TellItToTheDA
06-28-2012, 09:10 PM
http://www.news-press.com/article/20120628/SPORTS/120628027/-1/RSS24?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
It’s been quite a day for Mike Zunino.
Not only did the former Mariner High and University of Florida catcher win the coveted Johnny Bench Award Thursday night but he confirmed that he and the Seattle Mariners have reached an agreement in principle.
“Yeah, we’ve agreed,” Zunino said from Wichita, Kan, where he received the award in person. “It’s been quite a few days.”
The Mariners drafted Zunino with the No. 3 pick of the Major League Baseball Draft.
Zunino’s father Greg said in the next few days they’ll go to the Baseball Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday night, then fly to Seattle and “See if we can finalize everything” before going to the Golden Spikes dinner in New York on July 6.
“We haven’t signed anything,” Greg Zunino said. “We have three days. We’ll do a physical and it takes a day to get the results so hopefully we’ll have everything finished by then.”
Zunino said his son is handling everything well, “like he always does. Just one thing at a time.”
Mike Zunino has won a lot of awards in his last two years.
But the Johnny Bench Award is one he really wanted to win.
“It’s for the top collegiate catcher and it’s an honor because it’s Johnny Bench,” he said. “It’s overwhelming. I’ve had a chance to hang out with him and talk to him and I hope to learn as much as I can.”
Greg Zunino added, “We were here last year and it would’ve been a little disappointing not to win it this year. It’s the award he likes the most, being a catcher.”
The former Mariner High star received the award as the nation’s top catcher at the 15th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet. He beat out New Mexico's Mitchell Garver and Purdue's Kevin Plawecki for the honor.
Zunino already has won Baseball America’s Player of the Year award as well as the Dick Howser Award. He helped the Gators (47-20) reach the College World Series in all three years he played at Florida. In 2011, they made it to the championship series.
He finished as the team’s Triple Crown winner, leading the team in batting average (.322), RBI (67) and homers (19). He also led the Gators in total bases (164), doubles (28), sacrifice flies (11) and slugging percentage (.669). A consensus first-team All-American, he already has won the Dick Howser Trophy.
A two-time, first-team All-SEC recipient and two-time member of the league’s All-Defensive Team, Zunino registered a .994 fielding percentage, with three errors in 510 chances, and threw out 20 runners who attempted to steal on him.
It’s been quite a day for Mike Zunino.
Not only did the former Mariner High and University of Florida catcher win the coveted Johnny Bench Award Thursday night but he confirmed that he and the Seattle Mariners have reached an agreement in principle.
“Yeah, we’ve agreed,” Zunino said from Wichita, Kan, where he received the award in person. “It’s been quite a few days.”
The Mariners drafted Zunino with the No. 3 pick of the Major League Baseball Draft.
Zunino’s father Greg said in the next few days they’ll go to the Baseball Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday night, then fly to Seattle and “See if we can finalize everything” before going to the Golden Spikes dinner in New York on July 6.
“We haven’t signed anything,” Greg Zunino said. “We have three days. We’ll do a physical and it takes a day to get the results so hopefully we’ll have everything finished by then.”
Zunino said his son is handling everything well, “like he always does. Just one thing at a time.”
Mike Zunino has won a lot of awards in his last two years.
But the Johnny Bench Award is one he really wanted to win.
“It’s for the top collegiate catcher and it’s an honor because it’s Johnny Bench,” he said. “It’s overwhelming. I’ve had a chance to hang out with him and talk to him and I hope to learn as much as I can.”
Greg Zunino added, “We were here last year and it would’ve been a little disappointing not to win it this year. It’s the award he likes the most, being a catcher.”
The former Mariner High star received the award as the nation’s top catcher at the 15th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet. He beat out New Mexico's Mitchell Garver and Purdue's Kevin Plawecki for the honor.
Zunino already has won Baseball America’s Player of the Year award as well as the Dick Howser Award. He helped the Gators (47-20) reach the College World Series in all three years he played at Florida. In 2011, they made it to the championship series.
He finished as the team’s Triple Crown winner, leading the team in batting average (.322), RBI (67) and homers (19). He also led the Gators in total bases (164), doubles (28), sacrifice flies (11) and slugging percentage (.669). A consensus first-team All-American, he already has won the Dick Howser Trophy.
A two-time, first-team All-SEC recipient and two-time member of the league’s All-Defensive Team, Zunino registered a .994 fielding percentage, with three errors in 510 chances, and threw out 20 runners who attempted to steal on him.