Bay Area prospect committed to Stanford
Valley Christian’s Park cherishes the good times, takes nothing for granted after all that happened this spring
SAN JOSE >> Major League Baseball made it official Friday, announcing dates and times for a draft cut from 40 rounds to five because of cost measures related to the coronavirus pandemic.
For high school prospects such as Valley Christian outfielder Eddie Park, the decision, potentially, is the latest in a list of broken dreams this spring as they adhere to COVID-19 restrictions.
Good thing Park has another option.
“I’m open to whatever happens, whether it’s the draft or whether it’s Stanford,” said Park, who signed with the Cardinal in the fall. “They’ve both always been my dream. I’ve always wanted to be drafted and play Major League Baseball. But at the same time, Stanford has been a dream school.”
Baseball America ranks Park among the top 500 prospects ( high school or college). In a 40- round draft, some 1,200 players typically are selected.
MLB says 160 will be taken in this draft, 37 on June 10, 123 on June 11. Teams can sign an unlimited number of undrafted players for up to $ 20,000 apiece.
Park likely would have been selected in a normal draft. Now?
Well, let’s just say he has learned the past two months that hopes and dreams sometimes do not materialize.
The coronavirus ended his senior season after eight games, preventing him and his classmates from possibly winning an unprecedented fourth consecutive Central Coast Section Open Division championship.
The team didn’t play a single West Catholic Athletic League game, so there was no opportunity to defend that title, either.
Graduation won’t be held as scheduled, postponed until mid-July, Park said, after the students chose that option over an online ceremony at the end of this month.
“I still don’t think I am over it,” Park said Thursday about the high school baseball season being canceled.
“I wake up every day and think about where we would be right now. Today would have been the WCAL championship game for the WCAL tournament.
“But it’s taught me a lot of things, though. When people tell you that you can’t take anything for granted in this sport because you don’t know when your last one is, that’s really applicable to us right now.
“I definitely know when I first start playing again, I am just going to remember that feeling I had when our season got canceled.”
Park, at No. 488, is among several Bay Area high school prospects in Baseball America’s Top 500. Others include De La Salle left-hander Kyle Harrison ( No. 72, UCLA), Archbishop Mitty infielder Nick Yorke ( No. 87, Arizona), Los Gatos infielder Tommy Troy (No. 191, Stanford) and De La Salle right-hander Cullen Kafka ( No. 277, Oregon).
College prospects with Bay Area ties include Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson ( No. 2, Casa Grande-Petaluma), Cal infielder Darren Baker ( No. 174, Dusty’s son), UC Davis infielder Tanner Murray ( No 194, San Lorenzo Valley) and Cal Poly- San Luis Obispo outfielder Bradlee Beasley ( No. 429, San Leandro).
They might or might not be part of the smallest draft in MLB history.
Asked about the changes, De La Salle coach David Jeans said, “I don’t think it’s going to matter
to the guys that are going in the top five rounds.”
No matter what happens, Park said, he’ll cherish his time at Valley Christian.
“The memories I made in the clubhouse, the dogpiles are something that I’ll never forget,” he said. “I still talk to every single guy I played with.”