Like so many professional baseball players, former University ofMemphis pitcher and Memphis native Bill Edwards is continuing hisdream in a place well removed from the television cameras and cushylocker rooms of Major League Baseball.
On June 7, the Anaheim Angels took Edwards in the 29th round ofthe amateur draft. Shortly after, he headed for Provo, Utah, aquick 1,600-mile jaunt from Memphis.
"It's a lot different here," Edwards said in a telephoneinterview. "It's really nice weather. It's not as humid, so it'sbeen really good. It was pretty tough to get used to it. It's toughleaving home, but I think it's working out pretty well."
Edwards isn't the only Tigers prospect chosen in the first-yearplayer draft. Three other Tigers -- pitchers Jarrett Grube andDerrek Hankins, along with shortstop Brent Dlugach -- reside inisolated, minor-league outposts across the country.
In Grube's case, his professional career is starting in a placehe didn't know existed.
"I'd never heard of Pasco (Wa.)," Grube said. It's on the eastside of the mountain range so it's a desert. It gets about 6 inchesof rain a year, and every day it's anywhere from 80 to 110 degrees.Sometimes it's a little bit hard to breathe. It's just differentthan I'm used to."
Grube was drafted in the 10th round by the Colorado Rockies andis now pitching for their short-season class A affiliate, theTri-Cities Dust Devils. Even in such an unfamiliar environment,Grube has pitched well, posting a 1-0 record and a 4.32 ERA in 8.1innings of work. The righty has also kept his strikeout touch,striking out 13 hitters in his limited action.
Off the baseball diamond, Grube has maintained relationshipswith both Edwards and Hankins.
"We just shoot the breeze, make sure each other's doing well,because it's a whole different situation than college," Grube said."It's our job now, and it's a different atmosphere. Going to a newteam, you don't know anybody, and you've got to start all overagain, so you just call and check up on your boys and make surethey're doing all right."
While Edwards and Grube are pitching west of the Rockies,Hankins and Dlugach were shipped east.
As the only pitcher of the three draftees who is currentlystarting games, Hankins has performed well. In three starts for theWilliamsport (Pa.) Crosscutters, Hankins has compiled a 0-2 recordwith a 2.25 ERA in 16 innings of work. He's struck out four and hasyet to allow a homerun during his professional career. ThePittsburgh Pirates drafted him in the 10th round.
Despite his record, Crosscutters pitching coach Ray Fearageoffered a glowing assessment of the young right-hander.
"He's done outstandingly well," Fearage said. "He's got moundsavvy. He's got a pretty good idea on how to set up hitters. Onething that doesn't affect him is making the mistake. He doesn't getshattered out there, he turns the page and then works on the nextpitch."
In his starts, Hankins has pitched five, six and five innings,respectively -- a total with which Fearage is more than happy.
"If they give us five innings, they've done their job," Fearagesaid. "If they give us six or seven, that's outstanding.
"The way he's going about his business right now, I'm happierthan a pig in a sty."
Repeated attempts to reach Hankins for comment wereunsuccessful.
Dlugach, the lone Tigers position player to be drafted, went inthe sixth round to the Detroit Tigers. For weeks, there was somethought that he would return to Memphis for his senior season, butlast week he signed and has reported to the Tigers short-seasonsingle A affiliate, the Oneonta (N.Y.) Tigers. He has yet to play agame.
Despite the distance that separates them, each of the 2004 classof Memphis draftees has the exact same goal.
"You just try to get acclimated and try to understand the gameof professional baseball," Edwards said. "The ultimate goal is tomake the major leagues, but obviously this season that'sunrealistic."
Grube also finds himself thinking about the major leagues
"You think about it a lot," Grube said. You hear from other guyswho have met (major league) players, and you hear theirstories."
The hope for the Tigers minor leaguers is that someday soon,they'll have stories of their own to tell.
