Cole said the Pittsburgh Pirates called him about 30 minutes before the draft to inform him of their decision. Cole then put down the telephone.
"I actually didn't tell my family," Cole said. "I kind of wanted to keep them in suspense a little bit. It was one of the most memorable phone calls of my life.
"I don't really have words for it. It's extremely exciting. It really is a dream come true."
Cole, the Santa Ana native who starred at Orange Lutheran High, becomes the first player selected No. 1 overall from Orange County since the Houston Astros took Phil Nevin (El Dorado High, Cal State Fullerton) in 1992.
This season the 6-4, 220-pound righty went 6-8 with a 3.31 ERA and 119 strikeouts, walking just 24 batters in 114 1/3 innings. The Pirates said they had scouts in attendance for every one of Cole's starts this season, including preseason scrimmages.
"We felt he had the biggest impact for us potentially on the board," said Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, asserting Cole has three above-average pitches. "He's maturing into something good before our eyes."
Cole pitched for the USA Collegiate National Team in the summer of 2009 and 2010, coinciding with a decorated three-year college career in which he went 21-20 with a 3.38 ERA and 376 strikeouts.
Cole was selected in the first round, 28th overall, by the New York Yankees in 2008 but opted to play for UCLA. He is the first Bruin ever selected No. 1 overall in the draft.
Teammate Trevor Bauer, who went undrafted out of high school, was selected moments after Cole by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the third overall pick.
"I was hoping it would turn out this way," Bauer said. "I've wanted to be a Diamondback for a while. It's extremely satisfying. I'm at a total loss for words of the satisfaction and excitement that I'm feeling."
One of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, Bauer went 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA and led the nation with a Pac-10 record 203 strikeouts this season, all while walking just 36 batters in 136 2/3 innings and limiting the opposition to a Pac-10-best .154 batting average.
The 6-2, 185-pound righty completed his final nine starts, allowing one earned run or fewer in the last five. He finishes his career as the Bruins' all-time leader in strikeouts (460), wins (34) and innings pitched (373.1)
Bauer and Cole are the highest-drafted duo from the same program since 1978 (Arizona State).
"They're special guys," UCLA coach John Savage said. "Cole and Bauer, the combination is as good a combination as you'll see in college, maybe ever."
Post a Comment