Cononie Selected by Tampa Bay in Major League Draft

The phone call that Germantown native Charlie Cononie had been waiting for nearly his whole life came on Tuesday.

The Northwest alumnus was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 24th round of the Major League Baseball draft, which continues tonight. Cononie was the 750th player selected.

"I'm obviously just really excited. I was at a loss for words," Cononie said after hearing the news over the phone. "I couldn’t believe that it really just happened.”

Tampa Bay has three farm teams at the Class A level. Cononie could play for any one of the three this summer.  The Short-Season A team, the Hudson Valley Renegades, located in Fishkill, N.Y., begin their season Friday, June 17, against the Aberdeen Iron Birds here in Maryland. 

If added to the Renegades' roster, Cononie could be headed for New York this weekend and could begin his professional career less than an hour away from where he played college ball.

Other possibilities for Cononie include the Bowling Green Hot Rods (a Low Class A team) and the Charlotte Stone Crabs (a High Class A team). Tampa Bay also has farm teams in Montgomery, Ala. (the Montgomery Biscuits of Class AA) and Durham, N.C. (the Durham Bulls of Class AAA).

“No matter where he starts his professional career is a great testament to Charlie and how hard he has worked," his father, Steve Cononie said. "But if he somehow got to start his professional career in Maryland? I don’t care what I'm doing or what I have going on that day, I will be at that game with my wife and son, Matt.”

Building on greatness

Cononie, a graduate of  Towson, finished his college baseball career less than a month ago. Cononie was the sixth Towson Tiger to be selected in the first-year player draft and is the highest pick for Towson since Quince Orchard's Brian Conley was selected by Baltimore in the 17th round of the 2008 draft.

Cononie's journey to professional baseball did not come without its share of struggle. His early days at Towson were marked by attempts to find his comfort zone, which ultimately resulted in a change in his mechanics — a switch from a traditional over-the-top style pitching to more of a side-arm style.

But the transition .

His father said the reward is one to savor, no matter what happens from here.

“It was just an ecstatic feeling of rejoice and relief," Steve said. "I’ve watched him struggle and I’ve watched him excel. And just knowing that he's made it ... that he has a chance to play professional baseball, is a great feeling." 

Now, Charles Cononie said he is savoring these last few days at home until the real work begins. Where Cononie heads next is still not certain, but he said he is hopeful he will find out within the next day or two. He could be on the road as soon as Friday, he said.

Waiting for the call

Cononie said his nerves were building throughout the day, as he waited to hear news from the draft.

It was Tuesday, the day of his brother Matt’s graduation from Northwest High School — the same school Charlie graduated from four years ago.

He constantly checked his phone for updates during the ceremony at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington. When he got home from his brother's graduation, Cononie anxiously listened to the draft on the radio until that too became too much for him to take.

Then within minutes of turning off the radio, his phone rang.