Oklahoma State University Athletics
Matt Kroon
Dad's Influence Helps Kroon Choose Stillwater Over Pro Career
May 02, 2018 | Cowboy Baseball
By Matt Villareal, OSU Athletics Communications
After being selected in the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft last June, the second time he'd heard his named called on draft day, Matt Kroon sat down with his father, Marc, and deliberated what to do next.
"We discussed, discussed, discussed," said Marc Kroon, who played 21 years of professional baseball. "I had to find the right situation to put my son in."
What ensued were several phone conversations between Marc and Cowboy baseball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator James Vilade. Each conversation was about an hour, with Vilade assuring Marc that Oklahoma State would be the perfect fit for his son.
"I told him at this point in his career, transferring again was not an option," Marc said. "He knew that, and he assured me that he'd look after Matthew like he was one of his own."
Two years earlier, the Cincinnati Reds had drafted Matt Kroon out of Scottsdale, Arizona's Horizon High School in the 38th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. In 2017, the summer before coming to Oklahoma State, the Phillies drafted him in the 30th round.
"At some point you've got to trust in yourself, you've got to bet on yourself that you're better than the 30th round, or whatever round you were taken in, to take a shot at becoming the higher draft pick and improving your status in the MLB," Matt said.
In 2015, Matt turned down the draft out of high school, instead opting to start a college baseball career at Oregon. He played in 35 games as a freshman for the Ducks, but after the fall semester of his sophomore year decided he wanted to play closer to home.
He landed Central Arizona College, where in 2017 he played in 46 games and recorded a .266 batting average, two home runs and 20 RBIs.
It was while he was playing with the Vaqueros that Vilade began recruiting him.
"He came out to watch me play in Arizona one weekend and ever since then we hit it off," Matt said.
The first time Matt met his future coach he said they talked for almost an hour.
"Just talkin' baseball," Matt said. "Right then I was like, 'Ok, he's got my best interest in mind.'"
Matt said Vilade also convinced him by building a strong relationship with his dad.
Marc Kroon spent over two decades playing at the professional level after joining the pro ranks out of high school. His career spanned three MLB teams, six minor league teams and two teams in Japan. Marc said his decision to sign out of high school was completely unlike the choices his son had to make.
"It was different (for Matt) than when I went through the process," said Marc, who signed with the New York Mets after being selected with the 72nd overall pick in the 1991 MLB Draft. "There's a lot more that goes into it today."
However, Matt said his dad was insistent on letting him make his own choice.
"The number one thing that he wanted me to understand was that at the end of the day, it was my decision," Matt said. "He wasn't going to say I had to do one thing or another. But he would help me lay out the pros and cons of each decision, really look at them in detail as to what is it I'm trying to do. And at the end of the day, it's play professional baseball."
And that's exactly what the Kroon's did. In the summer of 2017, Marc and Matt sat down and created a list highlighting the positives and negatives of playing professionally or returning to school. Together, the two decided that he should join the Oklahoma State baseball program.
"We felt it was his best move," Marc said. "It's turned out to be one of the best choices in his young career."
On top of turning down the MLB Draft for the second time, Matt decided to attend a school he had never visited before.
Cowboy baseball coach Josh Holliday commended the faith that the Kroon's have shown in the Cowboy baseball program.
"It was an interesting route for him to get here, obviously," Holliday said. "They had a lot of trust, a lot of faith in what we were selling him over the phone since he never even visited here before he arrived. A lot of trust was on display by both he and his father to allow us a chance to coach him here this year."
The foundation of that trust may have started 14 years ago, when Holliday's brother, Matt Holliday, was Marc's teammate on the Colorado Rockies in 2004.
"That's when I was introduced to that family and saw how great of a family they were," Marc said. "That also made it an easy decision for Matthew to go to Oklahoma State.
"I think everything happens for a reason."
Matt has started all 43 games in his first season with the Cowboys and is hitting .278 while leading the team with 15 doubles, 12 stolen bases and 39 runs. He's also among the team leaders with six homers, 24 RBIs and 47 hits.
Matt said he traces his success to trying to emulate his father, who made his Major League Baseball debut in 1995 and had a big league career that spanned parts of four seasons. Marc also starred at Japan's highest pro level, at one time holding the Nippon Professional Baseball record with 177 career saves and a fastball that was recorded at 101 miles per hour.
"My dad is my biggest role model," Matt said. "Just seeing what he went through, seeing the struggle he went through to get where he is today, it makes my journey to what I'm trying to do a lot easier.
"At the end of the day, adversity is going to come up every day. I'm never going to give up because I got to see how my dad did it."
After being selected in the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft last June, the second time he'd heard his named called on draft day, Matt Kroon sat down with his father, Marc, and deliberated what to do next.
"We discussed, discussed, discussed," said Marc Kroon, who played 21 years of professional baseball. "I had to find the right situation to put my son in."
What ensued were several phone conversations between Marc and Cowboy baseball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator James Vilade. Each conversation was about an hour, with Vilade assuring Marc that Oklahoma State would be the perfect fit for his son.
"I told him at this point in his career, transferring again was not an option," Marc said. "He knew that, and he assured me that he'd look after Matthew like he was one of his own."
Two years earlier, the Cincinnati Reds had drafted Matt Kroon out of Scottsdale, Arizona's Horizon High School in the 38th round of the 2015 MLB Draft. In 2017, the summer before coming to Oklahoma State, the Phillies drafted him in the 30th round.
"At some point you've got to trust in yourself, you've got to bet on yourself that you're better than the 30th round, or whatever round you were taken in, to take a shot at becoming the higher draft pick and improving your status in the MLB," Matt said.
In 2015, Matt turned down the draft out of high school, instead opting to start a college baseball career at Oregon. He played in 35 games as a freshman for the Ducks, but after the fall semester of his sophomore year decided he wanted to play closer to home.
He landed Central Arizona College, where in 2017 he played in 46 games and recorded a .266 batting average, two home runs and 20 RBIs.
It was while he was playing with the Vaqueros that Vilade began recruiting him."He came out to watch me play in Arizona one weekend and ever since then we hit it off," Matt said.
The first time Matt met his future coach he said they talked for almost an hour.
"Just talkin' baseball," Matt said. "Right then I was like, 'Ok, he's got my best interest in mind.'"
Matt said Vilade also convinced him by building a strong relationship with his dad.
Marc Kroon spent over two decades playing at the professional level after joining the pro ranks out of high school. His career spanned three MLB teams, six minor league teams and two teams in Japan. Marc said his decision to sign out of high school was completely unlike the choices his son had to make.
"It was different (for Matt) than when I went through the process," said Marc, who signed with the New York Mets after being selected with the 72nd overall pick in the 1991 MLB Draft. "There's a lot more that goes into it today."
However, Matt said his dad was insistent on letting him make his own choice.
"The number one thing that he wanted me to understand was that at the end of the day, it was my decision," Matt said. "He wasn't going to say I had to do one thing or another. But he would help me lay out the pros and cons of each decision, really look at them in detail as to what is it I'm trying to do. And at the end of the day, it's play professional baseball."And that's exactly what the Kroon's did. In the summer of 2017, Marc and Matt sat down and created a list highlighting the positives and negatives of playing professionally or returning to school. Together, the two decided that he should join the Oklahoma State baseball program.
"We felt it was his best move," Marc said. "It's turned out to be one of the best choices in his young career."
On top of turning down the MLB Draft for the second time, Matt decided to attend a school he had never visited before.
Cowboy baseball coach Josh Holliday commended the faith that the Kroon's have shown in the Cowboy baseball program.
"It was an interesting route for him to get here, obviously," Holliday said. "They had a lot of trust, a lot of faith in what we were selling him over the phone since he never even visited here before he arrived. A lot of trust was on display by both he and his father to allow us a chance to coach him here this year."
The foundation of that trust may have started 14 years ago, when Holliday's brother, Matt Holliday, was Marc's teammate on the Colorado Rockies in 2004."That's when I was introduced to that family and saw how great of a family they were," Marc said. "That also made it an easy decision for Matthew to go to Oklahoma State.
"I think everything happens for a reason."
Matt has started all 43 games in his first season with the Cowboys and is hitting .278 while leading the team with 15 doubles, 12 stolen bases and 39 runs. He's also among the team leaders with six homers, 24 RBIs and 47 hits.
Matt said he traces his success to trying to emulate his father, who made his Major League Baseball debut in 1995 and had a big league career that spanned parts of four seasons. Marc also starred at Japan's highest pro level, at one time holding the Nippon Professional Baseball record with 177 career saves and a fastball that was recorded at 101 miles per hour.
"My dad is my biggest role model," Matt said. "Just seeing what he went through, seeing the struggle he went through to get where he is today, it makes my journey to what I'm trying to do a lot easier.
"At the end of the day, adversity is going to come up every day. I'm never going to give up because I got to see how my dad did it."
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