Digby

happy to be picked by Braves

By

JOHN MUNFORD

jmunford@thecitizennews

After

Monday, Bryan J. Digby has a little more direction in his

life.

That's when

the star hurler from the McIntosh High School baseball

team was selected by the Braves in Major League

Baseball's annual amateur draft. He was the 70th overall

pick of the draft, which came in the second round, and he

was fifth pick for the Braves.

Digby had

hoped the Braves would draft him; he was afraid another

club would take him first. So it's safe to say he was

extremely pleased when he heard the news.

He already

knows how he wants to help the organization: as a closer.

"Not

John Rocker, just a closer," Digby said with the

hint of a chuckle.

Digby, a

righty, went 6-2 for the Chiefs this year. His fastball

has been clocked upwards of 92 miles per hour, but major

league scouting reports tout his slider as his best

pitch.

The

scouting report for Digby that was published on Baseball

America Online reads as follows: "Digby has an

excellent arm. He throws a heavy, sinking fastball in the

92-95 mph range, though with little idea of where the

ball is going. His other pitches, which he rarely uses,

are also at an early stage of development. His one-pitch

repertoire and flaky personality make him a prime closer

candidate."

He attended

a workout session at Turner Field last week in front of

Braves personnel before traveling to Cincinnati for

another workout.

Digby, the

son of James and Pam Digby, is entering negotiations with

the Braves without the use of an agent, which is rare

these days. "It saves 10 percent," he

wisecracks, referring to the typical commission a

professional sports agent would receive in such cases.

Scouts from

almost every big league team have been to the Digbys'

home over the past year or so, James Digby said.

Bryan Digby

had originally signed a letter of intent to play baseball

for Georgia State University in Atlanta. Naturally, he

reconsidered that option in favor of a chance to one day

play for the Braves at Turner Field.

"I

just want to thank God and my parents and everybody who

gave me help along the way," Digby said.