In local baseball lore, John McFadden's name comes up often. He played for the Estherville Prides when nearly every town had its own traveling baseball team.

His baseball legacy continues with his grandson Luke French.

Drafted in 2004 by the Detroit Tigers, French was called up from Triple A Toledo earlier this year and received his first start at the Metrodome against the Minnesota Twins.

After a couple more starts for the Tigers, he was suddenly traded to the Seattle Mariners.

He and his immediate family, Colleen (McFadden) and Greg French, were visiting other family and friends in Estherville this weekend.

The decision to go directly from high school to professional baseball was easy for Luke.

"It's what I wanted to do," he said. "College would've been take care of as well, but you don't always have the opportunity to play professional baseball."

In his first major league start, he pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up two runs.

"I was pretty sick, so I was surprised I lasted that long," he said.

French didn't earn a decision in that game, but his team won in extra innings.

Five days later, he earned his first Major League victory, a 6-1 decision over the Kansas City Royals.

He points to that game and playing at Yankee Stadium as two of his biggest games thus far.

"Competing in a game against the Yankees assures you that you're not over your head-or at least not too far," he said.

After five starts and posting a 1-2 record in Detroit, French said was awaken one morning by a call from Detroit's general manager.

"I thought they were going to send me down," he said.

Instead he learned he was being traded to Seattle.

The move to Seattle landed him on the same team as his childhood idle, Ken Griffey, Jr.

"He was my favorite player growing up," French said. "At Detroit, I was blown away be just being on the same field. As a teammate, he's unbelievable. Even though he's a Hall of Famer, he treats people the right way."

French said one of the people that has helped in most early i is career was John Matlock, a former Met and the pitching coordinator in Detroit.

"He was always willing to talk," said French. "He helped me with mechanics and the mental aspects."

Thus far in his young career, two of the toughest batters are Kansas City Royals' Billy Butler and the New York Yankees' Mark Texiera.

French said his fast ball is only around 88 to 90 miles an hour, so he has to work on his spots and try to out-think the batter.

Whether he continues to be a starter or becomes a reliever, French said he enjoys playing baseball in the major leagues.

'I enjoy starting, but I don't care-I'll do whatever it takes," he said.

"Getting to walk out of the tunnel every day into a new ball park is just amazing," he said. "I love the experience of facing players I never thought I'd face."