Colorado Rockies Sign Versatile Thunderbolt C.J. Gillman

Within one year of leaving the University of Dayton, C.J. Gillman has realized the dream that so many strive for: signing a professional contract with an MLB organization. 

In his two years at Dayton he batted a combined .342, including .378 in his junior year. On top of that he was successful swiping 41 bags in 51 attempts. According to the Dayton website, Gillman 

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is ranked first all-time for single season hit totals, second for single season batting average, and third for single season at-bats. Along with those marks, the Colorado native has the third-highest RBI total in Dayton history for a single season with 63 in 2012. 

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In 59 games for the Windy City ThunderBolts of the Independent Frontier League, Gillman batted a pedestrian .246 with one home run and drove in 25. 

While the numbers don’t seem that impressive,  Gillman has the innate quality of being able to play where he’s needed and that has drawn the attention of many, including the Colorado Rockies. 

In the Frontier League press release they describe Gillman as the most versatile player on the team, batting in every spot of the lineup and playing five different positions,  including 33 appearances at third. 

That’s what great about this game. For all those who play that never get the opportunity, there are always a select few who get that chance. I read an article by Neil H. Devlin of the Denver Post, who said all that Gillman ever wanted was an opportunity, to which Gillman replied, "I'm going to reach out and grab it. I'm sitting on a cloud."

Devon can be can be reached at [e-mail]. You can follow the GM's Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.