The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Orange native French off to a strong start in Dodgers system
There are few colleges in America more prestigious than Brown University. There are few organizations in Major League Baseball more revered than the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Within the last couple of months, Austin French has been a member of both.
French, an Orange native who graduated from Hamden Hall, recently finished his career as a pitcher at Brown and graduated on May 29. About two weeks later, he was selected by the Dodgers in the 27th round of the MLB draft and quickly headed out to the team’s spring training home in Arizona.
“It was pretty cool,” French said of those whirlwind couple of weeks. “Graduating from Brown was definitely a big positive or me, a big step in the right direction. Add to that getting drafted — it was something I always really wanted to happen.”
French, 22, started playing baseball when he was about 6. So hearing his named called on June 11 was truly a dream come true.
“It’s something not many kids really get to hear,” he added. “I was trying to take in that moment. My parents (Austin, Sr. and Ann Marie) were really happy. It’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
French reported to Arizona about a week later and was soon assigned to the Ogden Raptors, the Dodger’s rookielevel affiliate in the Pioneer League. Though he’s thousands of miles from home out in Utah, French’s professional career couldn’t have started much better. In his first five appearances (two starts), French has allowed eight hits and just two earned runs in 9 2/3 innings (1.86 ERA). The 6-foot-4 lefthander has struck out nine and walked four, and opponents are hitting just .215 off him.
Making that all the more impressive is the fact that Ogden, and some of the other towns in which French plays, is high-altitude — in other words, a launching pad for hitters (think Coors Field in Denver).
“It’s been a really good experience so far,” said French. “A different place in the world, but it’s fun.”
Indeed, being a pro baseball player is an entirely different lifestyle from trying to balance the books and sports in school.
“I’ve been trying to use every resource available here, talking to coaches, trainers, players to get a feel for how things work,” French reported. “At Brown, it was schoolwork and baseball, and it isn’t easy to manage both. You can’t dedicate 100 percent of your time. Since I’ve been here, you get to the park at 11 a.m. and don’t leave until midnight. There’s nothing else to do but work on what you need to work on.”
And the Dodgers make that easier to do for all of their players.
“The organization expects the best out of you,” said French, “but in return, they will give you the best facilities.”
He noted that the Raptors have chefs prepare pure, organic food each day at the ballpark for lunch and dinners, and the positive results are already showing.
“I’ve already learned so much about what it is to be a professional baseball player and maintain a great lifestyle,” he said. “All these things they’re helping me with are definitely paying off. Personally, I’ve never felt better.”
French had what he termed an “interesting” career at Brown. As a freshman in the bullpen, the coaching staff tried to make him a submarine-style lefty, and it just didn’t work out. That summer, he pitched very well for the Ocean State Waves of the New England College Baseball League, had surgery for a bone spur in the back of his shoulder in the fall, then came back and had a decent sophomore season.
His junior year started off a little rocky, but he gradually improved until earning a spot in the Bears’ starting rotation by mid-season. As a senior, French went 4-4 in nine starts and was second in the Ivy League with 60 strikeouts.
Now, he’s trying to continue the growing trend of Ivy League baseball players having professional success. He need look no further than Craig Breslow, the lefty from Trumbull who pitched at Yale and eventually carved out an 11-year major-league career.
“More guys are getting drafted, and I think it’s showing the rest of the world that, just because you go to an Ivy League school doesn’t mean you’re not good,” French said. “You carry that chip on your shoulder, because not everyone looks at the Ivy League as huge baseball schools. But I think it’s getting a lot better. It’s nice to see other guys have done it, and that it’s definitely possible.”