CLARION CATCHER PETE VUCKOVICH DRAFTED IN 48TH ROUND BY WHITE SOX
He is the son of former Clarion standout Peter Vuckovich Sr., the 1982 American League Cy Young Award with the Milwaukee Brewers, who was drafted 30 years ago (1974) by the same Chicago White Sox.
"I’m elated about being drafted," the younger Vuckovich said. "It’s the greatest feeling in the world to know you have a chance to fulfill your lifelong dream. It’s the first step in a pro career, and that’s what I’ve worked so hard for. I have the opportunity, now its what I make out of it that counts."
Vuckovich, the 1,432nd overall pick in the draft, will report to either Bristol, Va., or Grandview, Mont., to start his White Sox career.
A captain of the 2004 squad and a PSAC and Clarion "Scholar Athlete", Vuckovich played in 24 games with the Golden Eagles this season and hit .258 (16 of 62) with nine RBI’s and eight runs scored. He had one double, eight walks and was 3-for-3 in stolen bases. He missed the final two weeks of the season as a precautionary measure but is now 100 percent healthy.
Known as a strong defensive catcher, Vuckovich handles pitchers well and possesses a rifle arm. He had a .954 fielding percentage in 2004. In 2003, "Vuck" hit .283 (24 of 85) with 14 rbi’s, 14 runs scored and three stolen bases with a .960 fielding percentage.
"I know my strengths lie behind the plate," Vuckovich said. "I’m strong at handling pitchers and directing the team from behind the plate. I need to continue to improve those areas and work to improve my hitting to keep moving up.
"I’d like to thank everyone at Clarion who helped me reach my goal. I’d like to thank coach Scott Feldman and the coaching staff, the administration and Rich Herman (former Clarion coach) for signing me to come to Clarion. A lot of people have been instrumental in getting me to this stage, and I want to thank them all."
"I’m really proud of him," Vuckovich Sr. said. "I’m happy for him because this really has been his dream to try and be a major league baseball player. He’s had some obstacles too, but he’s worked to overcome them. He is a dedicated player who has worked very hard to get where he is, and now its up to him to take full advantage of this great opportunity."
CLARION NOTES: Vuckovich, who graduated in May with a degree in Communications, is the first Golden Eagle player to be drafted since Brad Frazier was taken in the 40th round of the 1992 Draft by the Florida Marlins. Frazier went on to play in the Marlins organization and in the Frontier League before becoming the head coach at three-time District 9 champion Clarion-Limestone ... Vuckovich played sparingly as a freshman in 2000 and was 1-for-8 hitting ... In 2001, he hit .162 (6 of 37), five RBI’s, with runs scored and then sat out the 2002 season ... He came back strong in his final two seasons finishing his career 47-for-192 at the plate for a .245 career average with 29 RBI’s, 27 runs, four doubles, 22 walks and six stolen bases ... He hit .272 for his final two seasons (40 of 147) ... Clarion was 18-29 this season and 5-15 in the PSAC-West ... The Eagles were 17-31 in 2003 and 7-13 in the West ... Feldman has completed his fifth year at Clarion with a record of 69-138 ... Vuckovich is a 1999 graduate of Conemaugh Valley High School ... Vuckovich Sr. Pitched at Clarion from 1971-74 and was drafted by the White Sox in 1974 ... Pete Sr. Made his first major league appearance with the White Sox in 1975 and then went to Toronto in the 1977 expansion draft and recorded the Blue Jays first franchise save and first franchise shutout ... He pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1979-80 and led the Cards in wins and strikeouts before being traded to the Brewers ... He pitched for Milwaukee from 1981-86 and retired in 1987 after two shoulder surgeries ... He was 14-4 in 1981 with the Brewers and 18-6 in 1982 when he won the A.L. Cy Young Award and helped the team to the American League title and spot in the World Series ... He finished his career with a 93-69 career record with 10 saves and a 3.66 ERA in 1,455 1/3 innings. He had 882 career strikeouts ... After retiring, Vuckovich Sr. was a color analyst for the Brewers for three years and then was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a pitching instructor in 1992 ... In 1994 he was named Special Assistant to General Manager Cam Bonifay and Assistant G.M. in 1996 ... In 1997, he was hired as the Pirates pitching coach and served in that capacity until 2000 when he moved back to the front office. He is currently an Assistant General Manager with the Pirates.
Pete Vuckovich Jr.