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Brett Hunter used to attend Pepperdine University. He used to be an advertising major. He used to be a pitcher for the Waves. But now, Hunter has officially shed those labels to climb one step closer to the big leagues.
This would-be senior signed his acceptance to a contract that would prove life-altering. He had until Aug. 15 to make a decision and decided to take the plunge. Drafted in the seventh round of this year’s MLB First-year Player Draft, Hunter signed a $1.1 million contract to play for the Oakland Athletics.
“God blessed him with an unbelievable talent,” said Head Coach Steve Rodriguez. “When his senior year of high school came around he was throwing close to 96 to 97 miles per hour. There are very few people in the country or even the world that can throw that hard.”
Hunter’s pitching skills have helped him follow his dream of playing baseball with the big guys.
“I’m pretty close to getting my degree, but it’s the right time for me to get my career started,” he said.
He started playing T-ball at age five and became a well-seasoned player, as he never stopped throwing the ball after that.
As Hunter looks back on his experience at Pepperdine, he has nothing but praise for his former coaches.
“I pretty much give all the credit to them for putting me on the right track,” he said. “The coaching staff is unbelievable. We trained in a professional environment, so you know what to expect ... They’re not just coaching baseball, they’re coaching you on life.”
Hunter still keeps in close contact with Rodriguez during this transition from college to professional ball.
“I’m constantly telling him to grow from what he’s learned at Pepperdine,” Rodriguez said. “You should constantly work on weaknesses and remember you have to take advantage of every opportunity you get.”
Hunter has taken to heart his coaches’ advice and will continue to strengthen his athletic talent.
“I’m going to practice and just keep doing what I’ve been doing,” Hunter said.
For him, his career is solely baseball. But, he does make the point that, even though he loves the sport, he does not want to come home after playing the game all day just to sit on the couch and watch it on T.V. It is a good wake up call, though, because Hunter didn’t get to where he was by flipping the through ESPN. Actually, it is quite the opposite.
“You just have to think positive,” Hunter said. “If you have a bad game or a bad inning, just forget about it and think about the good things that are going happen.”
Submitted 08-25-2008
MALIBU, CA
