Former Schreiber Ballplayer Taken in MLB Draft

Very few baseball players can say they were drafted by a Major League Baseball team, and even fewer can say they've played in the Majors, but Port Washington's own Tom Zebroski is halfway there.

Earlier this month, the 2006 Schreiber High School graudate was drafted in the 45th round, the 1,349th overall pick, by the Kansas City Royals in the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

"It's just a dream come true," Zebroski said. "Ever since I started playing Little League baseball, I wanted to play professional baseball one day, and now that I have this opportunity. It's really very exciting."

Zebroski's talent as a ballplayer was noticed early, as was his potential to develop into the caliber of player he has become.

"He was a good contact hitter, but had no power," said George Washington University head coach Steve Mrowka, on his former shortstop as a high school recruit. "As he developed, his power really improved and the results followed, as we saw this season."

Though the George Washington Colonials saw a glimpse of this power development in 2009, when Zebroski hit eight home runs, 2010 was the year in which he would reach his full potential at the plate. The senior clubbed a team-high 18 homers, to go along with a .429 batting average, a .733 slugging percentage, and a .487 on-base percentage. He also broke three single-season team records in 2010: total hits (103), runs scored (75), and total bases (176).

In addition to his accomplishments on the field, the senior graduated earlier this month with a 3.46 GPA. He was also named Atlantic-10 Student-Athlete of the Year and the A-10 Player of the Year for baseball.

"He's an excellent student, and a tireless worker who made himself into an elite baseball player," Coach Mrowka said.

Mrowka added that Zebroski "will have to work extra hard at the next level."

"As a late-round draft pick, he will have to prove himself," Mrowka said. "He will not get the opportunities to fail like the top-10 round draftees might receive, so he will have to take advantage of every chance he gets. … If Tom gets the chance to play, I know he will play well and put up numbers."

But as any Major League player will tell you, becoming a great ballplayer takes a tremendous amount of dedication and effort – two things that have gotten Zebroski to where he is today.

"What I remember most was his tremendous work ethic," said former Schreiber baseball coach Rich Greeney.  "He probably had the best work ethic of any player I've ever coached, at least in the top two or three."

Zebroski will be expected to perform at a completely different level, but one thing he won't have to change is the effort he puts forth. Coach Greeney wasn't Zebroski's only former coach to agree on that.

"He was a hard worker," said current Schreiber Assistant Coach Joe Del Gais, who one of Zebroski's former coaches at the high school. "He loved baseball. He was a very driven type of kid – driven to excel. He always wanted to excel. ... He would always stay out for extra groundballs, extra for hitting. He was a good player, a solid player."

To make it to such a level, Zebroski had a lot of depth in his game, and his former coaches couldn't say enough about it.

"He was a good contact hitter, a top-of-the-lineup guy, and was fast, but his glove at shortstop was his best asset," Greeney added. "He had a phenomenal glove, great range, and he was athletic."

To go further and eventually reach the Majors, Greeney said that Zebroski must use his physical tools to stand out from the pack.

"He has the mentality, the smarts, and the work ethic," Greeney said. "He needs to overcome the physical side of it. The players will be bigger, stronger. The pitchers will all be much better. He needs to use his speed and defense."

Most people would have thought a former Schreiber baseball player being reaching the Majors was out of the question, but Zebroski has made believers out of everyone.

"It is also very satisfying considering the countless hours of hard work that have gone into my baseball development," Zebroski said of his work and dedication. "I'm very honored and proud to have been selected by the Royals and I'm looking forward to continuing my baseball career at the next level."