There is no sign of giddy expectation in Mattie Glanville's voice when she speaks about the future of her son, Doug. This despite the fact that Glanville, a junior centerfielder for the Penn baseball team, is one of the most highly touted Major League Baseball prospects in the country. Her chuckle is almost apologetic as she allows herself the pleasure of thinking that her son may soon be coming into a good deal of money. If Glanville is picked high in the first round of this June's draft -- Baseball America has rated Glanville as the number two college prospect in America -- his signing bonus would probably be in the area of $300,000. But the thought is fleeting and Mrs. Glanville's tone suggests she is more pleased that Doug might be able to fulfill his dream of playing in the majors than that he might get rich quick. Most of all, Mattie Glanville doesn't want her hopes or Doug's hopes to rest on a dream that might well fizzle out somewhere on the minor league ladder. "We're kind of tip-toeing through the whole process," Mrs. Glanville said. "It's not something you plan for because you don't think it can really happen." With Glanville's numbers, though, it looks like it just might. Baseball America has rated Glanville the third-best amateur player in the country. (Currently, the Minnesota Twins hold the third pick in this year's draft.) Thirteen games into the season, Glanville has 26 hits and 14 runs batted in in 55 at-bats. After going 7-for-14 in four games last weekend, Glanville raised his season batting average to .473; his career average now stands at .356. He has yet to go hitless in a game this year. His slugging percentage is .727 and his 40 total bases are more than twice the number of his next closest teammate. Almost as an afterthought, Glanville has seven stolen bases in seven attempts. Mrs. Glanville's level-headed composure, in light of those statistics, is surprising and admirable, but understandable. She is, after all, a mother. What borders on the stunning, however, is the self-disciplined aplomb of her prodigy child. Doug Glanville is strikingly collected in the midst of all the attention he is attracting from professional teams. He lets the whirlwind of scouts and agents and money rage around him while he calmly goes about his business, clear about his intentions and his future. "My parents raised me to be realistic," said Glanville, referring to his well-documented desire to complete his Systems Engineering degree at the University. "What's happening to me right now is fantasy. You have to prepare for reality in case none of your dreams come true." "He's not affected by all the hype that's surrounding him," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "He's handling the situation as well as anyone could handle it. That's an extremely mature thing for a 20-year-old young man." Glanville's demeanor supports Seddon's praise. It is abundantly clear in talking to this budding star that his maturity is even more developed than his baseball talents. "I have an idea of what I'm going to do this June," Glanville said. "I have to consider being drafted and making a certain amount of money. I'm definitely interested in playing professional baseball. I also recognize that things change rapidly. So the issue is my education. "[Major League teams] have expectations for their players to be at a certain level at a certain time and school interferes with that." But Doug, what would you do if you got drafted? "If a team would draft me and allow me to complete my degree, I would definitely play," said Glanville, referring to a potential situation that would allow the centerfielder to complete his degree as soon as possible and still play professional baseball. "Provided they accommodate my academic goals, I would play." Glanville won't specify on just how quickly he wants those academic goals fulfilled, but he says he's not interested in simply postponing his education until his baseball career has run its course. Thanks in a large part to his parents, education has always been at the top of Glanville's priority list. As a senior at Teaneck (N.J.) High School, Glanville knew he wanted to be an engineer. He also knew he had a chance to be picked up by a major league team in the draft, although his stock was considerably lower than it is now. But that spring, Glanville was quoted in the Bergen Record as saying, "I'll get my four years of college and then maybe I'll try it [playing professional baseball]." Thus ended any immediate interest major league teams had in Doug Glanville. That fact didn't bother Glanville a bit. "If I had looked at the perspective of my parents, there was no way I wasn't going to college anyway," Glanville remembered. "But the way they raised me, I saw eye to eye with them." Since then, it has been the senior Glanvilles who have seen eye to eye with their son. According to Glanville's mother, her son is now "in the driver's seat" as far as his athletic and academic decisions are concerned. In the fall of 1989, Glanville chose academics again, turning down a prestigious offer to play with the U.S. Junior National Team in Taiwan because it would have interfered with his classes. That kind of dedication to academics has allowed Glanville to maintain a B+ average in school despite the cumulative demands of his Engineering curriculum and playing a varsity sport. Glanville is already a dream come true to those who know him. "Doug just has a variety of interests," third baseman Anthony Feld said. "He's so well read on so many different topics -- baseball is just another thing he's interested in. You don't see that many high-quality athletes that are involved in that many different things. If Doug Glanville does not become a major league baseball player, he will without a doubt be successful in whatever he does." It seems that he already is. Last summer, Glanville played in the Cape Cod Summer League, considered the nation's top amateur baseball league and -- voila! -- success. He hit .331 in the wood-bat league and found himself named the league's top pro prospect. Since then, the phone hasn't stopped ringing. "[Calls from agents] can definitely be a pain," Glanville said. "They'll call you whenever. I'm trying to comply with NCAA rules so that I don't get in trouble. "One day last week I was on the phone from eight to 12 straight related to baseball. That can be a problem. I usually study in my room but the next night I went to the library." Seddon's office phone has gotten just as much work. But Seddon's faith in Glanville's composure makes his job with pesky scouts much easier. "I just direct the scouts and agents to him," Seddon said. "The first question they ask is whether I think Doug will sign after his junior year. But Doug has a mind of his own. He's a very bright young man at a top-notch school. You're talking about a kid who doesn't need my guidance." If anything, it may be Seddon who needs Glanville's guidance. At least on the baseball field. Signing with a professional team, of course, would mean that Glanville would sacrifice his amateur eligibility. And that would be a major blow to Seddon's team. But as much as his bat and legs lend to the Quakers lineup, it is Glanville's head and his heart that have endeared him to his teammates and coach. "You simply won't find a finer person," Seddon said. "He's as fine a kid as I've ever coached. He has the correct temperament to be a ballplayer -- he's so even-tempered. He's a role model. He's very mature for his age. There's just not a negative in his personality." Feld would certainly agree. "During our sophomore year we weren't close until I struggled as a player," Feld said. "I started to talk to him. I was looking for a calming voice and I sought out Doug because he seemed so calm and together. "Then last summer we were in Cape Cod and we would just talk. We found out we had a lot of things in common off the field. If he chooses to leave, I'll miss his everyday presence. He's a true friend." As he speaks, Feld's voice is increasingly sad. Feld doesn't seem like the type of person given to flights of sentimental reflection, but when he thinks about Glanville, he can't help himself. If you had a chance to talk to Doug Glanville, you'd certainly understand. Baseball America contributed to this article.
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