A five-tool baseball player is a player who can hit for average, posses power, has speed on the bases, can field consistently and knows the game.
Most players do not have three of these tools.
The former Florida A&M starting catcher and alternate shortstop Adam Gordon was seen by many to have all of these things. Gordon inspired many of his teammates and coaches.
He is recognized as a leader and one of the best overall players to come out of the
schools baseball program.
There are scouts, coaches, colleges and independent professional organizations all around the world that are looking for the rare five-tool player; some people say that Gordon was the guy that defined that.
Coach Kentaus Carter talked about Gordon’s playing ability. “He is very athletic, he’s pretty much are best athlete in his three years here,” Carter, in reference to Gordon’s playing ability.
“He reminds me of Buster Posey when he was at Florida State.”
Gordon was seen as an outspoken role model to some of his teammates as well.
Centerfielder Darryl Evans said, “Anything you asked him to do he could do it, he was a leader both on and off the field.” Gordon’s leadership and his talent earned him a spot on an independent professional team The Gateway Grizzlies in Southern Illinois.
Gordon, a Tallahassee native, started his baseball career when he was nine playing for a little league team.
“I was a catcher because back then everybody played every position, but later on I moved to infield. After little league I moved to mid major and then on to Babe Ruth with the 13 to 15 yearolds,” said Gordon. “I didn’t play much because I was young but coach Link
Jarret helped hone my skills.”
As Gordon grew up his love for the game increased and he kept playing as he tried out for his high school team Chiles. By the end of his freshman season he was playing shortstop for the junior varsity team.
Gordon said, “Although short is my natural position, coach Greg Jones approached me to play third base at the varsity level only because short stop was already taken by an upper classmen. But early in my sophomore year he switched the two of us, putting me back at short.”
After he graduated from high school, he got a call from Stetson University saying that they wanted him to play for them. “I was thinking wow, this is exactly what I wanted,” he said.
Unfortunately, Gordon did not receive a call back from Stenson. Afterward, one of his high school coaches made a call and got him a workout at FAMU. They liked him and decided to sign him.
Coach Brett Richardson said Gordon would be a great player at the next level and should have a nice future a head of him.
“From a defensive standpoint, he is by far one of the best to come through the program,” Richardson said. “If he gets with the right coaches, there is no doubt that he could be an all around ball player.”