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Wednesday, June 04, 2003

By Mike White, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The Baltimore Orioles had invited Moon High School pitcher Nathan Nery to a tryout at Camden Yards earlier this spring. Nery couldn't attend because of a scheduling conflict.

Someday, Nery might pitch at Camden Yards in an Orioles uniform.

Nery, a senior left-hander, was taken by the Orioles in the eighth round of yesterday's Major League Baseball draft. He was the 224th player taken overall. No other Western Pennsylvania player -- high school or college -- was selected as high as Nery.

"Other scouts told me I might go a little higher," Nery said. "Being in the eighth round is a little disappointing, but it's also a great honor. I was still picked among the top 250 players in the country. That's quite an honor."

One other WPIAL pitcher was selected on the first day of the two-day draft. Butler right-hander Jake Cuffman was taken in the 14th round by the Pirates. It is the second consecutive year the Pirates have selected a WPIAL pitcher. Last year, they picked Moon's Brian Holliday in the 12th round.

West Virginia University's Jarod Rine was taken by the Orioles after Nery in the ninth round A 6-1, 195-pound junior from Moundsville, W.Va., Rine is a center fielder who bats left-handed. He hit .403 for the Mountaineers with 34 RBIs and was 14 for 14 on stolen base attempts.

Nery found out about his selection on the Internet. He said a few teams called him during the draft and asked him if he would sign for a certain signing bonus. Nery has a scholarship to Stetson University.

"Teams call during the draft and ask if you will sign for this much money," Cuffman said. "I passed on them. You have to determine in 15 seconds whether or not you want to accept their offer. But it was just below average money for that round."

Nery wouldn't say in what round the teams called.

Nery is 6 feet 4, 212 pounds and his fastball has been clocked at around 90 mph. He had a marvelous senior season, going 10-0 with 130 strikeouts. This was after he pitched in only six games as a junior.

"One of the downfalls for me was that some teams were really big on having a history on a player," Nery said. "Obviously, I didn't have much of a history. I had one year to show what I could do."

Cuffman's 14th-round selection might be surprising, considering he was only 2-2 this season. He is a good example of how scouts look at size and potential rather than production. Although Cuffman enjoyed little success, he is 6-4, 185 pounds and throws fairly hard.

"He had a rough season, but they like his size and arm, and they expect him to get even bigger and stronger," Butler Coach Ron Zawrotuk said. "But a kid who is only 5-11 or 6 feet, he won't even get touched, even if he's the best player around. Even if a kid has done well and has a lot of heart, teams bypass that. I don't know why. But I guess that's why these major-league people get all the big money and big perks."