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 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption:
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Hun Pitcher Garrison Headed to Pros After Brewers Take Him in MLB Draft
By Bill Alden
By all rights, Steve Garrison should have slept like a log on the night of June 6.
After all, Garrison had concluded his senior year at the Hun School, having graduated three days earlier.
He had a summer of American Legion and high school all star baseball to look forward to before heading to the University of North Carolina in the fall.
But Garrison tossed and turned that night, realizing that the Major League Baseball draft the next day could dramatically alter the course of his life.
"I didn't get much sleep Monday night," said Garrison. "I was excited but nervous at the same time."
Garrison's edginess increased as June 7 unfolded. "Every round that went without me being picked, it was like Œoh no,'" recalled Garrison, who was listening to the draft over MLB radio. "You are never sure what's going to happen until your name is called."
The call came for Garrison in the 10th round as he was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers as the 295th pick overall in the draft .
"The Brewers had shown the most interest in me all along," said Garrison, who had been out to Milwaukee during graduation week for a pre-draft workout.
By Thursday, Garrison was an employee of the Brewers as he signed with the club and decided to forgo North Carolina in order to start his pro career. This week, Garrison heads west to the Arizona Summer League to play for the Maryvale affiliate of the Brewers.
The gifted lefthander acknowledged that it was tough to pass up North Carolina. "It was a very tough decision," recalled Garrison, who said he signed for "fifth round money."
"They are setting up a college fund for me so I will probably go somewhere locally like Rutgers or Rider for a semester at a time."
In the meantime, Garrison is primed for the education he will receive on the diamond.
"We start practicing on Monday and then have games on Thursday," said Garrison, who possesses pinpoint control and a fastball in the low 90s.
"It's going to be a strict routine. I'm looking forward to being pushed at this level. I want to become a more well-rounded pitcher."
Garrison acknowledges that he hasn't wasted time changing his pro baseball allegiance. "I was a big fan of Mark Mulder," said Garrison with a laugh referring to the All-Star pitcher. "I rooted for the Oakland A's when he was there and then I liked St. Louis when he moved there. Now, I'm a huge Ben Sheets fan."
Hun head coach Bill McQuade believes his star is doing the right thing by going pro now. "If Stevie went to college, he would be going through this at age 22 or 23," said McQuade. "He's getting a head start. It will be a big change, he is an 18-year-old going against 22 or 23 year olds. The biggest challenge will the mental grind, playing games everyday and travelling around on buses."
Noting that Garrison was a star from his first start at Hun, McQuade believes the pitching prodigy has what it takes to reach the major leagues.
"Stevie impressed all the scouts with his pinpoint control," said McQuade, noting that Garrison struck out 84 and walked just five in 48 innings of work this spring.
"His velocity has gone for around 80 m.p.h. as a freshman to 91 this spring. He has command of all his pitches and he developed a nasty slider. As long as he stays away from an arm injury and gets a little stronger, he could jump through this quickly."
For Garrison, getting the chance to prove himself at the pro level is a dream come true. "I've wanted to be a professional baseball player since middle school," said Garrison. "I'm starting what I hope will be my career."
While becoming a pro has been in the back of Garrison's mind for a while, his main focus at Hun was helping the Raiders reach a higher level.
"I didn't dwell on my personal goals," said Garrison who went 8-0 in his senior season at Hun and posted a career record of 25-4 in winning the team MVP all four years of his high school career. "I was with my friends. I just wanted to play with the team and help them win. As a bonus, I'm getting to go on to the next level."
In McQuade's view, Garrison's humility is one of his most impressive traits. "You wouldn't know he is a star," asserted McQuade. "He talks about everyone else but himself. It's sincere, he does it from the heart."
For Garrison, the relationships he has forged with his high school teammates helped land him in pro ball.
"We're all brothers, we're one big family," said Garrison, noting that such past teammates as Tom Monfiletto, Matt Stillitano, Eli Obus, and Will Barrett supported him at major league tryouts this spring. "If I get there [the major leagues], they are going with me. I'll never have better friends than that."
As Garrison takes the first steps in that journey, he won't rest until he makes his friends proud.
