When first-round picks fail to sign with the baseball team that selected them it is usually because they wanted more money than the team was willing to offer. Initially, that is what seemed to be the case when Dylan Covey chose to attend the University of San Diego instead of signing with the Brewers. The truth is much different, however. Covey was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes after undergoing a battery of medical tests to figure out what caused a drop in his performance during the second half of the 2010 season. His velocity dropped and talk about a possible shoulder injury began to crop up among scouts following the high school right-hander.
The tests showed nothing wrong with Covey's arm but did reveal that he had diabetes. It was, understandably, a shock especially with the deadline to sign fast approaching. Covey's father said that the Brewers still wanted to sign his son but, ultimately, the family felt more comfortable with him staying near home while going to college and learning about how to live and play with the disease.
"A few days ago everyone was convinced Dylan would sign without a hitch," Darrell Covey told BaseballBeginnings.com. "As time went by, the Brewers had to do some of their own due diligence to figure out what it would take to take care of Dylan. They still wanted him and were still convinced he would be a good big league pitcher. As time went on, we were discussing the idea of having him go to school, being in a more controlled environment from our point of view, for his health. The unfortunate point of view is we do not have time to think about this stuff. The bottom line is that it was Dylan's call. The bottom line is Dylan was leading the charge to go to school."
The decision came right down to the wire as Covey visited with doctors from UCLA on Monday just before informing the Brewers of his decision.
Much can happen between now and the next time Covey comes up to be drafted but this seems to be the wisest course of action for Covey. It is going to be far easier to figure out how to balance his diabetes and his baseball career when there isn't the pressure of moving up the minor league ladder attached to the process. It can be done, see Brandon Morrow, and Covey should do whatever it takes to set himself up for success.
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