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Second invitation lures Dattola to pro baseball

 
Published June 8, 1990|Updated Oct. 17, 2005

It was deja vu with a twist for University of South Florida star Kevin Dattola during Major League Baseball's draft of amateur players. Back in June of 1987, Cleveland Indians scout Bill Meyer called Dattola, then a freshman at Brevard Community College, and told he had been selected in the 24th round.

Three years later, Dattola's telephone rang again on draft day, and again Meyer was on the other end. This time, Meyer was a scout for Oakland and Dattola's stock had risen significantly _ to the 15th round.

Dattola, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound outfielder, said he will sign Sunday and then report to Oakland's rookie-league club in Medford, Ore.

"I was really happy when they called, and it was funny that it was Bill Meyer," Dattola said. "I wasn't sure about the draft. At first, I was a little worried, because I was a senior. But I had a pretty good year."

Dattola batted .290 and scored 58 runs. He stole 49 bases, nearly half the Bulls' total. He was a second-team All-Sun Belt Conference pick.

Yet he'd had good seasons between 1987 and 1990 and received no draft calls. In the years after he refused the Indians' offer, he was told he might not be drafted again.

"But things worked out," he said. "I really enjoyed playing at USF, and it didn't hurt me."

A month ago, USF senior Dave White's baseball career seemed over.

Needing to trim two players from his roster to reach the Sun Belt Conference limit of 22, coach Eddie Cardieri released White, an oft-injured pitcher.

When the Bulls won the conference-tournament final, earning an automatic berth to the national tournament, White watched on television.

"When everyone was celebrating, it just about killed me," he said. "I still wanted the chance to play."

White, a former Seminole High standout, will have that opportunity. He was picked in the 20th round by Milwaukee, signed a contract Wednesday, and left Thursday to participate in a week-long mini-camp in Arizona before reporting to the Brewers' rookie-league team in Helena, Mont.

"Dave's a big kid with a good arm," Cardieri said. "He was just very restricted because of injuries."

White, a 6-5, 190-pound righty, jarred his lower back when he landed on his heel after throwing the final pitch of the seventh inning against Saint Leo on April 4. His season _ 2-0 record, 6.16 ERA _ was over then.

"I didn't have too much exposure," White said, "but Spanky (pitching coach Spanky McFarland) knew I could pitch and spread the word to scouts, and that helped get me the chance."

Bob Undorf, one of the nation's premier relievers, was relieved.

The major leagues _ the Detroit Tigers, in the 33rd round _ recognized what the USF pitcher has done the past few years. Though he was not one of the four relief pitchers on the NCAA 1990 All-American teams, Undorf led the nation in saves with 15 and had a 4-1 record and 1.36 ERA. As a junior, he had 13 saves, a 5-1 record, and a 1.99 ERA. In two seasons at Hillsborough Community College, he was 11-3 with 25 saves and a 1.40 ERA.

"I don't understand it," Undorf said of his omission from the coaches' All-American list. "I don't know how I escaped being on it, but now I just want a chance to prove what I can do. Hopefully, I can push it up a notch."

Undorf signed with the Tigers on Thursday afternoon and will report to the New York-Penn League on Monday.

"I'll just go in and see how I do," he said. "I don't have any pressure."