Am I missing something?

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I assume the difference must be that he won't be allowed to play for Stanford... correct?

How is this different from just going to school in the off-season? Only this off-season is much longer.

cadDAD

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quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
The Nats just signed 6th rounder Jack Mcgeary for 1.8M. He will be allowed to attend Stanford as a full time student and play basebll in the summers until he graduates and was given 200K from the college scholarship plan.

I am beginning to wonder what going professional actually means these days. Anyone else? Is he that good? Why would you give someone that much money if their first commitment is going to school?

Will this set a new precedent? Has anyone heard of this before? Why doesn't MLB just start helping the schools to develop future players, cut down on milb teams, you know like football and baseball does? The all of our kids can have the best of both worlds.

Stanford allowed Ken Holtzman to do the same thing with the Cubs. He would join the team full time when the spring semester ended after pitching on weekends during the semester. It was the 60's with a little less investment in the player. His profile has him as a graduate of Illinois-Urbana, but he started at Stanford.

I'm guessing in this situation the player had the Nats by the throat. They would have been blowing off a high pick if he didn't sign today. And no, he can't play for Stanford. He signed a pro contract.

Since you mentioned using colleges as more of a feeding ground for future pros, baseball could try the hockey model. They're drafted at eighteen and the teams hold their rights until they sign or their college class graduates.

From Baseball America:

McGeary Also Signs
Posted Aug. 15, 2007 11:00 pm by Jim Callis
Filed under: Signings

This just in . . . Jack McGeary (sixth round) just signed with the Nationals. McGeary gets a $1.8 million bonus, which is a record for his round, and Washington will allow him to attend Stanford as a full-time student and play baseball in the summers until he graduates. The Nats are also picking up the cost of his education, with $200,000 via the college scholarship plan.

Mcgeary really is a first rounder that fell to the 6th precisally because signability. The 2007 season is almost over. Are the Nationals gambling on Mcgeary changing his mind before finishing school?...anyways, the worst scenery will be playing half a season every year until graduation.
Now, I agree in part with TPM, why so much money invested in a HS player? For half of that money they could sign an international player equivalent to a first round player.

Here is a link to all the first round signings.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/baseball/mlb/08/1...oundup.ap/index.html

Here's my question. Is this "full-time" student thing meaning he'll attend classes for the full school year? Or will he be a full time student for the fall semester every year and then report to spring training? I have a buddy who is a "full-time" student in the fall and then reports to his team in February. It may take it 8 years to finish school, but he is also getting it paid for by his organization. Oh, he was a late late late round pick that decided to sign because they allowed him to do one semester of school a year.

I think it's nuts for an organization to let a kid go to school all year then show up in the middle of May and leave in the middle of August. Why would they purposely slow down a players development by allowing him to miss so much of each season? Especially if this kid was a 1st rounder that dropped because of "signability."

I have many more questions for this kid and reasons I don't think that staying in school for both fall and spring semesters would be a good idea.

Oh, what happens if it takes him 5 or 6 years to graduate? Required classes close before you can register, and basic requirements aren't always met on time (at no fault of the student). What to do the Nats lose then?

I hope he's doing the fall semester every year then playing ball the rest of the year.

So what is the problem? I'm happy for the young man.

CC -

Stanford is on quarter system so he could take courses in the fall and winter quarters - beginning in late Sept. and studying through the end of March - and then report to the Nationals and throw April through mid Sept.

Evidently this pitcher has high academics - so perhaps he could finish up in 5 years.

quote:

Originally posted by Texan:
So what is the problem? I'm happy for the young man.

I didn't say there was a problem.

Many kids sign and go to fall classes, this is normal. I take nothing away from him furthering his education. But the press release made it sound like he would go to school (Standford is on quarter semesters), THEN play pro ball when not in school. I was wondering if this is so, why would they spend so much nmoney on a player who doesn't want to put in 100% of what is required to move ahead.

TG,
I never said anything about playing for Stanford, we do know that one loses eligibility.

I asked this question of my son's agent about going to school this fall to get in 15 of his 30 credits needed to graduate. The answer was not now, he needs to concentrate on one thing at a time. To him it was either pro or back to school for another year. I do understand he was not in a position to negotiate that at this time, but still, the way it was put made me wonder about if I was missing something.

quote:

Originally posted by Texan:
So what is the problem? I'm happy for the young man.

The only problem I see is that he's taking $200,000 out of the scholarship plan. I guess I'm reading this right. That doesn't seem too fair to me. If he's making millions of dollars, why does he need a scholarship? He's not even making the college any money by using his talent to bring people to the ballpark or to help them bring in playoff money. Maybe I am just not understanding what is happening here? I think it's great that the Nationals are allowing to go to school in the off season, but the rest of it seems kind of crazy.

hrdad, that sounds like a decent deal then if he can work out and get himself ready to go.

Micmeister,

The money he is getting for his scholarship is coming out of the Major League scholarship fund - not Stanford's.

One of our former players was one semester shy of graduating when he signed. He stipulated that he would be allowed to finish the fall semester and not have to go to instructional league that fall. The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to that and Ryan Klosterman graduated from Vanderbilt.

quote:

Originally posted by Florida Baseball Guy:
Micmeister,

The money he is getting for his scholarship is coming out of the Major League scholarship fund - not Stanford's.

One of our former players was one semester shy of graduating when he signed. He stipulated that he would be allowed to finish the fall semester and not have to go to instructional league that fall. The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to that and Ryan Klosterman graduated from Vanderbilt.

Bob,
That's normal, many of DK's college team mates made the same deal. But they were higher picks and able to skirt out of season early and miss fall instruction.



All players get money from the college scholarhip plan, set aside for them by the team. The scholarship plan only covers certain criteria, but they put enough in for him to go to Stanford, based on tuition.

quote:

Originally posted by Florida Baseball Guy:
Micmeister,

The money he is getting for his scholarship is coming out of the Major League scholarship fund - not Stanford's.

One of our former players was one semester shy of graduating when he signed. He stipulated that he would be allowed to finish the fall semester and not have to go to instructional league that fall. The Toronto Blue Jays agreed to that and Ryan Klosterman graduated from Vanderbilt.

Thanks for the clarification!

I think Racab's post answers most of the questions. This is not your typical sixth round pick.

Bottom line----if it works for the player who are we to question

The scholarship funds are negotiable. We were able to negotiate an amount above current rates for the school of choice based on inflation and COLA. It was 33% above current costs. As for the Nationals, I find it incredibly creative and just one more example of how it is becoming much more attractive to sign with a major league club than going to college. Eventually the NCAA will wake up.

quote:

Originally posted by deldad:
As for the Nationals, I find it incredibly creative and just one more example of how it is becoming much more attractive to sign with a major league club than going to college. Eventually the NCAA will wake up.

I do agree, but why not allow more players to have this option.
The only way a player can do this is if the semester begins after season ends. Same thing in spring, if the quarter sememster ends before spring practice, maybe some Stanford folks can shed some light.
Maybe MLB needs to make adjustments, shorten seasons so the kids can work on their degrees in the classroom instead of online? Why not have the best of both worlds?

There's an article on BA on who were winners and losers of the draft.

Stanford being one of them for losing McGueary. He will be allowed to attend 3 of the 4 quarter sessions at Stanford.

I don't think it is MLB that has to make any adjustments. I think the NCAA is the one who has lost their mission statement. The NCAA is supposed to be the ones who make it possible to participate in athletics while attaining an education. The MLB is just filling the gaps that the NCAA's failed policies have opened.

Deldad,
You may have a good point.

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
TG,
I never said anything about playing for Stanford, we do know that one loses eligibility.

Another poster must not not have because he asked. That's why I made the statement.

quote:

Originally posted by TG:

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
TG,
I never said anything about playing for Stanford, we do know that one loses eligibility.

Another poster must not not have because he asked. That's why I made the statement.

I see that Academydad asked that question, my apologies.

For those that do not know, you give up your NCAA eligiblilty in a sport when you turn pro HOWEVER, you can still play professionally for one sport and remain eligible for another sport.

Don't you just love the NCAA?

it's my understanding that each team puts money into the scholarship fund. we tried to get that money in the bonus and were told they don't put that much into the plan. every team puts x amount into the plan. and most don't use it . so it wasn't costing the nats 200 grand just a small portion. that's my understanding. that sounds like a good deal for the nats. and a very enterprising young man.

20Dad,
You may be correct. Maybe each team puts in certain share amount and as that depleats they have to replenish? Though I thought my son had the option to take it in cash if he wanted.

What I find interesting is the drafting of Andrew Brackman. A basketball player turned pitcher, he will most likely require TJS, but has received mega bucks.

He did not have a good season, but hit 99 and is close to 7 foot.

Don't ever argue that velocity and height are not important.

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
He did not have a good season, but hit 99 and is close to 7 foot.

Don't ever argue that velocity and height are not important.

Wondering if the jury may still be out on how long they can stay healthy though.

The "stay healthy" aspect covers all players just not the tall ones and the ones throwing 95 plus

And believe me the TJ surgery doesn't scare anyone anymore.

Interesting to see how Boras clients fared. I think this guy has it figured out.

quote:

Originally posted by deldad:
And believe me the TJ surgery doesn't scare anyone anymore.

Interesting to see how Boras clients fared. I think this guy has it figured out.

I beleive you!

Boras has it all figured out, even with the new deadline, he was able to manipulate the way he wanted things to go for some of his clients.

My opinion, it's not what you know, but who you know.

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
The "stay healthy" aspect covers all players just not the tall ones and the ones throwing 95 plus

Yes, but I think they are seeing that things like knee injuries and back problems are more prevelent with taller players, at least that's what I've been hearing more and more.

That's funny I'm 6'7" and the only thing I didn't and don't have problems with are my knees and back.

TPM - Stanford is on quarters. A "normal" school year is 3 quarters (= 2 semesters)...the 4th quarter is during the summer.

Fall quarter begins the last week of September. In any given Fall quarter, you will find 3-4 former ballplayers back in school finishing their degrees...with their minor league season completed. Those who were invited to instrux just wait until the next year...occasionally if they are deep into their senior year, they can work out something with a professor on an independent study that allows them to not be on campus all Fall.

Winter quarter begins in early January and ends in mid-March. Not many do, but I suspect Mr. McGeary has negotiated the allowance to attend this term too and get to Spring Training a little late.

Spring quarter runs from late March to early June. I doubt he will be in school during this term.

Sounds to me like he has a 5-year plan. Not bad. He got it because he apparently has the leverage (ability/talent) to negotiate it.

Seems to me the Nationals are the smart ones here. Everyone else passed on this guy despite his 1st round talent, but the Nats found a way to land him with a 6th round pick. They essentially got TWO first round pitchers this year. Not a bad way to build an organization, as the Braves proved starting about 20 years ago.

McGeary probably needs 3-4 years to get to the majors in the best case in any event. He's going to miss some starts each minor league year, but he'll get enough to progress year to year. He could've done his developing in college ball, but by doing it this way the Nats get him locked up now and they don't have to re-draft him in 3 years.

As for whether this is a precedent, they keep changing the rules of the draft every year, so who knows?