Okay, folks, the draft starts in about 15 minutes...
There is now going to be 5 minutes between each pick, so the Rangers won't be going until close to 2:30 with #17, and then after 3:00 with #24.
I'm at work, but apparently, the draft is also being televised on mlb.com, so hopefully I'll be able to watch the goings-on.
I'm going to provide ongoing updates on this thread about the draft, in the "Read More" section, and will probably have a separate post about the Rangers picks.
zywica is about to head off to California for a wedding, but he should be around for a little while, and may weigh in on the goings on, as well...
So...let's do this...
12:52 -- I seem to be getting the mlb.com feed okay. Yay! Now I just have to keep the door to my office shut and make sure no one tries to interrupt me for, oh, the next 5 hours...
12:57 -- The guys mlb.com has commentating on the draft are funny looking.
1:02 -- Karl Ravech is there with Steve Phillips and Peter Gammons. And ESPN apparently just adapted their groovy NFL draft graphics for the MLB draft, with little tidbits for each team as that team pops up on the scroll...so, for example, I just learned that Baltimore had a record 4 first round picks in 1999.
1:06 -- I just ran into the bathroom here at work, and there was someone in there using the stall and simultaneously talking on their cell phone. It isn't quite as bad as having my boss come into the bathroom while I'm washing my hands, and start up a conversation that he insists on continuing while he goes into the stall and starts taking care of business, but it is close. All men's restrooms should have a "no talking" rule that is strictly enforced.
1:09 -- Bud Selig does the intro. He reminds me of the groom's great-grandfather reading a toast off of a card at a wedding reception. Geez...he has the personal magnetism and television presence of Walter Mondale.
1:12 -- Awesome. Bud Selig reads some nonsense off of a card, and then we go to commercial.
1:15 -- Karl Ravech shows clips of former #1 overall picks. When Adrian Gonzalez comes up, he raves about what a great, breakout season Adrian is having. Kick me in the nuts, whydontcha?
1:16 -- #1 -- Tampa Bay selects LHP David Price. No surprise there.
1:21 -- #2 -- KC takes Mike Moustakas. Wow, that is a surprise. He was expected to go lower. We need the NFL crowd so we can have a raucous reaction...
1:25 -- E. Grant is also blogging the draft, and predicts Rick Porcello and Josh Smoker for the Rangers. I'd be very happy with that.
1:34 -- Peter Gammons is operating in apologist mode for all the pitchers the Pirates have drafted in the first round that got hurt, saying that they were good selections. Bryan Bullington was considered a reach at the time, but the bigger deal is John Van Benschoeten. He was a bit of a reach when the Pirates took him, but particularly because they insisted on making him a pitcher...almost everyone had him more highly ranked as a hitter. So not only did the Pirates reach, they reached for a guy and then put him at the wrong position, and then he got hurt.
1:37 -- The Orioles take Matt Wieters at #5. I'm sure Angelos is pissed the two Greek guys went #2 and #4, but Wieters is a great consolation prize.
1:48 -- The first real bombshell...Matt LaPorta goes #7 overall to the Brewers. I'd heard some rumblings that they'd throw a curveball, but I was thinking Wieters, not LaPorta.
1:51 -- Jim Callis looks like he's about to fall asleep while he's talking.
1:53 -- So...the Brewers maybe took LaPorta so they could maybe trade him next summer at the trade deadline, according to the talking heads. And Colorado takes another senior, Casey Weathers, at #8. Good news seeing LaPorta and Weathers go early, since it makes it a lot more likely one of those arms the Rangers love will still be there at #17.
1:57 -- Good to see that Casey Weathers dressed up for the occasion. Weathers, by the way, probably goes on the Joe Buck/Aaron Taylor list of people with the Scariest Eyebrows Ever.
2:01 -- Karl Ravech tries to interview Jarrod Parker on the phone, with a still photo of Parker put up, about whether he wants to go to college or go straight to the minors. Parker, clearly having gotten good coaching from whomever his "advisor" is, does the "we'll have to decide as a family what to do" bit, making it sound like there is actually a chance in hell he'll pass up the $2 million signing bonus to go hang out in Athens, Georgia.
2:04 -- Thank you, ESPN, for pointing out that Koby Clemens was an 8th round pick of the Astros in 2005. Just in case there was any doubt about the influence of nepotism in these deals...
2:06 -- Not to nitpick, but after Bumgarner was selected, Ravech (I believe) said he was just the 2nd high school pitcher picked so far, but there's been a lot of high school position players picked. There have been 2 high school position players picked. Clearly, we need more than 5 minutes between picks, so that the talking heads can have more time to go over their notes...
2:08 -- Six more picks, and then the Rangers are on the board. With Dominguez, Beavan, Smoker, Aumont, Harvey, Porcello, and Mills still on the board, the Rangers should be in good shape at #17...
2:10 -- Well, nevermind about Aumont, as Seattle grabs him at #11. That's fine...we don't want any damn Frenchy Quebecy French Canadians on our team, anyway. Well, other than Eric Gagne...
2:12 -- My ideal scenario right now would involve the Marlins taking Julio Borbon, with the Braves taking Jason Heyward, the Georgia HS outfielder, at #14. That would leave Smoker on the board, possibly all the way to #24...but if Heyward is gone, I think Atlanta takes Smoker.
2:19 -- Cleveland is up, and all reports indicate they are going to take Beavan. Which is fine with me...I wasn't all that fired up about him.
2:26 -- Cleveland messes up things by taking Beau Mills, I guy I would have liked to have seen slip to the Rangers, but at least Atlanta sticks to form and takes Heyward. I'd like to see the Rangers take either Harvey or Porcello -- whichever one slides -- at #17. I think Cincy goes Beavan, here.
2:38 -- Ahrens to the Jays, which leaves Harvey, Porcello, Smoker, Beavan, Main, and Borbon all on the board with the Rangers on the clock. I hope, I hope, I hope the Rangers take one of those first two guys...
2:43 -- Whew. Beavan wasn't my first pick, but he's okay. A couple of the Harvey/Porcello/Smoker group should be there at #24. In the meantime, let's keep our fingers crossed that Borbon goes in the meantime.
2:49 -- With the Cards taking Kozma, 5 more picks until the Rangers select. Toronto is going to go with Arencibia, supposedly, and the Padres will probably take Schmidt if he's still on the board. So again, you're going to probably have one or two of the high school arms that the Rangers supposedly really like still sitting there at #24.
2:54 -- The Phillies take Joe Savery out of Rice. Given the history of Rice pitchers, I expect he and Adam Eaton will be able to spend a fair amount of time comparing arm injuries and rehab schedules.
2:59 -- I hate the way Selig says "Los Angeles." In any case, they take Withrow, a guy the Rangers were supposedly interested in at #24 or #34. Something of a reach, given that BA has him ranked in the 40s. Toronto, San Fran, and San Diego pick, and then the Rangers...I'm getting fired up...
3:10 -- The Giants take Alderson, another guy the Rangers were supposedly in on. But could someone tell me why the ESPN guys are fawning over the supposedly great job Ricciardi has done drafting and developing talent? Don't they have a weak farm system and a decent, but not great, collection of young talent at the major league level?
3:14 -- I find myself doing like dirkatron, trying to talk myself into liking Borbon..."Well, you know, he'd probably get better on his reads, and he'd have some trade value..."
3:16 -- As I thought, the Padres take Schmidt. Harvey, Porcello, and Smoker all still on the board, as the Rangers go on the clock. I really want them to go with Harvey here.
3:25 -- Main, rather than Harvey. He's okay, I guess. Not a bad pick, but like Beavan, not the guy I was really fired up about. I'm going to take a break for a little bit, and be back before the Rangers' first supplemental pick.
4:17 -- Okay, I'm back. Brackman off the board, which is fine. Porcello is off the board, which isn't surprising. I'm leery of going HS pitchers three straight picks, but if Smoker or Harvey are still there at #35, I think it would be difficult to pass them up.
4:20 -- And Borbon is a Ranger, with Harvey still on the board. I don't have as big a problem taking him at #35 as I would have had #17 or #24 -- I don't think he's a BAD pick here -- but still...
4:31 -- Another Tennessee player gets picked. You'd think with all these studs, they'd have made it a little farther in the college playoffs.
4:42 -- Kyle Russell and Corey Brown still on the board. Russell is a draft-eligible sophomore, and the Rangers might not want to deal with a signing fight, but I have to think if one of those two are still on the board when #54 comes around, they'll grab one of them.