Tigers deal makes Kaneland's Crosby one happy player

The Detroit News reported Tuesday that 2007 Kaneland grad Casey Crosby signed a deal with the Detroit Tigers for $800,000.

A day later, that deal turned out to be even sweeter.

Crosby, a 6-foot-4 left-handed pitcher picked in the fifth round in this year's draft, signed for $748,500 with an extra $21,000 per college semester for eight semesters, along with more money as he plays his way through the Tigers' farm system.

"When my mom told me, I think I said, 'Oh, my God' a hundred times in a row," Crosby said of finding out the amount he signed for. "I was speechless at the time."

"We are very happy," added Casey's mother, Denise. "He was being very patient."

Casey has been waiting for this day since the draft in early June. He waited all summer for negotiations to be settled, but in the meantime continued to work out, play summer ball and -- Denise said with a laugh -- "went to a lot of graduation parties."

What helped calm the Crosbys is the Tigers' reputation for having high integrity, according to Denise. "I think they are a good group," she said.

"I'm very excited to be a part of such a great organization," Casey added. "I'm ready to start my dream now."

Even if the whole thing backfired, Casey was planning on going to the University of Illinois. It really was a win-win situation.

"We never really stressed about (signing with the Tigers) that much," Denise said. "The only thing that may have stressed him out is that people were asking him about it."

Casey is in Lakeland, Fla., where he is with the Tigers' Gulf Coast Rookie League team. He probably will not pitch but will work out with the team. He will be there until the end of August, when he will be home for three weeks.

"It's such a wake-up call," he said of being in Florida. "I'm really a minor-league baseball player now."

In the third week of September, Casey will leave for Instructional League until the end of October. He will come home until mid-February, when pitchers report to spring training.

Casey will have a workout program in the off-season, and, according to Denise, will get a job, despite the large amount of money he signed for.

Casey's first major purchase will be something he has never had -- a car, probably a Lexus SUV.

"He's on his way," Denise said.