Sleeth Signs with Detroit Tigers
8/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
"We felt it was best for Kyle that he have some time off to get what we felt was some much-needed rest," Tigers scouting director Greg Smith told the MLB.com. "Obviously there's a business aspect going through the signing process. We felt it was a win-win situation to allow that to take its course."
"It's exciting to know guys have an opportunity at a younger age to get up here," Sleeth said. "Hopefully I can follow that same path."
For now, Sleeth's path will include a lot of instruction and an Interstate 75 commute before making his professional debut next month in the Florida Instructional League. He'll spend the upcoming week in Toledo working with minor-league pitching instructor Jon Matlack and Mud Hens pitching coach Jeff Jones, then return to Detroit the following week when the Tigers are back home for work with Matlack and Tigers pitching coach Bob Cluck.
Sleeth, was the third overall pick and the second college player taken in this year's draft. He is Wake Forest's third-ever first round draft pick. Kansas City drafted Mike MacDougal 25th overall in 1999 and St. Louis took Bret Wagner 19th overall in 1994.
Sleeth, a two-time All-American at Wake Forest, was one of five finalists for the Golden Spikes Award given to the top player in college baseball.
In three seasons at Wake Forest, Sleeth posted a 31-6 record with a 3.47 ERA. He appeared in 53 games with 43 starts and six complete games. In his 293 innings as a Deacon, he had 271 strikeouts with 101 walks. Sleeth leaves Wake Forest second on the school's all-time win list and fourth on the strikeout chart.
As a freshman in 2001, Sleeth led all Deacon pitchers with 10 wins. In the summer of 2001, Sleeth earned All-Star honors in the prestigious Cape Cod League. As a sophomore, he led the nation in winning percentage with a 14-0 mark including four wins over NCAA Tournament teams. Last summer, Sleeth became the first pitcher in Team USA history to throw two complete game shutouts in the same summer.
Earlier this year, Sleeth, a native of Westminster, Colo., tied the NCAA record for consecutive winning decisions with 26. The streak began during March 2001, his freshman year, and extended into March 2003. Sleeth finished his junior season with 7-3 record, a 2.81 ERA, three complete games, 102 strikeouts in 96 innings with just 29 walks. Sleeth is the eighth Demon Deacon to become a two-time All-American.
