For 2015 Hamilton High School graduate Grant Wolfram, Saturday, April 26 was a dream years in the making — and one that came full circle in a way he could have never scripted.
Wolfram, a left-handed pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, made his Major League Baseball debut at Comerica Park against the Detroit Tigers — the very team he grew up rooting for, and the organization that originally drafted him out of high school in 2015.
“It was funny, my parents were joking about it, like my dad said, ‘Oh, we'll see you in Detroit this weekend,’" Wolfram laughed. “It's just crazy how you're literally a phone call away."
The call came unexpectedly after seven long years in the minor leagues.
"I haven't been pitching the best, so I wasn’t expecting it, but it comes when you least expect it," he said. "They called me up and I was like, oh my goodness, they're in Detroit. It's a crazy world we live in."
Making the moment even more special for Wolfram was the chance to step onto the mound at Comerica Park — a place where he had cheered on his childhood heroes and made memories, including being in the stands for Miguel Cabrera’s 300th career home run.
"It was an awesome experience to be able to debut in Comerica Park," he said. "It was a full-circle moment for me because they drafted me out of high school, I grew up a Tigers fan, and to finally pitch in the majors — and it just happened to be in Detroit — it made that even more special, for sure."
The special connections didn’t stop there. Working the centerfield camera for the broadcast that day was another Hamilton High School graduate: Michael Berens, a 1991 alum.
"I didn't know that until afterward, and when I saw it, I was like wow, what are the odds of that?" Wolfram said. "It was really cool and an amazing experience. It was a blur for me, I had so much going on."
Both Wolfram and Berens share another unique link — they were students of longtime Hamilton Elementary teacher Lynn Bosch, who taught them in first grade.
"I remember in her class she would always do a skit of the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs," Wolfram recalled with a smile. "I was the wolf, so there's a video somewhere of me trying to blow the straw house down. When I think about her class, I remember doing that."
Reflecting on his journey, Wolfram is quick to credit the community that raised him, many of which were in the stands on Saturday night to watch him make his debut.
"I wouldn't be there if it wasn't for my coaches, teachers, and mentors," he said. "I love all of the support. I will need some more going forward. The journey is just beginning at the major league level."
Growing up in a tight-knit town like Hamilton, Wolfram knows firsthand the strength of small-town support.
"Coming from Hamilton, it's a small town and word travels fast," he said. "It's a great support system and a connected family. It's a great place to raise a family, for sure. I had a lot of people reach out — it was a great place to grow up."
Now, with his first major league outing under his belt and his dreams just beginning to unfold, Grant Wolfram carries his Hawkeye pride — and the support of an entire community — with him on the biggest stage in baseball.
