Ryan Bores: Living the Dream with Texas Rangers

It's hot in Arizona -- 110 degrees, most days -- and the Rookie League is playing a baseball game every night.

You won't hear Ryan Bores complain about it.

"I'm getting paid to play baseball," he said with a laugh. "I talk to my friends, and they're working at McDonald's. This is better."

Bores, 21, a 2009 grad who went on to pitch for Kent State University -- including getting the win in KSU's upset victory over the No. 1 ranked Florida Gators in the College World Series this spring -- is in Surprise, AZ this month, playing in the Texas Rangers' rookie league.

The 6-3, 190-pound right-hander was this June. His SHS teammate, by the Oakland Athletics while in his junior year at Lee University in Tennessee. 

Bores would have gone to Short Season Class A, but he pitched so many innings at Kent that the coaches are resting his arm. Now, he's on a starting pitcher's routine, but only throwing 30 pitches a game.

Here's his typical day now: Meet for lunch at 1:30 p.m.; stretch at 2:30, start throwing around 3, take batting practice at 4:30. 

Then the team eats and plays a game at 7 p.m.

He's playing with some talented rookies. But that's not too intimidating after the College World Series.

"There, you're playing with a lot of the best players in the country," he said.

The Strongsville Connection

And it seems like a good number of those players come from Strongsville.

"Strongsville has become a hotbed for division 1 college and professional players," said Anthony Catanzarite, Bores' agent. "This speaks to the excellent coaching and development in Strongsville and northeast Ohio."

Hall also took the A's up on their offer this year and is in Short Season Class A right now.

And don't forget Anthony Gallas, another SHS and KSU grad who was signed by the Cleveland Indians and is currently playing Class AA for the Carolina Mudcats.

"I’m proud to represent Ryan, as well as Anthony Gallas, who both continue to make Strongsville residents and Kent State fans proud," Catanzarite said.

Bores said Strongsville High School Coach Josh Sorge -- who gets his team up at 6 a.m. to work out --  is one reason the city is turning out some exceptional baseball players.

"He prepared us real well for what it would be like in college," Bores said.

Next, Class A

This is was actually the second time Bores was drafted, also picked by the Rangers at the end of his sophomore year.

He had kind of hoped to be drafted by the Indians -- "It would be nice to be closer to home," he said  -- but still jumped at the Rangers' offer. 

"It was hard enough to pass the first one up," he said. "I wasn't going to do it again."

He plans to get his degree in education this fall and winter, then head to Hickory, N.C. next spring for Class A ball with the Rangers.

That will be nice for his parents, David and Cheryl.

"That won't be so far away and they can come to my games," he said.