I have a new favorite baseball player.

His name is Johnny Blue Craig, or “JBC” to those who know him.

Let that roll off your tongue real slow: Johnny … Blue … Craig.

He’s every ballpark announcer’s dream.

I don’t officially know JBC. Actually, I just met the kid Wednesday afternoon when the first two Babe Ruth World Series teams arrived at the Red Lion Hotel for something called “player orientation.”

I listened to part of the orientation, and from what I could tell it’s definitely not OK for players to stay out past their curfew. And it’s absolutely not OK for players to fraternize alone with girls in the 13-16 age group.

Chaperones? Yes.

One of your teammates doubling as the chaperone? Uh-uh.

No worries about ol’ JBC, the starting right fielder for the Tallahassee, Fla., ball club and a starter for his high school varsity team as a freshman.

My favorite player is an old-school, git-er-done type who says “yes sir” and “no sir” when a strange newspaper reporter from a strange land asks him stupid questions in the middle of his jet-lag.

“Is Blue your middle name?”

“Yes sir.”

“Are you happy to finally be here?”

“Yes sir.”

“What time, Johnny Blue Craig, did you have to get up this morning for the flight to Portland?”

“Well, the rest of the team left at 2 a.m. for the Jacksonville airport (about a three-hour drive from Tallahassee). Our flight was at 7 a.m., but I stayed the night at a hotel in Jacksonville so I could get more sleep.”

The kid not only has a cool name, he’s also a genius.

“Are you still pretty tired, though?”

“Yes sir.”

When you arrive at David Story Field for this eight-day, Friday-to-Friday diamond odyssey, pick out your favorite team and your favorite player. Devour a hot dog with the works. Wash it down with something cold.

You’ll feel better. You’ll feel more American.

But when you select your favorite player, remember that Johnny Blue Craig is already taken.

“Johnny is one of those kids who plays the game the right way. He wears his pants up to his knees and his uniform is dirty within the first five minutes of the game,” Tallahassee manager Mike Harrison said. “He’s old school and fun to watch. He gets after it.”

There are plenty of other gritty players to choose from. Take Jami June from the South Colonie, N.Y., team. All he did was belt a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning of the Middle Atlantic Regional title game to send the New Yorkers to the World Series.

His stunning home run completed a crazy seven-run, two-out rally that still has ’em celebrating back home.

“I was really shocked, but excited at the same time. I was just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere,” June said. “I’m still shocked by it. But here we are in Longview for the World Series.”

Yes, here you are.

Being from New York, you won’t find anything close to the pizza you have back home. Don’t get me wrong. It’s good stuff. We like it just fine, but hey, we also enjoy a smelt sandwich from time to time.

Three more New York players — Anthony Mogavero, Sammy Carter and Mike Zielinski — discussed pizza and other details after meeting up with their host family, the baseball-loving Hewitts of Longview.

The South Colonie team departed home at 1 a.m. and traveled to an airport in Connecticut for the flight to Portland. By 2 o’clock Wednesday afternoon, the players’ adrenaline was starting to fade.

“I didn’t sleep at all (Tuesday) night. I thought I’d sleep on the bus ride to the airport, but I didn’t,” said Zielinski, whose favorite pizza is — what else? — I Love New York Pizza, an East Coast franchise.

Mogavero said the cross-country flight “went by fast … we all tried to keep each other busy so it didn’t drag too much.”

“We’re going to be pretty tired a little later, but we’re pumped up to be here,” Mogavero added.

Carter, who prefers Mama Mia’s Pizza over anything else back home, said his team has a good chance at a deep run in the World Series “as long as we don’t choke.”

Those East Coast kids just tell it like it is, don’t they?

Out-of-state visitors to the World Series, especially those who’ll be driving rental cars, probably should spend part of their free time scoping out some decent places to eat.

Ask around. There are a few.

It’s also a good idea to make some practice runs to David Story Field, so when it comes time to go watch your team play, you don’t end up on the ferry to Cathlamet.

Overheard at Wednesday’s orientation was the mother of a Tallahassee player who arrived in Longview on Tuesday.

“I decided to venture out and find the ball field, and I ended up on that circle thing,” she told her son’s host family.

Ah, the circle thing. We call it the Civic Circle. Some call it the Circle of Doom.

If you find yourself somewhat confused and traveling in circles for more than 20 minutes, hang in there. Chances are you’ll find the ballpark before Tuesday.

Above all else, make sure you have fun here in our little corner of the map.

That’s exactly what my new favorite baseball player is going to do.

“Johnny Blue Craig, your coach says you play the game with passion and you like to have fun out there. Is that true?”

“Yes sir. Very true. Very, very true.”

Lace up those cleats nice and tight, JBC, it’s going to be a memorable ride.

Rick S. Alvord is sports editor of The Daily News. He can be reached at ralvord@tdn.com or 577-2527.