Aug. 19, 2008
PHILADELPHIA – With La Salle freshmen move-in just days away, the campus will welcome with that class Parkland’s Cody Weiss, a student who will also be a member of the baseball team. The fact that Weiss will be moving in with the rest of the Class of 2012 is unique, because it marks the first time La Salle Baseball will have a player that was selected in the Major League Draft, but chose the school instead.
Weiss was selected in the 26th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 787th overall pick. The 5-11, 190-pound right-handed pitcher from the Lehigh Valley went 4-1 this past season with a 0.52 ERA in 40.1 innings pitched. He struck out 46 and walked just seven, while helping the Trojans to their second straight league title.
However, as other incoming freshmen spent the summer knowing exactly what they were going to do this fall – move in to their residence halls on Thursday and start classes Monday – Weiss, along with his parents, was trying to figure out what he was going to do.
So then came Friday, August 15, the last day MLB draft players could sign with their teams, and the decision by Weiss. His decision to attend La Salle and get an education outweighed the opportunity of signing with the Dodgers.
A recent Q&A with one of the newest members of the Explorer Baseball team gave some insight of that dreaded first day of school question “How did you spend your summer vacation?”
Q: What first attracted you to La Salle University and the baseball team?
Weiss: I came down to see all of the Philadelphia schools last October and when I met Coach (Mike) Lake I felt very comfortable. I really liked the campus a lot and even though you’re in Philadelphia, it is really a different part of the city. So, Coach Lake gave us a personal tour and he really went out of his way to make us feel welcomed. As soon as I saw La Salle, I knew this is where I wanted to go.
Q: What was your spring season of baseball like?
After I signed my letter (National Letter of Intent), I felt relieved, that I could finally relax. But then the scouts started showing up at games, and I thought “here we go again.” It started with a few, then just more and more showed up and there were as many as 12 scouts at one point. But I flew out to Cincinnati so they could see me, and I threw in Great American Ball Park. I was contacted directly by the Phillies, Yankees, Tigers, Reds, Rangers, and Dodgers.
Q: Can you describe the days leading up to and including draft day?
Well, it was pretty tight between the Reds and the Dodgers and I was told that I was going to be selected anywhere from the 10th to the 20th round and those two teams were really coming after me. So, we watched the first day, which was only like the first five rounds, but we still watched. On the second day, my best friends came over and we were watching the computer and after the 20th round we got bored and decided to go outside. After about the 22nd round, we were in contact with the Reds and were wondering what was going on and they told us that there were still guys available that they didn’t think would be and at this point, they didn’t think they would be able to sign me. So, we contacted the Dodgers and asked them if we should turn the computer off since the Reds were no longer interested. They told us no, that they would be taking me, and they did a couple rounds later.
Q: Obviously now, you have a choice to make, how did you make it?
It is really important to me to get an education and I was really concerned that if I don’t make it in baseball that I would then be too old to come back to school. I would feel uncomfortable not being the same age as the others and I just didn’t want to give up on the college life. We made a list of pros and cons for each – La Salle on one side and the Dodgers on the other – and La Salle by far outweighed signing with the Dodgers. Coach Lake was also a real big part of that decision. He showed that he is really concerned with his players and getting an education.
Q: What are your thoughts about coming to La Salle and turning down the Dodgers?
Well, I am really excited to come to La Salle and meet new people, play baseball and get an education. I just didn’t want to miss getting the college experience. With baseball, I am a little nervous, because someone told me once you get drafted people think you are totally different now, and you just aren’t. They just see the potential. But you get that bull’s-eye on your back and everyone wants to face you and get a hit off you and prove that you are that good.
Afterwards, Head Coach Mike Lake added that “La Salle is team oriented and whether you are a freshman or senior, he will be treated the same and there will be no added expectations on him.” However, “I do realize that I now have an impact player coming in, who will not only get a lot of opportunities to pitch, but to also compete offensively with his bat.”
