Moundsman Snubs $75,000 Bonus For Freshman Status at Harvard

Baseball scouts from every major league club tried to lure Ray Peters into signing a contract last spring, offering bonuses as high as $75,000. His answer was always the same: "Sorry, but I'm going to Harvard."

Peters is a 6'5" 225-pound right-handed pitcher who lost two games in three years of high school ball -- both one-hitters. During his senior year at Nicholas School in Buffalo, N.Y., he hurled two consecutive no-hit games.

17 Scouts

When Peters was on the mound, there was a special section in the stands for major league scouts. At one game, 17 scouts watched him pitch.

Peters refused to discuss money with scouts because he did not want to be tempted by large numbers. His coach handled all the offers. The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies were the most interested teams.

"It was my own decision", Peters said, "but everyone in school seemed to agree with me." Getting an education and security rank first in the big freshman's priority list. "You never know what could happen to your arm," he said.

Ball After College

Peters, who believes that Harvard will not slow up his pitching progress, plans to "give major league baseball a try" after his four years here. "In the minors", he said, "if you don't improve the first few weeks, they send you home. Here it is more relaxed."

Every year, a few high school stars in the Buffalo area accept major league offers. Too many of them, according to Peters, return home after two or three futile weeks in the minor leagues. After college, he believes that he can begin in a much higher minor league than he could now.

Scouts and college representatives called Peters frequently last spring. Ten colleges, including West Point, Wake Forest, and Yale, contacted him. Harvard alumni in Buffalo bought him a plane ticket to Cambridge "to have a look around."

On the evening before the baseball draft, the Peters home could have used a switchboard operator to handle all the long-distance calls. Since Peters told them he was not interested this year, no team wasted a high draft choice on him. The Detroit Tigers drafted him as one of their final picks.

The Sporting News, a national weekly emphasizing baseball, placed Peters on its national "Top Ten Quality List." This category includes athletes who might not accept major league offers. Only one other pitcher besides Peters was on the list.

Peters, an efficient hurler on three days' rest, throws a wicked fastball, curve, slider, and change-up. During his senior year, he walked only four batters in 54 innings. He also played football and basketball in high school, but at Harvard the only sport he is thinking about right now is freshman baseball.