Nate McLouth took his baseball talents from a small-town, where he led his Little League team to the state finals, all the way to the major leagues. A three-sport athlete, McLouth quarterbacked Whitehall High School to a West Michigan Conference football title in 1999, and excelled on the basketball court, but it was on the baseball diamond where he would leave an indelible mark.

McLouth stole 180 bases in 181 attempts at Whitehall and his career total still ranks No. 1 in state history. He helped the Vikings to a Division 2 state runner-up finish in baseball as a sophomore shortstop in 1998 and was named Michigan’s co-Mr. Baseball as a high school senior.

McLouth turned down a baseball scholarship to the University of Michigan after he was drafted in the 25th round by Pittsburgh in 2000. He worked his way through the minors and made his major-league debut in 2005. A run-scoring double off the wall versus Houston in August was his first major league hit.

His best year came in 2008 with the Pirates when he was named to the National League All-Star team. He led the league in doubles that season with 46 and also won a Gold Glove for his work in the outfield. He was traded to Atlanta in 2009, re-signed by Pittsburgh in 2011, and picked up by Baltimore in 2012 and Washington in 2014 until a shoulder injury ended his career. McLouth finished his 10-year MLB career with a .247 batting average, 101 homers, and 333 RBIs.