Bunky Kateon sighting.

[lanceharbor7]

http://blog.al.com/live/2008/06/upchurch_kateon_sign_with_whit.html

Apparently the MLB has signed him to a contract after a stellar year with USA. What was wrong with him at State?
Two Mobile products have signed professional baseball contracts with the Chicago White Sox.
Former Faith Academy pitcher Steven Upchurch and former South Alabama shortstop Bunky Kateon signed with the organization on Tuesday and both will start their careers in Bristol, Va., site of one of the two Sox rookie-league teams. Kateon reported to Bristol today, will undergo a physical Thursday morning and could be eligible for Thursday night's game against Bluefield, W. Va. Upchurch is scheduled to arrive on Sunday.
Upchurch, a 6-foot-5 right-hander who went 13-0 with a 0.85 ERA last season, spurned a scholarship to Auburn to get a jump start on his pro career.
"I was kind of looking forward to going to Auburn, but to start your professional career out of high school, that means a lot," Upchurch said.
Kateon hit .315 for the Jaguars last season with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs.
Contract details were not available for either player.

 

[ScoobaDawg]

The large crowds caused him to boot balls constantly.

 

[Faustdog]

someone on GP once argued with me that he had some type of career-ruining arm injury before he saw the field at State, and that was the reason for his flop. Don't know if there's any validity to that or not.

He was a Marvin Byrdsong type bust if there was no injury involved.

 

[skydawg1]

****** coaching.

(2 of 3 of Bunky's coaches at MSU are currently unemployed...ok, so one retired*. Who cares.)

* - did not fire himself.

 

[Todd4State]

is it just didn't work out for him here. (Calling Captain Obvious)

First he came as this highly touted SS, and then he gets hurt. Then all I heard was how we would have been much better with Bunky, yada, yada, yada.

So, he gets healthy, and then he had the breakdown game. It was against Auburn on SBW. I was there. We were several runs down, but were rallying in the ninth. Had the momentum. Bunky gets a clutch hit with two that looks like it is going to tie the game, and it looks like he is going to be the hero. Bunky then decides to try to take an extra base on the single and gets gunned down at second just before the tying run scores, which ends the game. Polk just turned around and walked off the field, and that was the most pissed off I have ever seen him at one player. After that game, Kateon goes into a deep slump, which then began to affect his defense, and finally we had to bench him.

He was just never right after that. He was given the opportunity to win his job back in the fall, and even started a few games for us the next year, but he was still in his funk. Finally, he transferred, which obviously was the right move for him.

Just looking at him, I do think that he is a talented player, and possibly even has five-tool potential, but the big question mark with him, and probably why he wasn't drafted was because of his mental make-up. I do think that our staff failed him a little bit, because someone probably told him not to be so aggressive on the bases anymore and to play station to station. The whole time he was here, he just seemed to really press.</p>

 

[independencebowlmainstay]

You would have to understand the family to get the kid. He was coached until 14 by his mother. Yes, his mother, who was the single most overbearing woman I ever met. When Bunky was 15, I coached him and the rest of the St. Pauls group his age, which had some very good players. His mother was unbearable, and they rode him like no other. To top it off, he was a Jr. Olympic soccer player, at one time rated the #2 12 year old in the country for his position(he was a forward, whatever that means). He went to Italy to play for an entire summer, and came back the day before school started. Most people thought it was his best sport, and that he and the fam were going to move somewhere in the States where soccer was bigger.

All that being said, Bunky was a GREAT player until the summer before his SR season. The kid had it all, except sprinter speed. He was the best player to come out of St. Pauls in four years(Jake Peavy). Anyway, he decided to go to the LSU camp that summer, against the wishes of those of us who knew what would happen. In five short days, they completely ruined his swing. He came back from this camp trying to lift everything, and he was done. He had in his mind this was the best way to get to the nest level. Needless to say, it wasn't. Polk actually threatened to pull his LOI, but never did. Most people never thought Bunk would have the lateral movement to stay @ SS, but thought he would end up as a plus defender @ 3B, with what could be a premium bat. But, when he got to State, he never would listen to a thing Tommy said, instead still doing things the way he learned them in Baton Rouge.