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Written by Dale Woodard
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Wednesday, June 10 2009, 11:36 PM |
A show of hands, who can claim they found out they were property of a Major League Baseball club via a text message from a friend?
Most people likely cannot.
Steven Inch can.
That’s exactly how the six-foot-four right-handed pitcher from Edmonton found out he had been claimed in the sixth round — 197th overall — by the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB draft Wednesday.
The good tidings text came courtesy of fellow pitcher and Vauxhall Baseball Academy teammate Brandon Petite Wednesday afternoon.
“I was on my couch watching TV and I got a text message from Brandon saying I got drafted,” said Inch, whose text-sending friend got some good news later in the day when Petite learned he was taken in the 30th round by the Houston Astros. “I thought it was a joke to start with and that he was playing around. Then I turned on my computer and got a phone call. It was an experience you don’t get that often, once in a lifetime.”
Now that the Phillies have an Inch, the Vauxhall hurler wants to give them a mile.
“The only way to explain it is it’s really exciting,” said Inch. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about for a long time and it’s a representation of all the baseball programs I’ve been involved in, how they’ve worked with me and the program they have.”
The good news out of Vauxhall didn’t stop with Inch and Petite’s selections.
Fellow teammate and outfielder/third baseman Adam Nelubowich — who originally hails from Stony Plain — was selected in the 14th round by the Seattle Mariners.
Meanwhile, Prairie Baseball Academy Dawg lefty Jay Johnson was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 25th round.
Just learning of the news of his selection Wednesday, Inch said he had been in contact with the Phillies.
“I talked to them afterwards. It was just to congratulate me. We haven’t gotten into any details or anything. It was a fun conversation,” he said. “It’s nice to have the option and it’s an honour to be considered for it.”
The other option on his plate is taking the university route as Inch gets ready to head to the University of Kentucky in Lexington later this summer.
With his draft selection comes a few decisions.
“It’ll depend on what I choose between the draft and going to Kentucky,” said Inch. “It’ll be a tough decision, but I’ll deal with that a bit later.”
In the meantime, there’s more baseball to be played as Inch awaits word on whether he will be part of the Canadian Junior National Team — a squad Nelubowich is already on — that will play games in North Carolina and Cuba this summer.
“So hopefully I’ll make that and see where we go from there,” said Inch, who will find out today if he will be a part of the Canadian team. “It’s a little overwhelming, but I’m excited. I’d rather have these choices than not have them.”
While he had to wait a little longer than Inch, Petite was nonetheless happy to hear the Astros call his name in the 30th round.
“I was at school,” said Petite, who has committed to Texas Tech in Lubbock this fall. “I waited longer than I expected to wait, but it came through and I got drafted. It was a good feeling. It was a big sigh of relief because a lot of teams had been scared off by my commitment to Texas Tech. So they didn’t know if they should take me and take the chance on losing a draft due to a kid that’s going to college. It was a guessing game. So it was a big relief.”
Like Inch, Petite chatted up the team that drafted him on Wednesday.
“I talked to Houston right after I got picked,” he said. “They were telling me what kind of situations we’re going to be in and what they see in the future. They’re going to wait over the summer to make me my offer and watch me play with the Lethbridge Bulls.
They’re going to see it out and make sure they’re giving me the right offer. So it’s not close to being done yet.”
Once school is out, Petite will turn his attention toward the Western Major Baseball League.
“After our exams are done in Vauxhall I’ll move to Lethbridge and start playing with the Bulls and hopefully get some wins with the guys,” he said. “I think we’ll have a pretty solid pitching staff. The coaches are really good. Head coach (Scott) Rhodes is a good guy. You can’t ask for anyone better. I think we’re going to be a team that’s going to compete hard and leave it on the field every game.”
While Petite texted Inch with the good news of his Phillies selection, Nelubowich was right next to Petite when he got the good news the Mariners had drafted his rights.
However, getting ready to split and head to class, that almost wasn’t the case for Nelubowich.
“I was in one of the computer rooms watching with Brandon,” he said. “I was just about to leave to go to class. I was pretty much on my way out and my name came up. I was really excited. I kind of knew it might be a possibility (Wednesday). I had been talking to teams, but until you actually see your name or hear your name be called it makes it a reality and it’s really exciting.”
Having entered the MLB draft fray as a late prospect, getting drafted has been icing on the proverbial baseball cake for Nelubowich.
“For me the whole pro ball has been a bonus thing that has come on lately,” he said. “It hasn’t really been a reality to me for very long. Just being a pro prospect has come on fast. It’s just been a bonus, so I wouldn’t say it was too much of a weight on my shoulders.”
Whether it’s meant to be or not, the Mariners were in contact with their 14th round pick Wednesday.
“It wasn’t right after they picked me, but it was within the half hour,” said Nelubowich. “(They said) congratulations and they were happy to have me as part of their organization. They said they’ll be in contact in the next little while to start working things out.”
His place in the draft secure, Nelubowich now dons the maple leaf with the Canadian Junior National team that is getting ready to head south this summer.
“There’s the tour to North Carolina and Cuba and then,” he said. “I assume the Mariners will be there to watch that and try to work out a deal throughout that and after that.”
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