Matt Szczur forgos draft

[HailSzczur]

Scources are saying Villanova's Matt Szczur will forgo the NFL draft and report to cubs spring training, to the tune of about $1.5 million to give up football.

Im not sure whether to be happy for him or disappointed....

http://vuhoops.com/2011/01/18/matt-szczur-will-forgo-an-nfl-career/
http://twitter.com/TonyPauline/status/27520081227423744

[Reign of Terrier]

well he's less likely to get injured playing baseball I'm pretty sure. In which case, he would have a longer career and make more money.

[HailSzczur]

I sat infront of his parents at a Nova Pitt baseball game last year. the mother seemed to want him to go football (which seemed odd as far as injuries and hits) but the father seemed more inclined towards baseball. Speaking to him afew times it always seemed football was #1, which was why he came back this year after being drafted

[ngineer]

Good move. Potential for him is greater in baseball. Longer career, less wear and tear, more money.

[HailSzczur]

i mean you cant argue with the money
his signing bonus last year was about 125,00. throw another 1.5 mil in and hes set for life without really even playing another game

[PantherRob82]

Only issue with baseball is that the money sucks below the league. Hopefully he spends little to no time in the minors. Go Cubs!

[HailSzczur]

he was in AA in august when he came back for football, theirs talk of him maybe starting the year at AAA which would really put him an injury or two away from wrigley

[AppAlum2003]

Good, my poor Cubs need all the help they can get xbawlingx

[fball27]

Good move. Potential for him is greater in baseball. Longer career, less wear and tear, more money.

I think it's a good move too. I'm just sorry we won't be seeing him play in the senior bowl on the 29th.

[bluehenbillk]

Have never seen him play baseball but with the CBA issue in the NFL & the injury & length of career factor - unless you're a 1st or 2nd round NFL pick, which he's not, I'd take MLB in a heartbeat.

[HailSzczur]

ESPN is now confirming the details
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6037772&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
$1.4 million to start the year in A Peoria? that seems like a waste, considering he lead A Boise last year in hitting

[BlueHenSinfonian]

ESPN is now confirming the details
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6037772&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
$1.4 million to start the year in A Peoria? that seems like a waste, considering he lead A Boise last year in hitting

I'm sure he doesn't mind, 1.4 million up front with the potential to earn a lot more if things go well, he's set for life either way as long as he invests that money wisely.

[Jackman]

So wait... you can play professional baseball for $100,000 in June, then come back and play college football in September, and not lose your eligibility? Is that because it's a different sport? If so, what are the safeguards to prevent this exception from being abused? Couldn't Auburn boosters have acquired a bottom level minor league baseball team and stowed Cam Newton on it as a designated pinch runner?

Obviously Szczur is legit and would have been signed regardless of whether he ever played football at Villanova, but minor league franchises often bring in "sideshow" players to drum up ticket sales without caring if they have any long term impact. How would the NCAA be able to say whether Cam Newton was brought in for his base running speed or to pay him to play QB for Auburn?

(Apologies if this was discussed in previous Szczur threads. I haven't been paying attention to them because Villanova hasn't played UMass since 2007. Won't be playing us next year either.)

[Mr. C]

So wait... you can play professional baseball for $100,000 in June, then come back and play college football in September, and not lose your eligibility? Is that because it's a different sport? If so, what are the safeguards to prevent this exception from being abused? Couldn't Auburn boosters have acquired a bottom level minor league baseball team and stowed Cam Newton on it as a designated pinch runner?

Obviously Szczur is legit and would have been signed regardless of whether he ever played football at Villanova, but minor league franchises often bring in "sideshow" players to drum up ticket sales without caring if they have any long term impact. How would the NCAA be able to say whether Cam Newton was brought in for his base running speed or to pay him to play QB for Auburn?

(Apologies if this was discussed in previous Szczur threads. I haven't been paying attention to them because Villanova hasn't played UMass since 2007. Won't be playing us next year either.)

The NCAA has allowed players to be professional in one sport and retain eligibility in another for years. Where have you been sleeping? This goes all the way back to the late 1970s and has been utilized by tons of athletes. I remember Danny Ainge playing third base for the Toronto Blue Jays while he was playing basketball at Brigham Young.

[HailSzczur]

the Cubs actually just had a another player in the ssame situation recently which gave him leverage in negotiating a deal that allowed him to return for his sr year of football. I dont know what the specifics are, but im fairly certain that signing a contract forfiets your eligibilty in that sport. Like Mr. C said, its a very common occurance.

I theory the cam newton example may be able to work, im not sure of the exact rules tho. The only issure there would be finding a booster who owns a team, and the potential issues it could cause for salary cap and such

[Jackman]

The NCAA has allowed players to be professional in one sport and retain eligibility in another for years. Where have you been sleeping? This goes all the way back to the late 1970s and has been utilized by tons of athletes. I remember Danny Ainge playing third base for the Toronto Blue Jays while he was playing basketball at Brigham Young.

I'm not doubting its existence, I'm asking how it works. Canadian football and especially Arena football don't use the same rules as college football, but I assume you'd lose your football eligibility if you were paid to play in those leagues. Is Rugby different enough? What's the criteria?

I think it's inconsistent to allow a kid to use his athletic abilities to make $100,000 in minor league baseball while playing college football, whereas a kid who takes $1 from an agent to represent him in a year after he's done with college football is permanently banned from ever playing again. How is the guy making $100k an amateur athlete and the guy getting $1 a national scandal? It seems like a cynical exception designed to assure that the NCAA doesn't lose any talent to minor league baseball. In fact, you couldn't do this in minor league hockey or most other sports because those leagues operate while school is in session. Realistically, only baseball players are allowed to make money playing sports without losing their eligibility (except in college baseball). If someone actually paid people to play men's softball, could college baseball players do that and keep their eligibility?

I cannot believe that nobody has thought of a way to abuse this rule. Just invent some summer sports that utilize football skills and you're good to go. Like Florida fans wouldn't have bought tickets to watch Tim Tebow play Professional Ultimate Frisbee. You could easily hand him $10,000 for that and still make a profit. But take $100 for an appearance at a mall opening and you're screwed.

[srgrizizen]

By opting for baseball, Matt Szczur showed he's not only a great athlete, but also very intelligent. The average NFL career is something like four years, with no guarantee he would have even made a roster. If he's as good as they say at baseball, he can play 20 years while expending barely more energy or risking injury than the fan going for beer every half inning.xnodx

[Maroon&White]

Financially it does make sense. A $1.5 million bonus is much more than he can hope to get from a NFL team. Unless he can land on the 40 man roster or play one game at the MLB level, he can expect to make around $1,100/month during the season. The chances of him actually making it to a MLB team is pretty slim though. Nothing against him, I wish him all the luck, but it's a long, hard process and the vast majority of players drafted never make it.

[bodoyle]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/01/villanova-star-chooses-cubs-over-nfl.html.

It was nice knowing him. Welcome to obscurity. Don't worry, Jeff Samardzija will be there with you!

[danefan]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/01/villanova-star-chooses-cubs-over-nfl.html.

It was nice knowing him. Welcome to obscurity. Don't worry, Jeff Samardzija will be there with you!

Ughh.....since when is playing MLB obscurity?

[youwouldno]

I think realistically he had no choice given the bonus money. Personally I think he's a better football player than baseball player.

The sort of polar opposite situation is Jake Locker, who is overrated as a football player but has insane natural baseball talent. But once he passed on signing out of high school, the economics shifted in favor of football, since he will still go reasonably high (presumably late first/early second).

[Maroon&White]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2011/01/villanova-star-chooses-cubs-over-nfl.html.

It was nice knowing him. Welcome to obscurity. Don't worry, Jeff Samardzija will be there with you!

Obscurity and what Samardzija has done are two vastly different things. For most players, what Samardzija has done would be a dream come true.

[JohnStOnge]

Frankly, I don't think he's a NFL caliber football player. I can't see him as a NFL receiver nor can I see him as a NFL running back. And what other position is he going to play? If he thinks he's got potential to be a major league baseball player that's definitely the direction he should go in.

[HailSzczur]

people said the same thing about wes welker... he could fit into a system like they have in new england and wildcat but hes not a typical slot reciever like you see in the NFL
but yeah his body type is much better suited for baseball

[VT Wildcat Fan53]

Frankly, I don't think he's a NFL caliber football player. I can't see him as a NFL receiver nor can I see him as a NFL running back. And what other position is he going to play? If he thinks he's got potential to be a major league baseball player that's definitely the direction he should go in.

Great move for the young man, .... longevity, less risk of injury (which he has already experienced), ... neither choice provides any guarantees,... However, his upside in the NFL is probably limited to a lot like Danny Woodhead, .... great competitor, but likely always on the fringes to some degree. In baseball, his early pro results have been quite impressive. Hail Szczur! xthumbsupx

[nms1987]

ESPN is now confirming the details
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=6037772&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines
$1.4 million to start the year in A Peoria? that seems like a waste, considering he lead A Boise last year in hitting

That is actually pretty standard progression for a college player.

You start your career the year you are drafted in advanced short-season ball (Boise, if youre in the Cubs chain) and then, for your first full pro season, you start in either low-A (Peoria) or high-A (Daytona).

Considering that this will be Szczur's first time ever playing 100% baseball the slightly easier low-A posting makes sense.
It isn't a huge difference either way.

[nms1987]

I think realistically he had no choice given the bonus money. Personally I think he's a better football player than baseball player.


Sounds like in the NFL draft he was a 4th round guy, whereas in baseball he was a 5th rounder last year despite questions as to whether he would ever play pro baseball.
5th round out of 50 rounds vs. 4th round out of 7 makes me think baseball is the sport he is best at.
Baseball America also said he could have been a first rounder in the 2011 draft had he not signed with the Cubs last year.

[youwouldno]

Well I said "personally," indicating it is my opinion not the consensus view. He's undersized for the NFL but I think could succeed as a receiver and make a significant contribution very quickly. With baseball he has to work his way through the minors and continually improve, which is what the Cubs are banking on. I'm skeptical though because he doesn't have much power and isn't blazing fast (which hurt his pro football prospects). I see him as a 4th/5th OF, who can handle all three spots and hold his own at the plate, but not do enough for a starting spot.

[Squealofthepig]

First - love the guy, even after watching him carve up my beloved Griz in Chatty year before last. Just hard not to like him.

As a former Chicagoan, I have to bow to this reality: Chicago will trade him in a heartbeat, as he will not be nearly old enough to play for the geezer cubs for another decade (whose starting lineup last year was closer to the AARP than the NCAA). Plus, he's a promising player, which the Cubs organization does better to trade than any other in MLB history.