A Kansas City Royals scout called at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Tyler Zuber answered, eager to find out whether he would be a late Day 2 draft pick like the scout had indicated during a phone call the day before.
Only three Arkansas State University players previously had been drafted within the first 10 rounds. Zuber watched the draft on his parent's living room TV in White Hall, wondering whether he would be next.
"He asked me if it all was good," said Zuber, a 5-11 right-hander who went 6-1 with a 2.06 ERA for the Red Wolves last season. "Told him, 'Yeah,' and as the day progressed, he called me again in the fifth [round] and said, 'We're looking to take you real soon,' and I said, 'Yes sir, I'm ready for it.' "
The scout hung up. Two seconds later, Zuber's phone rang.
It was a Kansas City scouting director.
"I want you to hear it from my mouth," Zuber remembered him saying. "Be ready these next couple of rounds."
The fifth round passed, and so did 15 picks in the sixth.
Zuber's phone buzzed: a text from the director.
"If you're sitting next to anybody there on the couch," it read, "you might want to record this."
Zuber and his mother, Becky, reached for their phones. His father, John, lifted the iPad to record.
Zuber's name flashed on the screen, the No. 180 overall selection. He was the highest picked ballplayer in a June draft in ASU history -- three rounds ahead of right-hander Jacob Lee, who was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the ninth round of the 2012 MLB Draft.
At first he was quiet, silent until the video recording stopped. Then, he whooped and hollered with his parents, a smile spread across his face.
"I'm still shaking," said Zuber, minutes afterward. "It's a dream come true. Ever since I was a young boy, it was to play professional baseball, play in the MLB. This is the first step, and I can't wait to get started doing it, pursuing my dream. No other way to describe it other than blessed."
Zuber said Kansas City would call later Tuesday night or early this morning to arrange a flight to meet Zuber with a contract. He was uncertain of the amount to be offered, but the value of the slot where he was drafted is estimated at $251,700 by MLB.com.
"Kansas City isn't too far from home," said Zuber, who was a seven-hour drive from the Royals' Kauffman Stadium. "And Double A [NW Arkansas Naturals] is in the Springdale/Fayetteville area, four hours from here. If I'm fortunate enough to make it there, my family's not far away, and I've got family there, and they can come and be supportive.
"I've heard nothing but great things about this organization. I'm happy."
Sports on 06/14/2017