IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Tribe Players Reflect On Their Own Draft Memories

Published on June 6, 2013 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


After getting the phone call, Gerrit Cole was speechless.

"It was definitely really exciting," said the top prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization about being informed that he would be the club's number one pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, also making him the number one selection overall.

"I was at my house," the starting pitcher recalls. "The Pirates gave me a call and said ‘it's about 15 minutes before the draft, but we've made our decision: we're going to go with you.'"

And with that, the Major League journey began for one Gerrit Cole, as it has for so many others throughout baseball history, and as it will again when the 2013 MLB Draft gets underway tonight to determine the future of hundreds of aspiring ball players.

With it being draft season, several Indianapolis Indians players reflected on their own experience of realizing the ultimate dream of any amateur baseball player: being selected to join a Major League organization.

"It's a milestone for any baseball player," said Tribe shortstop Chase d'Arnaud, who was selected by the Pirates in the fourth round of the 2008 draft. "Once I was drafted I was excited and nervous all at the same time."

While being drafted is indeed a milestone for any baseball player, before the dream is achieved there comes hard work on the part of the amateur athletes who aspire to become professionals; work that is often put in behind the scenes and not seen by fans.

"You work your butt off for [draft] day," explained Indians catcher and 2009 first-round pick Tony Sanchez. "You've prepared your whole life to have the opportunity to play professional baseball. When that day comes, it's do or die; you've either done enough work to get drafted or you haven't ... if you're willing to push yourself behind closed doors you're going to have that opportunity."

Along with the tremendous amount of work required to play at a high enough level to be considered in the draft, comes enormous pressure to perform.

"As soon as you're written down by a scout, it's in [the notes permanently]," explained Pittsburgh's second-round pick in the 2007 draft, flame-throwing reliever Duke Welker. "It's all about projectability."

But the work doesn't stop when a player is selected. It becomes more rigorous. Only the best of the best advance in the farm system of any big league club, and this reality is well understood by those who enter the ranks of a Major League farm system.

"Now looking back at it, there are so few guys that I played with [in low-A ball that are now at the Triple-A level or beyond]," d'Arnaud recalled. "There's Jordy Mercer, Matt Hague, and Rudy Owens, who's now with the Houston Astros. The pyramid gets smaller."

While it takes an enormous amount of sweat and dedication to excel and move up in a farm system, these ballplayers also acknowledge that it's all part of living the dream.

"We understand that we live in a fantasy world, and we love what we do," Sanchez said.

For Welker, it all goes back to the love he has for baseball.

"For me, I just enjoy playing. So when I got drafted I thought: ‘Alright, this is the next journey.'"

That next journey will begin for a new generation of Pittsburgh Pirates and every other Major League team tonight, as the professional baseball stars of tomorrow wait by the phone with nervous anticipation, hoping to hear those six words Gerrit Cole heard in the summer of 2011:

"We're going to go with you."

Check out the Indianapolis Indians Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



International League Stories from June 6, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central