Top pitching prospect ineligible for 7 games
Jason Groome works fast.
He throws fast.
And now the heralded lefthanded pitcher from Barnegat High in Ocean County, N.J., who is projected as the possible first pick in the major-league draft by the Phillies, plans to return to the mound in a hurry, too.
Groome on Thursday was declared ineligible for the first portion of his senior season by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association because he had transferred from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., to Barnegat before this school year.
Since Groome already had pitched two games this season - including a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts on Monday - both of those games were ruled by the NJSIAA to be forfeits in favor of Barnegat's opponents.
Groome will be eligible to return after Barnegat's 12th game, likely in late April. The faster Barnegat (3-2) plays seven more games, the faster Groome can return to the mound.
Jeff Randazzo, Groome's advisor, reacted strongly to the news.
"There's some bad people in the world," said Randazzo, suggesting that a rival coach or supporters of a rival team had alerted the NJSIAA to a possible rules violation. "Somebody out there decided to pick on a 17-year-old."
Randazzo said Groome likely would miss "one or two starts" and was confident the incident would not affect his draft status.
"He's OK," Randazzo said of Groome. "He's a tough kid."
Under NJSIAA rules, an athlete who transfers from one secondary school to another without a "bona fide change of address" must sit out 30 days or one half of the next varsity season.
The Barnegat school district released a statement acknowledging its "misinterpretation" of NJSIAA rules but noting that Groome's return to his hometown school after a season at a high-powered, out-of-state program did not violate the "intent" of the rule.
"The Barnegat Township School District does not feel that rule should apply in an instance when a student athlete returns to his hometown, where his parents have residence and are taxpayers," the district said in a statement.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Groome spent his first two seasons at Barnegat but transferred to IMG Academy for his junior year.
Groome transferred back to Barnegat for his senior year.
According to NJSIAA bylaws, moving from a boarding school back to his previous residence did not constitute a bona fide change of address.
"He leaves IMG, an international sports program to return to his hometown team, and that's athletic advantage?" Randazzo said, sarcastically referring to the intent of the NJSIAA's transfer rule to prevent players from moving to another school for athletic advantage.
Randazzo said Groome returned to Barnegat to "be with family and friends for the draft."
Groome has been described anonymously by one major-league official as the "best prospect since [Dodgers ace] Clayton Kershaw."
Groome has a fastball that has touched 97 mph on radar guns and a sharp breaking ball as well.
His first game this season was attended by nearly 150 baseball scouts and front-office personnel, including Phillies general manager Matt Klentak.
