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Major League Baseball Draft: Despite subpar campaign, Doyle still coveted by majors
Published: June 6, 2007
The phone still rings for Terry Doyle.
Even after a spring of struggles on the mound at Boston College, the junior remains a high priority for professional scouts.
But a day away from the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, the new Maserati is on hold.
OK, a new sports car never was on Doyle's agenda - he's a bit more down to earth than that - but before this, his pivotal junior year at The Heights, Baseball America had placed Doyle among some pretty elite company.
Going into this season, the former two-time Eagle-Tribune Baseball Player of the Year at Salem High was the 35th-rated draftable college player in the nation by the well respected magazine. That meant, including high schoolers, he was projected to be chosen late in the second round or early in the third.
"To have a year like Baseball America expected would have been pretty tough," said Doyle, who earned the ranking due to his amazing 6-1 summer for Yarmouth-Dennis in the 2006 Cape Cod League. "Still, it wasn't the season I was looking for either. To see our team missing the ACC playoffs just by two games with the way I pitched was pretty hard on me."
Doyle, off to a late start because of an unexplained irritation that tore away layers of skin from his pitching hand, never really got it going. The 6-foot-4 right-hander went 4-5 with a 5.87 ERA this spring. Through his first two seasons, opponents had hit only .237 off Doyle. This year, that number was an ugly .311.
"Going into the spring, I was looking to do well every week," said Doyle, who'll take in the draft at his family's new home in Rhode Island this week with plans to head back to Y-D and the Cape Cod League on Monday.
"I had some good games, and a couple real bad ones. I wanted to do more than just give my team a chance to win. I wanted to go out and win games for them, and it just didn't happen."
Doyle understood the problems he was having but could never completely correct them.
"Sometimes I was up, and sometimes I just missed my spots inside or out," said Doyle. "I think the late start and the lack of preparation time had a lot to do with it. My mechanics were just so inconsistent."
Physically, Doyle has the requisites to be a first-day pick, which will most likely encompass the first 12-to-15 rounds.
Even after a spring of struggles on the mound at Boston College, the junior remains a high priority for professional scouts.
But a day away from the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, the new Maserati is on hold.
OK, a new sports car never was on Doyle's agenda - he's a bit more down to earth than that - but before this, his pivotal junior year at The Heights, Baseball America had placed Doyle among some pretty elite company.
Going into this season, the former two-time Eagle-Tribune Baseball Player of the Year at Salem High was the 35th-rated draftable college player in the nation by the well respected magazine. That meant, including high schoolers, he was projected to be chosen late in the second round or early in the third.
"To have a year like Baseball America expected would have been pretty tough," said Doyle, who earned the ranking due to his amazing 6-1 summer for Yarmouth-Dennis in the 2006 Cape Cod League. "Still, it wasn't the season I was looking for either. To see our team missing the ACC playoffs just by two games with the way I pitched was pretty hard on me."
Doyle, off to a late start because of an unexplained irritation that tore away layers of skin from his pitching hand, never really got it going. The 6-foot-4 right-hander went 4-5 with a 5.87 ERA this spring. Through his first two seasons, opponents had hit only .237 off Doyle. This year, that number was an ugly .311.
"Going into the spring, I was looking to do well every week," said Doyle, who'll take in the draft at his family's new home in Rhode Island this week with plans to head back to Y-D and the Cape Cod League on Monday.
"I had some good games, and a couple real bad ones. I wanted to do more than just give my team a chance to win. I wanted to go out and win games for them, and it just didn't happen."
Doyle understood the problems he was having but could never completely correct them.
"Sometimes I was up, and sometimes I just missed my spots inside or out," said Doyle. "I think the late start and the lack of preparation time had a lot to do with it. My mechanics were just so inconsistent."
Physically, Doyle has the requisites to be a first-day pick, which will most likely encompass the first 12-to-15 rounds.
He's big with a mid-to-high 80s fastball and, last year demonstrated pinpoint control (28 walks in 89 innings for the Eagles). Doyle's pitching resume since his state title days at Salem High had been impeccable, right up until this past spring.
"Right now, there is nothing I can do to affect the draft," said Doyle, who has been in constant contact with several teams lately, inquiring about health, signability and money. "I'm OK right now. I'm not nervous or scared. I just have to sit and wait.
"I'd like to think I'll go on the first day. I just have no idea. The baseball draft is like none of the other pro sports. So many things are up in the air, you just don't know."
Even if Doyle is drafted early tomorrow or Friday, chances are he'll spend at least some time on Cape Cod.
"Whoever drafts me will probably want to watch me a little bit this summer," said Doyle.
With that in mind, he's putting the past months behind him.
"The ultimate goal is to pitch in the majors," he said. "If it takes one more year of college ball, so be it."
First things first, Doyle has to re-locate his top weapon, the command of his fastball and curve.
"Everyone in the majors locates, it's something I have to get back to," said Doyle. "I got away from that this spring. I know I'm not going to blow people away with an 86 mph fastball. The good thing is I've been successful on the Cape, so I have some confidence. I know what it takes to win there."
Junior year can be pivotal to baseball prospects. It's the one year a draftee has leverage. The opportunity for that top-100 pick money is most likely gone, but Doyle knows he can earn some bucks back on the Cape. Especially if he returns to the form of last summer, when he was an All-Star in the famed summer league and fired a no-hitter.
Still, he's keeping all the options open.
"I'd like to be a pro soon, but we'll have to see what happens," said Doyle. "The worst-case scenario is I go back to BC, finish my degree (education/math) and get to play one more year in the ACC with some great friends. And that's not too bad."
Quiet draft scene
Salem's Doyle and North Andover High senior left-hander Mike Hashem carry the region's top hopes of being drafted this week.
Hashem, who has signed a scholarship to play at UConn, is enticing to scouts because of his size and high-80s fastball.
As a raw prospect, he zoomed up the charts last summer, shining in the Bay State Games and at the American Legion level.
Rollins College junior outfielder Mike Crane of Haverhill by way of Central Catholic is eligible for the draft after hitting .337 this year for the Tars. The 6-1, 210-pound lefty swinger had five homers and drove in 37 runs in 51 starts.
The two-day draft will be covered live on mlb.com. The first round will be on ESPN2 from 2-6 p.m.
