Dansby Swanson, unlike the Boomtown Rats, does like Mondays.
First, Swanson homered and doubled to help lead Vanderbilt over Illinois and into the College World Series. Then the Commodores shortstop learned of his selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks at the top of the MLB Draft.
“We had the dogpile and then pretty much I’d say about two, three minutes honestly,” Swanson told the media of the time between the win and news of his selection. “Then my family rushed out on the field, and I was able to watch it on the iPhone right there on the field with all my guys surrounding me, so it was pretty awesome.”
Swanson converted from second base to shortstop this season. He hit .348 with 14 homers and 61 RBI this year. Last year, Swanson won the College World Series Most Outstanding Player in leading Vanderbilt to their first baseball title.
The previous ten drafts had seen four shortstops selected first. These include Justin Upton, now an outfielder for the Braves, the other Diamondbacks first pick, taken back in 2005.
The Illini lefty who let up the solo shot and double to Swanson in the 4-2 loss quickly got over it. A few minutes after Swanson rose from the dogpile, Tyler Jay learned that the Minnesota Twins had selected him with the sixth pick.
The bittersweet day likely leaves Tyler Jay thinking, like Vera Lynn, “We’ll meet again/Don’t know where/Don’t know when/But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day.”
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