DATE: Wednesday, June 18, 1997              TAG: 9706180748

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   55 lines

CUDDYER, CURTICE ARE NEGOTIATING WITH TEAMS

Representatives from the Minnesota Twins were scheduled to open contract negotiations with top pick Mike Cuddyer and his family Tuesday night.

Meanwhile Betty Curtice, mother of Boston Red Sox top pick John Curtice, said she was optimistic that John would sign, possibly soon.

The former Great Bridge Wildcats are the first high school teammates drafted in the first round since 1972. Cuddyer, an infielder, was the ninth pick and Curtice, a lefthanded pitcher, the 17th pick overall.

The players drafted immediately before and after Cuddyer have signed. J.J. Davis, taken No. 8 by Pittsburgh, received a $1.675 million bonus. John Garland, taken No. 10 by the Chicago Cubs, received a $1.325 million bonus.

Using those two as starting points in the negotiations, Cuddyer can expect to receive about $1.5 million, Baseball America editor Alan Simpson said.

That is commonly referred to as slotting. But Henry Cuddyer, Mike's father, said the family isn't ready to fall neatly in line.

He pointed to the five players who worked out pre-draft agreements with teams as an extenuating circumstance.

``Some of those players wouldn't have been drafted as highly as they were if they hadn't worked out those deals,'' he said.

Among the players who made pre-draft agreements was Mark Mangum, a righthanded pitcher picked 18th - immediately after Curtice - by the Colorado Rockies. He signed for $875,000.

``That's a little below market value,'' Simpson said. ``Curtice should get between $900,000 and $1 million.''

To preserve their college eligibility, neither Curtice nor Cuddyer has signed with an agent, although both are using agents as advisors.

John Curtice Sr. is handling his son's negotiations, Betty Curtice said.

``We're not upset or anxious,'' Betty Curtice said. ``We're right on schedule. It could take maybe just a while longer.''

Curtice has been working out with his high school coaches since the draft. He had hoped to pitch in a local adult league but the Red Sox nixed that idea.

Cuddyer, however, plans to play American Legion ball this weekend, If negotiations drag, he will fly to Chicago next week for a national high school all-star tournament.

He also could travel to Missouri and Canada later this summer with the U.S. Junior National team. Cuddyer signed last fall with Florida State and college baseball remains an option. Curtice, who is not academically qualified to accept a Division I scholarship, could attend a junior college if he doesn't sign.

``FSU is still pretty good in the hunt,'' Henry Cuddyer said.

``I have no idea what's going to happen,'' he added. ``This is a like a big card game. They know you won't take their first offer and they won't take yours.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Great Bridge's Mike Cuddyer, left, and John Curtice are the first

high school teammates to be drafted in the first round since 1972.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu