Post by elp525 on Jun 8, 2010 4:55:32 GMT -5
Monday June 7, 2010
by Mike Casazza
Daily Mail sports writer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Jedd Gyorko's college career ended, for all practical purposes, when West Virginia's baseball team was eliminated from the Big East Conference tournament last month.
A spot high in the Major League Baseball draft seemed to be a guarantee for the junior - as guaranteed as his batting average against left-handed pitchers - .508.
The Morgantown native and University High graduate had a way of making it look easy - and from the very beginning. Gyorko began his college career with a 21-game hitting streak and a .500 batting average, his personal bests.
He never slowed and after three seasons with the Mountaineers ranked as the career leader in batting average (.404), doubles (73), extra-base hits (113) and single-season leader in doubles (28), extra-base hits (48), walks (43) and total bases (192).
He'd have to settle for ties in career home runs (35) and single-season home runs (19).
"It's never easy," he said. "This game is a game of failure, and the best guys in the world get a hit three out of 10 times and get in the Hall of Fame. It's a game of failure. It's never easy, but you've got to put in your time and work hard and try to have more good days than bad ones."
That was the hallmark of Gyorko's career, which lasted a day longer than expected as he went undrafted Monday night through the first 50 selections.
"I wouldn't say I'm nervous," he said. "I'm more excited to see what the future holds for me. Who knows what happens? It's just a waiting game now."
The first time Gyorko didn't get a hit in a game, he drew a walk and scored a run. He was held hitless just 24 times in 168 career games, but scored or drove in a run (or both) in 10 of those games and was on base in 11. Only 13 times did he fail to get on base or produce a run.
Gyorko could have been the first WVU player taken in the first round since Chris Enochs went No. 11 to the Oakland A's in 1997. Darrell Whitmore was No. 46 to the Cleveland Indians in 1990.
Gyorko will likely be the highest pick among WVU's eight drafted middle infielders. Grant Psomas was picked in the 15th round by the New York Mets in 2004. Gyorko will also join Morgantown natives Vaughn Kovatch (1966), Bob Tucker (1985) and David Maust (2001) in draft history.
Gyorko watched the draft on MLB Network from his parents' home in Morgantown. He was out of town last week working out for the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants at their ballparks and in front of their managers, general managers and decision-makers.
"That doesn't happen every day so it was a pretty neat experience," Gyorko said. "It was almost unfair to think they get to play in those parks every day."
This is the world he steps into, if not right away, then perhaps eventually.
"It's kind of hard to think that your whole life is going to change," he said.
Not right way, though, which may be the hardest part of all. Gyorko played all the sports growing up and through high school. One of his brothers, Scott, was a linebacker on WVU's football team. It was baseball that tugged on Jedd the most.
Maybe it was the daily demands that held his attention. Maybe it was the pureness and simplicity to which he became addicted. Whatever the case, he treated it as more than a game, but was careful to remember it was still a game.
"I've taken baseball seriously since the first time I played," he said. "It's something that's always been a big part of me and always will be. It's America's pastime and they don't say that for no reason. People love the game and I'm one of those people."
Gyorko insists he won't make any news as holding out for more cash and haggling over contract details. The money seems menial. He says he has no major purchases planned when he gets the signing bonus and figures he'll chip off a little for his parents after they spent the past three years following him for road games.
He can work all that out in the next few days.
"There's going to be a period of time when I'll meet with my adviser and we'll have to figure a few things out," he said. "We'll sit down and try to figure out what the organization wants and what they're willing to give. There's going to be a week or two-week time period between the time I'm drafted and the time I go."
by Mike Casazza
Daily Mail sports writer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Jedd Gyorko's college career ended, for all practical purposes, when West Virginia's baseball team was eliminated from the Big East Conference tournament last month.
A spot high in the Major League Baseball draft seemed to be a guarantee for the junior - as guaranteed as his batting average against left-handed pitchers - .508.
The Morgantown native and University High graduate had a way of making it look easy - and from the very beginning. Gyorko began his college career with a 21-game hitting streak and a .500 batting average, his personal bests.
He never slowed and after three seasons with the Mountaineers ranked as the career leader in batting average (.404), doubles (73), extra-base hits (113) and single-season leader in doubles (28), extra-base hits (48), walks (43) and total bases (192).
He'd have to settle for ties in career home runs (35) and single-season home runs (19).
"It's never easy," he said. "This game is a game of failure, and the best guys in the world get a hit three out of 10 times and get in the Hall of Fame. It's a game of failure. It's never easy, but you've got to put in your time and work hard and try to have more good days than bad ones."
That was the hallmark of Gyorko's career, which lasted a day longer than expected as he went undrafted Monday night through the first 50 selections.
"I wouldn't say I'm nervous," he said. "I'm more excited to see what the future holds for me. Who knows what happens? It's just a waiting game now."
The first time Gyorko didn't get a hit in a game, he drew a walk and scored a run. He was held hitless just 24 times in 168 career games, but scored or drove in a run (or both) in 10 of those games and was on base in 11. Only 13 times did he fail to get on base or produce a run.
Gyorko could have been the first WVU player taken in the first round since Chris Enochs went No. 11 to the Oakland A's in 1997. Darrell Whitmore was No. 46 to the Cleveland Indians in 1990.
Gyorko will likely be the highest pick among WVU's eight drafted middle infielders. Grant Psomas was picked in the 15th round by the New York Mets in 2004. Gyorko will also join Morgantown natives Vaughn Kovatch (1966), Bob Tucker (1985) and David Maust (2001) in draft history.
Gyorko watched the draft on MLB Network from his parents' home in Morgantown. He was out of town last week working out for the Boston Red Sox and San Francisco Giants at their ballparks and in front of their managers, general managers and decision-makers.
"That doesn't happen every day so it was a pretty neat experience," Gyorko said. "It was almost unfair to think they get to play in those parks every day."
This is the world he steps into, if not right away, then perhaps eventually.
"It's kind of hard to think that your whole life is going to change," he said.
Not right way, though, which may be the hardest part of all. Gyorko played all the sports growing up and through high school. One of his brothers, Scott, was a linebacker on WVU's football team. It was baseball that tugged on Jedd the most.
Maybe it was the daily demands that held his attention. Maybe it was the pureness and simplicity to which he became addicted. Whatever the case, he treated it as more than a game, but was careful to remember it was still a game.
"I've taken baseball seriously since the first time I played," he said. "It's something that's always been a big part of me and always will be. It's America's pastime and they don't say that for no reason. People love the game and I'm one of those people."
Gyorko insists he won't make any news as holding out for more cash and haggling over contract details. The money seems menial. He says he has no major purchases planned when he gets the signing bonus and figures he'll chip off a little for his parents after they spent the past three years following him for road games.
He can work all that out in the next few days.
"There's going to be a period of time when I'll meet with my adviser and we'll have to figure a few things out," he said. "We'll sit down and try to figure out what the organization wants and what they're willing to give. There's going to be a week or two-week time period between the time I'm drafted and the time I go."
