xavier avery

[reese]

Football signee ready to bypass Dogs after drafted by Orioles

By Marc Weiszer | marc.weiszer@onlineathens.com | Story
updated at 7:55 PM on Thursday, June 5, 2008

The Baltimore Orioles today selected Georgia football signee Xavier
Avery with the 50th overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft.

Avery's father expects his son to sign with the Orioles soon and not
join the Bulldogs.

"Football is a good thing, but baseball is best," said Theophilus
Griffin Jr. "He's going to go full-fledged with the baseball."

The Orioles tabbed the speedy center fielder from Cedar Grove High
School in the second round.

"I'm excited," Avery said. "I was really happy. Everyone in my house
was going wild."

The No. 50 pick in the 2007 draft, pitcher Wes Roemer, reportedly got
a $620,00 signing bonus from Arizona. The Orioles indicated they will
make Avery an offer that is suitable for that slot in the draft.

"It will go really smooth," Griffin said. "The Orioles told him
they'll talk (Friday). It will be resolved."



Published on OnlineAthens.com on 060508

[reese]

Georgia FB signee would choose baseball

By Carter Strickland | Thursday, June 5, 2008, 07:12 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Athens — Given his choice Xavier Avery doesn’t hesitate.

I want to go play baseball,” said the Georgia football signee. “This is what I worked so hard for. That is what I want.”

Avery has that chance. The Cedar Grove standout was selected 50th overall by the Baltimore Orioles in Thursday’s major-league Draft. Current Georgia baseball players Gordon Beckham and Joshua Fields were selected with the eighth and 10th picks by the Chicago White Sox and Seattle, respectively. That pair’s future is certain. Avery’s is pretty clear, but he is not 100 percent certain that baseball is the path he will take at this time.

I am going to sit down and talk to coach [Mark] Richt about it,” Avery said. “I still have to do some negotiating.”

The negotiating will come with the Orioles. If Avery doesn’t get the contract he wants, there is a chance he could still come to Georgia to play football and baseball. A very, very slim chance.

“Ever since I was young and I went to the Braves stadium and saw that I kept telling myself, ‘I want to be out there one day,’” Avery said. “That’s what I want to do.

“I want to go play baseball,” he reiterated.

Avery is not alone. Beckham and Fields have already started to dream about their major-league careers. What if, Beckham said to the Fields, one day Seattle is playing Chicago, the game is in the ninth inning, you are pitching and I am hitting?

“If I get a chance to do that I am sure I will throw a K up there,” Fields said. “I know he will be swinging for the fence. I will be throwing as hard as I can.”

“That would be a good situation to be in either way,’ ” said Beckham, a junior shortstop. “I’ll take the K.’ “

He’ll take it because if that situation ever presents itself Beckham will know he and his Georgia teammate have made it. They made it from being undrafted coming out of high school to top 20 picks in the 2008 MLB Draft.

Beckham was taken eighth by the Chicago White Sox. Fields was taken 20th by the Seattle Mariners.

But before they head to their major-league organizations, they will try to earn a trip to the College World Series. Georgia begins a three-game series today against N.C. State for the right to go to Omaha, Neb.

“I know coach is ready for me to stop worrying about [the draft] and worry about N.C. State,” Beckham said.

But Thursday was there day to bask in the spotlight, a day when all the accolades turned into a payday.

Fields has been through all this before. The reliever was taken by the Braves in the second round last season. After contentious contract talks, Fields decided to return to Georgia.

“I didn’t have any idea how the process worked or what went on,” Fields said of last season. “I got a chance to see baseball as a business. You are not really out there to make friends. It is everybody trying to help themselves.

“Having gone through that and knowing that you can’t take things personally, that they are just trying to do their job as well, it really helped me this year. It gave me a good idea of what to expect. I felt more familiar with the process.”

Fields, college baseball’s relief pitcher of the year, felt so comfortable that he didn’t even think about the draft until this week. Beckham analyzed it slightly more and figured he was headed to the Cincinnati Reds with the seventh pick. When the Reds passed and Chicago grabbed him, Beckham was relieved.

“I hear they need help up the middle, second base or shortstop either one,” he said.

As a shortstop Beckham was named the SEC player of the year. He is a finalist for the national Golden Spikes award. He set the school record for home runs in a season with 24. He is batting .397 with 85 runs scored, 189 total bases, 65 RBI and fielding .961 in 279 total chances.

Fields ranks second in the NCAA in saves this year with a school-record 16. He is 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 31.2 innings. He has 56 strikeouts in 30 appearances, limiting opponents to a .112 batting average. He also holds the SEC career saves record with 39.

“I definitely feel like both of us have it takes what to be there,” Fields said of climbing the ranks in pro ball. “Seeing how we handle the competition in college and especially the season Gordon had I really do think we have what it takes to get there and get there quick and help the team out.”

[geechee]

Smart kid, good luck to him.

GO DOGS!!

[hmsdawgs]

Great news for him and his family. The selfish part of me is sorry that he'll never suit up in a Georgia football uniform. But...cant blame the kid at all.
Even if he doesnt make it big time in the Major League, he will still gain financially and he'll be able to walk without pain at the age of 40.

[reese]

FWIW, if avery would have came to uga, we would have had 86 scholarship players. now if all the rest qualify, we will be right at 85.

[bulldawg]

I think we all expected this from the get go. Nobody is saying that the kid would have been a stand out football player at the college level. I'm sure he is good but the guaranteed paycheck is the better decision.

He could still come back and play later down the road if the baseball thing doesn't work out can't he?

[hmsdawgs]

I think it depends on if he signs an agent or receives money for his services. both of which he will probably do. Not sure how it works out in different sports, but I would be highly surprised if he were allowed to come back and play college ball.

[geechee]

He could still come back and play later down the road if the baseball thing doesn't work out can't he?

Yes he could. He could still play football but once he goes pro, he would not be able to play baseball at the NCAA level.

[akddawg]

Correct. That is what Q. Carter did.

[bulldawg]

Correct. That is what Q. Carter did.


Didn't that Chris Weinke do the same thing with FSU.