Preston Gainey was the Brewers 11th round pick, but he was also heading into his junior year at the US Naval Academy.
Despite a desire to serve the country and a solid, guaranteed salary, Gainey decided to take the chance and follow his dreams to be a big league baseball player.
Gainey, who is already 21, would have had to go back to school for two more years, plus the five years of service he'd have had to sign up for. Meaning he'd be close to 30 and would really have no shot of making his way in the majors.
A 6-foot-3, 205-pound right-hander, who went 3-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts as a Navy sophomore after going 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA and four saves out of the bullpen as a freshman, Gainey's coach says he's the best pitcher he's ever coached.
It's being speculated that Gainey signed for higher than slot money - though the number isn't being released. Slot was $100,000.
