Posted: June 17, 2009

Though the odds of making the major leagues are still long for Whitefish Bay baseball draftees Kevin James and Charlie Markson, they already have one memory in place.

James, a pitcher and infielder, was selected in the ninth round by the Tampa Bay Rays while Markson, a centerfielder, was chosen in the 44th round by the Detroit Tigers last week.

It was the Tigers who provided the memory. Just days before the draft, the pair got a chance to work out for Detroit.

Markson picks up the story.

"We were at Comerica (the Tigers state-of-the-art stadium) but it was raining, so they took us over to Ford Field (where the Detroit Lions play)," Markson said. "There we did the 60-yard dashes and did some throwing. Then the rain cleared and we went back to Comerica and we were able to take batting practice.

"The coolest part was that we got to meet Al Kaline (the Tigers Hall of Fame outfielder). He was really nice and he went out of his way to talk to as many kids (who were at the workout) as he could. That was really very kind of him."

Contracts next on the table

And the pair will remember that kindness as they mull over the professional contracts that will likely be offered to them shortly. James already has a Division I scholarship to Boston College, while Markson has received similar consideration from Notre Dame.

They will be allowed to finish the high school season and then they will make a decision as to whether to accept the offers or turn them down and pursue baseball in college.

"We have a family friend who's helping us," James said. "There hasn't been an offer yet but there will likely be one soon. … I'm not sure what to do yet. I want to talk to a few people and think about it."

James was pleased with how early he was drafted. He said an area scout for the Rays got in touch afterward and congratulated him. He said the Rays were impressed with his velocity and his ability to snap off a sharp breaking ball.

The draft was the culmination of a lot of hard work and frustration. He couldn't pitch his sophomore year because of an injury and so redoubled his efforts to get better and be stronger. In his junior year, he went to a Showcase Event in Kenosha, where college coaches from all over the Midwest were out divvying up the talent.

"It went really well for me," James said, "and it wasn't long after that, that the phone started to ring (from colleges)."

Notre Dame looks good

For Markson, the choice is even clearer seeing how low he was drafted, but he doesn't want to tip his hand just yet. He is just getting over a case of mono, which caused him to miss several non-conference games. He said he's getting close to feeling like his old self again.

"It's kind of a gray area right now," he said of the draft. "I like the way Notre Dame has treated me and their centerfielder just got taken in the first round (of the draft), so there would be a chance for me there. … But the area scout for the Tigers called me several times and told me that they liked my basic tools - the throwing, the fielding and the running - but said they weren't sure if my bat was at a professional level yet.

"I just don't know yet. I'm not committing to anything yet, but I don't want to miss out on any opportunities." He said he really admires Tigers centerfielder Curtis Granderson.

For the time being, both will concentrate on helping the Blue Dukes win a North Shore Conference title and will absorb the good-natured taunts of "Hey, big leaguer" from their teammates.

Bay coach Jay Wojcinski is ecstatic to have two high-level talents on his team.

"I'm not surprised at all," he said. "I'm really happy for Kevin, because I know he was looking forward to this. … This is really amazing. It doesn't happen often at all in Wisconsin (where even one high-schooler gets picked off a team). To get two is just the stuff of dreams.

"What a great opportunity for both of them."