Singing Over Swinging: Country Music Star Jason Aldean's Atlanta Braves Dream

Former baseball dreamer and wildly-popular country star Jason Aldean will perform at Thursday night's ACM Awards at Dallas Cowboys headquarters in Frisco, Texas.

FRISCO - Before he strummed a guitar in front a world-wide audience, Jason Aldean dreamed of swinging a baseball bat in the big leagues.

The reigning Academy of Country Music Artist of the Decade, Aldean had other plans for his career. ‘America’s Pastime’ was his original ambition, in particular suiting up for one of the most decorated and historically-rich franchises in sports.

"I would play baseball,” Aldean told Bri Amaranthus in an exclusive interview before his performance at Thursday night's 58th ACM Awards at Dallas Cowboys headquarters. “That was my sport growing up. I think my dream job is to play shortstop or second base for the Atlanta Braves.

“[Music] was kind of my back up plan ... worked out pretty good. I'm too old to play now but if I could have a career change, it would be baseball."

A talented lefty lead-off hitter on his high school baseball team and a big college football fan, Aldean is happy to talk sports. Especially these days, considering his favorite team is the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Aldean’s accolades may not include a World Series title... But the Georgia native has a country music stat line that jumps off the page: 27 No. 1 singles, 15 billion streams and more than 20 million albums sold.

He's won ACM Entertainer of the Year three times and is nominated again this year for the biggest award of the night on one of the biggest stages in Texas.

"You hear a lot of times that if you aren't from Texas, you kinda have to prove yourself here to the fans," Aldean said. "So I was a little worried the first couple times we played here but we played a lot of bars before we ever started headlining. I really feel like we won them over, one bar at a time. I actually love coming to play here."

In sports, the 'next man up' mentality is ever present and all important. It's no different in country music. 

Less than 24 hours before Morgan Wallen was set to headline at the ACM Lifting Lives concert, the "You Proof" singer was put on doctor-ordered vocal rest that will keep him off stage for six weeks. Aldean stepped up to replace Wallen and rocked the Texas crowd at the charity event on Wednesday night.

It's a busy week for Aldean, who released a new single, "Tough Crowd" three days before he takes the stage at the ACM Awards.

The star-studded evening will feature country's biggest and brightest acts, highlighted by live performances from Aldean, Ed Sheeran, HARDY, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Jo Dee Messina, Jelly Roll, Cole Swindell and Keith Urban.

With the most Top 10 songs on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Aldean's singing-over-swinging decision clearly hit the right note.

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