Good Sports: Livingston native signs with Los Angeles Angels as undrafted free agent

With the MLB Draft coming to a close, right-handed pitcher Cesar Avila anxiously waited by his phone.

"Be ready for that call to be an Angel," he said. "And then fair enough, I got that call."

Twenty rounds came and went, but the Livingston native finally got his shot -- a chance to sign with the Angels as an undrafted free agent.

"I wasn't always the top prospect in baseball and all that stuff, so I knew it was going to be a grind," he said.

Avila's path to the draft has been unconventional, to say the least.

"I wasn't really thinking about pitching -- it was mostly just focusing on hitting," Avila said.

During his time at Livingston, Avila dealt with a shoulder injury, forcing him to make the bat do most of the talking.

That didn't stop Merced College Head Coach Nate Devine from recruiting Avila as a pitcher.

Avila would shine on the mound, eventually getting an offer from the University of Cumberlands in Kentucky.

"Sometimes, you got to risk it for what you want to accomplish in life," Avila said.

The risk - worth the reward.

This past season, Avila compiled a perfect 13-0 record with the Patriots as a starting pitcher, posting a 2.58 era with 124 strikeouts in just over 88 innings of work.

"They all treated me like family," he said. "I'm very fortunate to end up at that school."

His success in Kentucky would attract teams like the Red Sox and Angels, but the draft became a waiting game.

"After the 15th round, I started losing hope," he said. "I'm like, 'Alright, I got to go to school for one more year.'"

Right after the last pick was announced, an Angels scout finally gave Avila the call.

"We want you to sign as a free agent, and I took it," he said.

Avila is already in Arizona for training camp, where Angels three-time MVP, Mike Trout, was rehabbing.

"I got to meet him for the first time out here, I actually shook his hand and introduced myself," Avila said. "Pretty cool experience for me."

Avila knows his journey is just beginning in the minors. He's just grateful someone gave him the call.

"Ever since I was five, I started playing baseball," he said. "It's always been on top of my list to get drafted, get signed and eventually make it. Being here, I'm very grateful for this opportunity. A lot of work to be done still, so I'm very excited."

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