Born and raised in Frederick county, he developed into an outstanding athlete and a great professional baseball player. He began his baseball career playing Little League baseball, capturing all-star and MVP Awards for hitting and pitching. As a Babe Ruth player, he helped to lead the Frederick All-Stars to the World Series and placing an impressive 4th in the world. He continued his athletic prowess at Frederick High School by participating in basketball and football, and helped to lead the Cadets to the schools’ first Tri-State Football Championship. Baseball was his forte and he played professionally for 3 years with contracts from the Pittsburgh Pirates Organization and the Kansas City Royals Organization.