Brewers' Third Round Pick - Josh Wahpepah, CC RHP

[igor67]

I can't remember did Jim Thorpe pitch at all? Maybe it was eaier to dominate back then, but to be that good at that many sports?

[DuWayne Steurer]

Thorpe was an outfielder. I believe he played for the Reds, but I may very well be mistaken.

[Big Reed]

Thorpe did play for the Reds. it was hard to find a native American indian who actually succeeded and became a professional baseball player. here's a list of only about 15 native Amercans who played professional baseball in the last 100 years.

 

The names Jack Akers and Gene Locklear may be familier.

 

www.baseball-almanac.com/...yers.shtml

[SoCalBrewfan]

IIRC, Sockalexis was the original Cleveland Indian, and the team was renamed in his honor.

[batman]

More about Wahpepah, Scram, Blevins, and a Junior Spivey connection.

 

"Two Cowley players taken in baseball draft," The Arkansas City Traveler, 06/09/2004

 

www.arkcity.net/stories/0...0003.shtml

Quote:

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Cowley County Community College's Josh Wahpepah, a 6-5 right-handed pitcher who was named the Jayhawk East Most Valuable Player this past season, and Deik Scram, who led the Tigers in batting as a freshman, were each taken in the Major League Baseball draft by the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday and Tuesday.

 

Wahpepah, who went 11-3 and struck out 94 batters in 95 innings, was drafted by the Brewers with the 76th overall pick of the draft on Monday. Wahpepah was a first-team all-conference selection each of his two seasons at Cowley, and won 19 of his 22 career decisions.

 

"I'm excited for Josh," said Cowley assistant coach/pitching coach Darren Burroughs. "We are always looking for guys to advance to the next level and to try and get better."

 

Scram, of Arkansas City, batted .371 with seven home runs and 37 runs batted in as a freshman, and was taken in the 45th round of the draft by the Brewers on Tuesday. If Scram does not sign with Milwaukee before the end of his sophomore season, he will be allowed to go back into next year's draft pool.

 

Former Tiger Jesse Kovacs, who played at Cowley in the 2002 season, and then transferred to the University of Pacific, was taken in the 31st round of the draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

 

Besides Wahpepah and Scram being drafted by the Brewers, Cowley catcher Clay Blevins (.314 average, three home runs, 45 RBI), who was drafted by Milwaukee in the 46th round of last year,s draft, signed a pro contract with the Brewers just five days after the Tigers, season came to an end with a 8-5 loss to Seward County at the Region VI Tournament.

 

Another Tiger connection with the Brewers is Junior Spivey, who played baseball at Cowley during the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

 

Spivey is the starting second baseman for Milwaukee after spending his first three seasons in the major leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

 

"It's ironic that those guys would all be with the Brewers," Burroughs said. "Everything would have to happen right for them to be able to play together professionally, but it,s kind of cool that they are all with the same organization."

 

Even though Milwaukee is one of the surprise teams in baseball this season with a record of 28-27, the Brewers are in the midst of 11 consecutive losing seasons and are in the middle of a rebuilding project in which they hope to build their team with a solid core of young players.

 

"You always hope your players get drafted by somebody that needs help and that is not afraid to bring young people up," Burroughs said.

 

Wahpepah and Blevins were teammates in high school in Dale, Okla., and played the past two seasons at Cowley. Now, the pitcher and catcher will get a chance to start their pro careers together playing summer ball in the Brewers, organization.

 

Cowley finished the 2004 season as Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division champions, and a record of 43-19.

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~Bill

[JoeHova]

Thorpe did play for Cincy but mostly for the NY Giants and a little for the Braves (Boston). He never pitched in a game, unfortunately. Neither did Sockalexis, who only played 3 years.