Bosco Grad Embarks on Professional Baseball Career

Tommy Burns was deep in the midst of a state title run last year when the Milwaukee Brewers came calling in the 34th round of the Major League Baseball draft.

Then the senior ace on New Jersey's top-ranked high school team, Burns was fresh off pitching a perfect inning to close out Don Bosco's state semifinal win over Delbarton when he learned he'd been drafted. He chose not to sign; opting instead to play a year at JuCo powerhouse Howard College in Big Spring, Texas, to improve his draft stock and re-enter the draft this year.

When the draft finally rolled around on June 6, nearly a month after the finish of his first collegiate season at Howard, Burns didn't have anything to distract him as the teams picked.

The Fair Lawn native went unselected during the draft's first two days. On the third and final day of the draft, with the apprehension and uncertainty about his future at a tipping point, Burns sought refuge where he felt most at peace: a baseball diamond.

"I couldn't take listening to all the rounds pass and my name not get picked, so I went for a drive down the [Dobrow] Complex to watch some Little League baseball," he said. "Nothing like watching them 'cause they just go out and have fun and that's how the game should be."

Burns ended up getting the call in front of a group of young kids readying for a pick-up game on Kaminer Field. The Seattle Mariners had taken him in the 22nd round, with the 657th overall pick.

"I think they saw my excitement and relief after I got off the phone," Burns said of the youngsters. "I rushed home and gave my mom and dad big hugs. After all, they sacrificed a lot for me and my family to put me in the position I'm in. I'm so thankful, words can't explain."

Burns wasted no time inking a contract with the M's. The 19-year-old signed on the dotted line for $50,000 plus three years of college tuition just two days after the Mariners took him. He shipped off to their Rookie League affiliate in Arizona on Wednesday. 

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, the righty hurler said his own physical and mental maturation, as well as the Mariners' reputation for developing draft picks, were major factors in his decision to sign.

"I feel as if I'm more ready," said Burns, who finished his freshman year at Howard with a 5-1 record in 12 starts while averaging a strikeout per inning. "I've gotten bigger and stronger, but most importantly, I learned the mental side of pitching as well."

As a 22nd round pick, Burns' path to the majors isn't preordained, but he's confident he can gain the Mariners' confidence with his worth ethic.

"Once you step on the field it doesn't matter what round you went in," he said. "It's about competing every day and not getting outworked by anyone."

Burns believes one rocky month during the college season may have affected his draft stock, but chalks the struggles up to a learning experience and said he doesn't regret them.

"I'm glad it happened because it was adversity for me and I overcame it and finished strong," he said. "I learned a lot about myself during that time. I refined all my pitches. They got sharper and [gained] movement."

Burns, a five-pitch pitcher whose fastball sits in the high 80s, touching 92 miles per hour, said he can't wait to begin working with the Mariners' coaching staff.

"It might sound cliché, but the sky's the limit," he said. "I'm going to be a sponge once I get around these pro coaches and learn as much as I can. The mental aspect of the game is very important."

While he'll be off playing in Arizona for the remainder of the summer, Burns plans to return home after the season and help out with Fair Lawn's youth baseball organization.

"The dream all starts in Little League," he said. "If kids work hard enough, they can do it."

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