THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 22, 1994 TAG: 9406220578
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940622 LENGTH: Medium
Anderson, a ninth-round draft pick in baseball's amateur draft three weeks ago, struck out 187 batters in 88 innings and posted a 9-1 record and 0.40 earned-run average as a senior. He will report to the Pirates' Bradenton, Fla., Gulf Coast League (rookie) team this weekend.
{REST} Terms of the agreement were not released, but Anderson's father, Jim Sr., said the family cut the deal it was expecting.
``The signing bonus itself is six digits, there are incentives for each time Jimmy advances to a new level and there's a $50,000 college fund,'' Anderson Sr. said. ``It is the policy of the Pirates to send all high school players to Bradenton. We've been told to expect Jimmy to get two or three starts there and if he mows them down like he did in high school, he'll be shipped to the Welland (Ontario) Pirates of the New York-Penn (short-season Class A) League.''
The Andersons met with Pirates local scout Bobby McKinney on four separate occasions before reaching agreement and Anderson returned from a post-graduation vacation in Nags Head to sign the contract.
Anderson expressed relief that the sides had come to agreement. Had they not, Anderson was prepared to attend North Florida Junior College for a year, at which point he would have been eligible for the draft again.
``I figured if I'd gone to school I'd be in this same position a year from now,'' Anderson said. ``I want to start my pro career. It's what I've always wanted to do.''
by CNB