Each of Major League Baseball's 30 teams employs men and women whose sole job it is to scout special talents. They scour high school ball fields and small junior colleges, investing money and man-hours to ensure those players do not slip past Round 1 of the draft.
That Tommy Hanson fell to the 22nd round proves just how inexact the profession can be. In hindsight, it's easy to suggest that 29 teams whiffed by passing on Hanson - a 6-foot-6, 225-pound right-hander who grew up in San Bernardino, attended Redlands East Valley High and Riverside Community College, and has blossomed into one of the minor leagues' most talented pitching prospects - a player so highly regarded by the Atlanta Braves that a potential deal for Padres ace Jake Peavy fell apart because of their refusal to trade him.
But even the Braves waited 21 rounds before calling his name back in 2005.
"It's not an absolute science," RCC coach Dennis Rogers said. "I think Baseball people are fearful of saying they made a mistake in judgment."
How Hanson went from a pudgy catcher to can't-miss prospect is a story of patience and development.
Now 22, he didn't hit his growth spurt until his sophomore year of high school. He couldn't reach 90 mph on the radar gun until he enrolled at RCC, which is about the time he first started growing facial hair. Hanson wasn't drafted out of Redlands East Valley because he gave teams little reason to do so.
Said Hanson: "I was just another guy who threw in mid-80s."
But by his freshman year at RCC, Hanson already had shown glimpses of promise. Coaches marveled at his makeup, demeanor and focus.
If only his body could catch up.
"He wasn't very strong, but you could tell he was OK," said Mike Spiers, the director of ABD Academy, for which Hanson played travel ball. "It was just a matter of time before it kicked in."
Once that happened, Hanson progressed quickly. He went 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA during his first season of Rookie ball. The next year he struck out 90 in 73 innings at Class A.
His promotion to Class AA was highlighted by a no-hitter in which he struck out 14.
Playing for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League this autumn, Hanson went 5-0 with a 0.63 ERA in seven starts, prompting Manager Rocket Wheeler to compare him to Cy Young winner Roy Halladay.
"I haven't seen a pitcher do that before in any league," said Wheeler, who also managed Hanson in Class A.
No surprise then that Hanson drew interest from other teams. Discussions with the Padres reportedly broke down last month when Atlanta general manager Frank Wren refused to include Hanson in a deal for Peavy.
A few days later Wren arrived in Arizona to watch some of the organization's top prospects. After batting practice, Wren called Hanson over to chat in front of the dugout.
"It was never our plan to trade you," Hanson remembers Wren saying. "I just want to let you know, you're not going anywhere. You're staying here."
And Hanson, who signed with the Braves, developed under their care and has a shot to make their roster next spring, felt relieved.
"I wouldn't want to go anywhere else," he said.
Reach Michael Becker
at mbecker@PE.com
* * *
THE HANSON FILE
Age: 22 Ht: 6-6 Wt: 225
Hometown: San Bernardino
High school: Redlands East Valley
Drafted: By Atlanta in 2005, 22nd round out of Riverside Community College
Of note: Threw a no-hitter in Class AA on June 25, striking out 14 . . . Went 5-0 with 0.63 ERA for Mesa Solar Sox in Arizona Fall League.
