Leggett: MLB disrespects college game

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Despite the growing popularity of college baseball, the sport still gets no respect from Major League Baseball.

Going into the most important series of the season, Clemson coach Jack Leggett learned that 11 of his players were taken in the Major League Draft, including pitcher Daniel Moskos who went fourth overall the day before he was to start the opening game of the Starkville Super Regional.

Moskos lost that game to Mississippi State (8-6), and things went downhill from there for the Tigers they fell to the Bulldogs again here Saturday (8-5), ending their hopes of a trip to the College World Series.

To make matters even worse, eight high school prospects Leggett is counting on for next year were also drafted.

"Wonderful timing," Leggett said sarcastically.

As usual, the big leagues cherry-pick the best players coming and going and do it while college teams are still competing.

Asked if the news of suddenly becoming a millionaire might have affected Moskos in Clemson's first loss, Leggett issued the standard company line about how yesterday was yesterday and today is today.

But under his breath, he said, "It has to affect you."

Mental interference

No other sport has to endure this kind of mental interference.

When the MLB Draft started last Thursday, 16 college teams were preparing to play in eight super regionals all around the country. And it stands to reason that these better teams would be the ones with the most pro prospects in the dugout and on their recruiting list.

To have someone come up to you in the dugout during a game and whisper in your ear that you've just been drafted by such-and-such a team is, at best, a little distracting to a 20-year-old kid.

And it's got to be tough to build for the future when you don't know who's going to show up for

classes next fall.

To get hit so hard on both ends of the spectrum can be devastating to a top-level program like Clemson which had the second highest number of players drafted in the country.

The collective numbers are similar to the 2002 Draft that gutted the Tigers and resulted in back-to-back seasons that produced less than 40 wins.

There has to be a solution to this insanity.

Should be changed

Leggett, of course, won't use the draft situation as an excuse for his team bowing out of the postseason in two straight losses.

But, he wishes somebody would do something to change things.

"It's a little bit of a distraction," Leggett said in an understatement.

"It's something I think personally should be changed.

"It's like having the NBA Draft the morning of the Elite Eight or the Final Four or having the NFL Draft on New Year's Day when the bowl games are going on. It just doesn't make any sense at all.

"I'd like to see them have more respect for college baseball and change the date so it doesn't affect the thinking of these kids during the part of the year that everybody works so hard to try to compete for. I don't think it's asking too much for some give and take there."

Unfortunately, there is little communication between the big leagues and college baseball on this topic.

"They pretty much do what they want to do," Leggett said. "That's the way it's always been."

Reach Ken Burger at 937-5598 or kburger@postandcourier.com.