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Givens has a true love for the game

News Channel 8 photo by BOB HANSEN

A shortstop and right-handed pitcher, Givens is rated the nation's No.46 prospect by Baseball America.

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 8, 2009

Updated: 06/08/2009 11:55 pm

TAMPA - At an age when most kids are captivated with Bert and Ernie of "Sesame Street," the actions of the likes of Bert Blyleven and Ernie Whitt were much more interesting to Mychal Givens.

As a 2-year-old, Givens spent plenty of days sitting next to his grandfather watching major-league baseball, staring intently at the television. When the restlessness associated with his age took over and forced him from his seat, Givens would fashion household objects into makeshift equipment used to emulate the moves of the players on the screen.

That love for the game has never been lost, and Givens grew up wanting nothing more than a chance to one day be a professional baseball player. If the right things happen over the next few days, he could get that chance.

The 2009 Major League Baseball first-year player draft takes place today through Thursday, and the Plant High standout is expected to be the first local player selected. A shortstop and right-handed pitcher, Givens is rated the nation's No. 46 prospect by Baseball America, so there's a good chance he will be taken among today's first three rounds.

"All I want to do is put on a uniform and be a baseball player," Givens said.

Givens started suiting up on the diamond at West Tampa Little League. He was always one of the most enthusiastic kids on the team and paid close attention to his coaches, said his mother, Monica Givens. As Givens began to thrive on the field, he started making a name for himself. And when he reached 9 years old, his mother was approached about her son joining a local AAU team.

"And that's when things really got intense," said Monica Givens, referring to how baseball went from a seasonal sport to a year-round occurrence for her son.

Baseball ended up taking Givens around the country - and even outside the U.S. borders. He has participated on the U.S. youth and junior national teams, playing tournaments in Venezuela and Mexico. Last summer, he played in national high school all-star events at Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field. And the benefits have been enormous.

In addition to opening the doors for lasting friendships with other players, Givens has garnered top-rate exposure. He has also earned numerous accolades and awards, from gold and bronze medals playing for the U.S. squads to the 2008 Jackie Robinson Award, which is given annually to the nation's top rising senior high school baseball player.

It has all led up to this week.

Plant coach Dennis Braun said some scouts see Givens as an everyday shortstop, while others like him as a pitcher who throws a low-to-mid-90s fastball. And that has presented somewhat of a conundrum regarding Givens heading into the draft.

Braun hopes big-league organizations simply will focus on Givens' entire body of work, character and leadership qualities instead of trying to figure out where he projects best at the next level.

"Seeing him over the last four years and his consistency and his love for the game and his makeup, I think he'll be a great pro one day as long as he sticks with it and handles the adversity that comes to everybody that plays at that level," Braun said.

There's no question Givens will continue playing baseball. If things don't transpire as he hopes with the draft, he has signed a baseball scholarship with Oklahoma State. Givens said last week he doesn't have a preference whether his next stop is at the college or professional level, and that he's prepared to wait to see how the draft unfolds before making a determination.

But there also is no question, however, that Givens has looked forward to this week for quite some time.

"It's always been a dream of mine," Givens said of being drafted. "I just have to wait and see how it goes. I can't dictate or predict what's going to happen."

Reporter Adam Adkins can be reached at (813) 259-7616.

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