Early Years
Upon graduation from Islip High School in Islip, New York, Veryzer was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the first round (eleventh pick overall) of the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft. His older brother, James, had been drafted by the Kansas City Athletics in the 49th round of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft, but had also moved to the Tigers' organization by 1971 as well.
Veryzer batted just .225 with four home runs and twenty RBIs in his first professional season with the Bristol Tigers, but his slick glove earned him Appalachian League MVP honors. After two and a half seasons in the minors, he was called up to the majors in 1973 at just twenty years old. Although he remained with the club through the rest of the season, he saw very little playing time with All-Star Ed Brinkman at short. However, in his limited playing time, he batted .300 (6 for 20), and had an RBI single off the Minnesota Twins' Dave Goltz in his first major league at-bat. He also drove in the last run ever at the original, unrenovated Yankee Stadium, driving in Marvin Lane with a single off Lindy McDaniel on September 30.
Read more about this topic: Tom Veryzer
Famous quotes containing the words early and/or years:
“Yet, haply, in some lull of life,
Some Truce of God which breaks its strife,
The worldling’s eyes shall gather dew,
Dreaming in throngful city ways
Of winter joys his boyhood knew;
And dear and early friends—the few”
—John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892)
“It would astonish if not amuse, the older citizens of your County who twelve years ago knew me a stranger, friendless, uneducated, penniless boy, working on a flat boat—at ten dollars per month to learn that I have been put down here as the candidate of pride, wealth, and aristocratic family distinction.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)