While some college baseball players are just getting started in their Super Regionals, the Terps’ Mike Murphy has been traversing the eastern seaboard to different tryouts organized by major league teams in hopes of impressing them enough to get drafted.
Many players don’t need these tryouts to prove their worth. But Murphy, a player that most scouts and analysts project as a late-round pick some teams will give a shot because of his production in a Maryland uniform, needs these opportunities to increase his draft stock and the buzz surrounding him.
Read on after the jump to find out how the tryouts went and what Murphy plans to do during next week’s three-day extravaganza.
The tryouts
Murphy said he had been to three tryouts so far and had hopes of getting to one more before next week’s draft. There was one right down the road in Hagerstown with the Kansas City Royals, one in Atlanta with the Chicago Cubs, and one in New Jersey with the Chicago White Sox.
“Each tryout is different,” Murphy said. “Sometimes we just did some drills and then took some batting practice, but then in New Jersey we actually faced some live pitching, so it’s just something you have to get used to.”
Most of the tryouts weren’t attended by the cream of the crop prospects because they are either still playing or already have proven themselves. They were mostly populated from small college players who, according to Murphy, were just looking for a shot.
Murphy said he thought he handled himself pretty well.
“I feel like I at least held my own and held down the fort,” Murphy said. “Obviously some days you feel better than others so there were days I played better but overall I think I definitely helped myself. It felt good.”
Murphy at catcher?
Murphy admitted he probably couldn’t continue to play third base at the next level when I talked to him at the end of the season. Because of that fact, Murphy has been receptive to the decision by these area scouts to try him out at all sorts of different positions to see how he copes.
“I have tried so many different positions; first base, outfield, I even fielded some ground balls at shortstop,” Murphy said. “But hey! I am willing to try anything for a shot to get drafted. I don’t have any problem trying out these positions if it puts me in a better position.”
While getting his shot at shortstop may have been fun Murphy probably shouldn’t get used to it. The positions I have heard thrown around the most by those I have spoke to who’ve seen him play, are second base and the outfield.
His head coach for four years, Terry Rupp, said after the season he thought Murphy would make a great offensive second basemen adding that teams that didn’t draft Murphy would be “missing out on a special player.”
But the most intriguing place for Murphy could be behind the plate. There are not a lot of catchers with a plethora of offensive ability and Baseball America’s Nathan Rode said that Murphy could have a shot to rise through an organization if he could convert to catcher successfully.
“Catcher is an interesting position because teams are always looking for offense out of the position,” Rode said. “Yeah if he could develop into a catcher with an above-average bat and solid defensive skills he could help himself out.”
Ready for the draft
“I am nervous and excited,” Murphy said when asked about his feelings leading up to what he says will be the biggest three days of his life. “When I wake up in the morning it’s the first thing I think about and it is the only thing in my mind all day.”
The draft is set to begin Tuesday, June 9 and take place over the next few days before ending early in the evening on Thursday, June 11. Murphy has taken a proactive role in trying to secure a spot in the draft. In addition to trying to get to all of the tryouts, Murphy said he has been e-mailing and calling teams to try and gauge their interest in him.
To combat the nerves, Murphy says he has a fool-proof way to relax. He isn’t expected to see his name called on the first day with only the first few rounds taking place so he doesn’t have plans for Tuesday. But Wednesday and Thursday he knows exactly where he will be.
“On the golf course,” Murphy said with a laugh. “I know I am going to need to get out of the house and try and stay away from the computers and TV, and what better way to relax than to play golf?”
But that won’t mean that Murphy won’t be paying attention either.
“I am going to be thinking about it the whole time,” Murphy admitted. “Hopefully my family will call or a friend will text me and say that they saw my name, then I will relax.”
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