Matt takes the ball to close out a victory for the Casper Rockies. Living out a dream, Garden City HS graduate Matthew Daley was signed to play for the Colorado Rockies Rookie League team in Casper, Wyoming this past summer. The signing and subsequent season in Rookie ball capped a fabulous 12 months for Matt. The accomplishment was truly the product of hard work, dedication and a strong commitment to something that Matt truly loves. Playing baseball.

His season with the Rockies ended with an invitation to their Arizona training site for some additional pitching instruction in the late Fall – an invitation that is limited at the initial minor league levels. Matt’s season in the Pioneer League was very productive as he finished 3rd on the Rockies with a 4.75 ERA and a 2-1 record in 21 relief appearances. His 21 appearances put him in the top 15 for the league. He also sported a fantastic 30 to 5 strikeouts to walks ratio, an indicator of how effective he really was.

Matt's already a big hit with the fans. Prior to joining the Rockies, the year saw Matt earn numerous honors for his excellent pitching with the Bucknell Bisons. The Patriot League tabbed him as its Pitcher of the Week twice, Collegiate Baseball News recognized him in Division I as its Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week, as well as garnering the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America's co-National Pitcher of the Week award. At the school level, Matt was named twice as the Lewisburg Hotel Bison Athlete of the Week. For his excellent performances throughout the season, Matt was also added to the Roger Clemens Award Watch List, drawing the attention of many major league scouts. The awards were the fruits of several strong outings that were highlighted by a no-hitter versus Lehigh and a one hitter against Darthmouth, as well as a 30 inning scoreless innings streak that carried through the middle of the Bisons season. He finished with a 6-2 record and 2.82 ERA. One accolade that Matt earned and is most proud of is not only for his pitching prowess, but also his solid academic performance throughout his four years at Bucknell. He was named to the All Academic All District Team for 2004 by CoSida.

Matt with proud mom Lynn and host father overlooking Casper, Wyoming. Matt’s rewards were not accomplished without tremendous dedication throughout the past 3 years. Before his sophomore season, Matt underwent surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament in his pitching arm. The surgery, referred to as Tommy John surgery, on his right elbow was deemed a success in August 2001, and he sat in a cast for months before a full year of intense physical therapy followed. “It’s tough because you have to take it real slow for the surgery to work," he said. "And, all I wanted to do was throw again." Throw again he did, garnering the awards noted above, the notice of scouts from many major league teams and ultimately his season in Casper. His journey continues when pitchers and catchers return to Arizona and the Rockies Spring training camp. Congratulations and good luck in the pros, Matt!

Proud father John before the game in the bullpen.