AMY WINKLER/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA freshman and Tucson native John Hardy and his major leaguer cousin J.J. didn't get to play together on the Arizona baseball team as planned, but they still keep in touch and hope to one day play on the same MLB team.

Cousins stay close despite draft-day separation

The UA baseball team has one Hardy boy and would have had two, if it wasn't for the MLB Draft.

J.J. Hardy, the cousin of freshman third baseman John Hardy, chose the professional ranks over the college level.

J.J., who was the 2002 All-Southern Arizona Baseball Team player of the year at Sabino Canyon High School in Tucson, committed to play at UA. Instead, he signed a big-league contract and skipped college.

The two cousins had always been close and played baseball together during their childhood in the Old Pueblo. After John moved away, they kept in touch and wanted to play at the same college, but the MLB Amateur Draft claimed J.J. However, the two still vow to one day play on the same major league team.

The Hardys are a close family with Wildcat ties. The boys' dads played tennis together for Arizona, and after they graduated, they settled down with the boys' grandfather in a small gated community next to Ft. Lowell Park.

J.J. was born in August, 1982, while John was born one month later. The two immediately became friends and played baseball and soccer together.

"We were always on the same team, no matter what sport it was, because we were best friends," John said.

When the boys were 10 years old, John and his family moved to Boise to own a sporting goods store. John's dad eyed the city because it was one of the best in the country at that time in which to raise a family, John said.

"We hung out every day before he moved," J.J. said. "After our parents were done talking on the phone to each other, we would get on the line for awhile."

The two played shortstop and pitcher all throughout high school. After their senior season, each of them made the Team USA Junior National Team Trials that was comprised of three teams and eventually would be cut down to one.

The Hardys were on different teams but never faced each other. When their teams finally played each other, John closed out the ninth inning on the mound for the win with J.J. on deck.

"All I was thinking was to just get this guy out so we could win. I did want to face J.J. though and strike him out," John said.

J.J. made the final team, but the boys played together again that summer in a showcase game with Team One National in Phoenix.

The boys decided on playing for Arizona together, something they had planned back in high school.

"We both were looking forward to that and had talked a lot about it around junior year. Both of us wanted to go to UA," J.J. said.

They both signed to play for the Wildcats after graduation, but the MLB Draft decided otherwise.

J.J. was selected 56th overall in the second round by the Milwaukee Brewers. He signed in July a week later, after UA named Andy Lopez the new head coach.

"I don't know what would have happened if I stayed. Lopez was only there for a week, and I never talked to him. I really did like (former coach Jerry) Stitt and his coaches," J.J. said.

He inked a $725,000 signed bonus and a promise that the Brewers would pay for his college tuition if he decided to one day return.

Lopez said he never thought about having both of the Hardys during his tenure, because the draft had taken lots of his players during his 20 years of coaching.

"I knew J.J. was a high-profile player, and I heard that he was going to sign," Lopez said. "You coach the guys who are here right now, but once they sign, I am very cordial and thankful to them for committing with me."

John was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 11th round at pick number 324 but hurt his arm during the summer season and mostly played first base. This was a gamble the Orioles wouldn't decide on until the end of the season. Tired of waiting, John decided to play for Arizona a week before the first day of school.

"I wanted to come before school started. I've thought about making the jump (to the majors), and it is something I hope I will do later on," he said.

Last summer, J.J. played shortstop in Utah for the Ogden Raptors in Class A Rookie, the lowest form of minor league baseball. He hit .248 on the season and had trouble adjusting to the wooden bat. But, he was promoted at the end of the year for his defensive skills and because the Brewers were short of infielders in the farm.

"The weight distribution is different with the wooden bats. You have to hit the ball in a smaller sweet spot. With aluminum ones, you get a lot of cheap hits," J.J. said.

Now with the High Desert Mavericks in California, the highest form of Class A ball, J.J. is hitting .341 with a .512 slugging percentage this season. He's projected to reach the majors in two years with possible stops in AA and AAA.

"If all of that happens, that'd be great. I like playing up here; the ball flies well and the fields are nice."

Meanwhile, John is the Wildcats' everyday first baseman and is hitting .300 with six doubles and 27 RBIs.

"I always think about if J.J. was here and what kind of career we would have had," John said. "He came to all of our games in the offseason, but we didn't talk a lot about baseball."

Throughout the season, the two keep in touch to help each other, something they hope they will eventually be able to do face-to-face.

"When you're slumping, it's always nice to have someone to talk to who's playing the game," J.J. said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to hang out on the same major league team one day."