Reese McGuire experienced what it’s like to be a superstar on a whole new level the day after he was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first round of the 2013 MLB first-year players draft June 6.
McGuire, a senior at Kentwood High, went to school the next morning and found himself signing autographs.
“Friday was awesome,” McGuire said. “So many friends and classmates were coming up to me in the halls… people were taking pictures with me and getting my autograph. To know that people were supporting me, even people that I don’t really know, it was just a good feeling.”
Still, it was a little odd for McGuire who despite the numerous baseball accolades he’s accumulated just in the past month alone, is a quiet guy who is grounded. It’s not in his nature to seek the spotlight. He lets his hard work off the field, his bat and his skills on it do the talking. And ultimately, he just wants to play baseball.
“I’m doing all those showcases (last summer) and whatnot, trying to get closer to my goal to be a first-rounder,” McGuire said. “I knew I could just play my game and everything would turn out all right.”
Mark Zender, head baseball coach for Kentwood, credits McGuire’s parents for that attitude.
“They have done a great job keeping him grounded,” Zender wrote in an email interview. “Quite simply, they raised him right and it showed each day no matter how many scouts were at a game or practice, or if we were playing in a big playoff game. In the end for Reese, it is all about excelling at the game he loves, not the other things that surround it.”
McGuire is thankful for all his parents have done for him as well as his brothers — Cash just finished his freshman year at Seattle University where he plays baseball on scholarship while Shane is an eighth grader, who is a left-handed hitter and catcher like Reese — which is why he chose to stay home for the draft. He said he wouldn’t even have the opportunity without his family so he wanted to share the experience with them. Plus, he is days away from graduation.
“It’s really a dream come true for all of us,” McGuire said. “I credit my parents with everything, my dad coaching me and my mom keeping me out of trouble and keeping me on track in school.”
His mother, Robin, is a teacher at Kentwood. McGuire said his parents did everything they could to help the boys earn scholarships to help pay for their college education, something that is important to his mom, by supporting their pursuit of athletics. All three boys settled on baseball and it’s possible that Cash McGuire could end up getting drafted when his college career wraps up.
McGuire recalls people telling him and his brothers when they were younger that someday they would go pro but he didn’t take it seriously then.
To have that opportunity, now, McGuire said, is, “pretty cool.”
And this comes after he was offered a scholarship to play for the University of San Diego. When McGuire spoke to the Reporter in August, he said he wasn’t sure which direction he would go if he were selected, but in the days since he was drafted he said he is leaning toward going pro now.
While it was no surprise he was drafted, the selection went a bit differently than he was expecting, and it was still a huge moment for him.
“With the draft, going into it you never really know (what could happen),” McGuire said. “Some guys went earlier so that really threw things off. Once the Pirates first came up with the ninth pick and then I saw my buddy was drafted … once they passed 10, 11, 12 and 13, I had a gut feeling (the 14th pick) was going to be the one. I felt like the Pirates were going to take me and I saw my name come up and I got a little teary-eyed and emotional. It was so amazing to hear my name called and everyone was yelling and screaming and all of a sudden I was hugging my mom.”
When he spoke to the Reporter Monday, McGuire said he has not yet been in touch with the Pirates organization to finalize a physical or discuss the contract, but he thinks they were giving him some time to finish his last week of high school and graduate before jumping into that.
“Having the draft over, it’s not really a chance to relax, it’s like, ‘OK, you’ve got that set,’” McGuire said. “To me, it’s the beginning. I have a lot to learn. This last week (of school) … not much is going on in my classes, so, basically it’s soaking up the last of this time with my friends.”
And putting in work. McGuire said he’ll be hitting the gym and the batting cage his parents built for him in the shed in the backyard. If all the details are worked out with the Pirates in the near future, he expects he could report to the team by the end of June. He’s excited to be a part of the Pittsburgh organization and feels like it will be a good fit. He’s ready to move on to that phase of his career, venture out into the world and learn.
But, there are some important lessons he learned playing at Kentwood, particularly form Zender, that McGuire knows will help him as he transition to the next level.
“Zender has told me it’s all about character, it’s not about how you play, it’s about your character,” McGuire said. “Zender’s really big on developing men rather than just players, so, the way he has approached that has definitely rubbed off on me, so, I’m going to bring that with me.”
As for Zender, his advice to McGuire, is to be himself.
“Stay the same. Continue to love the game, be a great teammate and strive to get better,” Zender wrote. “Our team motto – adapted last year – is ‘classy dirt bags’ which means to always play the game as hard as you can between the lines yet always be a classy person. If he does that, he’ll maximize his talent, be a great role model for all and reach all his goals.”
