Christopher gets professional baseball call
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Sitting on a $100,000 offer from the Major League Baseball Minnesota Twins, who drafted him in the 20th round as the 603rd player taken over the weekend, Shamoy Christopher has an interesting summer ahead.
"I don't know what I'm going to do yet, I still have all summer to decide," said Christopher, a freshman at Roane State Community College in Tennessee. "I wanted more than that, knowing the potential I have and what I'm capable of at this age. Right now, my decision is to go back to school and not take it until next year. I do appreciate the fact that they gave me the opportunity to sign this year, but I said no and I'll take it next year. There's no particular team I'm interested in. Hopefully, I'll sign somewhere good and progress to the next level."
Third VI player to be drafted in MLB
Christopher, 18, became just the third [British] Virgin Islands' player to be drafted by a Major League Baseball team—behind infielder Andre "Shabba" Pickering drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 1980s and Jeremey Penn, who the Los Angeles Angels wanted to sign as a free agent the day after he graduated from the Elmore Stoutt High School in 2007 for $40,000. He was drafted by the Phillies in the 50th round of the 2007 draft and in 2008, the San Francisco Giants drafted the right handed pitcher in the 37th round.
Working out at the E. Walwyn Brewley Softball Park, Christopher recalled that it was Terry "Chino" Chinnery who got him started as a four-year old when he accompanied his mother, who played softball with the Hawks, to practice.
"He pushed me to be a catcher because that's where my potential was," Christopher, a sports management major reflected. "I love catching. Nothing else better in the world than catching and playing baseball. It's just my pride and passion since a kid. It's been a grind—eat, sleep, play baseball and workout. That's about it."
Christopher described it as a 'huge transition' going from the VI with limited opportunities and games, to playing high school and college baseball in Tennessee.
Putting in the work since aged 4
"Baseball in the states is definitely more competitive than it is down here and you get more opportunities to play," he noted, coming from a place that doesn't have a baseball field. "It's pretty impressive how far I've gotten. I have been putting in the work since I was four. I had hopes and dreams (of playing professionally) because I feel like I had it."
Working with children, Chinnery says he look to see where they could best make it to the next level. "I saw that he couldn't run but had some abilities and the best thing for him was to catch," Chinnery said. "So I worked with him and taught him how to switch hit. I took him to play in St John and from there, he was picked up by a St Thomas team to represent them, then eventually went off to the states to attend high school. So he has been playing ball a long time."
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21 Responses to “Christopher gets professional baseball call”
Its news like this that makes my heart glad. Don't loose sight of your dream guard it . I wish you all the best.