Glenns Ferry grad drafted by Rockies

It's official now. Former Glenns Ferry Pilot pitcher Zach Simons signed on the dotted line with the Colorado Rockies Sunday at his father's home in Eagle.

Simons was drafted by the Rockies in the second round in the Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft on June 7. He was the 55th player to be picked on the first day of the two-day draft.

Simons was at a loss for words to describe his feeling after signing with the Rockies Sunday.

"It's definitely an overwhelming feeling right now. I just really can't explain what I'm feeling."

Simons, a 2003 graduate of Glenns Ferry High School, where he led the Pilots to a second-place finish in the 2A State Baseball Tournament, is coming off a banner year at Everett Community College in Everett, Wash., where he went 5-0 and finished with a 1.42 earned run average (ERA). His success this year, had the stadium filled with major league baseball scouts getting a look at him.

"I got the opportunity to come out early and put on a really good show,and drew about 40 to 50 scouts at every game," said Simons, "and after that it kind of erupted from there. It was just an awesome feeling up there in Everett."

How does it feel to go out and pitch knowing there are major league baseball scouts in the stands watching your every pitch?

"I had to grow up a lot over there, coming from a small town, you don't see that sort of thing, so I just had to grow up as a player and a person, and just kind of push that to the side, because there were a lot more people there and a lot more difficulties and things, like a lot more fans and a lot of scouts, a lot of pressure, and you just got to push that to the side and go out there and do your job."

Simons was drafted by the Oakland A's in the 38th round back in 2003 right out of high school, but the 2003 Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year chose to go to college instead, and play for Everett. When last year's draft came and went and no one drafted him, Simons said he resolved to work hard this year.

"Last year, nobody drafted me, and it kind of opened my eyes a little bit that maybe I needed to work a little bit harder, so I just dedicated myself to working hard and getting better, and I felt it paid off, but never in a million years did I think I'd go in the second round. I'm grateful that the Rockies took a chance on me."

Zach's agent, Jonathan Pridie of Sosnick Cobbe Sports, was pleased with the the Rockies picking Zach in the second round.

"Colorado was very interested in him and made it known the day of the draft that they didn't want to let him get by them, and that made it a real easy process."

Pridie also was pleased with the terms of the contract, that sees Simons get a $635,000 signing bonus, plus five semesters of college paid for by the Rockies.

"We're very happy with the deal. Our company is known for getting things done quickly. Everybody signed in the first three or four rounds for our whole company, our first rounders are all signed, and Zach's signed, and we don't mess around with it. We go after kids that want to play, and Zach wants to play, so basically it was a five-minute conversation working out the contract."

Pridie also believes Zach starting at Tri Cities of the Northwest League will be a good start for him.

"Absolutely! It should be pretty fun. He's really excited about coming back and playing in front of his local fans."

Gary Wilson, area scouting supervisor for the Colorado Rockies was in Eagle for the signing Sunday, and was happy to have Simons in the Rockies program.

"Obviously, our aim is to produce our own pitching, and Zach has a power arm and he's also a very good athlete and has a lot of life to his ball, and potentially, a good sinking fastball, so those are the things that really made us kind of put him up on our list a little higher, and that's a good combination for us in Colorado."

Wilson also believes the Tri City Dust Devils in the Northwest League will be a good place for Simons to start his baseball career. "It's a nice league for him and is close to where he's from.

"It's going to be a jump for him and he'll be going against competitive four-year guys that know how to handle wood (bats) a little bit, so it's going to be a challenge, and hopefully, it's the right challenge. We want him to be challenged at every level, and it's a good fit for him, and ideally, he can finish strong here and maybe we'll send him up, and maybe not, depending upon what kind of success he's having in the league."

Simons left Monday (June 13) for Denver, and is due to join the Tri City Dust Devils today (Wednesday, June 15). The Dust Devils play in Boise against the Boise Hawks on July 13-15, and Aug. 30-Sept. 1.