Kyle Skipworth has more on his mind than MLB amateur draft
The senior at Riverside's Patriot High is expected to be among the first selected Thursday, which is also the day his brother returns to Oklahoma to prepare for second tour of duty in Iraq.
Whenever the national anthem is played before a baseball game, Kyle Skipworth thinks of his brother.
"I get chills every time I hear it," he said. "At the end of the song, I always say to myself, 'Keep my brother safe.' "
Skipworth whispers the same thing when he finishes saying the Pledge of Allegiance to start school each day.
On Thursday, the senior from Patriot High in Riverside is expected to be among the top 10 players selected on the first day of Major League Baseball's amateur draft.
On the same day, his brother, Spencer Jr., will return to his Army base in Oklahoma, where he will prepare to ship out for his second tour of duty in Iraq.
The date was highlighted on the family's calendar months ago. Spencer and Kathy Skipworth have attempted to ignore it -- and celebrate it -- for nearly as long.
"I'm so happy for my one son here, but I've got a another son who's leaving and I might never see him again," Spencer Sr. said. "It's both happy and sad."
Kyle is a 6-foot-3, 195-pound left-handed-hitting catcher who batted .543 for this season. He hit 13 home runs and drove in 47 runs in 30 games.
During one stretch, he recorded a state-record 18 consecutive base hits, while reaching base safely in 25 plate appearances in a row.
Scouts are fond of his smooth swing, raw power and ability to hit to all fields. Despite playing catcher full time for only two years, he has displayed natural abilities and instincts behind the plate.
Skipworth flew to Washington, D.C., last weekend for a workout with the Nationals, who have the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. He performed solidly, according to his father, launching eight home runs, including one that landed 21 rows up in the right-center field bleachers.
Washington's assistant general manager is former Angels catcher Bob Boone, who is very high on Skipworth.
"He's got a real good fancy for me," Kyle said. "I guess I'm in good graces."
Wherever he winds up this summer, Skipworth said his brother will be in his thoughts.
"Compared to me, what he does for the country, I don't really match up to him," Kyle said. "If my brother is putting his life on the line, I'm going to play as hard as I can."
Spencer, 29, joined the Army reserves 4 1/2 years ago to help pay off his college student loans. He was called up to active duty in the fall of 2006, and completed his first yearlong tour of duty in November. As a specialist in Bravo Company 2-149th General Support Aviation Battalion, he was assigned to protect former Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.
