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Delmonico drafted by Dodgers
Ex-Farragut star plays big role for Florida State after transfer
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There was a time when Tony Delmonico would rarely take off his New York Yankees cap.
He wore his Farragut High School cap during his games with the Admirals and his Tennessee cap during his games with the Vols, but in his free time it was Yankees all the way.
"I always dreamed of playing for Joe Torre and the New York Yankees," the Florida State junior shortstop said in a phone interview from Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday night.
Half of that dream came true during day one of the Major League Baseball draft.
Delmonico was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers and first-year manager Joe Torre in the sixth round with overall pick No. 187.
"It was getting frustrating waiting (to get selected), but once they said L.A. Dodgers and Joe Torre, I was excited," he said. "Everything happens for a reason.
"I didn't get drafted as high as I thought I should have, but I was tickled to death with the Dodgers and I couldn't be happier."
Delmonico took full advantage of his year with the Seminoles this season after transferring from Tennessee.
He watched his father, Rod Delmonico, get fired as UT coach last June after 18 seasons.
A new door opened at Florida State and Delmonico heads into this weekend's Super Regional at home against Wichita State hitting .378 with eight home runs, 69 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
In his two years with the Vols, Delmonico hit .329 with 12 home runs and 85 RBIs.
He left little doubt his collegiate playing days are over as soon as Florida State's season ends.
"Every level, I feel like I have something to prove," he said. "That's what keeps me going.
"The Dodgers have a great organization and if you do well you'll move quick. That's what I'm excited about. I'll get my feet wet and get started in pro ball."
Delmonico had been in contact with representatives from Milwaukee and the New York Mets, but the Dodgers weren't on the radar until he heard his name called.
"I didn't even get a call from the Dodgers," Delmonico said of his waiting game on Thursday. "I was on the phone with a Brewers guy who said they were going to take me in the fifth or sixth round.
"Right when I least expect it, they say, 'Anthony Delmonico goes to the Los Angeles Dodgers.' I was shocked and excited at the same time."
It has been quite a year for the Delmonico clan.
While Tony was tearing it up at Florida State - father Rod alongside as a volunteer assistant coach - two other Delmonico boys (Joey and Nicky) were helping Farragut win the Class AAA state championship.
After a slow day for area talent in the draft, Delmonico and Adam Milligan of Walters State went four picks apart of each other in the sixth round.
Milligan, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound sophomore outfielder, went at No. 190 to the Atlanta Braves.
It's a good thing the Braves were persistent.
The Savannah, Tenn., native was drafted by the Braves in the 27th round after his freshman season at Walters State and in the 28th round by Atlanta out of Hardin County High.
Notebook: Arkansas third baseman John Forsythe, older brother of UT freshman catcher Blake Forsythe, went to the San Diego Padres with the final pick of the first-round Compensatory A selections (No. 46) ... Former UT pitcher Josh Lindblom, who transferred to Purdue after his freshman season, went to the Dodgers in the second round. Lindblom was was 4-6 with a 5.01 ERA in 17 appearances for the Vols in 2006, but caught on as reliever at Purdue (12 saves and a team-best 3.32 ERA this season).
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Posted by drakosben1 on June 6, 2008 at 12:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
here's where mike hamilton screwed up, firing his Dad like that, seems he was on a roll.
Posted by FWBVol on June 6, 2008 at 12:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, Rod Delmonico deserved to be fired last season. He might have even overstayed his welcome by a few years. But to say he had 16 terrible seasons is plain stupid. Delmonico took the Vols to the College World Series two or three times, and is the winningest baseball coach in school history.
As for Tony Delmonico being selected in the sixth round, that's not too bad. It isn't like football where there are seven rounds and it's almost exclusively college seniors being drafted. You have players from high school, junior college as well as juniors and seniors from 4-year schools being drafted. There also 50 rounds in the draft (with a couple of in between rounds) meaning more than 1500 players will be chosen. Being 187 out of 1500 plus isn't too bad.
I know a kid that was chosen in the 23rd round by the Reds two years ago and got a signing bonus of $130,000. As a sixth round pick I would guess Delmonico is looking at a bonus between $300,000 and $350,000, maybe more since the Dodgers tend to have deep pockets.
As a sixth-round pick there's also a pretty good chance he will make it to the big leagues.
If you don't like Rod, that's fine, but at least have enough class to wish Tony well as he starts his professional career. As a UT grad and a Dodger fan, I wish Tony all the best.
Posted by bamacheats on June 6, 2008 at 1:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
FWBVol - I don't think its stupid to say he had 16 terrible seasons. Some seasons may have been productive but as a loyal follower I never got used to the bunt and advance garbage he played every game, every at bat, regardless of inning or score. Those 16 seasons were terrible to watch, kind of like Jerry Green's b-ball teams, put up some wins but everyone who watched knew they were still better than they played.
Posted by FWBVol on June 6, 2008 at 1:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
bamacheats, I say the proof is in the pudding. I've been following baseball since the 1960s, Delmonico used a form of Billy Ball that made Billy Martin famous.
I for one would rather win playing small ball than lose playing long ball.
When Delmonico had guys like Helton and Bubba Trammel, he did play a little more agressive form of ball.
Just because you prefer one style of ball over the other doesn't make it terrible. I base terrible on wins and losses.
I enjoy both styles of baseball as long as the game is well played without a lot of errors, poor pitching or swinging at pitches out of the strike zone.
And yes, I'm one of those guys, an old high school lineman, that would prefer a 14-7 or 10-3 football game with good hitting and smacking each other in the mouth while trying to run the ball down each other's throat.
Posted by lovavol on June 6, 2008 at 2:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
hey nafslov, the dodgers got mike piazza(sp?) in like the 60th round. and he was one of the best all time hitting catchers.....just get your foot in the door, never know how far someone could go.
16 terrible seasons????? sometimes overzealousness leads to stupid comments. he did a good job for a long time, wish them all well, and gloat on your time.
GO VOLS!
Posted by richvol on June 6, 2008 at 6:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My children grew up with and played with the Delmonico boys. They are great kids from two parents that did a very good job raising them. I wish them all success.
Posted by ETorange on June 6, 2008 at 6:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
One major problem with Delmonico is look at all the local and area players that "got away".You have a couple of players at ETSU that should be playing at Tennessee right now. And by the way freshman All- American team.I understand Tennessee is NOT letting this happen at present time.
Tennessee lets way to many players in every sport "get away". Hopefully with the coaching changes will see this stop to some point. Guess will find out at 11:00 today with football.
Posted by GreerVol22 on June 6, 2008 at 7:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Vero Beach, Jacksonville, Las Vegas...there are worse places to play minor league ball I guess.
Posted by GreerVol22 on June 6, 2008 at 7:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
By the way, it was probably the outstanding coaching ability of his father that paved the way.
Posted by bebecerveza on June 6, 2008 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Delmonico's downfall was that he turned UT baseball into Farragut East. Not to say Farragut has a bad program at all (its one of the best, and thats coming from an Oak Ridge guy), but just because they beat up on highschool teams around here doesn't mean it translates to college success.
By the way he did a decent job, when your playing 4th fiddle in most cases with your sport(Football, basketball, Women's Basketball!) and you get any recognition for your program then my hats off to him.
How many times did UT make it to CWS before Delmonico got here?
Posted by tigervol9802 on June 6, 2008 at 10:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
*yawns
Maybe if he could actually field a ground ball on a consistent basis he would have gone higher.
Posted by ButchIsBack on June 6, 2008 at 11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
16 horrible seasons? Please stop being ignorant. Not only is he by far the winningest coach in school history but he is the 4th all time winningest coach in SEC history. Baseball Weekly said Tenn had the 16th best program in the nation during his tenure. By the way, that is one spot ahead of LSU.
Losing local kids is also a joke. Name the locals that went elsewhere and where high draft picks. Where waiting. Rod had 3 first rounders he recruited last year. They where hurt all year or they would have went to another World Series. He also signed this years center fielder that will be a very high pick.
Bottom line, at a school without idiots Rod would have the field named after him.
Posted by tigervol9802 on June 6, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Butch -
Name me another school in the history of the sport that has had three first round MLB draft picks and did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Nice w/the Fulmer injury excuses. If injuries to your top players become a constant theme to your program...could it be possibly that perhaps the coach is doing something wrong?
Posted by ButchIsBack on June 6, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Can you read? Did you see where the program ranks? Can you see the career success? Can you see that the first rounders that he recruited and developed hardly saw the field due to injury? Have you ever played a sport? Are you on break from your tire changing job? What kind of illiterate heyseed are you to make such a statement?
Posted by bamacheats on June 6, 2008 at 12:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Delmonico is an underachiever. For you guys that think he is all that, should "have a field named after him," and did a great job here, get a freakin' clue!
He is the Jerry Green of baseball...Jerry Green's teams consistently underachieved, and when he got fired he has never been a head coach again because the people that matter know he is a loser.
By the way, where is Delmonico the head coach at now? Oh that's right, he's chillin' on a boat with Jerry right now.
Posted by TommyJack on June 6, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Butch: I believe it's HAYseed. And what's wrong with tire changers? They keep your elitist hands clean.
Posted by ButchIsBack on June 6, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To all of you heyseeds, Rod is an assistant coach at FSU and is in the running for the Miss State, Auburn and Central Florida jobs.
Posted by tigervol9802 on June 6, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Butch -
I really hope he gets State or Auburn. It'll be nice to have one less threat of a team in conference.
Funny thing with the name calling though. I actually worked doing that sort of thing three summers in high school. Pretty hard work actually. Hot too. Glad I don't do that anymore.
Truth be told, I could really care less about draft choices and how that helps a team in rankings. I care about wins and losses on the field. From 99-07, there were too few of them.
Posted by GreerVol22 on June 6, 2008 at 1:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Butch, check again bro, He's not on the payroll at FSU, only a "volunteer" assistant...funny how that word play works. Resume must look nice cause at the top it says "fired"
http://seminoles.cstv.com/sports/m-ba...
Posted by ncvol on June 6, 2008 at 2:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Delmonico, we wish you best of luck. We hated to lose you last year.Hope you turn out to be one of the best. At least, you still get to play for Joe. Go Vols!
Posted by FishTacos on June 6, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nafslov.
When or where you are drafted in baseball has nothing to do with whether or not you are successful in the pros. Remember Albert Pujols went in the 13th round.
Posted by shoalcreekvol on June 6, 2008 at 5:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"I didn't get drafted as high as I thought I should have". That nut didn't fall to far from the tree...
Posted by ajbake on June 9, 2008 at 4:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I thought I overheard ESPN announcers on Friday during the Super Regional state that T. Delmonico would be most likely a catcher in the pros. Any idea what the Dodgers have planned or do they have needs at the catcher position?
Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on June 11, 2008 at 11:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Delmonico in the running at MSU and Auburn? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's funny. He couldn't even get the Florida Atlantic job last year.
Posted by WorkinLikeHeck on June 12, 2008 at 12:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Looks like an LSU assistant coach is taking the UCF job. So Butch, are there any more lies or Delmonico propaganda you want to spout off?
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