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Braves draft Icard

Photo contributed

Wilkes Community College pitcher Ethan Icard.

By Matt Collins | The News Herald

Published: June 12, 2009

Updated: 06/13/2009 01:49 pm

Hildebran — "Every kid who has ever played catch dreams of someday playing for their favorite team.
"When asked 'what I wanted to be when I grew up,' my answer was 'I always wanted to play for the Atlanta Braves.'
"On June 10, that dream become a reality."
Those are the words of Ethan Icard, a former East Burke High and current Wilkes Community College and American Legion Burke Post 21 pitcher, who was drafted by the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Icard, who just completed his first year at Wilkes, went in the 25th round with the 748th pick. He got the call on Wednesday from Braves scout Bill Best while traveling in the American Legion bus on Interstate 40 toward Asheville for a Post 21 game that was eventually rained out.
"It's awesome, man," said Icard, 18, a native of Hildebran who got serious exposure at a junior college showcase weekend at Catawba College recently. "It finally hit me today (Friday). People have been blowing up my phone and on Facebook."
When players are drafted at such a young age, if they choose to accept the offer presented by the drafting team, they are sent to play "rookie ball," which is an instructional league that's almost always in Florida.
The Braves send their rookies to Orlando, Fla.
The drafting team presents its rookie draft picks a contract, which will include an airplane ticket, lodging, food and some extra money. The extra money usually isn't very much for rookies, especially those that haven't graduated from a four-year college.
Icard, who got letters from the Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals, in addition to the Braves, can choose to go with the contract presented to him or he can hold off, go to school for another year (or years), get some more experience — and exposure — on the mound, and maybe get drafted higher next year, which would translate to a more lucrative contract offer.
"I haven't decided yet," said the 6-feet, 2-inch, 190-pound right-handed closer who was also supposed to throw for the S. Louis Cardinals, but had a scheduling conflict.
"He has a good chance (to make it at the next level)," Post 21 coach Ron Swink said. He also pointed out that staying at Wilkes for another year might not be a bad idea. "That's the apple you hold in front of the horse. You might want to make that apple bigger. That will improve your draft offer and monetary offer."
Icard, the first player in the history of Wilkes Community College to be drafted to the Major Leagues, said he's learned a lot from Swink, who he's played under for Post 21 for three years.
"I've learned everything from him," said Icard, who began playing T-ball at age 4 in the Hildebran-Icard Little League. "He'll teach you to listen. It's been great to have him as a coach. If you have a kink in your pitching, he can find it."
Swink knows he has a talented, powerful closer in Icard, who's throwing fast balls in the mid-90-m.p.h. range. "He brings me confidence, that when you hand him the ball, he's going to win the ball game," he said. "This is his third year there (with Post 21) and he also provides leadership to the younger players."
Wilkes coach Seth Graham knows he has a gem in Icard, too; a gem that's destined for the next level.
"I think Ethan has the ability to pitch at the next level," Graham said. "If he can continue to stay healthy, I know he's going to get stronger by working hard in the weight room and on the field.
"Ethan understands that in one year he went from being an average college pitcher to having a professional-caliber arm. He understands that it is going to take continued work and dedication to keep excelling. That is what is going to help (him) climb to the top. Not only does Ethan have a professional arm, he has the professional approach that it takes to play this game. I know he will do well."
Swink echoed the fact that Icard is young and is still maturing physically.
"He's still growing," he said. "He can get bigger and stronger, they (the Braves) think he's going to get bigger and stronger, and I think he can get bigger and stronger."
Icard said he started to notice his strength increase in high school when then-East Burke and current Draughn High coach Chris Cozort got him lifting sandbags.
"In college, I've been hitting the weights more," said Icard, who played under coach Todd Setzer at East Burke Middle. "It's different in college, you have to really compete to play."
"They call it a ceiling," said an ecstatic Cozort. "It's how much room does he have left to grow. He hasn't reached his ceiling.
"He just loves the game, not just playing it, but working at it."
Cozort, who played for Swink at Post 21 from 1986-89 and assisted him coaching the Post 21 team from 1994-2004, really applauded Icard's work ethic.
"He has that blue-collar mentality as a player," he said. "He constantly wants to get better. Just talking to him today (Friday), he's not happy where he's at, he wants to get better."
Cozort, while at East Burke, implemented "old-school" exercises for his players where they'd fill up old Navy seabags with sand. The sand shifts around in the bag, disbursing the weight around, which makes it difficult to lift.
He implemented the exercise in several ways so as to build up endurance and strength.
"It's a gut check," said Cozort, who now has his players at Draughn doing the exercises. "It shows who wants to be out there. It's not fun."
He said that Icard, in his junior year of high school, was throwing at about 80-81 m.p.h. When he emerged for his senior year, he was throwing 86-87. "It was like 'wow, where did that come from,'" Cozort said.
Now, if Icard takes up the Braves' offer this time around, he's ready to work. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely willing and ready to put forth the effort and give it 110 percent," Icard said.
"The sky's the limit," Cozort said. "Does he have the work ethic? Yes. Does he have the talent? Yes. Do I think we can watch him on TV one day? Yes."
Icard wanted to say thanks to a few people. "My parents, Jeff and Leigh Ann Icard, who never let me quit. My grandma, Kaye Jones, who's always been a big Braves fan. Cozort, who pushed us and made us do those sandbags even though we hated it. Graham, for giving me a chance to play at the next level and P.D. Fowler, a good friend who knows everything about baseball."
Icard also said, "If you get a good opportunity, take it."