Paralyzed Astros pick determined to pitch again, San Jac coach says

San Jacinto College pitcher Buddy Lamothe, 40th-round draft pick of the Houston Astros

The Houston Astros' 40th-round draft pick of paralyzed San Jacinto College pitcher Buddy Lamothe may be symbolic, but San Jac Head Coach Tom Arrington says it highlights Lamothe's very real intention of getting back on the field.

"He's really looking forward to creating an environment to give him the strength and help him get back to pitching," Arrington says, adding that Lamothe is getting started with physical therapy and rehabilitation. Lamothe was paralyzed in a swimming accident in early May.

Arrington says others in San Jacinto's baseball program find the draft pick encouraging as well. "Right away I thought, here's a business-minded meeting where you're drafting players to promote your team, and the Houston Astros step aside from that and do a thing for a young man that shows them that they have a lot of faith in him coming back, and it was something that was very sincere on their part," he says.

Lamothe's playing showed a great deal of promise before the accident, and Arrington says he's determined to carry it through afterwards.

"Velocity-wise he was being clocked at 92 to 95 MPH, which is very good in respect to talent level," Arrington says. "Buddy is a strong-willed young man that is going to fight to overcome his tragedy."

After hearing about the draft pick, Arrington also recalled visiting Lamothe after he had surgery for his injuries. "When he woke up, he just looked at me almost with tears in his eyes, not from the accident, but more in the fact that he didn't want to let me or his teammates down," Arrington says.

To make a donation for Lamothe's medical care and to keep up with his progress, visit The Buddy Project.