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© St. Petersburg Times, published June 5, 2002
For the biggest day of his life, Dunedin slugger Brian Dopirak expected at least a few hours filled with the anticipation and nerves that come with waiting to be drafted by a major-league team.
Instead, he got 45 minutes.
In the second round, with the 56th pick in a draft that surprisingly sped along, the Cubs made Dopirak the first of two Falcons picked Tuesday.
Teammate Steve Doetsch was chosen in the eighth round (239th overall) to cap a quiet day for Pinellas County, which sent a record four teams to the state semifinals this season.
While Doetsch tumbled, Dopirak was picked right about where many expected.
The Falcons' leader this past season got a call from the Red Sox telling him they were going to take the Crystal Beach resident 59th if he was still there.
He wasn't. The Cubs beat the Red Sox to the phone, and it was Dopirak adviser Mike Milchin of SFX Sports who delivered the news.
"I was just chilling when the phone rang," said Dopirak, who hit 11 homers this season and batted .490. "I thought it would take longer, but the draft was flying by. I was happy. My main goal is to play professional baseball, and it's always nice getting drafted that high."
The only nervous moments came at 1 p.m. when the Dopiraks couldn't get their Internet draft page to refresh. By the time they did, the Cubs had already made their choice. "I was upset it wouldn't come on," Penny Dopirak, Brian's mother, said laughing. "I was kind of pacing the floor. But it was exciting. He has always played baseball and we hoped he would get drafted one day, and now that it's here I can't believe it. It's going to be tough (when he leaves) because he's our only child, but he really wants to go."
At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Dopirak was considered one of the top two prep sluggers in the draft. His scouting description on the MLB Web site called him a "physical horse ... well-conditioned athlete. Physically mature, built similar to young Jose Canseco. Powerful stroke with light tower, raw power. Really puts on show during batting practice. Good bat speed with extension and lift in swing. Ball really jumps off bat."
After choosing Dopirak, the Cubs told Milchin they would be contacting him later Tuesday. Though Dopirak has signed with St. Petersburg College, where he could play for a season and re-enter the draft, he has not been shy about expressing his desire to start his pro career.
"I'm growing up and I'm really looking forward to the start of my career," Dopirak said. "It'll be nice to see all the hard work pay off, and all the batting practice my dad has thrown to me, and all the support I've received."
Ironically, the Cubs are one of Dopirak's favorite teams. His family is good friends with former Cubs manager Jim Riggleman, who lives in Seminole, and Sammy Sosa is one of his favorite players.
Doetsch, arguably the county's most gifted player, expected to be picked somewhere between the second and fifth rounds but slid to Philadelphia in the eighth.
"That was lower than I thought," Doetsch said. "The scout (who picked me) said I should have gone higher. It was getting a little frustrating."
Doetsch has no idea why he slipped, but would like to find out. His selection was hardly cause for celebration when the call came.
"I'll take it as a learning experience," said Doetsch, who led Dunedin with a .523 average this season. "At least I got drafted. If I go and play, I'm going to be in the same boat (financially) in three years anyways. But I'm going to (prove some people wrong). I know I'm going to."
Michael White, a left-handed pitcher at St. Petersburg College, was drafted by the Dodgers in the 19th round (571st overall). Teammate and catcher Christopher Kroski was taken in the same round, 580th overall, by Seattle.
The draft, which completed 22 rounds Tuesday, will continue today at noon.