Todd leaving for Florida this week
BASEBALL
By MITCH LUCAS sports@kilgorenewsherald.com

JESS TODD

Former Kilgore High School pitcher Jess Todd is about to become a Floridian - for a little while, anyway.

Todd, drafted last summer by the St. Louis Cardinals organization and coming off a minorleague stint in New York, leaves for Jupiter, Fla., this week, one of just eight players invited to a mini-camp there.

Jess, who wowed major league scouts during his 2007 season at the University of Arkansas, will begin this next season either at Quad Cities (in Davenport, Iowa), a single-A team, or in Palm Beach, Fla. (high-A ball). Mom Kim Todd says Jess will get his assignment during spring training sometime near the end of March.

Jess is the son of Kim and Tom Todd of Kilgore.

Here at the News Herald, we try to keep up with former Kilgore area athletes the best we can. If you have an update on an athlete from this area, call sports editor Mitch Lucas at (903) 984-2593, or let him know by e-mailing him at sports@kilgorenewsherald.com.