Major League Baseball teams are scouting Cape’s Big 3
On Nov. 8, 2017, five Cape baseball players wore their college swag to school for the National Letter of Intent signing day.
Austin Elliott will be going to North Carolina, Zack Gelof to the University of Virginia, Reese White to Hampden-Sydney, David Erickson to Liberty University and Zach Savage to Lafayette College.
The athletes signed, sealed and delivered. So that was that, but not exactly. The Major League Baseball draft is in June. Elliott, Gelof and Erickson have been heavily scouted, and they are data entries inside the analytical matrix of all MLB clubs.
“We’ve had some teams come to school to see them, and there have been meetings with parents outside of school, and they have been to workouts and interviews with the Yankees, Tigers and Indians,” said Cape Athletic Director Bob Cilento. “And they are going to the MSI Center in Pennsylvania to work out before 30 Major League teams.”
Cilento is a longtime baseball guy whose son Bill is a coach at Wake Forest. Cilento understands the system.
Signing bonus money is slotted at a certain financial range depending on the round drafted, but some prospects selected in later rounds may get higher-round monies depending on distribution of funds in the signing players. Things are as different as they are the same. It all depends on the team and their motivation to sign a player.
Many high school phenoms elect to honor their college commitment, which takes them out of draft consideration for the next three years.
The signing bonus money down through the fifth round can be a quarter of a million.
Jay Elliott, frequent flyer and father of Austin, said, “Your scholarship is only guaranteed one year at the percentage you agree to with the school. If you sign with an MLB team, you get your four years of school guaranteed to use at any point in your life. It's basically put into like an escrow account, plus your signing bonus, and every pick in the draft has a slotted figure of allowed money.”
Chris Calciano, a Lewes resident and former scout for the Red Sox who is now with the Cleveland Indians, said, “When we sign a high school player regardless of the round, he gets the signing bonus plus four years of 100 percent of the cost to the school he is committed to. Some teams give four years of the state school cost in a player’s home state. That is called the CSP, college scholarship plan. We dont care if he is getting 30 percent, 50 percent, or whatever ... he gets 100 percent covered.”
Adam Gelof reflected back on the baseball travels of his son Zack, “Because of the teams he's played for, in every game he's played in, there were at least a dozen MLB scouts watching,” he said, noting in some events with Erickson and Elliott it’s more like 400 to 600. “When the draft happens in June, probably a quarter of the players taken in top 10 rounds will be kids he's competed against or with as teammates. We are already so thankful for all these memories. Zack was able to travel to and see the College World Series in Omaha when he was 14. Having lived through that, I think the chance to help UVA teammates win a title in that environment and getting a college education is something he puts a high value on. His ultimate goal and dream is to be a productive MLB player.”
Cape baseball coach Ben Evick said, “I think all three players have a legitimate shot of getting real money.” He added, “It’s going to depend on whether the scouts feel they are signable or whether they want to go to college.”
March 1 begins baseball practice in Delaware. Cape has never won a state title in the sport. And that is the focus of the players now. They want to leave a legacy and to hang a banner in the gym that will endure forever. The team plays at Chris Short Field, and that is good baseball karma.
Addendum: Cape players drafted include Benny Wiltbank by the Pirates in 1977 in the 15th round. Wiltbank played from 1977 through 1982 and reached the Triple-A level. Benny does wear a 1979 Pirates World Series ring.
Oliver “Obie” Maull was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 26th round in 1981. A catcher and outfielder, Maull played 1981 and 1982 in the rookie league.
Brian Mifflin was drafted in the 50th round by the New York Mets in 1994. He played 1994 and 1995 in the rookie league and hit eight home runs.
Tyler Townsend was drafted in the third round by the Orioles in 2009. He played first base from 2009 to 2012 and made it to the Double-A level.
