Three with local ties sign baseball contracts

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Former Hawai'i pitcher Chris George was able to sign prior to the draft because he was a fifth-year senior. Advertiser library photo

Also, two Hawai'i players drafted last year have signed with their respective baseball teams.

Castle graduate Reid Santos and Campbell graduate Chad Bailey — both left-handed pitchers — signed pro contracts with the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers, respectively, before Tuesday's deadline for "draft-and-follow" players.

George, who is 6 foot 2 and from Santa Cruz, Calif., said he signed Monday, a day after the Rainbows' season ended in a series at San Jose State.

"It feels pretty good instead of having to wait for the draft," George said. "I thought it was a good idea to sign and get an opportunity to play, let alone for a team from my area."

He said he received a $5,000 bonus. "They really don't have to give you anything (for a free-agent signing)."

George was eligible to sign as a free agent because he was a fifth-year senior.

He said he will report to the Giants' training facility in Scottsdale, Ariz., on June 9. He said his contract reads that he will be assigned to short-season Single-A Salem-Keizer (Keizer, Ore.).

Santos, who pitched at Saddleback Community College, signed with the Indians on Monday, a day before the club would have lost control to sign him. The Indians picked Santos in the 13th round last year despite missing the season while recovering from elbow surgery. As a JC player, the Indians exercised a process called "draft-and-follow," in which they drafted the player and followed his progress when he returned to school. The team has up to a week before the next draft to sign the player. The Major League first-year player draft is Tuesday and Wednesday.

Santos (6 foot 1 and 170 pounds), a red-shirt sophomore at Saddleback, was 3-0 with a 3.72 earned-run average. He had 19 strikeouts and six walks in 19¡ innings.

"He has four pitches: fastball, curve, slider and change," Indians scout Darren Chun said. "Because of the injury, he had developed a really good change."

He has left for the Indians' training facility in Winter Haven, Fla., Chun said. He will be assigned later.

Santos was drafted out of Castle in 2000 by the Montreal Expos in the 23rd round, and after his freshman season at Saddleback in 2001 by the Texas Rangers in the 42nd round.

Bailey also was a draft-and-follow candidate. He was picked in the 47th round by the Dodgers last year after his first season with North Idaho College. He attended Seminole Community College in Oklahoma this past season when North Idaho dropped baseball.

"I just want to get on with my pro career already," Bailey said. "It's been my dream to play pro baseball."

He leaves next Friday for the Dodgers' training facility in Vero Beach, Fla.

College

Otake switches: Maui High senior Vance Otake said yesterday he will attend Cal State-Fullerton as a recruited walk-on.

Otake had agreed to walk-on at Hawai'i earlier. He said UH later offered financial aid that would have covered expenses for books.

"I really wanted to try the Mainland experience," he said. "But I'm appreciative of what Coach (Mike) Trapasso and Coach (Chad) Konishi have done."

Otake is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound right-handed pitcher and catcher. He said UH was recruiting him primarily for pitching and would have allowed him to catch. He said Fullerton will be using him as a catcher, where he will join another Maui player, 2001 Baldwin graduate Kurt Suzuki, also a catcher for the Titans.

"I wanted to swing the bat," Otake said.