Wharton shortstop calls moment ‘unbelievable’
By Jeff Odom
Tucker Neuhaus admitted he was nervous while waiting for his name to be called on Day 1 of the 2013 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft June 6, but one phone call turned his childhood dream into a reality — he is going to play professional baseball.
Seventy-one names passed, but the Milwaukee Brewers chose the 6-foot-2, 180-pound Wharton High shortstop and 2012 Rawlings second team All-American with the 72nd selection in the second round.
The party at the Neuhaus household was on from there.
“I was getting a little bit nervous, but about 10 minutes before I got picked, my agent texted me and he just said ‘Everybody hang in there, we’re on the phone with teams, and something good is going to happen’,” Neuhaus said. “That was the big quote that kind of brought me to peace, and I just trust those guys so much, and I knew they were going to pull something off. … I just had a feeling that at 72, that was going to be my spot, and that’s where God put me.”
For Neuhaus, who added that he will sign with the Brewers organization and forgo his scholarship offer with the University of Louisville, the moment was almost too good to be true, especially after dealing with months of adversity during his senior year with the Wildcats.
On Nov. 30, 2012, his 19-year-old brother and former Wharton and Steinbrenner catcher, Ty, was killed in a single-car accident. The pain of losing his best friend was almost too much to swallow, but the 17-year-old Neuhaus kept pushing and refused to give up. He even changed his uniform number from 14 to 19, the same as Ty had worn.
“(When they called my name) it was almost surreal as it happened,” Neuhaus said. “My parents flew in one of Ty’s college teammates from last year, who I’ve grown really close to, and he was sitting right next to me, and once they said Tucker, he just grabbed me and started screaming. From there on, my parents and everyone were just yelling, and I didn’t even know what was going on. … It was just an unbelievable moment.”
Neuhaus, who transferred to Wharton from Steinbrenner his sophomore year, went through hardship on the field this season, too.
He missed most of the year with a ruptured eardrum and a lingering right quadriceps strain. But when he was finally healthy, Neuhaus returned to the lineup just in time to help lead the Wildcats — seeded last in the Class 8A-District 7 tournament — to its second consecutive playoff berth by upsetting No. 3 Newsome and No. 2 Alonso. Wharton, however, fell to East Lake 1-0 a week later in a 10-inning contest, ending its season with a 12-15 record.
Wildcats coach Scott Hoffman praised Neuhaus during the season for his leadership on and off the field and for getting over the hump of tragedy and injury to help the team get back to the postseason.
“He’s a class act and puts in so much work that you almost want to send him home,” Hoffman said. “He comes out here and comes to work every day, comes to practice and leads by example. He’s what you want a student-athlete to be, and I sound like a broken record here, but I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of good people at this school and my baseball players. I’m proud of that, and we have good kids, and Tuck is one of them. He works his butt off and gets everything that he deserves.”
Neuhaus said he never imagined, after everything that happened, the big leagues would come calling. He added that he is ready to get going in a place very familiar to his family, as his father Ken played college baseball at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
“Freshman year, at that point, I was just happy to try to play (Division II) college ball and then sign as a free agent,” Neuhaus said. “It’s amazing how people can develop over the years, and God opens doors and puts together opportunities in your life, and I was just blessed with all of those. … The storm is over and this too shall pass, and it has passed and it’s a fresh start, and now I’m ready to start my journey to the big leagues.
One of the biggest questions is if he will remain at the highly coveted shortstop position. Brewers scouting director Bruce Seid believes he can.
“There’s a chance; I wouldn’t rule it out,” Seid told MLB.com. “I’m not saying that’s his ultimate position, but he’s got good hands, he’s got good feet and a good arm. When we sign him, we’re going to send him out as a shortstop and see how far it goes. Worst-case scenario, he ends up as a pretty darn good third baseman.”
Neuhaus said he doesn’t mind where he ends up on the field, as long as he’s in a blue and gold uniform one day at Miller Park.
“I think going to be whatever a kid dreams about,” Neuhaus said. “Playing in the big leagues in front of a big crowd and it’ll be even cooler playing for the Brewers, because I grew up a Cubs fan, and all my family is Cubs fans and that’s the (Brewers’) rival. Now, that’s going to be funny playing against them, and my family will be there cheering for me and already, I’ve just been welcomed into the Brewer family with hundreds of fans reaching out to me. … It’s one of the best franchises in baseball, and I’m just blessed to be a part of it. I feel so lucky.”
–Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter @JOdomLaker
