Brock Stassi was asleep when the Philadelphia Phillies finally called his name during the 2011 draft, down in the 33rd round. His father, Jim, saw the news online – “Brock Stassi, left-handed pitcher.”

By the time his dad woke him up and they checked the draft board again, it read: “Brock Stassi, outfielder.”

No big deal. Do details like position matter when you’re a 33rd-round selection?

Stassi would be treated like a late-round pick, given occasional chances to play, while the top picks and prospects received the bulk of the playing time.

“I’ve always had to prove myself everywhere I’ve been,” Stassi said.

And he has. Stassi will be one of the selected players in Portland for the Eastern League All-Star Game at Hadlock Field on July 15.

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Other players will get the spotlight – those with impressive rankings from publications like Baseball America, and those with the hype of being a high draft choice.

But with Stassi, 24, you can’t ignore the numbers. He’s batting .319 and is among the league leaders in on-base percentage (.398) and OPS (.862).

“He’s taking advantage of the opportunity,” said Dusty Wathan, Stassi’s manager with the Reading Fightin Phils, the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate.

“Obviously the guys who sign for more money get more opportunities, but everyone gets an opportunity.”

Wathan, 41, a former catcher for the Portland Sea Dogs, knows about taking advantage. He was an undrafted free agent and worked his way up to a short stint in the major leagues.

Stassi has never been considered the best, not even in his own family where younger brother Max Stassi, 23, was a heavily scouted catcher and a fourth-round pick of the Oakland A’s in 2009.

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Baseball is in the Stassi bloodline, including Brock’s great-great-uncle, Myril Hoag, who was a teammate of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and who played in the 1939 All-Star Game during a 13-year major league career. Brock’s grandfather played minor league ball, as did his father, Jim, in the Giants’ organization.

And when Jim Stassi coached at his alma mater, Yuba City (California) High, he once had all three boys on his team – senior Brock, sophomore Max and freshman Jake, who just finished his college career as a pitcher for Sacramento State.

In high school, while Max was drawing the attention of scouts, Brock wondered if he would be playing after he graduated.

“I wasn’t really recruited until late in my senior year,” he said.

Brock Stassi went to the University of Nevada, where his father played. While he wanted to be an everyday player, the lineup was full of experienced players, so he pitched.

By his sophomore year, Stassi was pitching and playing the outfield. He starred on the mound as a junior and was the Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. Cleveland drafted him in the 44th round as a pitcher.

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Stassi returned to Nevada and the Phillies drafted him the next year. Despite the confusion on how they wanted to use Stassi, he knew his preference.

“I like playing every day,” said Stassi, who now plays mostly first base.

In 2011, 2012 and the beginning of the 2013 season, Stassi didn’t see much action.

“I was playing once or twice a week,” he said. “You always try to stay positive and when you get the opportunity, try to make the most of it. I was able to do that.”

In the second half of the 2013 season, at Clearwater in the advanced Class A Florida State League, Stassi became a regular when one player was injured and another quit. Stassi batted .398 that June and didn’t leave the lineup.

Promoted to Reading last year, Stassi wore down – his first full year as a regular player – and batted .232 with a .629 OPS.

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In the offseason, Brock and Max – now a member of the Astros’ organization who has had a couple of call-ups to Houston – worked on Brock’s swing.

“We broke it down completely, made a ton of adjustments and it’s paying off,” Brock Stassi said.

Wathan noticed: “He’s matured as a hitter.”

And now Stassi is an All-Star for the first time – “a real honor,” he said.

Stassi will take part in all the festivities in Portland, including the pregame autograph sessions. Those autograph hounds who are always chasing prospects around may want to pay attention to Stassi. He’s been overlooked before – and he keeps on proving himself.

 


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