The Moultrie Observer
MOULTRIE —
MOULTRIE — Chris McAlpin is not sure exactly why Georgia seems to be producing so many outstanding baseball players the last few years.
But he has made sure that the Los Angeles Angels are getting their share.
The former Colquitt County High catcher has been a scout for the Angels since 2002 and in 2008 was named their Scout of the Year.
He may be in the running for that award again this year after the Angels drafted three of his players in the first round, including two — East Coweta pitcher Cameron Bedrosian and Marietta outfielder Chevez Clarke — who have already signed.
The third, Cook High third baseman Kaleb Cowart, may be biggest prize, however.
Cowart, the No. 18 overall pick in the draft, also has committed to Florida State.
“He’s a pretty special kid,” McAlpin says of Cowart, who was named the 2010 High School Player of the Year. “He’s got power from both sides and he’s got a tremendous arm.”
McAlpin also likes what he calls Cowart’s “makeup.”
And while Bedrosian and Clarke signed for bonuses of about $1 million, Cowart is seeking $3 million.
The Angels have until August 16 to sign him, McAlpin said.
“We’re working on it,” he said.
Florida, California and Texas have long been considered the states that produce the baseball players.
But over the last decade, Georgia has begun to be noticed for its baseball.
In addition to Cowart, Clark and Bedrosian, Blessed Trinity outfielder Jake Skole was taken No. 15 by the Texas Rangers this year.
And McAlpin, who has worked the Southeast, is helping the Angels make some inroads in his home state.
Among the players he has signed are P.J. Phillips from Redan High and Nick Green from Tift County.
The Angels also drafted Buster Posey of Lee County and Florida State, but were unable to sign him.
After his career with the Seminoles, he was signed by the San Francisco Giants and is now in the major leagues.
McAlpin also has signed Posey’s former Lee County teammate Thomas Nichols, who played at Georgia, and Valdosta State All-America outfielder Brandon Decker.
“We’ve tried to get some Georgia kids,” McAlpin said. “And it’s not too often you get tha many picks in the first round.
“Those kids just kind of fell our way.”
McAlpin’s draft success comes on the heels of a recent promotion to cross-checker, a position that will allow him to help other scouts evaluate their talent.
“It’s a step up,” McAlpin said. “It’s a lot more time on airplanes.
“I’ve seen a lot more places. But I’ve enjoyed it.”
McAlpin said his area of concentration is the East Coast and includes Puerto Rico all the way up to Maine.
He said there are five area scouts on the East Coast, “And they’ll tell me where they need me to go.”
McAlpin was a three-year starter at catcher for Jerry Croft at Colquitt County High from 1986-1988, hitting over .300 each year, including a .384 average as a senior.
Among his high school teammates was Muzzy Jackson, who has gone on to a career in the front office of the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals.
He played a year at South Georgia College before back surgeries curtailed his playing career.
McAlpin coached the baseball team at Tiftarea Academy in Chula for five seasons before taking the job as the Angels scout for Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina in 2002.
That fall, the Angels defeated the Giants to win the World Series, earning McAlpin a ring.
Alsot hat year, McAlpin signed Joe Saunders out of Virginia Tech.
The left-hander, a 12th-round draft pick, reached the major leagues and posted a record 54-32 record and a 4.29 ERA for the Angels before being traded last week to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a deal for Dan Haren.
McAlpin also has his eye on another promising pitcher, this one from his home town.
He saw Colquitt County’s Cole Pitts pitch this summer.
“He’s a big kid with a good arm,” McAlpin said of Pitts, who recently committed to Georgia Tech.
“He’s got a fastball in the low 90s. It’s going to interesting to see how he does.”
McAlpin spends more than 200 days a year on the road and does not get to spend much time at his Norman Park home until October, November and December.
“That’s the tough part,” McAlpin said. “The kids are getting older and there are things I miss.”
Oldest daughter Peyton, who enjoys softball, will be in seventh grade this year. Daughter Hannah, who is an aspiring dancer, will be in third grade.
Both are attending school in Tift County.
“It puts a burden on (wife) Suzanne,” he says. “But they all understand this is what I love to do.”
And he enjoys working for the Angels, especially scouting director Eddie Bane.
“I couldn’t ask for anybody better to work for,” McAlpin said. “He’s very supportive.
“He allows me to go out and do my job.”
