Alumni Derek Gordon, a four-year Park baseball starter, is now a member of the Kansas City Royals organization.

Gordon’s professional contract was recently purchased by the Kansas City Royals after he spent last year playing for the Kansas City T-Bones.

He has now joined the Royals’ minor league spring training.

“They were looking at me when I was at Park and I guess they followed me to the T-Bones,” Gordon said. “I was leaving the gym around 8 a.m. to go throw a bullpen with my cousin and they gave me a call and told me the news.”

Finishing his senior season at Park as the program’s all-time winner and strikeouts leader, Gordon is no stranger to success. However, going from college to professional baseball can be a big jump, one that Gordon was not particularly expecting.

“When I went to the T-Bones I wasn’t expecting that big of a jump,” Gordon said. “My first outing I remember I was so nervous and sweating bullets. The hitters are a lot of former major league and minor league guys and the way they saw the ball out of my hand, it was like they knew what was coming.”

Despite his rough start, Gordon settled in nicely with the T-Bones using his coaching staff and veteran teammates to help him continue growing.

“I had to pitch differently to different guys,” Gordon said. “I was fresh out of college and these guys took me under their wing and helped a lot. They helped me with what I should do in certain situations and I didn’t get to experience just how great the organization was till I saw it first-hand.”

Now getting ready for his first big league spring training camp, Gordon is determined to continue growing as a player.

He believes that there’s always something to work on, and he thinks that the jump to the minors will help him develop all of his skillset.

“Nobody’s perfect in baseball, it’s a game of millimeters,” Gordon said.

“No matter how high you get, there’s always something to work on, and I know I have to work on everything, and get better in all situations. I’m not going in thinking I’m good enough to go straight to the big leagues. I’m hoping their amazing coaches and mental coaches will help me improve on all aspects of my game.”

Gordon also might see a familiar face around the Royals camp. His oldest brother is all-star leftfielder  Alex Gordon.

Alex is eight years older than Derek and the brothers are very different. But, the thought of possibly playing alongside his big brother didn’t sound all that bad to Derek.

“We’ve never played together and I’ve always kind of followed the path that he went through,” Gordon said.

“When you play the same sport of your sibling and he’s arguably the best leftfielder in baseball, it’s kind of difficult to say that you’re going to get to that level. I mean he was almost voted the face of MLB last year. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to accomplish all the things that he’s done but if I ever did make it to the level, I’m assuming I’d run by left field from the bullpen and give him a high five on my way to the mound.”