Local baseball draftees face different summers

Dustin Fowler was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 18th round last month but is awaiting an offer from the team.

WOODY MARSHALL ? wmarshall@macon.com Buy Photo

By MICHAEL A. LOUGH ? mlough@macon.com

Robert Tyler?s plan was set very quickly, and he began the process of becoming a college student.

Blake Shouse signed within a week and headed about 1,800 miles from home.

And Dustin Fowler?s glove is picking up dust.

The three Middle Georgians picked in last month?s major league first-year player draft are having markedly different summers.

The suspense was eliminated for Tyler pretty early.

The right-handed pitcher from Crisp County was very highly rated, owner of a live arm and a fastball that consistently tops 90 mph and approaches 95. In nearly all analyses, he was among the top players in the talent-rich state, regardless of position or level.

But by the time the fifth round rolled around on the second day of the draft, Tyler was past worrying about the pros and gave new Georgia baseball head coach Scott Stricklin a nice ?welcome to Athens? gift.

Tyler signed with Georgia back in November, and when he wasn?t picked in the first three rounds, his focus turned to the Bulldogs. He told south Georgia media that he was Georgia-bound if not picked in the first three rounds, telling one team interested in drafting him in the fourth round to save the pick. Baltimore took a flyer by picking him in the 28th round, about 20 rounds or so later than anybody expected him to be available, but Tyler had long since stopped worrying about the draft by then.

So he has started the transition of high school graduate to college student and preparing to help rebuild the Bulldogs with a new head coach.

Another Georgia signee went earlier in the draft when Rutland?s Blake Shouse was picked by Colorado in the fifth round, a bit higher than expected.

The Middle Georgia State standout signed with the Rockies a week later and was on his way to Grand Junction, Colo., to join the Rockies? rookie team in the Pioneer League.

Ironically, Shouse and his college teammates had been working for that same road trip, since Grand Junction is host to the national junior college world series. As it turned out, Shouse is playing on that same field anyway, but his first two appearances haven?t gone well.

The right-hander has no decisions yet and owns a 15.43 ERA in 4-1/3 innings, opponents batting .381 against him.

There will be an adjustment period to being a pitcher. Shouse split time at third and shortstop as well as relief pitcher in 2013 after being only a position player in 2012. He was an ace at Rutland in high school.

So his pitching routine has been anything but routine. He threw 25-1/3 innings in 25 relief appearances with 12 saves last spring and already has started twice for Grand Junction.

Meanwhile, Fowler sits home in Cadwell learning the business end of being drafted more than he?d planned on.

?It?s a waiting game,? said Fowler, who signed last November with Georgia Southern and was drafted in the 18th round by the New York Yankees. ?I need to be out there playing, but I?ve got to go to school now for summer classes at Southern. I?m kind of back and forth both ways.?

Fowler said late last month that the Yankees wanted to get their top two draft picks signed and see how much money was left before they focused on the former West Laurens outfielder.

Top picked Eric Jagielo signed for a $1.8 million signing bonus, but the team is still working on second pick Aaron Judge, who reportedly wants more than the slot of that draft position indicates.

Fowler is the fourth-highest unsigned draft pick for the Yankees, who have about $311,000 left in their bonus pool, according to Baseball America. Fowler said the officials he and his father were negotiating with wanted to offer him the full remaining amount, but that general manager Brian Cashman preferred to spread out the money between Fowler and two other players.

July 12 is the deadline to sign from this year?s draft, but Fowler said he was told his situation would be decided by Monday.

?They want to sign me bad,? said Fowler, the reigning All-Middle Georgia Player of the Year. ?They said I?m their first priority and they were going to try and get me the rest of the money.?

Until then, the most restful summer since he first picked up a glove continues being the most restful.

Source: http://www.macon.com/2013/07/04/2544961/local-baseball-draftees-face-different.html

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