Cure signs free-agent deal with Royals

Former ACU outfielder assigned to Class A Burlington Bees

Follow Cody Cure with the Burlington Bees

ABILENE, TX -- Over the course of two seasons, Cody Cure put up offensive numbers that should have earned him a spot in the 2005 amateur draft earlier this month.

However, after the more than 1,500 selections in the draft, Cure's name was never called.  But not being drafted by one of the 30 major league baseball teams didn't prevent him from fulfilling his dream of playing professional baseball. 

Cure, who was a two-time all-Lone Star Conference South Division performer for ACU, was recently signed to a free-agent contract by the Kansas City Royals.  And in a bit of a surprise, he skipped the team's Rookie League team in Arizona and was assigned the Class A Burlington (Iowa) Bees of the Midwest League.

"That was a big shock," Cure said Monday from his hotel room where he was packing for seven-day, seven-game road trip.  "When I met with the scout to sign my contract, he told me had a big shocker for me.  I had no idea that I was going to go straight to Class A ball.  I had just assumed I was going to go to Arizona and their rookie ball team."

Last season Cure hit .387 with two home runs and 49 RBI to help ACU win the LSC South Division and advance to the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament.  He set a school record with 27 doubles on the season to go along with 64 runs scored and 28 stolen bases.  He was a second team all-region selection, and he was selected to the South Central Region all-Tournament team after collecting eight hits in the Wildcats' three games. 

In 2004, Cure hit .395 with one home run, 33 RBI and 23 stolen bases to earn all-LSC South Division honors.  In 114 outfield starts over two seasons (55 in left field in 2004 and 59 in centerfield in 2005), Cure made just nine errors and had 17 assists.

"I guess I was a little bit surprised that I didn't get drafted," Cure said.  "But the major league draft is such a weird thing because you never know what will happen.  You know going into it that anything can happen.

"But I'm here now and I just have to work hard every day and try to get better," he said.  "Everybody here has talent, but it's your work habits and how hard you're willing to work that will separate the guys who move on from the guys who don't."