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11/19/2004 9:00 AM ET
In AFL, Whiteman beats the odds
Shortstop sees self as Native American role model
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By Melissa Wintemute / Special to MLB.com |
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| Tommy Whiteman has shown a solid bat and good defense in the AFL. (Chris Shuttlesworth/MLB.com)
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HOUSTON -- In 1901, Bill Phyle played one game at shortstop for the New York Giants. This would mark the first, first and only time a Native American played shortstop in a Major League game. Houston Astros prospect Tommy Whiteman hopes to change that.
Originally selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the sixth round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft, Whiteman chose to stay close to home and signed a letter of intent with the University of Oklahoma. After his sophomore year, in 2000, he was draft eligible and once again was selected in the sixth round, this time by the Astros.
"I felt I had grown up baseball-wise and was ready for professional baseball," Whiteman said of his choice to sign with the Astros. "College provided me a chance to play more days a week and practice year-round, and after two years of 50 to 60 games a year, I was ready to go pro."
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