen when I was on my way to my summer vacation with my family. We stopped in and watched him, he was playing for the Aberdeen IronBirds in the Orioles organization. I remember thinking how cool that was," Davis recalled. "Then when he finally made it up to the big leagues, I remember the first time I got to watch him on television when he was with Oakland during 2020, and I remember thinking how terrible it was, [because] that was the year there were no fans in the stands, and I felt bad for him after he had finally made it up. And then the last year-and-a-half or so, for him to become an impact player... the All-Star Game and now watching them in the playoffs, and soon the World Series, it just seems like there's just this list of things where every time something happens, I think, 'Man, this is crazy,' and then it's the next surreal thing after that. It doesn't seem real sometimes when I'm watching, and I feel very fortunate to have spent the three years with him that I did."
"He's on a national spotlight now where people can see him. I know all the scouts in the big leagues and everything, they all know about him, but most of the fans, until this year, had no idea who he was," added McGuire. "Then he goes out and makes the All-Star team and now he's playing for a World Series title, it's awesome."
With Heim making his impression at the major league level, especially ahead of the World Series, both Davis and McGuire understand what kind of an impact his success has not only just for Amherst High School, but also for the entire Western New York region.
"I mean, for kids to get drafted around here, even in the top-five rounds, is unique. We've had a few the last couple of years, but then to rise to this level and actually be having an impact, it means a ton for our school district, it means a ton for the area," Davis said. "I think the City of Buffalo, hopefully if they're following along, I know we thrive for a championship, and this might be, in some small way, a way for one of our own to bring a championship home for us. I know the community is rooting for him."
"There hasn't been many big leaguers coming out of this area, so for him to make it and do well, it bodes well for future guys up-and-coming around here," McGuire echoed Davis. "People will see that, look, this guy is a few at-bats behind, but he's gonna be alright. So they can better judge some of the talent here in Western New York."
So what are some predictions for the World Series heading into Friday's opening game in Arlington? For McGuire, he says it's a win-win for Western New York either way.
"Torey Lovullo, the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, he was a player and manager here in Buffalo [with the Bisons]. That's on one side, we've got Jonah on the other side," he said.
Davis is also looking forward to a great World Series, with both the Rangers and Diamondbacks presenting their own strengths.
"The Rangers, if their offense is going like it has been through most of the playoffs and most of the season, I think they've got a really good shot," Davis said. "I know with [Heim] behind the plate, pitching is going to be very important, and he does a really good job leading that pitching staff and calling those games. I think they're gonna bring it home, that's my thought. Probably in five or six games."