June 8, 2014
D.J. Davis in fielding practice. (Toronto Observer)
Being selected by a major league organization is the ultimate goal for any baseball player. Every June, over a thousand high school and college players get selected by MLB franchises for a chance to play minor league baseball with the hopes of making it to the major league one day.
The moment is special for the player and their families, but every player has a different experience throughout the process. A few members of the Toronto Blue Jays draft class of 2012 highlighted their draft experience from two years ago.
OF D.J. Davis, 1st round (17th overall) out of Stone County High School in Mississippi:
“It was exciting to get drafted, especially in the first round,” stated Davis. “A lot of teams showed interest in me, but the Blue Jays showed more interest, so I had a feeling they were going to pick me and they did.”
3B Mitch Nay, Supplemental 1st round (58th overall) out of Hamilton High School in Arizona:
“My draft day experience was a lot of fun,” stated Nay. “I was really happy to get an opportunity to play professional baseball. Getting the opportunity right after four years of high school baseball with my buddies was special.”
RHP Chase De Jong, 2nd round (81st overall) out of Woodrow Wilson High School in California:
“My draft process was very hectic,” De Jong recalls. “I had a lot of people saying were I was supposed to go, but once the Blue Jays picked me it was a huge burden off my shoulders. The first thing I did was hug my mom. I will never forget that moment.”
“I was contacted by all 30 teams and 27 of them visited me at my house,” stated De Jong. “It definitely made my senior year of high school fun and not everybody gets to experience something like that.”
OF Ian Parmley, 7th round (235th overall) out of Liberty University:
“I was excited when I found out Toronto drafted me,” Parmley recalls. “I really just wanted to continue playing after college and I really appreciate the Blue Jays giving me a shot to play professional baseball.”
LHP Shane Dawson, 17th round (535th overall) out of Lethbridge Community College:
“My draft experience was really good,” explained Dawson. “I was definitely ready to sign with an organization at that point, so I was definitely locked in the whole time waiting for my name to get called.”
LHP Alonzo Gonzalez, 18th round (565th overall) out of Glendale Community College:
“Being drafted by Toronto was a dream come true,” stated Gonzalez. “Ever since I was a little kid I knew I wanted to play professional baseball, so when I got that call it just made all the hard work and sacrifice worth it at that moment.”
SS Jorge Flores, 19th round (595th overall) out of Central Arizona College:
“Being drafted by Toronto was exciting and a little surprising,” explained Flores. “Talking to a lot of organizations throughout the process, I had no idea which team was going to pick me. Once I got that call, I remember being really excited and ready to begin my professional career.”
LHP Colton Turner, 21st round (655th overall) out of Texas State University:
“I was super excited to be drafted by Toronto,” stated Turner. “My whole family was there when I got drafted which made it even better. It was a great experience.”
SS Jason Leblebijian, 25th round (775th overall) out of Bradley University:
“Being drafted by Toronto was unexpected. I didn’t hear a lot from them, but I’ve always heard good things about their organization and farm system,” Leblebijian said. “The overall draft experience was amazing, it was everything I had expected and more from playing baseball every day.”
C Jorge Saez, 32nd round (985th overall) out of Lee University:
“I was between going to summer ball or waiting for the call,” stated Saez. “I couldn’t wait anymore, so I went to the pool. I don’t think my phone was down for even five minutes, but when I returned to it, I had so many messages of congratulations. I jumped high into the air and was incredibly excited. I couldn’t wait to get started.