Congrats to Jay Cranford, an MGA alum who recently was inducted into the Macon Sports Hall of Fame!
Cranford was a three-time All-State baseball player at Stratford Academy. In 1990 he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization but chose instead to play at the former Middle Georgia College in Cochran, now MGA. At Middle Georgia College he started all 57 games he played over a two-year span. Cranford then spent one season with the Georgia Bulldogs before being selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 21st Round of the 1992 MLB Draft.
Cranford spent five seasons in the Pirates farm system, mostly as an infielder. He batted a combined .256 with stops in Augusta, Carolina, and Salem before finishing his career in 1996. Cranford, now a local chiropractor, also is a member of the Stratford Athletic Hall of Fame.
