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Oscar Mercado’s breakthrough rooted in home town Tampa

The right field fence at Gaither High School’s Frank Permuy Park displays four prominent jerseys, that of the field’s namesake and former manager, and those of the three former Cowboys to be called up to the Majors.

On the edge of the quartet is the only pair of players in the Tampa-area high school’s history to make an appearance in a big league game, each with the number 12. Chad Zerbe, the winning pitcher in Game 5 of the 2002 World Series with the San Francisco Giants, hangs to the left side. On the right side is eight-year MLB catcher, current Tampa Bay Rays manager and Terry Francona prank-war adversary Kevin Cash.