Bauml clan shares Cole's draft experience

By: Andrew Hendriks

Some claimed he was out in the fields, working feverishly in an attempt to keep his mind off of the proceedings down in New York.

Others thought he was stuck cleaning grain bins at the family farm... or something like that.

In reality, Cole Bauml was exactly where most young ballplayers eligible for the draft can be found.

"It's kind of a funny story" said the 22 year-old outfielder who found himself drafted in the 10th round of last weeks June Armature Draft. 

"I was just sitting on the couch at home and watching TV when my phone started going off."

Luckily for Cole, he was able to share the experience with his father Ron, who starred on the diamond during his own playing days. In the estimation of Saskatchewan Baseball's Greg Brons, he was one of the best left handed pitchers to have ever come out of the province.

"[After the messages started coming in] I looked over at my dad and asked if I had just been  drafted. He was watching the live stream which I guess was a couple of minutes behind so he said no... two minutes later, he was like: well now you did!".

For the Bauml family the game of baseball is a rite of passage.

Ron and his brothers all played when they were young. In fact, one of them (Murray) went as far as pitching for team Saskatchewan during the 1989 Canada Games in Saskatoon. 

Ahead of the 2008 Canada Cup in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Cole's older brother Braden earned an invitation to the Canadian National Team tryouts.

Now the family can boast another major achievement as one of their own has been signed by a big league club.

On Wednesday, Detroit offered the Northern Kentucky standout a $30,000 contract. One that indicates that the Tigers are awfully interested in the prairie-born outfielder. 

Elated by receiving an opportunity to live out his dreams of playing in professional baseball, Bauml hopes that he can continue Detroit's long-standing history of signing and developing big league stars.

With aspirations of having the old English D emblazoned on his chest one day, Bauml remains focused on his development. 

Currently awaiting word on his next assignment -- be it Rookie, Low-A or otherwise--  the former Marysburg Royal can still be found working away at his dad's farm near Muenster, SK. 

However, that work is inside the family batting cage- not at the end of a pitchfork or at the helm of a combine harvester.