Johnathan Taylor was a major league prospect who played in the outfield for the University of Georgia. His coaches knew that one day he would be drafted by a big league team.
On Wednesday, June 8 the Texas Rangers selected Taylor with their 33rd pick in the draft. However, Taylor will never play in a single game at any level in their farm system.
On March 6, Taylor was involved in a collision with teammate Zach Cone. Cone was fine. Taylor broke two vertebrae in his neck and was left paralyzed as a tetraplegic. Tetraplegia means that none of his extremities are functioning, including fingers and toes. Zach Cone was drafted by Texas in the compensatory portion of the first round, and I believe this move was very nice gesture on the part of the Rangers. Cone was projected to go higher entering his junior year but his stats dropped after the collision and some felt it was due to his feelings about his fallen teammate.
It's not too often that you see a team make a move like this. Usually in the later rounds teams realize that they're not going to find future stars so they start drafting relatives, kids of people they know, or even players at the request of a manager's friend (Tommy Lasorda had the Dodgers draft Mike Piazza in the 62nd round of the 1988 amateur draft as a favor to longtime friend Vince Piazza). I am positive, however, that there will be somebody out there who will think the Rangers wasted a pick. There's always that one person.
Even though Taylor will never suit up and take the field as a member of the Texas Rangers, he has had his dream fulfilled. And I'm sure you can count on him being part of some sort of opening day ceremony. This was a classy move by a classy organization, and I find that it's only fitting that the Rangers were the team to draft him after having drafted his teammate and close friend. It also serves as a reminder that for every sports story that involves steroids, or drunk driving, or showboating, there are still those stories that make you smile. Just like I am right now.
I commend the Texas Rangers.
You guys are brutal....it was the 33rd round....those picks are dart throws....they did it because his best friend was also drafted by the Rangers and the kid was a prospect before he got hurt...so they were trying to show him some respect
