It doesn’t matter if it’s the MLB Draft, NFL Draft, or NBA Draft, everyone loves the many different story lines involved with young players achieving their dreams of playing the sport they love professionally.
On day one of the 2013 MLB Draft, there might not have been a more special story than one that took place in Gilbert, Arizona Thursday night.
DJ and Dustin Peterson gathered with many friends and family at their aunt and uncle’s home in Gilbert to tune into the draft and see where they would be selected.
It did not take long for older brother DJ to hear his name called. He had been drafted once before by the Seattle Mariners in the 33rd round after graduating from Gilbert high school but decided to go to school. He spent the last three seasons with the New Mexico Lobos where he was one of the most dominant hitters in all of college baseball. This past season he hit over .400 for a Lobo team that led the whole NCAA in batting average and was an RBI machine.
At 5:09pm, a familiar team the Seattle Mariners decided they were not going to let Peterson get away from them again and selected him 12th overall in the first round.
“I heard my name and I didn’t know how to react at first,” DJ Peterson said. “Then the emotions started setting in…tears, happy, sad, the best of both worlds. It was one of the best moments of my life.”
As mentioned, DJ had already been selected by the Mariners once before and he could not be happier with where he is going to play.
“I definitely had a good idea that they were interested,” DJ explained. “They thought I wasn’t going to make it to the 12th pick. They told my advisor they didn’t think I would be there but said ‘man we love Peterson’…It’s a great organization.”
“There are really no words to express how excited I am,” DJ mentioned. “It’s unbelievable, it’s a dream come true. And brothers next. Im now just waiting for my brother to get called.”
And that wait would not be long. DJ’s younger brother Dustin Peterson who just graduated from Gilbert high school was next to have the spotlight. Dustin is coming off a senior campaign which he hit an unstoppable .540 at the plate in 28 games, driving in 39 runs
Exactly three hours later at 8:09pm, the San Diego Padres made Dustin the second Peterson to be drafted on the night and the first Arizona high school player taken this year with the 50th overall pick in the second round.
“It’s awesome because my parents are right here (in Arizona) and they will be able to come and see me,” said Dustin Peterson. “I don’t think I could ask for anything better.”
The Petersons were presented with the option of going out to New Jersey to be present at the MLB Draft. But they decided to stay home surrounded by many friends and family in what was an unforgettable environment.
“I’m glad we spent it here rather than going to Jersey,” Dustin stated. “I am just glad my family and friends got to be there
There were many times growing up both DJ and Dustin played catch together in a yard or on a diamond with dreams of one day being able to play professionally. On Thursday, they both learned that that dream will become a reality and were able to share the joy together.
“It’s just unreal,” Dustin Peterson said. “It’s really been a dream come true. Thinking when we were little, two brothers getting drafted in the same day, it’s just amazing.”
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Jared Cohen
A born and bred Arizonan, Jared has had great passion for the hometown teams all his life. He now channel's that passion into covering the pro, college and high school teams around the state as a Multimedia Reporter for Sports360AZ.