Trading Atlanta for Athens
Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in last summer's amateur draft, the Bobcats' freshman first baseman has settled in just fine
By Zach Swartz, Staff Writer
May 5, 2008 | 10 a.m.
After being selected in the 34th round of Major League Baseball’s 2007 Amateur Draft by the Atlanta Braves, Maddox was on and off the phone with scouts giving him advice on contracts and other paperwork. When the Aug. 15 deadline to sign with a team came, however, Maddox had no official offer. Taking this as an opportunity rather than a failure, the Euclid, Ohio, native turned down offers from The Ohio State University, the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University and others to sign with the Bobcats.
A baseball player is eligible for the MLB Amateur Draft, more commonly known as the “Rule 4” Draft, as long as he is a resident of the United States or Canada. Eligible players include those who have graduated from high school (but have not yet played for a university or junior college), all junior college players and any player who has completed his junior year at a four-year college. The team who drafts a player maintains rights to sign that player until a week before the next draft or until he signs with a college. Because Maddox chose to sign with Ohio, the Braves lost their rights to him, and he will not be eligible to be drafted again until he completes his junior season.
To the slugging first baseman, however, that is no problem.
“It’s a dream to play baseball right away, and I worked hard trying to get drafted out of high school,” Maddox said. “That’s just what I’ve been looking forward to my whole life. I don’t really regret [not signing]. I’m just happy I got out there and got drafted in the first place. Why I’m here is just to work hard for four years and hopefully get drafted again.”
Maddox decided to come to Ohio to play baseball because of the Bobcat coaching staff’s hospitality and care not only for him, but for his family, as well. He credits much of his talent in baseball to his father, Robert Maddox II, who was a skilled athlete in his day. From the age of 7, the younger Maddox remembers getting up with his father early in summertime mornings to work on his skills as a player. These days, four or five of Maddox’s family members can be seen at almost all his games.
While they watch him, they should have no doubt that those early mornings with Pop paid off.
His senior season in high school, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and News Herald’s first-team selection put up an astounding .559 batting average and an even more incredible 1.200 slugging percentage while belting five home runs, knocking in 26 RBIs and stealing 16 bases for the Villa Angela St. Joseph Vikings. For the Bobcats, the freshman ranks second in batting average (.351), RBIs (38), home runs (7) and doubles (15), while he sits at third place in slugging percentage (.589), runs scored (40) and hits (59).
While Maddox has had to learn to adjust to the talent of opposing collegiate pitching, he is not surprised by the success he has achieved thus far in his first college season.
“I expected to struggle a little, just because that’s how freshman year is,” Maddox said. “I’m not surprised by the success I’ve had because I work hard and push it out every day and just trust my own ability by itself, and it’s just turned out to be a good year so far. But the season’s not over with, yet.”
Ohio head coach Joe Carbone agrees but also knows that the freshman has areas to work on as well.
“He’s playing the way we think he can play,” Carbone said. “There are things he needs to do to get better. He’s not ready for the Hall of Fame yet. He’s got some things he has to do, but he’s a quality freshman.”
As the Bobcats (20-24, 9-9 Mid-American Conference), who are in second place in the MAC East Division behind the Kent State Golden Flashes (26-17, 9-6 MAC), begin to prepare for the end of the season and the MAC Tournament, Maddox remains optimistic not only about his team’s future, but also his own. If he keeps working hard, he said, he believes one day he can make it to the pros—for good this time.
Right now, though, Maddox is content staying right where he is.
“I wanted to go [to the majors], but the cards didn’t fall the right way,” he said. “So here I am.”
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