2004 Draft Signing: Latest, Brewers ponied up $$ for Periard

[igor67]

Well the nice thing about having so many potential DFE's is that by time you get started signing guys it seems like your almost done. With Rogers being almost a sure thing it only seems like we've got a couple of key guys left to sign.

[hscoach]

with these guys going so high in the draft, I wouldn't think they would even consider college. With Rogers he doesnt have much to gain by going he was a top pick and Yo being a high second round pick I wouldnt understand that either. I was thinking that if either one of these guyts goes to college they are not eligible to be drafted for 3 years. Is that correct and if so could they sign with the Brewers during that time. I hope both guys sign. Know this aint the place for but Ben Sheets is pretty dang good, like i said on another post I havent followed the Brew Crew till lately but he is awesome!

[colbyjack]

If any HS draftee attends a 4-year institution, as you said, they are not eligible for the draft for 3 years, unless they're 21 within 45 days of the draft after their sophomore season. The Brewers would lose any & all control of that player as soon as they set foot on campus, unless of course they draft them again down the road.

 

And I don't think we have to worry about Rogers or Gallardo going to school. When working on Gallardo's player profile it seemed as though he was pretty intent on turning pro, even with his commitment to TCU. It may take a little bit longer to sign him, since the Brewers have had to wait a little bit longer with their recent 2nd round picks outside of Gwynn.

 

I think Toby's earlier prediction of Rogers signing on Wednesday will be close to accurate, if not dead-on, and it will likely be for $2.5 million, the pre-determined slot value based on the commissioner's office. Gallardo will probably make something in the $850k range.

[mothershipconnection]

His fastball was as fast as a Geo? Does that mean it will take him until the 5th inning to reach the 60s?

I shouldn't admit to this, but I once buried the needle in my Prizm: they can hit the low-90's with the standard 1.6 liter. Now, if you're talking Prizm LS, with a screaming 1.8 liter powerplant, that's some serious speed.

[MassBrew]

Nice signing here; this was potentially one to get away...

 

Link while active:

www.tribstar.com/articles...orts01.txt

 

Joining the pro ranks

West Vigo's Lenny Leclercq signs with Milwaukee Brewers

Viking shortstop optimistic about reaching big leagues

By Craig Pearson/Tribune-Star

June 15, 2004

 

Lenny Leclercq's remarkable high school baseball career ended with West Vigo's loss coming just one game shy of the state championship game, making the star shortstop ready to become a professional with the signing of a contract.

 

After being selected in the 11th round of last week's Major League Baseball draft, the 18-year-old signed a $172,000 contract Monday with the Milwaukee Brewers, and he leaves Friday for Phoenix, Ariz., to join the Brewers' rookie league team. His contract includes a $100,000 signing bonus, while the remainder of the contract is to pay for Leclercq's college education.

 

Leclercq donned the Brewers' cap while signing his contract at Coach Steve DeGroote's home in West Terre Haute -- a house filled with family, friends and former teammates.

 

A small percentage of baseball players achieve their Major League dreams, yet Leclercq is optimistic.

 

"Hopefully, I have a good season down there [at Phoenix], and work my way up to the big leagues some day," Leclercq said. "It's going to be a few years. I'm going to work hard at it. I think they wouldn't have picked me if they didn't think I could make it to the big leagues."

 

After seeing Leclercq's work ethic first hand produce record-breaking results, DeGroote is confident Leclercq can go a long way in baseball. DeGroote said he didn't do anything for Leclercq that he doesn't do for all his players.

 

"I was just there to open the door for him every day at 6 a.m.," DeGroote said.

 

Besides leading the Vikings to the semistate championship game Saturday, Leclercq compiled staggering statistics. He tied the school record of 13 home runs. His 56 RBI's shattered Casey DeGroote and Kevin Egli's previous record of 48. He batted .441 (41-of-93) with 35 runs scored, seven doubles, three triples and 30 stolen bases.

 

Leclercq's parents, Lenny and Connie, were proud to see their son achieve his goal of being a professional baseball player, while Mom added she was sad he'll travel so far away.

 

"It didn't come easy for him," Connie Leclercq said. "He was [at the school] at 6 a.m. every day. His work ethic was unbelievable."

 

Ability aside, a man's character and ability to fail allows for success, DeGroote said.

 

"They're going to put a wooden bat in his hands and guys will be throwing 90, 95, 100 miles an hour, and they'll say go hit it," DeGroote said. "He's going to fail. I've heard Leclercq compared to [former ISU shortstop] Clint Barmes. Barmes is a tough kid. He could handle failure."

 

Barmes is excelling at the AAA level of the Colorado Rockies organization.

 

Another key is staying healthy, DeGroote said. The last West Vigo graduate to be drafted was DeGroote's son Casey, who went in the 11th round to the Yankees. Injuries had a toll on Casey DeGroote, who now plays independent ball at Kalamazoo, Mich.

 

Milwaukee Brewers area scout Mike Farrell -- a former Indiana State player -- was at the DeGroote's home to offer Leclercq his contract.

 

"As an organization, we feel [Leclercq] fits into what we feel like we've been looking for in quality individuals," Farrell said. "He's a higher end talent that has a character for us to be excited."

 

After signing a national-letter-of-intent to play for Indiana University, Leclercq put a lot of thought into his decision. DeGroote helped the young man with that decision, Leclercq said.

 

"He just told me 'I know you can negotiate dollars, but let your heart tell you what to do. If your hearts in it you gotta go. No money can make a difference if it's what you want to do.'"

 

Leclercq's decision allows him to devote all his energy to baseball.

 

"I watched kids trying to juggle both [school and baseball]," DeGroote said. "When you go play a four-game weekend series and have to come back for a Physics test, it's tough. He can concentrate on one thing. He can always go back to school."

 

BIG DREAMS: West Vigo graduate Lenny Leclercq (center), surrounded by his father Lenny, mother Connie, Brewers' area scout Mike Farrell and Coach Steve DeGroote, smiles after signing a contract to play professional baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers. (Tribune-Star/Craig Pearson)

 

http://www.tribstar.com/content/articles/2004/06/15/sports/sports01.jpg

[batman]

Tough sign? No problem.

 

Nice job, Team Canada.*

 

* I think that's what we need to start calling the team of Ash, Melvin, et. al. The "new regime" is getting old.

 

~Bill

[950opsLHcatcher]

I'm convinced that Team Canada drafted LeClerq because they thought he was Canadian. He sounds more Canadian than some of the real Canadians.

 

$172 K for an 11th rounder. That's not a bad pay day.

[MassBrew]

I'm just guessing that the Brewers would prefer that the local newspaper scribes didn't print the contract terms -- or more to the point, that we didn't find the local articles http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[colbyjack]

Outstanding signing. Well above slot value, so you know the Brewers aren't just signing players to please Uncle Bud. Nice to know we have a talented SS prospect in the lower levels of the system.

[squarepusher]

Nice job by the organization opening up their pocketbooks once again!

[Al the Thinking Man]

$100K + college money is really only $100K, as he may not go to school.

[batman]

Why *don't* they publicize this signing? For all the folks that call this team cheap and accuse them of lying about spending money on the draft, this is a pretty big refutation.

 

~Bill

[colbyjack]

Teams never release signing bonuses, and from what I'm told, they typically don't release salary info either. That stuff is usually found elsewhere. I know when we met Doug Melvin last year he told us that he wishes that kind of info wasn't even available to the public, because it really isn't any of our business. It's like if you salary was published in the local newspaper, not like anyone would care.

 

I guessed before the draft that the Brewers might be able to open their pocketbooks a little bit with later signees given the fact that they wouldn't have to pay Rickie Weeks money to their first round pick coupled with the existence of the revenue sharing money. LeClercq is a perfect example of this, getting about $50-100,000 more than a player usually taken in that kind of slot would have received. I'm pleasantly surprised he signed for that "little."

[hscoach]

what is tha latest on these guys?

[mothershipconnection]

You can't help but root for a guy named Lenny. Great to see us open the wallet and make a potential steal (in terms of draft position) in the 11th round.

[rpms6]

From CNNSI...

 

Milwaukee Brewers - Signed outfielder Stephen Chapman, their sixth-round pick in the First-Year Player Draft; signed outfielder Jacob Serfass and pitcher Brandan Murray.

 

I assume the others are undrafted free agents...

 

5 of the top 6 signed...not bad...

[MassBrew]

Jake Serfass was a senior corner outfielder for the University of West Virginia this year.

 

He hit .302 in 205 AB's, slugging .468 (six HR's), and getting on base at a .399 clip.

 

6'2", 190 -- could provide some immediate maturity to that young Helena outfield.

[squarepusher]

Jake Serfass Brewerfan.net player profile:

www.brewerfan.net/ViewPla...ayerId=713

[colbyjack]

Great news! Keep adding those outfielders to the system! If we keep stockpiling OFs, maybe one of these years we can draft & sign a bunch of 3B http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif .

[MassBrew]

From April 23rd:

 

Serfass on fire at West Virginia

By JENNIFER WIELGUS

phillyBurbs.com

 

In the throes of a disappointing senior season, the stories sound even more enticing.

 

Jake Serfass has many friends who play baseball professionally in the minor leagues. And when they call or visit him at West Virginia University, they really get his blood pumping.

 

"They come back with all the stuff they get, talking about all the people they meet," says Serfass, a Pennsbury graduate. "It's got to be fun. They love it. I would love to do it, too."

 

Serfass currently plays left field for West Virginia, which has slogged to a 12-21 overall record this year. The Mountaineers are 3-10 and in last place in the Big East standings.

 

Only the top four in the 11-team conference go to the Big East championship tournament. So barring a miraculous turnaround by WVU, Serfass has only about a month left in his college baseball career.

 

Serfass, like any serious athlete, dreams of going pro. But the 6-foot-2, 190-pound lead-off hitter says he won't have a gauge on his draft prospects until the phone rings on draft day (June 5).

 

Until then, he's finishing off a degree in physical education and trying to make the best of a tough season.

 

"It's always hard to stay positive when you're losing," says Serfass, who lives in Fairless Hills. "But playing the game is fun. You get to play it at the collegiate level, and there's always tomorrow. You lose one game and you always want to come out the next day and give it your best and get better at practice.

 

"You can always get better - especially the way we're playing."

 

Serfass has been playing pretty well.

 

One of just two West Virginia players to start all 33 games this year, he's hitting .323 with a teamhigh 5 home runs. His 11 doubles and 22 walks also lead the team. Serfass has driven in 15 runs, scored 32 and boasts a .543 slugging percentage.

 

A former Pennsbury basketball and baseball standout, Serfass had to wait his turn during his first two years at West Virginia. He started nine games as a freshman, then 12 as a sophomore. Then just eight games into his junior year, Serfass cracked the starting lineup again.

 

He smashed two home runs in a win over Stony Brook, and the rest was history. Serfass hit .357 last year with 10 homers, 37 RBIs and a whopping .656 slugging percentage, all of which earned him third-team All-Big East honors.

 

If Serfass' professional baseball goals don't come to fruition this summer, he plans to make a living teaching and coaching. But he'd love to share in all of his friends' minor league stories.

 

"If I get a call, I'm definitely going [pro]," Serfass says. "I want to play as long as I can. It would be great to play and get paid for it."

[colbyjack]

Jim Powell just noted that the Brewers have also signed 15th rounder David Johnson, a RHP from UCLA. After teasing us with no signings the first couple of days following the draft, the Brewers have done a great job getting several if not most of their key draftees signed, and in a timely fashion.

[MassBrew]

LHP Brandon Murray (note different spelling than cnnsi.com provided) pitched at Avery Point Community College in Connecticut before moving on to Flagler College in Florida. Murray (6'3", 225) is coming off his senior year, so again, there's a good chance he'll see Helena before the season's over.

 

From his hometown paper in Norwich, CT:

 

Not that Brandon Murray wanted his teammate to get hurt, but things certainly took a turn in the former Norwich Free Academy standout's favor recently.

 

While playing for NAIA Flagler College in St. Augustine, Fla., a scout from the Milwaukee Brewers was there to watch one of the Saints pitch. When he got hurt after just one inning, Murray -- a 2000 NFA graduate -- stepped in and impressed.

 

So much so that the Brewers went after Murray and late Tuesday night signed him to a contract. Murray will join the Rookie League Helena (Mont.) Brewers Friday morning. Their first game is Friday night.

 

"It was being in the right place at right time," Murray said Wednesday. "I went in to pitch when the guy got hurt and the scout was impressed. I threw strikes and that goes a long way."

 

After a solid career at NFA, the left-handed Murray spent two years with Roger Bidwell at Avery Point, then the last two at Flagler. He went 4-0 this season, including an impressive win over Division II Florida Southern.

 

"I knew playing professionally was a real possibility since I was in 11th grade," Murray said. "There were always scouts around. I've looked at the guys that have been drafted and they throw as hard as I do (86-87 m.p.h.) but they threw more strikes. I needed to get more consistent and throw more strikes."

 

The trip to Big Sky country will be the first for Murray, who has been to Canada and up and down the East Coast.

 

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I'm not really too nervous. I'm really excited to start."

[PrimetimeHater]

Doesn't look like we'll be getting Josh Brady from Texas Tech.

 

texastech.collegesports.c...04aaa.html

[950opsLHcatcher]

That could just be a bargaining ploy by Brady. Until he signs with someone, we won't know.

 

Anyway...

 

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/sports/brew/img/jun04/mark622.jpg

[Al the Thinking Man]

I found it to be a very good sign that Rogers wore his shirt and tie even during the game last night. An associate at the store was involved in a court case, and the 19 year-old being sentenced showed up in a NASCAR shirt and dirty jeans. This kid may never come close to the big leagues, but at least he has the intelligence to do so if his arm doesn't break down.