The book on Charlton Jimerson

Sporting News, The, June 25, 2001 by Kirk Kenney

Miami CF Charlton Jimerson took center stage at the College World Series. He hit leadoff home runs in Miami's first two games.

"Believe it or not, I'm not trying to hit home runs," said Jimerson, who was raised in Hayward, Calif., near Oakland. "But I did grow up watching Rickey Henderson."

Jimerson, a senior, also frustrated opponents with his baserunning in Omaha, stealing a series-high seven bases.

And, he reached over the fence to take a home run away from USC in a one-run victory.

After the Hurricanes beat Stanford 12-1 for their second national championship in three years, Jimerson was selected Most Outstanding Player.

"This is the perfect way to go out," says Jimerson, a fifth-round pick of the Astros in the June draft. "The storybook ending."

And what a story. When Jimerson was 15 and his brother Terrance was 9, his sister, Lanette, became their guardian. Lanette was only 20, but she wasn't about to let her brothers be taken away. That's what might have happened because his father was living on the streets, and their crack-addicted mother was headed there. Lanette worked three jobs, went to school and made sure her brothers went, too. Charlton was not offered a baseball scholarship by Miami, but he did receive an academic scholarship. Then he had to convince Hurricanes coach Jim Morris to give him a chance.

"It was a tough time for him," Morris says. "It wasn't just like he came in, and we thought this guy was a great player. In fact, after his freshman year I tried to talk him into transferring for one year to a junior college.

"He said, `No, Miami is where I want to be and get my degree. If I can't play at Miami, then I don't want to play baseball.'"

Jimerson graduated last month with a degree in computer science. Now he's prepared for the next step, whatever it might be.

"I don't know whether CJ will play in the big leagues or not," Morris says. "I think he's got a chance. But I know one thing. He will be very successful in life."