The Ballad of Rickey Miller from College to Pros in the Lone Star State

rangers85 · 04-04-2015, 02:54 PM

Note: This takes place in an alternate universe beginning in 2000. In this, MLB never formed and instead regional leagues stayed popular. This one is set in the Lone Star Baseball Association, which includes 14 teams from Texas. As well there's a 12 team college feeder league and 14 team high school feeder league, all from Texas. There's also 3 levels of minor leagues. This thread is intended to track a player taken in the entry draft during the first season of the new league.

AP - Fort Worth, TX - This story starts much like that of countless boys every year. Born in the San Antonio enclave city of Castle Hills, TX in 1977, Rickey Miller always had a love of the hot corner. He was generally quiet in the classroom, but on the field is where he would come out of his shell. He always showed a strong determination to win once getting ejected from a game for his home run celebration after hitting a walk off shot. He was a work horse in everything he did from school to baseball. He constantly kept working at it playing on countless select teams growing up until he got to college and TCU started showing interest in him. He wasn't draft high enough to warrant skipping college and instead took his craft to the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. Miller opted to stay at TCU all 4 years and put up a senior year slash of .333/413/631 with 12 homers in 223 PAs. By the end of the season, OSA had Miller listed as the #2 College hitter (top draft eligible hitter behind 19 year old Jim Gilbert from Texas Tech).

Draft time and came and it didn't take long for Rickey to get a phone call from his agent Jim Patterson. Jim told him he wouldn't be moving very far as it was the Dallas Stallions who drafted him 10th overall. It took a few weeks of negotiations, but on July 1st, Dallas and Rickey came to an agreement for $4.4 million signing bonus. Just like that Rickey learned he would get to start his career relatively close to him playing for Single A San Marcos.

rangers85 · 04-04-2015, 02:54 PM

To: DonnyVar1337@aol.com (Don Vargas, Univ of Texas 1B, grew up with Rickey in San Antonio)
From: Rickey.Miller@gmail.com
Subject: What a month!

Hey Don! I wanted to drop you a line since it’s been a crazy time this first month. I moved into a set of college apartments here in San Marcos to stay in while I’m playing here. Professional baseball is so much different than college ball. They’ve been working us so hard that I haven’t even had a chance to get myself a new car yet.

I’ve got to say the pitchers here are a step up from what I’m used to in college. I haven’t taken as many walks as I’m used to since the pitchers have a bit better control here. I’ve also only hit 1 homer so far in 113 plate appearances. This weekend we are planning to hit Schlitterbahn, if you’re free, it’d be great if you all could come up before you start back to school soon.

JULY STATS: (A) 113 PA, .286/.310/.400, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 BB, 17 K, 3 SB, 1 CS

04-04-2015, 02:54 PM	#1
rangers85 All Star Reserve Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Fort Worth, TX...home of the mighty TCU Horned Frogs Posts: 909	The Ballad of Rickey Miller from College to Pros in the Lone Star State Note: This takes place in an alternate universe beginning in 2000. In this, MLB never formed and instead regional leagues stayed popular. This one is set in the Lone Star Baseball Association, which includes 14 teams from Texas. As well there's a 12 team college feeder league and 14 team high school feeder league, all from Texas. There's also 3 levels of minor leagues. This thread is intended to track a player taken in the entry draft during the first season of the new league. AP - Fort Worth, TX - This story starts much like that of countless boys every year. Born in the San Antonio enclave city of Castle Hills, TX in 1977, Rickey Miller always had a love of the hot corner. He was generally quiet in the classroom, but on the field is where he would come out of his shell. He always showed a strong determination to win once getting ejected from a game for his home run celebration after hitting a walk off shot. He was a work horse in everything he did from school to baseball. He constantly kept working at it playing on countless select teams growing up until he got to college and TCU started showing interest in him. He wasn't draft high enough to warrant skipping college and instead took his craft to the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. Miller opted to stay at TCU all 4 years and put up a senior year slash of .333/413/631 with 12 homers in 223 PAs. By the end of the season, OSA had Miller listed as the #2 College hitter (top draft eligible hitter behind 19 year old Jim Gilbert from Texas Tech). Draft time and came and it didn't take long for Rickey to get a phone call from his agent Jim Patterson. Jim told him he wouldn't be moving very far as it was the Dallas Stallions who drafted him 10th overall. It took a few weeks of negotiations, but on July 1st, Dallas and Rickey came to an agreement for $4.4 million signing bonus. Just like that Rickey learned he would get to start his career relatively close to him playing for Single A San Marcos.