Now he's part of the gang

Dunedin grad Kenny Holmberg, who grew up with pros, recently signed with the Brewers.

By BRANDON WRIGHT
Published June 12, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - Kenny Holmberg has spent his entire life surrounded by professional baseball players. He has taken batting practice in the same cage as Carlos Delgado, shagged flyballs with Shawn Green and received fielding tips from Jeff Kent.

This week, Holmberg became one of them.

Holmberg, a former Dunedin and St. Petersburg College standout, was drafted in the 22nd round by the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday and signed the same night, setting into motion something he has been groomed for since childhood.

"It's a dream come true for me," Holmberg said. "Having been around pro ballplayers since I was a kid gave me kind of a unique perspective on things."

Holmberg, who starred at Embry-Riddle his junior and senior seasons, was afforded a sneak peek into pro baseball thanks to his father Dennis, who has coached in the Toronto Blue Jays organization the past 28 years and has more than 1,000 victories as a manager.

"What I tried to do as a father was provide him an opportunity," Dennis Holmberg said. "There are family ties like in any business, but I think he just wanted to follow in the footsteps of the guys he watched play."

But Holmberg, who was drafted out of Dunedin by Toronto in the 49th round, took away more than fundamentals from his time rubbing elbows with big-leaguers.

"It was great to be able to meet and practice with (pro) players, but I also learned how to carry myself on and off the field," Holmberg said. "I watched the good examples and bad examples and tried to soak all that in."

After a successful career at Dunedin, Holmberg played at SPC two years and led the Titans to back-to-back conference championships. Some Division I and II teams showed interest, but Holmberg settled on Embry-Riddle, a small NAIA school in Daytona Beach known more for its aeronautical program than its baseball team.

"The general public might not know about (Embry-Riddle), but I bet if you ask (FSU coach) Mike Martin, South Florida and Tampa, they know us," Holmberg said. "None of those schools wanted to play us."

Holmberg batted .374 and was named all-Florida Sun Conference as a junior. This season, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound shortstop hit .342 and had eight home runs and 60 RBIs, earning NAIA All-American honors.

"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind he could have played at a Division I school," Dennis Holmberg said. "But I think the situation worked out best for him."

The Eagles reached the NAIA World Series in both of Holmberg's years at Embry-Riddle, falling in the championship game last season. Holmberg was named to the all-World Series team both times and won the Golden Glove in 2005. But for all he accomplished on the field, Holmberg said what he learned off it made his stay at Embry-Riddle memorable.

"(The coaches) helped me a lot as far as baseball, but they also taught me how to be a better person," Holmberg said. "They run a tough ship up there and you get broken down mentally, so you have to be tough to survive. I grew up spiritually and mentally at Embry-Riddle."

Now after years of tips from pros, it is Holmberg's turn. Holmberg leaves today to report to the Brewers' short-season Pioneer League team in Helena, Mont.

"I'm ready," Holmberg said. "I'm ready for the success, the failure, the struggle ... whatever. I can't wait."

[Last modified June 12, 2005, 00:39:15]