THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 13, 1996 TAG: 9605130135
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
No guarantees. None at all. Old Dominion senior catcher Matt Quatraro faces that reality during the major league draft next month.
Quatraro hits for power and average. He plays six positions. He even earned most valuable player honors during the Colonial Athletic Association tournament as a sophomore. Yet, becoming a major league draft pick is no certainty.
``The people I have talked to have said they liked me but it's kind of a strange process,'' said Quatraro, whose Monarchs (35-14) open defense of their conference title in Kinston, N.C. Tuesday afternoon.
To Quatraro, the draft is strange because area scouts who have seen him play have little or no say in the final selection process. And strange in the sense that someone of his ability could slip through the cracks.
Quatraro has brutalized the baseball this year, batting .421 with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs in the Monarchs first 49 games. He's in the top five of the three CAA categories. So what's the problem?
``I think the biggest question some scouts have at this point is his arm strength,'' ODU coach Tony Guzzo said. ``Is he consistently good enough to catch everyday?''
Anything else?
``(College) seniors usually get drafted low because they really don't have any other options,'' said Bobby McKinney, area scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Unlike football or basketball athletes, college baseball players are not expected to complete their eligibility. And Quatraro had no intentions of staying a Monarch for four years.
Quatraro led ODU in batting average (.371) and was named first-team all-CAA at catcher last season. However, an injury led to another major pain - being passed over in the draft.
``It was very disappointing but once I started playing summer ball (in Cape Cod), it pretty much subsided from my memory,'' he said. ``You can't dwell on something like that because there's absolutely nothing you can do about it.''
The Selkirk, N.Y. native separated his shoulder while diving for a ball at second base during a workout. He missed the CAA and NCAA tournaments, therefore losing an opportunity to perform in front of several scouts.
Now a year later, still consistent and dependable, there remains a recurring question: What position will he play?
``The thing about Matt is that he has enough speed to play the outfield and good enough hands to play in the infield at third base or first base,'' Guzzo said. ``Different clubs look at him in different ways. Some see him as a potential outfielder; some see him as an infielder; some see him as a catcher.''
Quatraro caught in high school and was named one of the country's top prep catchers by Collegiate Baseball as a senior. But with Mike Cowell behind the plate for two years, Quatraro played practically everywhere else for ODU.
When Cowell's career ended, Quatraro's spot at catcher still was not guaranteed.
``My biggest concern a year ago when we decided to have Matt catch is that we were going to lose his bat,'' Guzzo said.
``He was such an important part of our offense that we couldn't afford to do that.''
But Quatraro, playing first and third base and all the outfield positions previously, made the transition. And every now and then, he returns to his old positions.
Quatraro played leftfield and first and third base in a 14-5 victory over East Carolina last Sunday. Is this a hint of things to come?
``He could end up becoming a great utility player at a higher level because he can do so many things,'' Guzzo said.
Quatraro would have no problem with that role.
``I'd just like to visualize myself anywhere with a pro uniform on,'' Quatraro said. ``I love catching the most, but as long as I am playing somewhere, I'll be happy.''
Quatraro, like several teammates and foes, will get his chance to impress the scouts in Kinston this week. However, Quatraro will have a significant advantage - he's a top candidate for conference MVP.
``I would like to get drafted, then once I'm there, I have to do what I did here,'' said Quatraro, who shares the school single-season home run record with 13. ``I wasn't a big recruit here but I had to build my way up and prove myself. I think that's what I'll have to do if I get the shot.''
And who knows, there could be some comfort in winning the conference MVP award, which will be announced tonight. Both of ODU's previous conference players of the year - Todd Azar (1986 in the Sun Belt) and Kevin Gibbs (1994) - were eventually drafted. by CNB