Adversity is no more than opportunity in disguise.

Catawba College left-handed pitcher Brad Esarey offered proof recently when he signed a professional baseball contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Catawba coach Jim Gantt says Esarey broke his throwing hand in a freak accident a few years back.

“He was doing a conditioning run and came around the corner and slipped on some ice,” said Gantt. “Brad put his hand out to break his fall and literally punched the ground.”

That unfortunate break turned out to be a good break for Esarey. It led to a red-shirt year, which in turn led to him having a fifth baseball season at Catawba. It was in that fifth year that Esarey became a star, leading the Indians with a 2.30 ERA, earning the 2001 Dick Williams Award as the team’s most valuable player and claiming All-SAC honors.

As a fifth-year senior, Esarey, who earned his degree last December, became a free agent as soon as Catawba’s 2001season ended. Several big league teams expressed interest. Esarey’s first tryout was for the Blue Jays.

“Brad’s first pitch was 90 mph and his second one was 91,” said Gantt. “They’d seen enough. Lefties throwing 90 are special. They were ready to sign him.”

Esarey did sign, figuring his bargaining power was greater than if he waited around for the June draft. Had he been drafted, the team that selected him would have owned the exclusive rights to him and he would have had zero negotiating leverage.

“He got a little money by signing early,” said Gantt. “But the biggest thing was he knew exactly where he would be going. Toronto’s a good organization. They told him they’d be sending him to extended spring training in Clearwater, Fla., and then to their team (the Auburn (N.Y. Doubledays) in the New York-Penn League once that league started up.”

Esarey’s reaching pro ball, Gantt says, is a testament to hard work.

Gantt first spotted Esarey when his Mount Pleasant High team played against Salisbury at Newman Park.

Later, as a Rowan County Legion assistant coach, Gantt saw Esarey pitch a number of times for the Concord American Legion team.

Gantt successfully recruited Esarey, but the tall youngster — he’s nearly 6-foot-3 — was still a work in progress when he arrived at Catawba. For one thing, he was a 140-pound reed. Since then, he’s steadily added muscle to his frame and velocity to his fastball. He got a little better each year, slowly polishing his curve and changeup. He finished his college career with 220 strikeouts.

“Basically, he’s just a kid that worked his butt off,” said Gantt. “He’s got a good body for pitching and he worked and worked. Then all of a sudden it happened for him. I think it took him by surprise a little bit.”

Gantt said Esarey will be missed in the locker room as much as on the mound. “He’s a real baseball guy,” said Gantt. “He can be funny even when he doesn’t mean to be.”

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Esarey debuted for the Doubledays a couple of days ago and pitched 223 innings. He allowed two earned runs, but also recorded his first two pro strikeouts.

The next step up the ladder for Esarey would be Charleston (W. Va.) in the South Atlantic League. He could make an appearance at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium when the Alley Cats visit on July 29-31.

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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com .