TPM, I don't want to side track this thread with our back-and-forth. Feel free to PM me (or ignore me) if you'd like to continue our discussion.
You side tracked this topic, not me. I stand by my original statement. If one drops out of college after their freshman year if they do not re enroll and sit idle for the next two years its not going to happen. Bickford did not remain idle, he had to attend JUCO for the next years draft to be eligible to be drafted. And he was an exceptional talent from the get go.
My advice is not based on experience but the rules.
The first year player draft rules(Rule 4) for draft eligibility are as follows.
Never signed a major or minor league contract.
High school players who have graduated and not attended a 4 year college or junior college.
College players from a 4 year program who have completed at least 3 years or at least 21 years old and junior college players regardless of how many years they have attended.
Unless you can come up with something else, I don't see where I gave any wrong advice. Bickford could not have gone and played independent ball and been eligible for the next draft. Neither could anyone else who left after one year of college.
And in my original statement I suggested that the parents of the player become familiar with the draft and even visit this site.
The mistake he made was not signing when first drafted out of HS as the 10th overall pick.