Rocky Hill High School Standout Drafted by Brewers

Doug Elliot has used tenaciousness and hard work to get to the minor leagues and along the way has complied one of the most impressive resumes of any Rocky Hill athlete in recent history. 

Elliot was an all-state catcher at Rocky Hill High School, a key contributor for the University of Connecticut and drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in last month's amateur draft. 

Patch Reporter Daniel Atkinson talked to Elliot about his work ethic, his ability to call a great game and his time in the minor leagues. 

Daniel Atkinson: You are from a town and area where very few professional baseball players and athletes have come from. What about your game and personality allowed you to succeed and be drafted where players you competed against in the area did not accomplish that?

Doug Elliot:  It seems like a lot of the guys I competed against back home didn’t take baseball very seriously. I don’t feel like I was more talented than other players. I just love the game and wanted to be successful. I played as much as I could and worked to make myself the best player I could be.

DA: Going into UConn’s season, you were only expected to be a part-time catcher until Joe Pavonne tore up his knee. From that point on, you earned the full-time job and caught every game but one for the Huskies. Why were you able to establish yourself behind the plate and have such a successful senior year?

DE: I split the position the last three years, but when Joe went down I knew I could handle the starting role. Being out on the field every day allowed me to have a much bigger impact on the team. I was a lot more comfortable and able to control the game the way I needed to.

DA: Going into the season, you were not seen as a candidate to be drafted at all, but as you established yourself at catcher, the scouts who were investigating your teammates took notice of your defense and ability to handle pitchers. I read that they were especially impressed by your work with Matt Barnes, who was one of the top pitchers in the country. What aspects of your defense and handling of pitchers put you on the radar and eventually allowed you to be drafted? 

DE: Yeah, I don’t think anyone noticed me at all until I started playing full-time. Scouts never got to see me before, but with so many at our games they got to see me all the time this season. They got to see how I called games for the benefit of my pitchers, and how I worked with them constantly so that I noticed the little things that would allow them to throw better. Luckily, it’s a skill team’s need.

DA: With a berth in the College World Series and 10 players drafted, the 2011 UConn Huskies baseball team was by far the best in recent memory. What was it about this year’s team, and particularly the senior class you were a part of, that allowed them to be so successful?

DE: The team knew we could have a season like this past one for a couple of years. We had the talent, and once we started believing in ourselves we knew we could win. It was a lot of fun. As far as so many guys getting drafted in my class, it’s just a recognition of how talented we are and how hard we worked for the opportunity.      

DA: Can you describe the emotions you experienced when Milwaukee drafted you in the 35th round?

DE: It’s definitely tough to describe. Relief over not having to wait anymore for that moment, a sense of accomplishment for having finally reached that ultimate goal of getting drafted by an MLB team, tons of happiness.  My emotions were all over the place.

DA: What have been the biggest differences between playing for UConn and playing rookie ball for the Helena Brewers? What parts of the game have been hardest for you to adjust to?

DE: The game isn’t really that different. It’s just that now you have to approach baseball as a business. It’s not as big of a team game; we’re all professionals now and we have to take individualized approaches to playing. The one tough adjustment has been getting used to the lack of playing time, but a lot of my teammates have to deal with that too. I realize I need to work hard every day and get better if I want to play at all.

DA: Now that you are playing in the minors, what is your ultimate career goal? Is it playing in the major leagues?

DE: That’s always been my ultimate goal. It’s going to be tough, and I have a good job lined up back home if baseball doesn’t work out. But once you get to the minors, you realize that the big leagues aren’t that far away. Like everyone I’m playing with, I just plan on taking it one step at a time.