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Big shoes to fill Mayberry Jr. hopes to follow in footsteps of famous fatherPosted: Tuesday June 04, 2002 11:53 PMUpdated: Wednesday June 05, 2002 12:00 AM
SEATTLE (AP) -- John Mayberry Jr. insists he will do his own thing in pro baseball, and not try to imitate his famous father. As the son of a former major leaguer, the Seattle Mariners' top draft pick knows he has plenty of background to succeed. "I've gotten to know baseball through my dad's days as a coach," said Mayberry Jr., selected with the 28th overall pick in the first round of the draft on Tuesday. "I was constantly around baseball." Mayberry, 18, is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound first baseman-outfielder out of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo. He hit .432, with five doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 29 RBIs this season. Seattle plans to try him as an outfielder, but also is considering playing him at third base or first. His father, John Mayberry, played 15 seasons in the big leagues, with Houston, Kansas City, Toronto and the New York Yankees. He was even signed by Mariners general manager Pat Gillick when Gillick was with the Houston Astros. The father also went pro after high school, taking some classes at Michigan. He says he was "a 17-year-old fat kid" when Gillick gave him a shot. "It's a lot of hard work, a lot of ups and downs," he said. "I think he's up for the challenge." The Mariners expect Mayberry Jr. will be able to handle the transition without much trouble, thanks to his constant exposure to baseball. "My dad has left me quite a legacy to follow here," he said. "I am not going to try to surpass him, I'm not going to try to compare myself to him. I'm just going to be myself and see how far I can get." Roger Jongewaard, the Mariners' vice president of scouting and player development, said choosing Mayberry was the team's biggest surprise on the first day of the draft because team officials thought he would go in the top 10. "He's just one of those guys we never thought would get to us," Jongewaard said. "There's some pressure, but he's gone through a lot of pressure. He's from a prep school and has been a high-profile player. And he's following in his dad's footsteps." Mayberry might attend classes at Stanford in the offseason, and the Mariners would pay for his schooling. He is considering business courses, his dad said. The younger Mayberry led his high school team to an 18-6 record this season and 54-16 in his three years at Rockhurst. "He's just a great kid," Rockhurst coach Jim DeGraw said. "He's one of those `yes sir,' `no sir' guys. He's a great athlete, and with all the attention he's gotten in the past year, he's handled it all tremendously." Frank Mattox, Seattle's director of scouting, said Mayberry was the only player on his mind. It was the first time since 1999 that Seattle had a first-round pick. |
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