16 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, June 14, 2004
SPORTS
Jays make Feldkamp top 'M' pick
By Ryan Sosin
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan sophomore pitcher
Derek Feldkamp was on the road
heading home from Ann Arbor last
Tuesday when his phone rang. On
the other end of the phone was a
scout from the Toronto Blue Jays.
vDerek had been taken in the 41st
round of the Major League Baseball
First-Year Player Draft.
"It's a dream come true to see
your name up on the draft board,"
Feldkamp said. "It's an exceptional
honor and it feels very gratifying."
The 41st round is not a very accurate
representation of Feldkamp's standing
in the eyes of scouts. Because he was
C21 at the time of the draft, he became a
draft-eligible sophomore. With two
more chances at being drafted, Feld-
kamp's likelihood of signing with the
Blue Jays becomes a question.
"(The Blue Jays) pretty much said
we will see how this process goes as
far as the summer, and see what we
(action) we will take from there,"
Feldkamp said. "If I do end up sign-
ing a professional contract, (the
team talked about) the hard work
and long hours of practice needed to
give me a chance to rise through the
minor leagues and make it to the big
leagues to play in Toronto."
At the beginning of his sopho-
more season, Feldkamp wasn't even
considered a prospect. But after
adding seven miles per hour to his
fastball, hitting as high as 95 mph
and showing three solid pitches,
scouts began to take notice. Even
more impressive was that his rapid
development took place in a season
where he jumped from the bullpen
into a rotation, starting eight of his
19 appearances.
"To just have a chance to get
drafted, and to know how hard I had
to work to prove myself," Feldkamp
said. "Hopefully we can take that
progress and turn it into a Big Ten
Championship at Michigan."
Feldkamp credits his summer ball
work last year for the drastic
improvement. He went 4-0 with a
2.57 ERA and a pair of saves in the
Florida Collegiate Instructional
League. While down there, he began
a long-toss program to build arm
strength and a more focused weight
lifting program.
"(Summer ball gave me) a chance
to get some good old fashioned hard
work in," Feldkamp said. "It really
helped translate into adding seven
(mph) to my fastball. That helped
me have a chance to get drafted."
He will again head down to Flori-
da, this year he will be going to the
IMG Baseball Academy in Braden-
ton. According to Baseball America,
if he continues improving at a simi-
lar rate, he could find himself as a
second or third round pick in 2005.
Coming into last week's draft,
Feldkamp got a picture of what he
could expect from fellow pitcher
and roommate Jim Brauer, who had
been drafted twice before.
"It's nice to have a chance to
talk to him, he explained the
process," Feldkamp said. "He's
been real helpful in the whole
Sophomore pitcher Derek Feldkamp was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the Major
League Draft on Tuesday. Feldkamp will likely return to Michigan for his junior season.
thing, the decision making and all kamp and Roberts, was taken in the
that good stuff." draft as well.
Brauer, a junior, joined Feldkamp "It's kind of cool for everyone in
as 2004 pick. Senior Brandon. the house to have a chance to get
Roberts, who also lives with Feld- drafted," Feldkamp said.
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