Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Pavin Smith pays off mortgage for parents
It wasn't a Cadillac or a Caribbean cruise.
Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Pavin Smith gave his parents a house for Christmas.
Smith, the seventh overall pick in this year's amateur baseball draft, paid off their mortgage with some of the proceeds from a $5 million bonus he earned by signing with Arizona in June.
But instead of sliding a receipt into a Hallmark card to let them know, Smith wrote them a heartfelt letter, which he watched them read Monday. The first baseman then posted a video of their reactions and a message on Twitter.
The 21-year-old, whose bonus matched the slot value, hit .342 with 13 home runs and a school-record 77 RBIs in 59 games as a junior at Virginia this year. He had 178 RBIs in three seasons, second-most in school history.
After being drafted, Smith played for the Class A Hillsboro Hops. In 42 games, Smith hit .318 with 27 RBIs for the Oregon-based Diamondbacks affiliate.
