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Photos courtesy of University of Alabama Athletics.
Connor Short was the Crimson Tide’s starting third baseman in 2017 as a redshirt junior and has already graduated with a business degree.
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Photos courtesy of University of Alabama Athletics.
Connor Short’s journey took him back to the University of Alabama, where his father, Ben, played.
When Connor Short takes the field to play third base for the University of Alabama baseball team, his parents, Ben and Tammy, are there watching from the third-base line. It’s special for the Short family to see Connor put on the crimson-and-white jersey, the same as his father did more than 25 years ago.
“Anytime you can go to the baseball park and watch your son get a chance to play baseball is always awesome,” said Ben Short, who was a third team All-American for the Crimson Tide in 1991 and drafted by the New York Yankees. “It’s really cool for him to be a part of the University of Alabama and the tradition that they have, and for me to play here and be part of that tradition. It really gives me chill bumps every time to see him out there.”
Connor Short, a redshirt junior on the field, graduated in May with his bachelor’s degree in business. He’s served as a defensive staple at third base as the Tide’s every day starter in 2017 with a .971 fielding percentage as of May 8 and holds one of the best fielding percentages (.967) among SEC third basemen in conference play.
“He’s played tremendous third base for us,” said Greg Goff, in his first season as Alabama’s head coach. “I’m really proud of how he handles himself. Back to Day 1 he’s continued to play hard and do the right things. He’s the kind of guy you want to build a program around with the foundation of his integrity and makeup.”
That foundation begins with his father, Ben Short, and the journey they’ve taken together through baseball and life the past 22 years.
Being a second-generation player for the Tide was not something Connor Short expected to happen when he was a multi-sport athlete at Hoover High School, leading the Bucs to a Class 6A state title in December 2012 as quarterback and leading the baseball team to a No. 3 ranking and state semifinal appearance in May 2013. His only SEC offer was Auburn, who he signed with and competed for in 2014. He spent that summer in Virginia playing for the Staunton Braves, a collegiate summer league team. It was purely by chance Staunton was the same team Ben Short played for one summer in college, foreshadowing Connor Short’s decision to transfer to Alabama before the 2015 season.
“It’s always been cool playing where my dad played. I never thought I’d end up here. I thought when I went to Auburn out of high school that’s where I would be, and then this opportunity came up, and it all worked out. I know God has a plan, and that’s what my dad talks to me about all the time — just to work hard, go out there and do the best you can,” Connor Short said. “My dad is one of my heroes, and he’s taught me a lot, not only about baseball but about things in life. It’s really cool to do some of the things that he did, and him be able to teach me along the way.”
Connor Short has been around baseball all his life, literally. After a four-season stint as a closer in the Yankees organization, which came to a close due to injury, Ben Short landed back at Shelton State Community College in 1995 as an assistant for Bobby Sprowles, who was his head coach as a player at Shelton (1988-1989) and his pitching coach at Alabama (1990-1991). On May 12, 1995, Connor Short was born.
A few years later, Ben Short took over the program at Jefferson State Community College, where he led the Pioneers to a state title in 2002. It was there that Connor Short’s daily influence of the game increased.
Connor Short said he would commonly shag fly balls for the Pioneers; his dad would throw batting practice to him, or players would dress him in catcher’s gear to catch BP. There were rides on the Gator to drag the field and the occasional bus rides home from away games, “learning more than he should have,” according to his father.
“Being around those guys — they were good to me — being around the game a lot and having my dad as a coach growing up helped me and shaped me into the player I am today,” Connor Short said.
Those memories, coupled with memories of going to Alabama games as a child, are something Connor Short keeps in mind each day he takes the field, regardless of the team’s record or his personal stats.
“When I used to come to Alabama games, I used to think those guys were superstars,” he said. “It’s cool when the kids come out, and I think, man, I used to be one of those kids. I used to know what that felt like to be out here. It’s cool being able to have a positive impact with a kid’s life, playing catch with them if they’re on the field, or tossing a ball into the stands. It takes your mind off the game. It’s not all about the game or how many hits you’ve had. There are other things out there.”
One place it hits home the most is at the Hoover Met, within walking distance of the Shorts’ home. The Tide called the Met home during Connor Short’s redshirt season of 2015, while Alabama’s home field, Sewell-Thomas Stadium, was being renovated.
“Coming back home is really cool, because I grew up going to those games and watching those guys play. Now to be able to be one of those guys is awesome,” Connor Short said. “I can remember being in high school, having a final, then driving over and watching those guys play and thinking ‘this would be so cool to play here.’”