Baseball: Expos sign Vanguard’s Chop

Vanguard University senior Chad Chop, the Golden State Athletic

Conference Player of the Year, signed with the Montreal Expos Saturday

and left Tuesday to report to their short-season single A team in

Winooski, VT.

Chop, a 6-foot-3 215-pound first baseman who was selected in the sixth

round (167th overall) of Major League Baseball’s draft June 4, said his

contract included $40,000 for signing and $24,000 for education, as Chop

has one year remaining at Vanguard. In addition, Chop will receive a

salary of $820 per month for playing for the Vermont Expos.

“It was relieving to finally sign,” said Chop, who led the Lions to

their first NAIA Region II championship, hitting .395 with a team-leading

15 home runs. “We negotiated for over four hours. It was a deal that I

wanted to get it done. The real money is in the major leagues. I have to

keep working hard.”

Chop also said, in a telephone interview, the minor league team will

begin training Saturday for its season opener Tuesday.

-- by Steve Virgen