Coach: Rays' first-round pick a 'fun-loving kid'

Buchholz High coach David Banes called LeVon Washington a "fun-loving kid" who was a terror on the basepaths.

"He's fast. He's real fast," Banes said. "He truly doesn't understand how fast he is. Some of the things he does, you can't teach, like his foot speed and bat speed. He can hit the ball hard and hit it a long way."

Washington had shoulder surgery in September, which limited him early in Buchholz's season. The 17-year-old was just a designated hitter until the first of April when he returned to center field. (He played second base as a sophomore before moving to the outfield.)

Other teams didn't help. They'd regularly throw to first, which forced Washington to dive back into the bag and helped keep Washington's shoulder sore.

"All of them knew who he was and how fast he was and didn't want him to steal," Banes said. "All that diving back made it tough on his shoulder. He wouldn't run (steal) for a while so his shoulder could heal."

Greg Charleston, the president of the Buchholz baseball boosters, said Washington is popular with his classmates. Charleston has one son who was a senior with Washington and another who was a sophomore on the team this year.

"He's been very respectful whenever I've spoken to him and he comes from a good family," Charleston said. "We expect a lot from him."

Banes said Washington was a positive influence at Buchholz.

"He's a fun-loving kid and a good team player," Banes said. "He's fun to be around."