ERMA — He left here to become a Villanova University student, became a star athlete and returned a Chicago Cub.
Lower Cape May Regional High School graduate Matt Szczur returned to lend a hand to assist Be the Match, an organization that matches bone marrow donors.
By noon, Wed., Jan. 26, more than 100 had signed up to become possible bone marrow donors. They included students, teachers and school staff, a dozen Wildwood firefighters and a number of law enforcement personnel.
Szczur donated his bone marrow to a child with leukemia. He said he became aware of the child through Villanova’s head football coach, Andy Talley, who has been involved with Be the Match for 20 years.
Every incoming Villanova freshman gets tested for a bone marrow match which simply involves getting a DNA sample by swabbing your gum and cheek. He went through a stem cell procedure which takes blood from the donor’s arm, which is filtered through a machine to remove white blood cells. The blood is then returned to the donor through the other arm.
That act of kindness sidelined him from 10 college baseball games.
He was greeted at his alma mater by a video crew from ESPN Television and a group of local newspaper and radio reporters. Szczur joined the Chicago Cubs minor league farm system and will receive a $1.5 million signing bonus. He was offered the contract while in football training in Boca Raton. Fla.
“I sat down with the GM, (Cubs’ general manager) Jim Henry, an awesome guy, and he made a great offer,” said Szczur.
He was a fifth round draft pick. The Cubs’ contract will prevent him from pursuing a National Football League career. He said his mind was on football until he received the Cubs’ offer.
Szczur was a Villanova wide receiver and a likely pick for next year’s NFL draft. His mother, Kathy told the Herald a concussion he suffered in a December 14 Villanova football game against Eastern Washington may have helped him make his decision to choose a career in baseball. She said he excelled at every sport he played in Lower Township and wanted to outdo his older brother.
He said he believed one injury could end a football career. Prior to the concussion, Szczur was sidelined six weeks with an ankle injury.
Despite being a millionaire on paper, Szczur, 21, said his only purchase was a larger TV and a new watch. He is finishing his studies at Villanova with just four classes to complete by May. He will join the Cubs in Mesa, Ariz. for spring training. After that, he will play for the Cubs farm team in Peoria, Ill.
The next step would be playing for Daytona Beach, then Tennessee and finally the Cub’s farm club in Boise, Iowa, he said. A center fielder, he said he believed his chance of being called to play in Chicago this year is slim.
He played rookie ball in Arizona last summer and then for a short season of “A” ball in Boise and then to Peoria.
Szczur took batting practice inside the “friendly confines,” of Wrigley Field with the Cubs, which he said was a thrill. Growing up in South Jersey, he was naturally a Phillies fan. He said he did not pay much attention to the Cubs other than watching the movie “Rookie of the Year.”
If all goes well, Szczur said he will relocate to the Chicago area where he has a number of friends from Villanova baseball.
According to ESPN, he hit .347 in 25 minor league games.
According to Villanova.com/sports: “In just two seasons of baseball made a name for himself as one of the top Villanova hitters ever … Ranks fifth all-time with a .392 (142-362) career batting average and is also tied for third with nine triples … Averaged 1.6 hits per game over two seasons, playing in 87 games with 86 starts … His 142 hits include 23 doubles, nine triples and five home runs … Scored 85 runs and drove in 62 while drawing 41 walks and striking out just 32 times in 418 plate appearances (one strikeout every 13.1 plate appearances)
