Profession: Professional Athlete

High School: Calhoun High School

Charlie Culberson started playing baseball as a six-year-old at Rome’s “Behind the Levee” baseball park; where he was coached by his dad Charles. At 10, Charlie started playing travel baseball and was part of 10 World Championship teams. He was also a star Little League player in Rome. Charlie and his family moved to Gordon County before his ninth grade year, in part because of the strong academic and baseball programs at Calhoun High School. Culberson was a starter for Calhoun all four years in high school. He played second base as a freshman and sophomore and then moved to short stop as a junior and senior.

Charlie was a major contributor for the 2005 State Champion and 2007 State Runner-up teams. He was the 2006 MVP and received the defensive player award three consecutive years. Charlie says his former coach and fellow Sports Hall of Fame Inductee, Chip Henderson, had a great influence on him in high school and the two remain friends today. He also credits Coaches David Hall, Deron Walraven and Mike Davis for helping him develop his baseball skills.

Culberson was drafted in the first round by the San Francisco Giants in 2007 and won many awards in the minor leagues from 2007 to 2011. Culberson batted .259 with 10 home runs and 56 runs batted in for the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Double-A Eastern League 2011 season. He was rated the seventh best second base prospect prior to the 2012 season. At 23 years old, Charlie made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants. He was a member of the 2012 World Series Champion team.

On July 27, 2012, Culberson was traded to the Colorado Rockies. He spent the rest of the 2012 season with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, the Rockies’ AAA affiliate, and continued to play for them in 2013. In 97 games for the Sky Sox, he hit .310/.338/.524 with 14 HR, 64 runs batted in.

In July, Culberson was recalled by the Rockies and on August 16, 2013, he hit his first Major League Baseball home run against the Baltimore Orioles. In 47 games with the Rockies, he hit .293/.317/.404 with 2 HR, 12 RBIs and 5 stolen bases. On May 4, 2014, Culberson hit a pinch hit walk off two run homerun off New York Mets closer Kyle Farnsworth, giving the Rockies a 11-10 victory.

Culberson’s father, Charles, was the Giants 16th pick in the 1984 draft and played in their minor league system for five seasons. Charlie’s parents, Charles and Kimberly Culberson, still reside in Gordon County. Charlie’s sister, Chelce, was an excellent player as well and played three years of college softball, finishing at Kennesaw State.

Charlie Culberson currently plays for the Colorado Rockies organization.  In the off season, Charlie, his wife Sarah and daughter Collins, reside in the Atlanta area.