Kolby Copeland, CF

[Madman81]

Mainge, didn't you laugh at Stanton being called an athlete?

[Mainge]

Yes.

[LocoMarlinFan]

Hayden Jennings, Kolby Copeland sign pro deals
1:07 AM, Jun. 8, 2012 | Comments

Parkway's Kolby Copeland and Evangel's Hayden Jennings signed professional contracts Thursday with the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals, both of whom have teams in the Florida-based rookie league.

Should Copeland and Jennings both pass their club-mandated physicals, they could face off in their professional debuts as the Marlins and Nationals are set to open the GCL season June 18.

"It's crazy," Jennings said. "We have to travel 16 hours to play each other."

Crazy could have described the scene at the Jennings home Thursday night as Hayden Jennings and Washington area supervisor of scouting Tyler Wilt sat at the kitchen table poring over contract details.

With his mother, father, brother Chase and sisters Amanda, Morgan and Claire surrounding him, Hayden Jennings calmly signed his name on the contract Wilt carried with him to Shreveport,

extending a wild ride that began at 1:43 p.m. Tuesday when Wilt called Jennings and offered him a chance to join the Nationals organization.

"We're excited to have Hayden with the Washington Nationals," Wilt said. "As good a player as he is, he has even a higher-caliber character. He fits into everything we're trying to do with the Nationals."

Terms of both contracts were not released, but Baseball America listed the slot value for Copeland's pick (127 overall) at $367,200 and Jennings' selection (204) at $174,900.

Jennings joins a Nationals organization that includes 19-year-old wunderkind Bryce Harper. Being a left-handed hitting center fielder, Jennings was asked a question about being the next Harper before Morgan Jennings simply suggested, "He's the first Hayden Jennings."

In much the same way, Copeland has not been an easy comparison.

"He's kind of unique," Marlins scout Mark Willoughby said. He's very aggressive at the plate. I like his aggressiveness at the plate and that he wants to hit. He's not just a power bat, but a guy who can hit and has power. To throw a comparison on him is not fair. I think he's his own guy, honestly.

Copeland is eager to hit the field as both he and Jennings leave Sunday to start their new lives.

"My dreams are coming true," Copeland said. "I'm just making my way step by step. Signing that paper was one of those steps."

It also helped make the events of the last few days more tangible for Copeland.

"It's all coming to me," he said. "It's real. I'm still taking it all in. Each step gets more and more real. Once I get to playing, it's all going to be real."

While he signed quickly, Jennings had to make a decision between pro ball and playing at LSU.

It was one that came quicker than most might imagine thanks in part to Wilt's phone call.

"We thought the rounds were going to be around 10, 11, 12 and we knew the money wouldn't be as good there," Hayden Jennings said. "When they called in the sixth round, total shock. They matched the number the Lord had given me to a T. That's when I knew I was supposed to play professional baseball for the Nationals."

Jennings said the number was "enough to buy a scholarship from LSU."

Louisiana Tech right-hander Jeb Stefan also signed Thursday, one day after being taken in the 22nd round by Philadelphia

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/artic...sign-pro-deals

[LocoMarlinFan]

Marlins sign third-round comp Copeland
6/11/2012 11:25:55 AM

The Miami Marlins have signed talented Louisiana prep outfielder and third compensation round pick Kolby Copeland, with a signing bonus of $367,200. The pick value for that slot in the draft is $367,000.

Had he not signed, Copeland was headed to Baton Rouge Community College. Copeland is a very nice pickup for the Nationals. He's a very physical-hitting outfielder with good tools across the board.

http://www.perfectgame.org/blogs/Entry.aspx?entry=13716

[Jay]

"Copeland is a very nice pickup for the Nationals" WTF

[emkayseven]

127) Kolby Copeland, OF, Miami Marlins: .277/.324/.386 with 15 walks, 27 strikeouts in 202 at-bat in the GCL. Nothing overly good or overly bad with the numbers, no real change in scouting reports, has tools and a chance to hit.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2012/...rd-round-picks

[emkayseven]

@JCRMarlinsbeat: #Marlins minor league outfielder Kolby Copeland suspended 50 games for refusing to take offseason drug test.

Told you we should have been worried about the underage DUI

[Ramp]

really don't think its a big deal he got a DUI at 17

(I mean its a big deal to drive drunk, don't get me wrong, but he isn't the first nor will he be the last to do so)

[Beef]

Ramp, can you get stats on the number of guys with DUIs in baseball who later fail or refuse to take a drug test compared to guys that get DUIs that don't do those things compared to guys that do those things but never had a DUI?

I also still believe its not a big deal and should not have been a reason to not draft a guy

[tjfla]

Refusing??

Take the damn test,fail it and then take your 50 games.


I wonder if he had something written in the contract that if he failed a test he had to repay his bonus? What sucks is that he was a decent prospect who now misses time and is already 19

[Ramp]

Missing 50 games certainly doesn't ruin him as a prospect, but it certainly won't help

[emkayseven]

I mean, I think the DUI has something to do when drafting someone and trying to project what they'll be like. When you draft a teenager you're projecting how they'll mature both on and off the field. Drinking, well underage, AND driving, AND getting caught - well that just doesn't bode well. To me, it's a huge red flag.

I mean, guys drop in the NFL draft all the time because of stupid shit.

[Mainge]

I think you're naive as fuck to think that teenagers, especially athletes, don't drink. I'd guess 90% of them do. Many of them drive. You're basically blaming him for getting caught.

Guys in the NFL draft don't drop because of things they did in high school.

[Todd]

Its stupid but doesnt really say anything about him as a person. If it did, pretty much every teenager in the country is a miserable piece of shit who wont amount to much.

[Ramp]

I think you're naive as fuck to think that teenagers, especially athletes, don't drink. I'd guess 90% of them do. Many of them drive. You're basically blaming him for getting caught.

Guys in the NFL draft don't drop because of things they did in high school.

exactly