SANFORD — For John Gorman the moment was surreal, yet even more than a year later the memory remains as vivid as if it happened only yesterday.

It’s with a distinct measure of pride and satisfaction that Gorman, a pitcher/infielder with the Sanford Mainers, relives the moment when he was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 2011 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft last June.

“It got to the point that I thought I wasn’t even going to be picked because I was going to school (Boston College) no matter what and everybody knew that,” Gorman said prior to what turned out to be a rained out game between the Mainers and Mystic Schooners Saturday night at Goodall Park.

“It was the last day and I was just watching the draft on the computer just for fun because I knew a couple of guys that still had a chance to go as well.

“Then the Red Sox gave me a call and told me to keep a look out for my name because they still had a couple of picks coming up in the last couple of rounds and there was a good chance they would take me. Right then I was glued to the computer next to my mom.”

A total of 1,521 players were selected ahead of Gorman, who was the ninth last player taken in the 50-round annual event. But the numbers didn’t mean a thing once his name was announced. All that mattered to Gorman was he had become a member of his favorite team.

“When I heard my name called it was a dream come true,” said Gorman, a graduate of Catholic Memorial in Norwood, Mass.

“I was heading to Boston College (in the fall) and was just drafted by the Boston Red Sox. Most of the things that I wanted to accomplish at that point in my life in baseball were right there in front of me.”

It was an overwhelming moment for Gorman, who retreated to his 6-year-old sister’s swing set in the back yard to completely absorb the moment. Once he had a grasp of what had just transpired, he decided to quickly establish some new goals moving forward.

Within a day he was on the field for his first Legion practice of the year. Shortly thereafter it was off to his freshman campaign at Boston College and earlier this month he joined the Mainers.

“In general, being drafted was a new beginning for me,” Gorman said. “Going to BC. Coming here. It’s all new beginnings. I know the higher you go the harder it’s going to get.”

After being utilized almost exclusively as a pitcher with Boston College during his freshman season (22 innings pitched out of the bullpen with only six at-bats), Gorman has already seen time on the mound and in the field for the Mainers.

The challenge for Mainers head coach Aaron Izaryk is to find the right balance to fully take advantage of Gorman’s skillset.

“He’s a tremendous athlete and obviously the Red Sox saw something good in him to take a shot on him out of high school,” said Izaryk, who has consulted with BC head coach Mike Gambino in regards to Gorman’s playing time. “If nothing else, he has a chance both ways. He’s a strong hitter and we saw what he can do at BC as a pitcher.

“It’s tough with two-way guys. If he plays the field he can’t necessarily pitch, and if he pitches too much he can’t necessarily play the field. You want to really balance that as best you can and BC has done a really great job communicating to me what they would like to see.”

— Contact Mark Jeanneret at 282-1535, Ext. 323.