A Sea Of Red

Many are resigned to losing Alex Kirilloff to the MLB draft. I don't think it's a given regardless of the position he's taken in the draft.



This young man has been home-schooled by devout Christian parents who realizes the value of having three years for their son to grow in his Christian walk while building Christian friendships that will last a lifetime. Check his twitter account. He knows this also.

They realize that "all these things", i.e., MLB, can also be added a few years down the road, God willing.

As an aside, Liberty should look into hiring his dad as a batting consultant regardless if Alex comes to school or goes pro after HS. His son is an excellent resume.

http://www.baseball19.com/

LUDad wrote:Many are resigned to losing Alex Kirilloff to the MLB draft. I don't think it's a given regardless of the position he's taken in the draft.

This young man has been home-schooled by devout Christian parents who realizes the value of having three years for their son to grow in his Christian walk while building Christian friendships that will last a lifetime. Check his twitter account. He knows this also.

They realize that "all these things", i.e., MLB, can also be added a few years down the road, God willing.

As an aside, Liberty should look into hiring his dad as a batting consultant regardless if Alex comes to school or goes pro after HS. His son is an excellent resume.

http://www.baseball19.com/

Scouts have been coming to watch him take batting practice. Plum HS is undefeated. They have a few other guys who are also pretty talented. One has more HRs and another has better pitching stats. http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/2016 ... 1605130043

That is encouraging, and if a player is going to put the big bucks on hold for 3 years and come to a place like Liberty, Alex is just the kind of kid who would do it. For what it's worth though, here is an article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Kirilloff and the upcoming draft where he is interviewed at length.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/high ... 1605090022

At no point is the subject of his having signed a NLI with LU or even the possibility of his playing college baseball ever mentioned.

Though I believe spiritual aspects will be of upmost importance in this family's decision, there are also other considerations to consider.

https://m.numberfire.com/mlb/news/2351/ ... chool-ones

olldflame wrote:That is encouraging, and if a player is going to put the big bucks on hold for 3 years and come to a place like Liberty, Alex is just the kind of kid who would do it. For what it's worth though, here is an article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Kirilloff and the upcoming draft where he is interviewed at length.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/high ... 1605090022

At no point is the subject of his having signed a NLI with LU or even the possibility of his playing college baseball ever mentioned.

True oldflame. On the flipside, you can really tell that his heart & and head is in the right place, putting his teammates ahead of the glitter of TV and the MLB draft. Those parents have raised an exceptional kid. I imagine his sister is the same way. Does she play sports

Seems like a similar background to Josh Henderson but he never made it to Lynchburg. Hopefully, this one is different. Nick Pierce was talking about the pitcher from CCU who got drafted out of HS and turned down money to play in college. The thing that surprised me about that kid is that he had Tommy John surgery in HS.

krh44 wrote:Seems like a similar background to Josh Henderson but he never made it to Lynchburg. Hopefully, this one is different. Nick Pierce was talking about the pitcher from CCU who got drafted out of HS and turned down money to play in college. The thing that surprised me about that kid is that he had Tommy John surgery in HS.

That is the pitcher we faced in the championship game. I'm pretty sure his having the Tommy John procedure is the reason he didn't get the kind of contract offers he was hoping for and decided to go to college. Kirillof is going to go a lot higher in the draft than either of them did. He will have a very substantial offer. If he comes to Liberty, it will most likely be for reasons not related to baseball or money.

Henderson and Jason Bilous (CCU) were fairly high draft picks but Kiriloff will be taken in the first round and will be offered millions!

Chippy wrote:Henderson and Jason Bilous (CCU) were fairly high draft picks but Kiriloff will be taken in the first round and will be offered millions!

Old flame is right. If Alex comes to Liberty. it will because the family believes that is what is best for Alex's spiritual development. At that point, the dollar figure is irrelevant.

Mostly true. Sometimes teams select players higher or lower based on signability. I'm sure he has made most of the teams interested generally aware of what it will take to sign him and that will factor in a bit with his position. I would be surprised if we get him here. Just too much money to turn down either way.

While there are not very many who have followed this path when faced with the opportunity for a high dollar contract, here is the rational a young Christian athlete like Alex could make for deferring his pro career.

If it is God's will for him to ultimately play professionally, he will keep him safe from serious injury, and the money will still be there in 3 years. If it is not, then God has something else for him, and college will help prepare him for that.
He will only have the opportunity to experience being a college student athlete once. Pro teams may agree to pay tuition, but history shows that even for the small % who actually go on to get their degree, it is a piecemeal process taking many years and in no way replaces the experience of being an actual college student. This is especially true when talking about a place like Liberty and there is a desire to experience the opportunities for spiritual growth it provides.

The flip side is this:

God gave me the talent. Now people will pay me millions of dollars to use that talent and get to be a light to those I come in contact with.

If I'm him, I'm taking the money.

Always take the money when you're a sure-fire first rounder. The potential for injury/decline isn't worth the risk. A first rounder is looking at life changing money. Isn't the purpose of college to prepare one for a career? When you have the skills to begin that career and be paid a ton of money immediately, you should do so.

Jonathan Carone wrote:The flip side is this:

God gave me the talent. Now people will pay me millions of dollars to use that talent and get to be a light to those I come in contact with.

If I'm him, I'm taking the money.

Prosperity gospel?

adam42381 wrote:Always take the money when you're a sure-fire first rounder. The potential for injury/decline isn't worth the risk. A first rounder is looking at life changing money. Isn't the purpose of college to prepare one for a career? When you have the skills to begin that career and be paid a ton of money immediately, you should do so.

If your intentions are going to a secular school, then yes, by all means, go for the money, the glory, or whatever. On the other hand, if you are going to a Christian school, then apparently someone, somewhere, has decided that your spiritual welfare is just as, or is more important than your future vocational welfare.

LUDad wrote:

adam42381 wrote:Always take the money when you're a sure-fire first rounder. The potential for injury/decline isn't worth the risk. A first rounder is looking at life changing money. Isn't the purpose of college to prepare one for a career? When you have the skills to begin that career and be paid a ton of money immediately, you should do so.

If your intentions are going to a secular school, then yes, by all means, go for the money, the glory, or whatever. On the other hand, if you are going to a Christian school, then apparently someone, somewhere, has decided that your spiritual welfare is just as, or is more important than your future vocational welfare.

Can he not have these things while playing professional baseball? If he's got a good support system, he will be fine no matter where he goes.

LUDad wrote:

Jonathan Carone wrote:The flip side is this:

God gave me the talent. Now people will pay me millions of dollars to use that talent and get to be a light to those I come in contact with.

If I'm him, I'm taking the money.

Prosperity gospel?

How is that prosperity gospel? That's ridiculous.

LUDad wrote:

adam42381 wrote:Always take the money when you're a sure-fire first rounder. The potential for injury/decline isn't worth the risk. A first rounder is looking at life changing money. Isn't the purpose of college to prepare one for a career? When you have the skills to begin that career and be paid a ton of money immediately, you should do so.

If your intentions are going to a secular school, then yes, by all means, go for the money, the glory, or whatever. On the other hand, if you are going to a Christian school, then apparently someone, somewhere, has decided that your spiritual welfare is just as, or is more important than your future vocational welfare.

There are plenty of Christians at secular schools and in the minor leagues. You can get Christian support and training.

And let's be honest, our baseball program is by no means the model of top of the line spiritual disciplines.

adam42381 wrote:

LUDad wrote:

adam42381 wrote:Always take the money when you're a sure-fire first rounder. The potential for injury/decline isn't worth the risk. A first rounder is looking at life changing money. Isn't the purpose of college to prepare one for a career? When you have the skills to begin that career and be paid a ton of money immediately, you should do so.

If your intentions are going to a secular school, then yes, by all means, go for the money, the glory, or whatever. On the other hand, if you are going to a Christian school, then apparently someone, somewhere, has decided that your spiritual welfare is just as, or is more important than your future vocational welfare.

Can he not have these things while playing professional baseball? If he's got a good support system, he will be fine no matter where he goes.

Absolutely! And there is no doubt that his support system is as good as it gets. That support system is primary reason I think Liberty has a shot.

Don't forget, it's not a one sided venture. He can bless Liberty with his talents and gifts as much, or more, than the school can bless him.

I feel that anyone who tells a kid to turn down a $3 million dollar signing bonus at age 18 is severely misguided and not looking out for the kid's long term best interests. Most people won't make that kind of money in a lifetime. To reject it so he can spend time on Liberty's campus would be a mistake. Sure, it's possible the money will be there in a few years, but chances are it won't be. His draft stock will never be higher than it is right now.

It's not any guaranteed amount. It's all about the pot and how it's allocated. There is a set number and it has to be distributed among your draft class. If a team loves kiriloff they offer more and later picks get less than slot money. If a team likes him a lot but doesn't want to blow a big chunk on the first rounder then they take a player they like but can get cheaper. Typically a high schooler is the most expensive because your buying him out of college. So he might be offered 1.5. The point is if he's a first rounder he can't improve his value much by coming. Each kid is different and each situation is different.

I know how the slot system works. He's projected anywhere from 11-18. The top 19 picks from last year got at least $2.1 million. If he's only offered $1.5 he still needs to take it. He'll get more.

http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2015/6/9/87 ... gs-tracker

adam42381 wrote:I know how the slot system works. He's projected anywhere from 11-18. The top 19 picks from last year got at least $2.1 million. If he's only offered $1.5 he still needs to take it. He'll get more.

http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2015/6/9/87 ... gs-tracker

To put things in perspective, only one of the 42 players selected in the first round last year did not sign. That was a pitcher from Louisville who decided to come back for his senior year. The highest HS player who decided to go the college route was the 68th pick, Jonathon Hughes, a P/OF who is now at Georgia Tech. His slot amount was $907,000. I'm sure flamesfilmguy could tell us about him.

Bottom line, it's a long shot Alex will play for Liberty. Very long.

We've had a number of signees take the MLB money and include tuition at LU as part of the deal. You can go to school and go through the brutal minor league system at the same time if you so choose. Something tells me a homeschooler could pull it off if he so chooses.

And signability is HUGE factor in who goes in the first couple of rounds. If he goes in the first round it is generally because basic terms of a deal are understood by team selecting and the player's family.

LUDad wrote:Though I believe spiritual aspects will be of upmost importance in this family's decision, there are also other considerations to consider.

https://m.numberfire.com/mlb/news/2351/ ... chool-ones

I was watching the Giants-Braves game last night and in the 3rd inning the announcers begin discussing the failure rate of top draft picks. They made a point that 60% of the first 10 picks in the 2007 draft were total washouts. That brought me back to a link I provided a few days ago.

Not only is the total failure rate high, it is much worse for high school picks (see link). If you extrapolate the numbers provided in the link you will see that a college draft pick has a 30% higher chance of making the roster of a MLB team than a high school draft pick. That is a huge number.

My point is this: If your prime concern is financial then all means you should take the HS bonus money. On the other hand, if your dream to play MLB is much larger than the fear of losing money, then you significantly increase your odds of playing MLB by betting on yourself and going to college.