You can take one name off Mel Kiper Jr's big board. Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija has decided to give up football in favor of a pitching career with the Chicago Cubs. It is being reported that Samardzija, the Cubs fifth round selection in the amateur draft a year ago, received a five year deal worth $8 million to focus on baseball. If recent history is any indication, this may have been a mistake. Former Michigan QB Drew Henson, once projected to be the top pick in the NFL draft, chose the Yankees riches instead of a football career. After a few disappointing seasons in the minors, he is trying to catch on in the NFL. Cubs phenoms Kerry Wood and Mark Prior have failed to stay healthy which could be a product of the farm system.
Many people were excited by the prospect of another two sport star. The 1990's enjoyed the varying successes of athletes such as Brian Jordan, Deion Sanders,and of course, Bo Jackson. Samardzija made a name for himself by making acrobatic catches seem easy and setting new records for the Fighting Irish. His big frame and tremendous hands could have made a huge difference in many teams' red zone offenses. He originally intended to give both sports a try, but it's hard to fault him for choosing one over the other. College baseball does not receive much publicity, but he's been oustanding as a pitcher for the Irish. In 50 career appearances he has a 21-6 record with a 3.82 earned run average. The Cubs will have him report to their class A affiliate, which is managed by hall of famer Ryne Sandberg. It seems that he's played his last down as a receiver, but we can all hold out hope he'll try to become the next two sport star down the road.
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The media talk of how you can have a much longer career in baseball than football misses the key point that he would be virtually guaranteed a career in the NFL, whereas even the top baseball prospects are just that, prospects, with the odds of a success in the big leagues still stacked against them. Despite the $8 million contract (presumably less than his NFL contract would be worth), it is difficult to justify this decision on any other grounds than his personal preference for baseball.
I couldn't agree with you more. Even "can't miss" prospects in MLB do in fact miss. Just ask Billy Beane. He was a five-tool guy that had scouts salivating. Never made an impact in baseball until he became a general manager. A first rounder in the NFL, which Samardzija was a virtual lock for, would get a similar contract and be playing from day one. Samadzija has said baseball is his first love, so on those grounds it makes sense. However, for all those who are claiming it's a better financial decision, that is not necessarily the case.
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