Twins 1st-rounder on familiar path

By David Dorsey
Fort Myers News Press

Kyle Waldrop never played college baseball. He didn't need to.

Waldrop made up those years beforehand, heading into the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, in which the Minnesota Twins grabbed him in the first round with the 25th overall pick.

Now with the Fort Myers Miracle, Waldrop played plenty even before his teenage years in Knoxville, Tenn.

As an 11-year-old, Waldrop pitched for a 12-year-old team in the American Amateur Baseball Congress World Series in Puerto Rico.

As a 17-year-old, Waldrop's AAU team, the Knoxville Thunder, took second in the World Series played at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

As a 17- and 18-year-old, Waldrop's high school team, Farragut High, won back-to-back Class 3A Tennessee state championships.

So when the 6-foot-4, right-handed pitcher arrived to professional baseball as an 18-year-old, he did not arrive as wide-eyed as some of his peers.

"My high school coach, he was great in helping me out," Waldrop said of Tommy Pharr. "He was the pitching coach at Baylor University at one point. He's very knowledgeable about the game. The way he ran our high school program was like a college program."

Waldrop, who turns 21 on Oct. 27, was scheduled to start Saturday night at Hammond Stadium as the Fort Myers Miracle faced the Lakeland Tigers.

Waldrop joined the Miracle July 14. He did so as the 16th first-round draft pick by the Twins to make his way through Fort Myers.

"I'll read it in a magazine from time to time," Waldrop said of his draft status. "But I don't let it get to me. I feel the same just as anybody else in the locker room.

"You just go out there and try to perform. I don't try to put any extra pressure on myself."

Following the promotions of first-round draft pick Matt Garza and second-round pick Kevin Slowey during the first half of the season, the Miracle needed another capable arm.

Enter Waldrop, who has a 3-0 record and a 2.51 ERA with 17 strikeouts and eight walks in 32 1/3 innings of work.

"He's done a nice job for us," Miracle manager Kevin Boles said. "He has command of the strike zone for the most part."

Waldrop credited his parents, his high school coach and AAU coach Hal Bibee with helping him get to professional baseball.

Bibee, the Knoxville Thunder coach, said he enjoyed coaching Waldrop from ages 11 to 18.

"What he was able to do, was he was able to throw the ball where he wanted to," Bibee said. "He never overpowered anybody. But he's smart. He had a scholarship to Vanderbilt University, you know.

"His No. 2 pitch, from the beginning of time, was the change-up. We never had him try a curveball until he was 14. So he's always had a second pitch, and he's never had any arm trouble."

Although Waldrop struggled at times last season with a 6-11 record and a 4.98 ERA, he did compile 108 strikeouts and just 23 walks in 151 2/3 innings. Waldrop played at low-Class A Beloit last season.

Bibee said he looks forward to watching Waldrop continue his development.

Said Bibee: "He's very mature, and that's what he wants to do — play baseball."

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Kyle Waldrop became the 16th first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins to play in a Fort Myers Miracle uniform.

Here’s a look at the other 15:

Torii Hunter (1993): Outfielder on the big-league Twins roster.

Todd Walker (1994): Infielder for the San Diego Padres

Mark Redman (1995): Pitcher for the Kansas City Royals

Michael Cuddyer (1997): Outfielder for the Twins

Matthew LeCroy (1997): Catcher for the New Orleans Zephyrs, Class Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals

Ryan Mills (1998): Out of baseball

B.J. Garbe (1999): Retired as an outfielder for the Double-A Carolina Mudcats on May 20

Adam Johnson (2000): Pitcher; out of baseball after spending earlier part of this season with the Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s.

Joe Mauer (2001): Starting catcher for the Minnesota Twins

Denard Span (2002): Outfielder for Double-A New Britain

Matt Moses (2003): Third baseman at New Britain

Trevor Plouffe (2004): Infielder for the Miracle

Glen Perkins (2004): Pitcher at New Britain

Jay Rainville (2004): Pitcher for the Miracle (disabled list)

Matt Garza (2005): Pitcher for the Twins

PROMOTION COMMOTION

Noon today: Home doubleheader vs. Lakeland Tigers

5:05 p.m. Monday: Doubleheader as part of a four-game series against the Clearwater Threshers

7:05 p.m. Tuesday: Two-for-one draft beers; also NASCAR Night