BREAKING LOCAL SPORTS—George picked, Bullock's waiting
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The phone call Ray George admits "Bryant's waited his whole life for" finally happened just after 2 o'clock Tuesday afternoon.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale's record-setting relief ace Bryant George of Du Quoin -Ray's son-was picked in the 13th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Free Agent Draft by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
George was the 414th overall pick overall and the first from Du Quoin since former SIU standout Tim Davis was taken in 1990 by Boston.
Davis was George's high school and middle school baseball coach at Du Quoin.
George, Southern's all-time saves and appearance leader, becomes the 21st player coached by Dan Callahan at SIU to be drafted. He was the fifth player chosen in the draft from the Missouri Valley Conference. His selection in the MLB Draft marks the ninth year in a row that SIU has had at least one player drafted.
"This means everything to me," George said of being drafted. "It's what I've wanted to do since I could walk and since I could talk. I was that kid out in the yard hitting wiffle balls around and playing catch with my cousins. This is something I always wanted to happen and you never think it will until it actually does."
A 5-foot-11, 189-pound righthander, George had one of the finest four-year careers of any Saluki pitcher. Some of his honors include:
2010 All-MVC Second Team Relief Pitcher; 2009 All-MVC First Team Relief Pitcher; 2008 Brooks Wallace Award Candidate; 2007 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and 2007 Honorable Mention All-MVC.
He broke the 18-year old school record for most saves in a career when he was a junior and rounded out his career with 30 saves. In his last regular season game at Missouri State, May 22, George also set a new program standard for career appearances and he finished with 101.
A four-year stater and River-to-River All-Conference performer at Du Quoin, George was named first team Illinois Coaches Association (ICA) all-state as a senior. He split time between the pitcher's mound and shortstop.
George broke several long-standing DHS pitching records held by former big leaguer Don Stanhouse and also set the school's single season record for home runs (17).
On the football field, he set several place-kicking records for the Indians.
A 48-yard field goal against Nashville in 2005 still stands as the longest in DHS grid history.
The following spring, George and potential draftee Tyler Bullock led Du Quoin into the Sweet 16 of Class A baseball.
At SIU, George had a 4.40 career ERA with an 11-6 record.
He struck out 110 batters and only walked 47 of the 579 hitters he faced in four years with the Salukis. His 11 saves as a freshman tied for the most among all freshman in the country that year and was the 23rd best overall.
"We are all pretty much on cloud nine right now," Ray George said Tuesday evening. "Janet (Bryant's mom) and I have been waiting a long time for that call and we've been celebrating every since. I know Bryant's really excited and ready to go."
Ray said interest by the Angels began to mount in the days leading up to the draft, which started Monday morning.
The St. Louis Cardinals also expressed strong interest in the righthander. who's fastball has been clocked as high as 97 MPH.
"The Angels will have someone here to sign Bryant Thursday," Ray George said. "They plan to send him to the rookie league in Arizona for about two weeks before he's sent to Class A ball. He will probably leave by Sunday."
The Angels' Class A affiliate is located in Orem, Ut.
Bullock, the #2 career home run hitter for the Salukis, was still waiting to be drafted Wednesday morning.
A 6-foot-4, 267-pound catcher/lefty DH, Bullock, was contacted by about 10 MLB teams last fall.
"We've been watching the draft pretty closely," Tyler's dad Mark said Wednesday morning. "I felt like if he was going to be picked, Tuesday would have been the day. Right now, we are still just waiting."
The Cleveland Indians are said to have the most interest in Bullock, who joined George at SIU after playing for Austin Peay State University in Tennessee as a freshman.