Joshua Patrick Beckett

Joshua Patrick Beckett was born in Spring, Texas, on May 15, 1980 Baseball was his life from the time he could walk. Josh's hometown fed his love of the sport. Baseball was like religion in the tiny Houston suburb, which has sent many players to college programs and the minor leagues. Three years before Josh was drafted by the Florida Marlins, a boyhood friend, Michael Marriott, was taken by the club in the fourth round.
As a kid, Josh idolized fellow Texans Ryan and Roger Clemens, and dreamed of following in their footsteps. In elementary school, he scribbled on a homemade card his ambition to play in the majors. His parents, John and Lynn, didn’t doubt he would fulfill his destiny. Nor did his brother, Jesse.
Josh showed at an early age that he was a special talent. A pitcher, outfielder and first baseman, he was the main attraction on the North 45 Little League All-Stars, one of Texas’s top teams. The squad remains a powerhouse today. Off the field, Josh was loose and laid-back. On it, he was cocky, competitive and ultra intense. When Josh entered his freshman year at Spring High School, he felt he was ready for the varsity. The youngster could bring it in the high 80s, and he also had a devastating circle change-up, which he learned after watching a Nolan Ryan video called “Field of Heat.” In Texas, however, hard throwers are as common as fire ants. With plenty of arms to spare, Lions coach Kenny Humphreys started the campaign with Josh on the JV. When the frosh ran into trouble in the classroom, he remained there all season long.
The following summer, puberty kicked in, and Josh sprouted several inches. With his growth spurt came an extra six or seven mph on his fastball. Suddenly he was more than your average pitching prospect. Everyone who saw him was immediately reminded of Kerry Wood, who had starred at Grand Prairie High School up in Arlington.
Josh thrived under the pressure of increased expectations. As a sophomore at Spring High, he went 9-3 and struck out 149 hitters. His legend was just beginning to grow.
Josh topped those numbers in his junior year, going 13-2 with a 0.39 ERA. Voted the Texas 5-A High School Player of the Year, he fanned 178 in 89 innings, allowing just 31 hits and 29 walks. His performance helped earn him the nickname, "Kid Heat." Some scouts claimed he’d be the top pick in the draft, sparking rumors that he was considering going pro a year shy of graduation. Josh, however, had no interest in becoming a test case for baseball. He let the world know he would spend his senior season in a Spring uniform.
A year later, Josh cemented his status as the nation’s No. 1 high school prospect with a lights-out senior campaign. Never lacking for confidence, he had the word "Phenom" stenciled on one of his jackets. He backed up his bravado with another scintillating campaign (10-1, 0.46 ERA, 155 Ks in 75.1 innings), and was selected by USA Today as the High School Pitcher of the Year. His year, however, ended on a shocking note when Round Rock High School beat him in the state playoffs. In the extra-inning affair, Josh surrendered a season-high four runs and nine hits.
That game gave Josh a glimpse of the pressure he could expect to face in the pros. Round Rock fans spent the evening riding him mercilessly. Josh’s father, stationed in his customary seat next to the Spring dugout, was startled by the abuse hurled at his son. Knowing one day the josh might be hearing it from 50,000 enemy fans, he was proud how well his boy handled himself