Good things do come to those who wait.<\/p>\n
The 2010 Major League Baseball draft<\/a> came and went. Three days and 50 rounds passed. Twelve Wildcats from the University of Kentucky heard their names called.\u00c2\u00a0 Former Webster Yankee, Marcus Nidiffer, waited patiently. When he did not hear his name, Nidiffer remained calm.The omission surprised a few people, but the University of Kentucky catcher knew he still had a chance to play professional baseball.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They knew they were going to sign me because I was a senior,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Nidiffer. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like wasting a draft pick by using it on a senior. Older players don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have any leverage. They know you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go back to college and play.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Despite knowing all this, the Bristol, Tennessee native experienced some anxiety. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was scratching my head,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d mentioned Nidiffer when discussing his reaction to not hearing his name called.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My parents were bummed at first. They started talking to me about what I was going to do after baseball.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Nidiffer will have to postpone those plans for life after baseball.\u00c2\u00a0 The Houston Astros contacted Kentucky\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s backstop of the last three years and signed him to a free agent deal over the weekend.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They asked me when I could be ready,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Nidiffer. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I told them I am ready right now. We signed the deal right there. I talked to the A\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and Twins, but both those teams were beating around the bush. The Astros gave me an offer, and I went with it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Nidiffer will start the season with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League when play starts on June 22nd. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Greeneville is only about an hour from home,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d mentioned the 23-year old.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll definitely catch some home cooking and get some laundry done.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Everybody leaves Saturday for assignments,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Nidiffer from Florida where all rookies reported. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I am looking forward to it. I am in the system. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s all I need.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Nidiffer started 121 games over the last three Kentucky campaigns hitting .284 with 25 home runs, 84 RBI and 91 runs scored. He finished his career at Kentucky with a .512 slugging percentage. In 2010, Nidiffer hit .312 with 10 round trippers and 32 RBI including a walk-off grand slam in his final home at-bat.<\/p>\n Combine his offensive numbers with a .987 fielding percentage and Nidiffer earned a spot on the prestigious Johnny Bench Award Watch List<\/a> for the top catcher in the nation.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Out of high school, I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that good,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d noted Nidiffer who was a red-shirt his freshman season. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was able to pass people up with hard work.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n The hours improving his game included time spent playing in wood-bat leagues such as the New York Collegiate Baseball League.<\/a><\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I was out of my element,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Nidiffer when thinking back to his arrival in New York. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They gave me an opportunity to get better. I am thankful for that. I met so many players and coaches that I still keep in touch with today. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a great league.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Nicknamed \u00e2\u20ac\u0153KB\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (short for Kentucky Blue) by then-assistant coach and current head coach, Dave Brust, Nidiffer made 28 starts with the 2007 Yankees. After a slow start, he finished with eight extra-base hits including three home runs and 12 RBI. This after a season in the SEC where the red-shirt freshman earned just six at-bats.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Looking back, I played a lot in summer leagues,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Nidiffer. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153That is where my game started to come together.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153KB\u00e2\u20ac\u009d played the Valley League<\/a> in 2008 finishing as the league\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 14th best prospect of the summer. He culminated his summer collegiate career playing with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod League.<\/a><\/p>\n Nidiffer joins Pat Urckfitz, another former Webster Yankee, in the Astro system. After making seven appearances in the NYCBL with \u00e2\u20ac\u02dc08 Yankees, Urckfitz signed with Houston.\u00c2\u00a0 He came out of the bullpen on 15 occasions for Greeneville fanning 23 in 19 innings of work while notching an ERA of 1.40. The southpaw finished 1-0 with three saves for the campaign. In 2009, Urckfitz\u00c2\u00a0 led the Lexington Legends\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 of the Class A South Atlantic League in appearances (42) and saves (13). In 49 innings of work Urckfitz compiled a 4-1 record with a 2.57 ERA while striking out 42 and walking 13. Urckfitz earned Legends\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Pitcher-of-the-Month honors for May \u00e2\u20ac\u02dc09 going 1-0 with four saves with 0.71 ERA for the month.<\/p>\n Currently, Urckfitz pitches with the Lancaster Jethawks of Class A Advanced California League. He is on a roster that includes other former NYCBLers, Ashton Mowdy (Geneva \u00e2\u20ac\u02dc07<\/a>) and Shane Wolf (Elmira \u00e2\u20ac\u02dc07<\/a>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Good things do come to those who wait. The 2010 Major League Baseball draft came and went. Three days and 50 rounds passed. Twelve Wildcats from the University of Kentucky heard their names called.\u00c2\u00a0 Former Webster Yankee, Marcus Nidiffer, waited patiently. When he did not hear his name, Nidiffer remained calm.The omission surprised a few […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,78],"tags":[8521,6643,8524,8522,3441,422,8520,4434,3215,8527,6494,191,8220,8526,112,1102,8523,1378,8525,424],"class_list":["post-5894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-minors","tag-appalachian-league","tag-backstop","tag-beating-around-the-bush","tag-bristol-tennessee","tag-draft-pick","tag-free-agent","tag-greeneville-astros","tag-home-cooking","tag-houston-astros","tag-inks","tag-leverage","tag-major-league-baseball","tag-major-league-baseball-draft","tag-omission","tag-professional-baseball","tag-rookies","tag-tennessee-native","tag-university-of-kentucky","tag-wildcats","tag-yankee"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t