Hello everyone, my name is Nicholas Herrera and I’m grateful to be joining the team here at Prospects1500. A few things about myself. I live in Naples, FL with my wonderful wife Diana and my kids and I’m a huge Atlanta Braves fan. I have followed baseball since I was 5-years-old. Why do I love baseball? Simple, I love the game! Two things I love about the game are the team camaraderie and that it gives kids a sense of direction in life. I can remember my grandma putting me in baseball when I was a little kid to keep me busy and out of trouble. It ended up giving me so much more. It gave me hope and set me in the right direction.
The ups & downs of the game remind me of the ups and downs in life. Baseball has taught me so much about life’s challenges. It’s a huge part of who I am today. In the big picture it took me to places I never thought I’d see, from Little league to a shining high school career, which eventually led to a baseball scholarship and education at one of the greatest colleges in the nation, Tennessee Wesleyan. I was coached by one of the greatest, coach Ashley Lawson. Without baseball my life could have turned out a lot different. After college I came back to Naples to give back to the kids & help their game get better. After that I worked with many other kids from all levels. I helped coach travel ball & was able to meet some of the greatest athletes of Southwest Florida. One of the best kids I ever worked with made it to one of the highest levels of the game. I am now fortunate enough to meet a lot of up and coming super stars in the minor league today.
When I look back at my life, at age 36, baseball has been a huge part of it my whole life! Learning as a kid that I had to act right in school and in life in order to play the game I love. It was a lesson that taught me something special that I never forgot or took for granted, a message I carry with me to his day. I still love baseball like I did as a kid. I love seeing the kids succeed & more importantly I’ve built some of the most meaningful relationships from this game.
Even though I’m a big Braves fan, I’m going to be helping out on the Toronto Blue Jays minor league beat. Being in SW Florida I am able to catch several Florida State League games each year and will be able to monitor and see up close many of the Blue Jays top prospects as they come through Dunedin. You can follow me on Twitter at @AASRHerreraSWFL.
Featured Image Credit: Len Williams / CC BY-SA
Nicholas, I really enjoyed reading your story. You belong in MLB!!