DEVIL RAYS PICK HAINES IN 25TH-ROUND OF DRAFT

Talley Haines received a telephone call at approximately 5:30 p.m. Tuesday that figures to alter the course of his life for at least the next couple of years.

By way of that call, the 1995 Cape Girardeau Central High School graduate learned that he had been selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 25th round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

"I was pretty excited," said a smiling Haines, who received the call from a Devil Rays scout at his family's home in Cape Girardeau. "It's a big thrill but it really kind of hasn't hit me yet."

Haines, a righthanded pitcher, spent two seasons at Southeast Missouri State University before transferring to Freed-Hardeman, an NAIA school in Henderson, Tenn., last year for his junior season.

Haines put together a strong season at Freed-Hardeman this year, going 7-3 with a 2.90 earned-run average. What really caught the eyes of several professional scouts was his fastball that hit as high as 93 miles per hour at times.

"All year long I was throwing about 89 to 90 (miles per hour) but then I came in to relieve during our conference tournament in Alabama and I was throwing about 92 to 93," he said. "That's when the Tampa Bay scout saw me."

Haines said that he expected to come to a financial agreement with the Devil Rays either late Tuesday night or early today. And he expects to head out to begin his minor-league career soon after that.

"I'm not sure where I'll be sent, but from what I hear from other people, they'll probably send me a plane ticket and get me out as soon as possible," he said.

After making steady improvement during each of his three college seasons, Haines said he feels he is definitely ready to begin a professional career.

"After three years of college ball, I'm ready to get it going," he said. "Since my freshman year, I think I've improved every year."

Haines, whose father Joey is the head track and field coach at Southeast Missouri State, laughs now when he thinks back to the type of pitcher he was during his days at Central High and with Cape Girardeau's American Legion program.

At 6-feet-6, Haines is still fairly slender but he has certainly filled out considerably since high school and Legion days.

"I used to be kind of a junk pitcher, throwing mainly curves and a split-finger," he said with a chuckle. "Now I'm kind of a power pitcher, which is good. If I was still throwing like I did back then, I'm sure I wouldn't have been drafted."

Haines said that, like many youngsters, he always had something of a dream of playing professional baseball.

"It was always in the back of my mind, but I didn't talk about it a whole lot," he said. "But I always knew I had the potential. I was lucky enough to have good coaching all the way through high school, Legion and college."

Haines said he was actually hoping to be selected in the top 20 rounds but is happy he was at least picked during the first day of the three-day draft.

"I was hoping to go a little higher. Some of the scouts had told me I would go between rounds 10 and 20," he said. "At the beginning of the day I wasn't too nervous, but as the day went on I got pretty nervous. And I'm glad I got called today or it would have been a rough night."