Semi-OT - Notre Dame commit Torii Hunter Jr. drafted by Tigers

Submitted by tigers17fan on

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2013/06/like_father_like_son_detroit_t.html

The Tigers drafted Torii Hunter Jr. in the 36th round of the MLB draft. He plays center field like his dad. Interesting to note that he's committed to Notre Dame as a wide receiver and the number 95 player in the nation (according to ESPN). Here's hoping he goes to the Tigers rather than the Irish!

Also, the Tigers drafted JV's younger brother Ben :)

madmaxweb

June 9th, 2013 at 2:15 PM ^

It doesn't matter where player gets drafted they could be destined for a career in the minors. Even too picks, just like NFL, can bush and never make the Big League team. But on the other side any player, no matter where drafted, could become an all star or even a bench player but still receiving a pro contract. Some kids bloom late or in his case go from being a two sport player to focusing on just Baseball a his skill shoot through the roof. He has the athleticism, he would just need to be more refined as a baseball player and he could be something big, or fall flat on his face.

Sac Fly

June 9th, 2013 at 4:47 PM ^

They aren't just drafting based on talent, but also on likelyhood the player will sign. A player could have the talent to be a high draft pick, but if education or another sport is a higher priority to them they could not get drafted at all.

dothepose

June 9th, 2013 at 12:48 PM ^

The Tigers usually do this, they drafted Ben Verlander I believe a couple years ago when he was coming out of high school. But they always pick up family members it seems in the later rounds. Kalines grandson, Mario Impemba's kid, Zumaya's younger brother...maybe we can pull a Steinbrenner though and convince the kid baseball is his future.

LSAClassOf2000

June 9th, 2013 at 3:16 PM ^

It seems like a few teams actually went this route and drafted the family of current or former players this year. The Astros took Cavan Biggio (Craig's son) and the Red Sox actually took Mike Yastrzemski (Carl's grandson). I think the Yankees drafted Josh Pettitte as well (Andy's son).

madmaxweb

June 9th, 2013 at 1:13 PM ^

They need to fill 2 teams almost with their draftees with most teams having 2 rookie teams. Plus you got 6, 7 if you include Ext ST but not including Major team, teams you need to have a lot of players. Especially when most kids will retire if they don't have a future when in the minors for too long or are released. That's also why the MLB draft doesn't get as much hype as the NFL or NBA. Too many rounds and no time to talk about each pick while you wait for the next one.

eamus_caeruli (not verified)

June 9th, 2013 at 1:20 PM ^

Rds 1-10 would be similar to NFL's rd 1-3. Best available, know commodities, most expensive.

Rds 11-40 is like 4-7. Lots of risk/reward, trying to find a "steal" in the draft. Offer hard signees like Torii Jr money to join the org.

MLB has a funkie rule, no rule thing, where rds 11-40 has basically a 100k bonus slot, but you can sign over slot without penalty. The first 10 rds have pretty specific slot money, and going way over slot can cost you money for the rest of the draft and potentially losing money for the next year. Kind of weird.

madmaxweb

June 9th, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^

Well the pool money that is used in the top 10 can be used for the 11-40 guys. So Tori Jr could get 150k and 50k would have to come out of the top 10 pool money. So anyone in 11-40 can get 100k and it will have no affect on the teams pool. If a team goes over their pool amount by more than 5% then they lose a draft pick and I believe have to pay anything over the pool twice to the league. So say the Cubs, who can go to 11 million with their 5 percent. Uses the full 11mill. Then they have to pay an extra 500k because they went over by 500k. That's my understanding of the system.

eamus_caeruli (not verified)

June 9th, 2013 at 2:16 PM ^

I apologize for my previous error above. i stated something incorrectly. I am correcting my post about the 11-40 rds. You can sign players with a bonus of up to 100k without it counting against your total bonus pool. If you have signed players under slot for most of your draft, then you can sign players like Torii Jr for more than the 100k, however, every dollar above 100k counts towards your total bonus pool. That is why you hear about clubs drafting "over slot" guys in later rounds to reflect that they most likely believe they saved enough pool money in the earlier rounds to sign kids like Torii. Jr to larger bonus money, even though it counts against their total pool.

A lot of strategy with the MLB draft concerning how singable kids are as HS or younger college players. It is bit confusing and complicated.

eamus_caeruli (not verified)

June 9th, 2013 at 1:11 PM ^

Well, to enlighten those you don't really get baseball and draft signees. Most young men like Torii Jr often negotiate the cost of their full ride to a place like ND into their signing bonus; or better yet, they make the club offer an equivalent scholarship if and/or when his baseball career is over. So from my perspective, Torii Jr should do the baseball thing. He can always take some courses through the years and in the off-season. When he is done, whether it be five years from now or twenty, he can can earn that degree. He is in a win-win situation.

madmaxweb

June 9th, 2013 at 1:19 PM ^

In the past they could, but the team could decide paying that much plus some bonus money wasn't worth what the player would provide and just say never mind you can go to school and the player is out of luck unless he budges. But now as I said in my post I don't think they can do that anymore.

madmaxweb

June 9th, 2013 at 1:17 PM ^

Actually I'm wondering if that's still can happen with the new CBA. Before they could easily but now with the pool can teams offer a full ride and a bonus amount? No way can they get 4 years of school with the 100k max after round 10 without going into their top 10 round pool. So I'm wondering if they can actually do that without touching the pool money.

If so then of course that makes sense to go straight from HS as long as you got the School covered by the team but I don't believe it's possible anymore. I could be wrong tho. The new CBA screwed up a lot, plus it's made to be as confusing as humanly possible.

eamus_caeruli (not verified)

June 9th, 2013 at 1:22 PM ^

It absolutely does apply with the new cha champ.

And to the poster below...that is why they drafted him in the 36 th rd. he would be a hard sign, so people passes on him. He can definitely ask for that. It is very common with his situation.

madmaxweb

June 9th, 2013 at 1:40 PM ^

Then there is no way we see players being offered a bonus + a scholarship to a school later on. It would be pointless to do so now unless a team somehow manages to sign every player in the first 10 to underslot amounts which would be 1. Hard to do and 2. Means they got low end players and could've gotten some better value.

Either way, it looks like late draft highschool guys will go to college over pros now. Unless a team can get them a big overslot bonus. That will be nice for the college game I guess.

madmaxweb

June 9th, 2013 at 2:11 PM ^

Well yea they obviously do from the school they commit too. But that doesn't mean they get it from the team that drafts them if they sign. Unless they put that in the new CBA which I think that would be pretty huge (and unlikely) as almost every HS player would leave. I mean why wait for the pros when you can get paid and then come back later for free?

UMFoster

June 9th, 2013 at 1:26 PM ^

The baseball route isn't necessarily the best option. Getting drafted in the 36th round isn't a sure thing. He won't get a huge signing bonus and will probably spend a lot of time in the minor leagues. He could probably get drafted in football in 3 to 4 years. He could also play baseball at ND and get drafted higher in a few years

jaggs

June 9th, 2013 at 2:41 PM ^

sign with the Tigers, play only summer-ball there, and still be elegible to gain a football scholarship? Seems like a loophole that can be exploited. Perhaps someone can convince Ross to buy a professional Ultimate Frisbee team and sign Hand, Jackson, etc., to nice contracts for them to play in the frisbee in the summer. 

TLock

June 10th, 2013 at 4:29 AM ^

He can play in the minor’s, and still play FB at ND right?  Like Shaq Thompson and Russell Wilson.  Going pro in one sport doesn't affect your amateur status in the other's IIRC.