Wooten, Narron selected for South Atlantic League All-Star game

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on June 17, 2014 1:51 PM

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aetzler@newsargus.com

Goldsboro native John Wooten still recalls looking up to Sam Narron when Wooten was in high school at Eastern Wayne.

Narron, at the time, played in the Milwaukee Brewers' organization and worked out at Eastern Wayne during the offseason. Wooten walked up to him one afternoon and told Narron he was going to break his record for hits in a season.

Wooten did.

"We joke around with each other about things like that now," Wooten said. "We joke with each other about the other one being the pride of Goldsboro ... things like that."

They're each part of a proud, tradition-rich baseball community and their paths have crossed again. Narron, ironically, is the pitching coach for the Hagerstown (Md.) Suns, the Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals.

Wooten joined the Suns this spring.

They each were selected to play today in the annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game in Hickory. Unfortunately for Wooten, he will not be able to play due to a broken nose he endured this week.

Narron, the Suns' pitching coach, is taking part in his second all-star game, but his first as a coach. He was selected twice as a player, in 2004 and 2011, but, like Wooten this year, couldn't play in 2011.

"It's always a great honor to be selected for the all-star game," Narron said. "Now, as a coach, it's a little bit different. You understand it's for the players, it's great for you, but ultimately you want them to do well and have fun."

Wooten received his second selection to the game as a player as well. He was selected in 2012 while playing with the Oakland Athletics' short-season organization.

Narron and Wooten have followed a seemingly identical path in baseball. Each played for Eastern Wayne head coach Jabo Fulghum in high school and each continued their respective collegiate careers at East Carolina.

Narron retired in 2011, joined the Nationals as their pitching coach and spent two seasons with the Auburn (N.Y.) Doubledays. Wooten was acquired in a trade that sent Nationals reliever Francisco Abad to Oakland.

Now, they're back on the east coast with a team that plays games close to their hometown. That gives them the chance to see family and friends more often.

"It's been really nice seeing familiar faces," said Wooten, who got engaged in December. "It was cool to get traded because I knew all of the Nationals' farm teams were on the east coast, so I would at least be in the same time zone."

Wooten has solidified himself as a utility man for the Suns, playing first base, third and the outfield. He's also been a force in the middle of the order hitting anywhere from third to sixth.

The 23-year-old considers this first half to be the best season he's had since being drafted in 2012. He's fashioned a .288 batting average with six home runs, 16 doubles and 39 RBI.

Narron, 32, who is the fourth member of his family to coach professional baseball, is in charge of one of the top pitching staffs in the league. The Suns' rotation led by Lucas Giolito, the Nationals' first-round draft pick in 2012, and 2013 fifth-round selection Austin Voth, has a 3.78 earned run average with 44 wins and four shutouts.

Perhaps, most importantly, Wooten and Narron have finally gotten the chance to experience a sense of familiarity this season.

"I've known (Narron) since I was a little kid," Wooten said. "Getting to work under him has been nothing but fun."