Goodbye Sooners, hello baseball career

By Kenton Brooks
Phoenix Sports Writer

June 09, 2007 01:17 am

— Londell Taylor had his mind made up even before the phone rang Friday.
When it did and the Detroit Tigers were on the other end, the Vian High School standout athlete said yes in deciding to forego his Oklahoma Sooners football scholarship and pursue a major league baseball career.
“I knew if I was going to get drafted, I was going to play baseball,” Taylor said. “I had a lot of people in my town that wanted me to go to OU. But it’s my decision and I like baseball more than football.”
The Tigers chose Taylor in the 13th round as the 421st overall pick.
“I’m going to sign in the next couple of days,” he said. “I know I’m now going to get paid doing something I love to do.”
Taylor, the Phoenix Baseball and Male Athlete of the Year, is the first baseball player from Vian to be drafted. Coach John Brockman said 14 major league teams scouted Taylor this last season.
“The scouts I talked to liked his athletic ability, of course, and his size,” Brockman said of the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder. “Londell’s size and speed are two of his major attributes. They also liked what a great young man he was.
“The Tigers were at our games more than anybody. They were at 10 different games. They followed him all year. They were one of the first ones to come see him and one of the last ones to be there.”
Steve Taylor of Shawnee was the Tigers’ scout who came to watch Taylor, a shortstop who hit .540 with nine home runs, 14 doubles and five triples in 2007 to help Vian to the Class 3A state quarterfinals.
Taylor’s projected as an outfielder for the Tigers and that’s fine with him.
“I’ll play whatever they want,” he said. “I’m thrilled. Any time you get to go professional in anything, it’s exciting.”
Brandon Tyler, Vian’s football coach, was happy for his standout wide receiver-defensive back on his Class 2A state championship game last fall.
“I figured he’d go baseball,” Tyler said. “I hope things work out for him. Whatever decision he makes, I wish him the best.”
When he signs, Taylor could be sent to the Tigers’ rookie league team in Lakeland, Fla. He is the fourth player with area connections to be chosen in this year’s draft.
Oliver Odle, a former Connors State pitcher now at Oklahoma State, was chosen in the 22nd round and 674th selection overall by the San Francisco Giants, while Connors outfielder Kyle Gilligan was picked in the 27th round and 835rd overall by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Two incoming Connors signees, catcher Jordan Wideman and outfielder Christopher Dennis of Ontario, Canada, were chosen. Wideman went in the 12th round and the 349th choice of the Cincinnati Reds, while Dennis was picked in the 13th round and 401st overall choice by the Milwaukee Brewers.
ORU pitcher Chance Chapman was taken in the eighth round by the Philadelphia Phillies; shortstop Jacob Kahaulelio and pitcher Erik Crichton went in the 20th round to the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers, respectively, and first baseman Chad Rothford went in the 42nd round by the San Francisco Giants.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City University had five players chosen, including junior outfielder Kody Kaiser. The Detroit Tigers selected the 5-foot-8 Kaiser, from Edmond, in the 15th round. It’s the third time Kaiser has been drafted; both previous times he was picked by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but instead opted for college.
The Stars finished 50-11 this season, the ninth straight season they’ve won 50 or more games.
Other draftees from OCU, which was 50-11 this season, included outfielder Patrick Norris (16th round, Kansas City Royals), shortstop-third baseman Robert Spain (19th round, Pittsburgh Pirates), catcher Brandon Harrigan (23rd round, Detroit) and outfielder-third baseman Brian Joynt (29th round, San Diego).
During the two-day draft, 46 players with ties to the state of Oklahoma were selected, according to Major League Baseball’s Web site. Of those, eight were from state high schools, 11 were from Oklahoma State and six were from Oklahoma.
Material for this story also came from The Associated Press.

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