By Josh Sadlock
Photo Courtesy of Ian Dickson
Ian Dickson always dreamed of one day playing professional baseball.
After an outstanding 2010 summer league season, major league clubs began showing interest in the former Lafayette pitcher. With over half of the 30 major league teams checking out the right-hander, it seemed Dickson was destined to live out his dream.
Then disaster struck. Dickson tore his ACL and meniscus while playing for Lafayette last fall. As he rehabbed his knee, only two major league teams, the Florida Marlins and the Chicago Cubs, maintained their interest.
But the pitcher’s dedicated rehab paid off in June and the Chicago Cubs made Ian Dickson their 35th round pick.
Getting selected was only the beginning of a hectic, but exciting, summer for Dickson.
Before being offered a contract, Dickson had to prove to the Cubs that his knee was fully recovered. He passed the test and the Cubs offered a contract a week before the signing deadline. After negotiations, Dickson and the Cubs reached an agreement, hours before the August 15 deadline. The contract includes a scholarship plan, covering the remainder of Dickson’s tuition.
“I had to take this chance while I had it,” Dickson said, “I’m doing what I’ve wanted to since I was a little kid.”
The Lafayette coaching staff supported the decision.
“He must do what is best for him and his family,” assistant coach Gregg Durrah said.
Now with the Cubs, Dickson will spend a month in Arizona playing in an invite-only instructional league. He isn’t alone in a league full of talented young players.
“Most of the kids are right out of high school,” Dickson said, “but you can tell they are all here for a reason.”
Dickson is not the only former Lafayette baseball player continuing to pursue his childhood dream of reaching the major leagues. AJ Miller, the 2011 Patriot League Player of the Year, has taken a different route to the ranks of professional baseball.
Miller was not drafted in the June amateur draft. But Miller, despite disappointment, did not let that mark the end of his baseball playing days.
“At the end of the day, I wanted a jersey, not a suit, on my back,” Miller said.
His quest to secure a spot on a professional baseball team led him to the Indy Pro Showcase in Detroit, which gives undrafted players a chance to try out for independent league scouts.
The tryout proved to be the break Miller needed. He was given a contract with the Normal Cornbelters of the Frontier League and moved in with a host family in the tiny Illinois town.
Miller admits that he was overwhelmed at first, but has adjusted since.
“My teammates welcomed me and helped me do what it took to get in the lineup,” Miller said. “I had to play harder and work harder to get on their level. I really got to meet a great group of guys.”
His professional season has ended, but Miller is still doing what he loves. He is spending the fall working with Lafayette’s catchers. He plans on one day coaching a college team.
“I loved college baseball. It was the best four years I’ve spent playing baseball,” he said, “I’m very happy to be coaching. It gives me a chance to share my knowledge and work with people. When I’m done coaching, I would love to be a college coach.”