Jesse Biddle had an idea he would go in the first round of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. He dreamed about going to the hometown Philadelphia Phillies. Somewhere, he knows, there are pictures of a little kid donned in Phillies’ gear, with a red cap with a white script ‘P’ tugged over his head and a big bright smile under the bill. Shots of a kid in love with his hometown team. 
Jesse Biddle struck out 140 in less than 60 innings.
Photo courtesy of Germantown Friends High School
That little kid got a chance to have his dream become reality when the powerful 6-foot-5, 235-pound left-handed Germantown Friends (Philadelphia, Pa.) pitcher received a mild shock and was selected by his hometown team Phillies with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the Major League draft on Monday night.
The Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Angles and Dodgers had been showing considerable interest in Biddle, along with the Phillies, in the days leading up to the draft. But Biddle blew away Phillies’ scouts throwing a bullpen session last Wednesday, enough to impress the two-time defending National League champions to take Biddle with their first pick of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.
“Jesse Biddle is a quality left-handed pitcher with tremendous upside and a chance to have three above average pitches,” said Marti Wolever, the Phillies’ Director of Scouting. “He’s a great local talent with incredible makeup and a great family. He’s an outstanding fit for us.”
Biddle, who had committed to Oregon though seems very open to sign with the Phillies, is coming off a strong senior year. He went 9-2, with a 1.06 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings, giving up just nine earned runs this season. He’s a power pitcher with an explosive fastball that’s been timed at 96 mph, and he’s averaged between 91-93 mph during games this season.
Making him even more effective, Biddle added a slider to his collection of pitches, which also includes a curveball.
But for Biddle, to land home after a distinguished high school career was amazing.
“I still can’t catch my breath,” Biddle said an hour after being drafted. “This is something you really can’t dream up, but I always did. I really don’t know what to say or how to think about this. It’s really emotional, because I was with my family when it was announced that the Phillies took me 27th. I was sitting on the sofa and I just sunk to the floor. I couldn’t believe it, I still can’t.
“You know, you work your whole life for something like this and then it happens. I just have to keep my perspective and remember what got me to this point. It’s been hard work and dedication, it’s always been about believing I could do this, and now I have. But this is just the first step. I know it’s the beginning of a long, long ride ahead of me.”
Biddle’s adviser, Adam Karon, who works for the San Francisco-based firm Sosnick and Cobb, had actually known the Phillies would take him before Major League commissioner Bud Selig made the formal announcement. It only added to the tension building before the elation arrived.
“I was hearing from a lot of different people a lot of different things,” Biddle said about the days leading up to the draft. “I really didn’t know where I would go. It’s why it was a surprise when my name was called.”
Then Biddle paused, a glint of emotion overtaking the tone of his voice …
“I really didn’t know what to do when I heard my name,” he said. “I’m just going to take it easy now and see where this all leads. Like I said a few times before, I’m in a really good situation. I’ve let people know I’m signable, but I still have Oregon. I’ll either be pitching for Oregon or in the minor leagues. Right now, the way everything is going, I don’t want to do anything to wake up from this dream.”
Joseph Santoliquito covers high schools for the Philadelphia Daily News and is a contributor to MaxPreps.com. He can be contacted at JSantoliquito@yahoo.com.
