WILMINGTON- In the popular baseball movie “Bull Durham,” Kevin Costner plays “Crash” Davis, a veteran catcher playing in the minor leagues. In the movie, Davis talks to his fellow players about making it in “The Show,” the major leagues, and the thrill of getting the call to play in the big leagues. This winter, a Twin Valley High School student got a call from a Major League Baseball scout. He didn’t offer him a chance to play in “The Show” but it was an offer that George Molner couldn’t refuse.

Molner, a Twin Valley baseball pitcher, attended a summer baseball program at Siena College last year. The director of the camp, Jim Wadicka, filmed Molner’s pitching and was impressed. “We got to talking and he said I had a promising future at the college level,” said Molner. Wadicka passed the tape along to college baseball coaches and major league baseball scouts and in February, Molner got the call.

John Wells, a scout for the Houston Astros baseball team, invited Molner to the Houston Astros’ summer developmental camp in Rutherford, NJ. Wells said he was impressed with Molner’s pitching arm and most of all, his attitude. “Jim Wadicka sent him the tape and (Wells) told him that he liked my attitude because of the way I chewed my gum,” laughed Molner.

Players are chosen from the Northeast United States and Canada and placed on teams. The teams travel the East Coast and play teams from other major league summer developmental programs. Molner leaves Vermont on June 17 and goes straight to his first tournament at Long Island, NY. Molner’s team will also play at several college stadiums including the University of Maryland at College Park; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the University of Virginia; and the Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball Facility in Aberdeen, MD. “Just traveling all over to play baseball is going to be great. I’m looking forward to the traveling,” said Molner.

Molner said he won’t put too much pressure on himself this summer. While college and professional baseball scouts will be watching and taking notes, Molner said all he wants to do is have fun and improve his abilities as a baseball player.

Molner began playing baseball at the tender age of 3. His mother, Stacey Van Dalsen Molner, said George showed amazing eye-hand coordination at a young age and developed an appreciation for the game. “It was unbelievable,” said Van Dalsen Molner.

Molner first played organized baseball with the Deerfield Valley T-Ball league. During elementary school, he played for the Grand Slammers and the Cubs in the Deerfield Valley Youth League. Molner played for Twin Valley Middle School, the Whitingham Babe Ruth baseball team, and Mickey Mantle Baseball, a New York state baseball league.

Last summer Molner played American Legion baseball for the Chester, VT, Post, # 67. Molner is a three-year starting pitcher for the Wildcats and will be a senior in the fall.