Godfrey Passes UW Offer For Cubs
Tyson Godfrey graduated from Aberdeen High School last night. Now it's off to the real world.
Godfrey was the highest state high school player chosen in this week's major-league baseball amateur draft. The Chicago Cubs selected him in the fifth round, and it took him less than two days to sign. Monday he will report to the Cubs' rookie facilities in Mesa, Ariz.
``I think I'll be able to handle it, doing something I want to do and making a living at it,'' Godfrey said. ``I want to play pro ball. I felt I went in an extremely high round. I would have liked to play at the UW, but I couldn't pass up this offer.''
In signing with the Cubs, Godfrey gave up a baseball scholarship with the University of Washington.
``It's tough to lose a guy of his caliber,'' Husky Coach Bob MacDonald said. ``There's no question he would have come in and been in our starting rotation right away.''
Richland's Nate Holdren, who was chosen in the ninth round by San Francisco, had a similar decision to make. Should he trade his football scholarship at the University of Michigan for a contract with the Giants?
He decided professional baseball could wait.
``The Giants were very willing to let him play football at Michigan,'' said Holdren's mother, Kathy Lukson. ``Nathan and his dad and I decided it's very difficult to make a full 100 percent commitment to two full-time sports, and go to school.''
Holdren will play baseball for the Wolverines as well.
Here is a partial, unofficial list of state players drafted, obtained from Times sources, listing round, player, club, position, college or high school, home town and statistics:
Compensation pick between first and second round: Stan Spencer, Expos, P, Stanford, Vancouver; 1990 through Thursday: 14-1, 2.73 ERA, nine complete games, Stanford-record 145 strikeouts in 141 2/3 innings pitched.
2-5: Tom McGraw, Brewers, P, Washington State, Battle Ground High School; 1990: 10-5, 2.43 ERA, 91 strikeouts.
5: Tyson Godfrey, Cubs, P, Aberdeen High School; 1990: 9-2, 0.89 ERA, 118 strikeouts.
7: Scott Brow, Blue Jays, P, University of Washington, Hillsboro High School; 1990: 9-5, 2.42 ERA, UW-record 104 innings pitched, 75 strikeouts.
8: Kurt Archer, Brewers, P, San Diego State, Burlington; 1990: 9-2, 2.42 ERA, two saves.
9: Nate Holdren, Giants, OF, Richland High School; 1990: .550, 8 home runs.
13: Erik Plantenberg, Red Sox, P, San Diego State, Newport High School; 1990: 10-5, 3.06 ERA, 101 strikeouts in 114 innings.
23: Greg Hunter, Mariners, 3B, Washington State University, Juanita High School; 1990: .327, 54 RBI, 5 HR.
20s: Rob Nichols, Mariners, P, Washington State University, Sammamish High School; 1990: 5-2, 5.53 ERA.
20s: Ken Day, Indians, P, Washington State University, Central Valley High School, Spokane; 1990: 3-0, 8.54 ERA.
20s: Jason King, Mets, SS, Washington State University, San Mateo, Calif.; 1990: .268, 26 RBI.
Round unknown: Jeff Wagner, Phillies, SS, Federal Way High School.