Scott Campbell (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Scott Campbell is a current Minor League Baseball
batter for the Las Vegas 51s
. In , he became the first New Zealander to be drafted by a Major League Baseball
club, when selected 300th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays
.
He played college baseball at Gonzaga University
. In 2007, Campbell played for the class-A affiliate of the Blue Jays, the Lansing Lugnuts
. In 2007 he showed some promise as a hitter, hitting .279/.390/.397. However he was not considered a top prospect of the Jays given his age and the level where he played. In 2008, Campbell had a breakout year, increasing his batting average to .341 and his OBP to .435 while moving up two levels to AA. He was chosen to represent the World team at the 2008 All-Star Futures Game. Given his reputation as a solid defensive second baseman, Campbell is now widely considered one of the better prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league system, and has been compared to Chase Utley
by Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi
.
in Auckland, there was no high school baseball in New Zealand so he played three years of football (or soccer) at Macleans as a member of New Zealand Olympic Youth Development Program for baseball in New Zealand and played for the New Zealand national baseball team
while at high school.
During his sophomore year in 2005 he transferred to Gonzaga University, a private Catholic Jesuit university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. He played and started in all 54 games, posted a team-leading .332 batting average, while also tying for the team-lead with 70 hits, had 10 doubles, one triple, one home run and 30 RBI and posted 17 multi-hit games including a 4-for-5, two RBI and one double performance against Oklahoma in the Coca-Cola Spring Training Tournament.
club. He was drafted in the 10th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
by the Toronto Blue Jays
as the 300th pick overall and signed a seven year contract with the club. Campbell started his professional career playing in the New York-Penn League for the rest of 2006 with the Auburn Doubledays
where he had a successful season, batting at .292 in 68 appearances.
The following year, Scott was promoted to class A in the Midwest League
playing with the Lansing Lugnuts
, but failed to be listed as an official top prospect during the season despite finishing the season batting at a respectable .279, having an on base percentage of .390 and making the New York-Penn League all-star squad where he walked in two appearances.
Campbell continued to rise through the ranks, being promoted two levels to AA for where he played 112 games with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats
as their starting second baseman
. The year would prove to be a very successful one for Scott as he batted at a .302/.398/.427 clip and was selected in the World team for the 2008 All-Star Futures Game and the 2008 Eastern League all-star team.
2009 gave Campbell a taste of AAA where he played 27 games for the Las Vegas 51s
towards the twilight of the season. He played the majority of his games in AA, where he batted at a satisfactory .269.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
batter for the Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
. In , he became the first New Zealander to be drafted by a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
club, when selected 300th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
He played college baseball at Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
. In 2007, Campbell played for the class-A affiliate of the Blue Jays, the Lansing Lugnuts
Lansing Lugnuts
The Lansing Lugnuts are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, that plays in the Midwest League.The Midwest League came to Lansing, Michigan in 1996. The franchise began in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1955; after two seasons it moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where it...
. In 2007 he showed some promise as a hitter, hitting .279/.390/.397. However he was not considered a top prospect of the Jays given his age and the level where he played. In 2008, Campbell had a breakout year, increasing his batting average to .341 and his OBP to .435 while moving up two levels to AA. He was chosen to represent the World team at the 2008 All-Star Futures Game. Given his reputation as a solid defensive second baseman, Campbell is now widely considered one of the better prospects in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league system, and has been compared to Chase Utley
Chase Utley
Chase Cameron Utley is a second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, he was raised in the city of Long Beach. He was a star baseball player at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, before moving on to UCLA...
by Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi
J.P. Ricciardi
John Paul Ricciardi is a Major League Baseball executive who currently is a special assistant to New York Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson...
.
High school
Campbell got started on the sport when he was 9 after his mother signed him up after seeing an advertisement in a local newspaper and a year later was inspired to play baseball further after attending the World Children's Baseball Fair in Japan. He attended Macleans CollegeMacleans College
Macleans College is a co-educational secondary school in New Zealand situated in the Auckland suburb of Bucklands Beach. The principal is B J Bentley. The school is named after the Macleans family who after immigrating to New Zealand in 1850 farmed the area of land that the school is built on...
in Auckland, there was no high school baseball in New Zealand so he played three years of football (or soccer) at Macleans as a member of New Zealand Olympic Youth Development Program for baseball in New Zealand and played for the New Zealand national baseball team
New Zealand national baseball team
The New Zealand national baseball team is the representative team at international level for New Zealand. The team is controlled by Baseball New Zealand, the country's governing body. The team competes in the Oceania Championship, where in 2007 withdrew from play giving Australia an automatic berth...
while at high school.
Central Arizona Community College
During his freshman year in 2004 he played at Central Arizona Community College, hitting .423 with 34 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. He earned his first-team All-Region I and National Junior College All American honors while leading the team to the Region I championship and runner-up finish at Western District championships.During his sophomore year in 2005 he transferred to Gonzaga University, a private Catholic Jesuit university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. He played and started in all 54 games, posted a team-leading .332 batting average, while also tying for the team-lead with 70 hits, had 10 doubles, one triple, one home run and 30 RBI and posted 17 multi-hit games including a 4-for-5, two RBI and one double performance against Oklahoma in the Coca-Cola Spring Training Tournament.
Professional career
In 2006, Campbell became the first New Zealander to be drafted by the Major LeagueMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
club. He was drafted in the 10th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft
2006 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 6 and 7. It was conducted via conference call with representatives from each of the league's 30 teams.-First Round Selections:...
by the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
as the 300th pick overall and signed a seven year contract with the club. Campbell started his professional career playing in the New York-Penn League for the rest of 2006 with the Auburn Doubledays
Auburn Doubledays
The Auburn Doubledays are a minor league baseball team in Auburn, New York, USA, that is owned and operated by Auburn Community Baseball. They are a member of the Short-Season Class A New York-Penn League and have been a farm team of the Houston Astros , the Toronto Blue Jays , and Washington...
where he had a successful season, batting at .292 in 68 appearances.
The following year, Scott was promoted to class A in the Midwest League
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
playing with the Lansing Lugnuts
Lansing Lugnuts
The Lansing Lugnuts are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, that plays in the Midwest League.The Midwest League came to Lansing, Michigan in 1996. The franchise began in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1955; after two seasons it moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where it...
, but failed to be listed as an official top prospect during the season despite finishing the season batting at a respectable .279, having an on base percentage of .390 and making the New York-Penn League all-star squad where he walked in two appearances.
Campbell continued to rise through the ranks, being promoted two levels to AA for where he played 112 games with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are a minor league baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays major-league club....
as their starting second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
. The year would prove to be a very successful one for Scott as he batted at a .302/.398/.427 clip and was selected in the World team for the 2008 All-Star Futures Game and the 2008 Eastern League all-star team.
2009 gave Campbell a taste of AAA where he played 27 games for the Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
towards the twilight of the season. He played the majority of his games in AA, where he batted at a satisfactory .269.