Former LSU baseball star DJ LeMahieu gives back to his Michigan high school with incredible gesture
DJ LeMahieu starred at LSU before becoming an All-Star with the New York Yankees. But none of it would’ve happened without an impressive high school career in Michigan — and he’s repaying the favor in incredible fashion.
LeMahieu bought a new ballpark near Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and is leasing it out to his high school. The school was struggling to keep pay for a new ballpark due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s when one of its own swooped in.
Since LeMahieu owns the park, he has to lease it out to the school. But that’s the awesome part about this story. He only charges $1 per year as rent.
DJ LeMahieu’s journey from Brother Rice High School to MLB All-Star
The Detroit Tigers initially drafted LeMahieu out of high school in the 41st round of the 2007 Major League Baseball amateur draft, but he opted to attend LSU instead. two years later, Chicago Cubs selected him in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft and he made his major league debut in May 2011. Chicago traded him to the Colorado Rockies after that season, and he played for them from 2012 to 2018. That’s where he became a star, making two All-Star games and winning three Gold Glove awards in 2014, 2017 and 2018.
The Yankees signed LeMahieu to a two-year, $24 million contract ahead of the 2019 season, and he made the All-Star game in his first season in New York. His contract expired after the 2020 season, but the Yankees re-signed him to a six-year, $90 million deal to keep him in town long-term.
This year, LeMahieu is batting .257 with four home runs and 22 RBI for the Yankees. New York is in the midst of a special season, leading the American League East with a 37-15 record.