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Sports

Like Father, Like Son: Jim Adduci Jr. Making Push for Major League Career With Cubs

Junior starred at Evergreen Park High School before being drafted by Florida Marlins in 2003.

When Jim Adduci claims his son has what it takes to play in Major League Baseball, it holds more merit than just that of a boastful father.

The 1977 Brother Rice graduate had stints with three Major League teams and believes his son, Jim Adduci Jr., is capable of playing at the highest level.

“He’s somebody that can play in the big leagues,” Adduci said. “The circumstances just have to be right for him to get an opportunity.”

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Jim Adduci Jr. attended Brother Rice his freshman year and then transferred to Evergreen Park where he played basketball and baseball.

He was selected by the Florida Marlins in the 42nd round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft. He began his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Marlins and was traded to the Cubs in 2006. Adduci was an All-Star in 2008 with Class A Advanced Daytona.

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In 2009, the left-handed center fielder hit .300 for Double-A Tennessee with 63 runs, 35 stolen bases and 51 RBIs in 131 games. In his first full season with Triple-A Iowa in 2010, he hit .248 with a team-best 23 stolen bases in 114 games.

The 26-year-old Adduci is currently hitting .326 in 42 games with the Tennessee Smokies.

“He’s a different ballplayer than I was and he does a lot of things better,” Adduci said of his son. “He was at the Cubs’ big league camp again this year, but they sent him to Double-A. He was about fourth in the league in hitting when he broke his hand. He was out about nine weeks and just recently started getting back.

"When he got hurt was about the time the Cubs had all their injuries and he missed the wave of call-ups. So it was kind of bad timing. That’s just the way the game is sometimes.”

Adduci remembers when he first started thinking his son had a chance to follow in his footsteps.

“His sophomore, junior year in high school I could see him developing and thought there was a lot of upside in his game,” Adduci said. “I still don’t think he’s reached his full potential. I don’t think he’s the player he’s going to be one day.”

Adduci, who used to operate his On-Deck Baseball School for Boys and Girls in Tinley Park, has worked with the Chicago Bulls-Sox Training Academy for 15 years and is currently the Director of Regional Operations.

He looks forward to the times he gets to work with his son in the offseason.

“My major responsibilities are running all of the White Sox summer camps and I do a lot of hiring of coaches and staffing,” Adduci said. “It’s been a great job. It’s great working with kids, and I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity because not many people in the country have a job like I do.”

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