E Town
06-07-2007, 07:44 PM
Daniel Descalso was with five of his friends in Davis when he saw his name come up on the computer screen.
The St. Louis Cardinals had just taken him in the fourth round (112nd pick) in Thursday’s Major League Baseball Draft, and Descalso and his buddies were going bonkers.
“It was awesome, one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” he said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play professional baseball, and this year, for the first time, it was more of a reality. This is beyond my wildest dreams.”
In more ways than one. Descalso just hit the jackpot, and you can bet he’ll be rewarded handsomely to sign. Third-round money never sucks. Having never been previously drafted, Descalso’s stock started to soar in the last couple of years at UC-Davis, where he recently completed his junior season. At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, the sweet-swinging first baseman matured physically and mentally. After two solid seasons, Descalso had a breakout junior campaign, hitting .400 and leading the team in nearly every offensive category.
Despite getting tons of information from scouts that he would be drafted anywhere from the third to sixth rounds, Descalso didn’t want to get overly excited.
“It’s all talk and none of that matters until your name is actually called,” he said. “I’m happy to get off the board when I did.”
Descalso didn’t think St. Louis would pick him. He talked with a Cardinals’ scout at the beginning of the year and didn’t make contact with him again until recently.
“The scout said they were really interested, but they were still kind of a sleeper in my mind,” Descalso said. “If you would’ve asked me a week ago that the Cardinals would take me I would’ve said no way. Now that it’s happened, I can’t believe it.”
Descalso, a San Carlos native who prepped at St. Francis, said that being a left-handed hitter was a key reason why he was drafted 112th overall. There’s a big demand for left-handed hitters and pitchers at the pro level.
“The only thing that gets me drafted (this high) is I’m a left-handed hitter with gap to gap power who can hit it to all fields. I’m going to get on base and get my hits.”
And make a lot of contact. With tremendous hand-eye coordination and lightning-quick bat speed, Descalso possesses the skills that many pro teams covet. An hour after getting selected, Descalso was on the highest of highs, a euphoria that he won’t be coming down from anytime soon.
Every kid who starts playing sports at an early age invariably watches a pro game and dreams of making it there. Everyone wants to get drafted. For 90 percent of us, it never happens. Descalso grew up with big dreams, and Thursday they came true. The moment was as surreal as it gets.
“I’ve always considered myself to be a pretty good player, but I didn’t have the physical skills in high school to be drafted,” Descalso said. “I wasn’t ready to play Major League Baseball. But the last three years did so much for me in every aspect of the game. Hopefully I’ll continue to mature.”
And make it to The Show.
The St. Louis Cardinals had just taken him in the fourth round (112nd pick) in Thursday’s Major League Baseball Draft, and Descalso and his buddies were going bonkers.
“It was awesome, one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” he said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play professional baseball, and this year, for the first time, it was more of a reality. This is beyond my wildest dreams.”
In more ways than one. Descalso just hit the jackpot, and you can bet he’ll be rewarded handsomely to sign. Third-round money never sucks. Having never been previously drafted, Descalso’s stock started to soar in the last couple of years at UC-Davis, where he recently completed his junior season. At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, the sweet-swinging first baseman matured physically and mentally. After two solid seasons, Descalso had a breakout junior campaign, hitting .400 and leading the team in nearly every offensive category.
Despite getting tons of information from scouts that he would be drafted anywhere from the third to sixth rounds, Descalso didn’t want to get overly excited.
“It’s all talk and none of that matters until your name is actually called,” he said. “I’m happy to get off the board when I did.”
Descalso didn’t think St. Louis would pick him. He talked with a Cardinals’ scout at the beginning of the year and didn’t make contact with him again until recently.
“The scout said they were really interested, but they were still kind of a sleeper in my mind,” Descalso said. “If you would’ve asked me a week ago that the Cardinals would take me I would’ve said no way. Now that it’s happened, I can’t believe it.”
Descalso, a San Carlos native who prepped at St. Francis, said that being a left-handed hitter was a key reason why he was drafted 112th overall. There’s a big demand for left-handed hitters and pitchers at the pro level.
“The only thing that gets me drafted (this high) is I’m a left-handed hitter with gap to gap power who can hit it to all fields. I’m going to get on base and get my hits.”
And make a lot of contact. With tremendous hand-eye coordination and lightning-quick bat speed, Descalso possesses the skills that many pro teams covet. An hour after getting selected, Descalso was on the highest of highs, a euphoria that he won’t be coming down from anytime soon.
Every kid who starts playing sports at an early age invariably watches a pro game and dreams of making it there. Everyone wants to get drafted. For 90 percent of us, it never happens. Descalso grew up with big dreams, and Thursday they came true. The moment was as surreal as it gets.
“I’ve always considered myself to be a pretty good player, but I didn’t have the physical skills in high school to be drafted,” Descalso said. “I wasn’t ready to play Major League Baseball. But the last three years did so much for me in every aspect of the game. Hopefully I’ll continue to mature.”
And make it to The Show.