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Norwell’s Parker Goes Ninth Overall
By Chad Gramling | June 7, 2007
As expected, Norwell High School’s Jarrod Parker went in the first round of the Major Leauge Baseball Amateur Draft today. I had previously heard he might go with the seventh pick by the Brewers (as I mentioned a few days ago) as there was speculation that they Chicago Cubs would snag him with the third overall pick.
Instead, he went with the ninth overall selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks. His selection marks the second-highest Indiana high school player ever selected in the draft - behind Kokomo pitcher Pat Underwood; who was picked by the Detroit Tigers with the second overall pick of the 1976 draft.
He was a kid that we were obviously high on coming in,” D-backs scouting director Tom Allison said. “[Diamondbacks scout ] Mike Daughtry has formed a tremendous relationship with the player and his family. This is a strong kid with character, makeup, intelligence — all of those things that are important for him as he starts his career besides his physical ability. [source: MLB.com]
According to the Journal Gazette:
Parker, who last year orally committed to attend Georgia Tech, will have until Aug. 15 to sign a contract with the Diamondbacks. If he chooses not to sign, he will have to wait three years to re-enter the MLB draft. He would then be eligible to be drafted by any team.
Although negotiations are expected to be lengthy, Parker could receive a signing bonus anywhere from $1 to $10 million.
That said, there is still a small bit of unfinished business for the Norwell star. His team is the top ranked Class 3A with a 32-0 record. They will play South Bend St. Joseph’s at 11 a.m. in the Plymouth semistate.
In Case You Are Wondering: The Midwest League Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks is the in-state rival of the Fort Wayne Wizards, the South Bend Silverhawks.
[tags]Jarrod Parker, Norwell High School, Baseball in Fort Wayne, MLB Draft[/tags]
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