Brewers sign Ned Yost IV

dpapo · May 24, 2005

I saw on JSONLINE that the Brewers signed Ned Yost IV to a free agent contract as a fifth year college senior. What would be the scouting report on him?

"One day after the toughest loss of the season for the Milwaukee Brewers, manager Ned Yost found reason to smile broadly Monday afternoon.

That's what happens when your oldest son signs a professional baseball contract.

The Brewers announced they had signed Ned Yost IV to a free-agent contract and assigned him to their extended spring training camp in Phoenix. Yost will play for the rookie club in Helena, Mont., when the Pioneer League season begins in late June.

Yost IV signed as a fifth-year senior out of UW - Oshkosh, where he batted .413 with 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in this year. He earned first-team all-WIAC honors after compiling a .774 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage, with 60 runs scored, 15 doubles and 26 walks.

Also getting interest from Florida and Cincinnati, Yost opted to sign with the Brewers rather than wait for the June 7 amateur draft. Fifth-year seniors do not have to wait for the draft.

"He didn't want to wait for a month (to sign)," said the elder Yost. "I told him if you wait for the draft, there's not that much money involved, so you might as well go ahead and get started."

Yost, who said his son got "a cheeseburger and french fries" to sign, emphasized that the Brewers did not do this as a favor to him.

"It has nothing to do with me," Yost said. "He earned his way here. The Brewers have been watching him all these years. He worked hard and he earned it. He's very proud and I'm proud of him."

Ned IV, whose primary position was catching, began his collegiate career at Georgia, where he redshirted a year and served as a backup for two years. He transferred to Dallas Baptist for a year, then switched to Oshkosh."

www.jsonline.com/sports/b...328304.asp