Chiefnj
06-07-2006, 08:09 AM
from profootballtalk.com, but interesting nonetheless.
DEJA VU FOR PAGE
In April, former UCLA safety Jarrad Page was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the NFL draft, as the 228th overall player chosen.
On Tuesday, Page was also drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in California of the United States of America from the Western Hemisphere of the Earth.
Page, a switch-hitting outfielder, was taken by the Angels in the seventh round, as the 222nd overall player chosen.
A league source tells us that Page is undecided as to whether he's going to play football or baseball. With the signing bonuses generally higher in baseball but the path to the highest level of the sport decidedly longer, the decision won't be an easy one.
As much as we love football, however, a guy who can play both sports at a level high enough to be drafted should give serious thought to choosing baseball. The long-term physical toll isn't nearly as severe, and a career in baseball can last years longer than a career in pro football.
At a minimum, look for Page to squeeze the best deal possible from both the Chiefs and the Angels before signing on the dotted line with either franchise. Leverage is a rare commodity for guys whose rights are devoted to one team via a draft; Page is in the unusual situation of being able to tell the Chiefs that he'll play baseball if he doesn't get the right money from K.C., and to tell the Angels that he'll choose football if the baseball contract offered to him isn't sufficiently lucrative.
Amazingly, the fact that one of the Chiefs' seven draft picks was drafted by an MLB team wasn't even mentioned in Wednesday's Kansas City Star.
DEJA VU FOR PAGE
In April, former UCLA safety Jarrad Page was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the NFL draft, as the 228th overall player chosen.
On Tuesday, Page was also drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in California of the United States of America from the Western Hemisphere of the Earth.
Page, a switch-hitting outfielder, was taken by the Angels in the seventh round, as the 222nd overall player chosen.
A league source tells us that Page is undecided as to whether he's going to play football or baseball. With the signing bonuses generally higher in baseball but the path to the highest level of the sport decidedly longer, the decision won't be an easy one.
As much as we love football, however, a guy who can play both sports at a level high enough to be drafted should give serious thought to choosing baseball. The long-term physical toll isn't nearly as severe, and a career in baseball can last years longer than a career in pro football.
At a minimum, look for Page to squeeze the best deal possible from both the Chiefs and the Angels before signing on the dotted line with either franchise. Leverage is a rare commodity for guys whose rights are devoted to one team via a draft; Page is in the unusual situation of being able to tell the Chiefs that he'll play baseball if he doesn't get the right money from K.C., and to tell the Angels that he'll choose football if the baseball contract offered to him isn't sufficiently lucrative.
Amazingly, the fact that one of the Chiefs' seven draft picks was drafted by an MLB team wasn't even mentioned in Wednesday's Kansas City Star.