RIPON, Wis. - A lot of young boys grow up dreaming of being drafted in a professional sport. For Matt Denure '98, that dream became a reality at Ripon College, as the school's first (and only) player to be drafted into Major League Baseball (MLB).

Denure was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 494th overall pick in the 17th round of the 1998 MLB draft, which lasted 50 rounds. That followed a senior season at Ripon that saw him record a team-high .456 batting average, ranking eighth in program history for a single season. He also tallied 11 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, and 52 RBI, which ranks sixth in program history for a single season. That helped Denure win Midwest Conference Player of the Year honors and a First Team All-Conference nod for the second consecutive season. One of the greatest single seasons in program history, Denure also finished that 1998 campaign with the fifth-highest single season slugging percentage in program history (.816), and ninth-most total bases (102).

"Matt hit the longest home run I've ever seen from a Ripon player," legendary Ripon baseball coach Bob Gillespie said. "Playing at Beloit's minor league park, he hit it over the Marlboro man located 40 feet above the dead center field wall, which was 400 feet away from home plate." 

A four-year starter and three-year Team Captain for the Red Hawks, Denure was named Second Team All-Region at the conclusion of his senior season, while earning Academic All-Conference honors three times during his career. In 126 career games, Denure batted .351 with 135 hits, including 23 doubles, four triples, 15 home runs, and 92 RBI.

"I consider myself blessed to be able to play for Gordie and Bob Gillespie during my Ripon College career. Playing for the Gillespie family truly changed my life because they demonstrated a genuine care for me as a person and not just an athlete," Denure said. "I was taught by Gordie to value every person and truly appreciate the time you spend with them. When with Gordie, you were the most important person in the world to him at that moment, which is nothing short of inspiring. He didn't just listen, but he'd also have you over to his home, write letters, call you - he truly cared for you. Gordie and Bob were models for how to treat other people and opponents with class and grace, even after a crushing loss."

Individual accolades weren't what Denure was about. Instead, his main focus was winning, which was how his Ripon career was capped off. The Red Hawks captured the 1998 MWC Championship, which set the tone for the next decade of the program. That marked the first of four consecutive conference titles for Ripon, and was the beginning of a run that saw them win eight in a 10-year span.

"Winning an MWC Championship with my friends, and playing for Gordie are two of my greatest memories. I still think about Gordie every day - and he inspires me to be a better person decades later," Denure said. "Next to my parents and grandparents, Gordie has been the most influential person in my life. I had heard of people like him in sports documentaries and movies, but to play for Gordie was special. His genuine love for his players was unconditional."

Shortly after his season (and Ripon career) ended, Denure, who was rated as Baseball America's 10th-best prospect in the Upper Midwest Region, received the call that a lot of young boys dream of - he had been drafted by the Phillies in the annual MLB amateur draft. He was selected in front of many notable names, including future American League Rookie of the Year and Menasha, Wis. native Eric Hinkse, four-time All-Star and AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee, five-time All-Star Mark Buehrle, and 10+ year MLB veterans Nick Punto, J.J. Putz, and Ty Wigginton.  

"To get that call was amazing, and I was very aware that not many people are able to have a moment in their life where such an unlikely dream comes true, so I tried to let that soak in. That same night, myself and a lifelong baseball teammate of mine went to watch the Brewers play the Braves at County Stadium in Milwaukee and we talked about life, family, and my future in baseball," Denure said. "At the game, I really tried to visualize that I'd soon be playing in organized baseball similar to this, and because of Gordie I knew how to match up big dreams with intense and deliberate hard work, so I was very confident in the potentially long road ahead of me. I also hoped that my family and baseball teammates would be proud of me because without them, I would have never had the environment necessary to push me to get to that point in my athletic career."

Unlike some sports, baseball draftees are usually sent to the minor leagues before they are able to compete against their major league counterparts. Denure was no different, as he was assigned to the Phillies' Class A-affiliate Batavia Muckdogs in Batavia, N.Y. One of his teammates on that team was Ricky Williams, who went on to win the 1998 Heisman Trophy at the University of Texas, before rushing for more than 10,000 yards and 66 touchdowns in the National Football League.

"There were also three or four players from my Single-A team, and of course in Spring Training the following year, that went on to play in the majors for 7-10 years," said Denure.

In his first (and only) season of minor league baseball, Denure played 48 games as an outfielder and shortstop, batting .242 with six doubles, one triple, three home runs, 22 RBI, and six stolen bases, helping the Muckdogs go 43-33 with a Stedler Division Championship in the New York-Penn League. That preceded a brief call-up to the Phillies' Triple-A camp in Spring Training of 1999 to fill in for an injured player, which was one of the greatest moments of Denure's life.

"Early in my career, I thought that success in the sport was all about talent - that just being fast, strong, and/or quick was all that mattered. While I was in the minors, including at that Triple-A camp, I saw that I had the same physical tools as other players and that I 'belonged' there," Denure said. "I was in no way a 'prospect' or an All Star at that point, but the raw materials were there, and I knew I may need another three or four years of experience to make it to the big leagues."

With that in mind, Denure made the difficult decision to hang up his cleats from professional baseball prior to the 1999 season, due to a myriad of factors.

"I found that there's much more involved with the mental/emotional side of the game than there was in college. Playing for money and trying to advance in a professional system at all costs was just 'different' to me, as was my energy level. The fire was still burning, but it was a bit less intense. My young professional baseball career was going pretty well, but in my soul I knew I had lost some degree of my passion," Denure said. "This may seem 'soft' to some, but passion and a sense of purpose is absolutely critical to help a player mentally. Due to a lack of mental/emotional flexibility - and along with the instability of being traded, released, sent down, living in different towns, making very little money - I made the very difficult decision to sign my retirement papers."

Denure still thinks about his time in the minors from time to time, but he unquestionably made the right decision for himself, and has never looked back.

"I would see, or hear from players once in a while, and would watch players who I played with or against on ESPN or in the World Series, but I always felt that they had made the sacrifice of three or four more years of traveling, pinching pennies, and riding buses to earn where they were, so good for them," Denure said. "I have always been at peace with my decision to 'retire'. I knew deep down that I had only one shot at that dream, so I really wrestled with the decision, but walking away was the right thing to do for my own definition of success. I'm thankful to have been drafted and thankful for getting some unique baseball memories and experiences, but I'll always TREASURE playing for Gordie Gillespie and with my friends at Ripon College. Those are my most valuable memories and that's what I hope every college student-athlete has the opportunity to experience."

Born in Columbus, Wis., and a graduate of Rio (Wis.) High School, Denure currently resides in Pardeeville, while teaching Social Studies at Portage (Wis.) High School. As Co-Head Coach in 2006, Denure helped Portage win the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) D2 State Championship.

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