Scarpetta

There was what looked like a pretty interesting story on Brewer prospect Cody Scarpetta from the Rochelle (IL) News-Leader.

But, to read the whole thing and share it with you, I'd need to go down to Rochelle, find a paper from Thursday, scan in the article, and post it. The reason for this day trip is because an article that begins like this:

After giving a talk at St. Paul Lutheran School on Wednesday morning, minor league pitcher Cody Scarpetta spent about 10 minutes answering questions from students and teachers.

One youngster asked the 20-year-old Milwaukee Brewers prospect if he would be on TV this summer.

“Hopefully soon,” Scarpetta replied. “You never know.”

It ends with "Find the compete story in Thursday's Rochelle News-Leader" This is the equivalent of To be continued...

Fortunately, mystateline.com has a more in-depth story on Scarpetta, with an accompanying video report.

Baseball players will soon be reporting to Arizona and Florida for spring training. Rockford resident Cody Scarpetta will be one of them. He plans to get a jump by leaving Monday for the Brewers' training complex in Arizona.

Scarpetta has been taking this offseason very seriously. He's been working out four times a week at Tim Bailey's Top Performer's Sports Performance Training Center in Loves Park.

A little history:

Scarpetta has always been serious about baseball. But some adversity early in his professional career has made him even more determined to succeed. His senior season at Guilford two years ago was cut short by a torn tendon in the middle finger of his pitching hand. That caused him to fall in the draft from a likely early-round pick to an 11th round pick by the Brewers.

Later that summer the tendon ruptured again, and Scarpetta underwent a second opertion. The scars are still visible from where surgeons removed a tendon in his forearm and inserted it into his hand. Scarpetta says he has fully recovered.
...
Since November he has been listed on the Brewers' 40-man major league roster right there with Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun and all of the other big-leaguers. He's there because the Brewers needed to protect him from the rule-five draft this winter.

Most players have to have five years of minor league service before they're eligible for the rule-five draft. A rare clause made Scarpetta eligible. Any player who has his contract voided within a year of playing time is also eligible. The Brewers had voided Scarpetta's original contract after his finger tendon ruptured the second time.

Now that Scarpetta is healthy, the Brewers couldn't risk having another major league team grab him based on his power and his potential.

"I guess they thought enough of me to put me on the roster, and I'm real thankful for that," said Scarpetta.

Now, a little future:

This season Scarpetta will most likely wind up with the Brewers' high class A team Brevard County in Viera, Florida. Or he could wind up pitching for their Class A Midwest League affiliate in Appleton the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. That would mean he would be pitching close to home.

"It would be great to pitch in front of everybody."

Yes. Yes, it would.

Just to get you caught up Between the Green Pillars has Scarpetta at #15 and Bernie's Crew has him at #13 on their respective lists of Brewer prospects.