Amateur Night

Don't be confused, this draft has little to do with amateurs. Last year's number one pick of Stephen Strasburg by the Nationals came with a year of negotiation and, ultimately, a 15.1 million dollar price tag. In an unprecedented amateur draft event, the Nationals had the first pick again this year. They chose 17-year-old hitting-wonder Bryce Harper who is likely to request a similar wage through agent Scott Boras, who is also Straburg's agent and according to Dave "everything that is wrong with baseball."*

I don't know what I was expecting. Perhaps a compilation of the try-out scene from "A League of Their Own", the draft-day episode of the sitcom "The League", and amateur comedian night at Maui Taco. Alas, there were no ooh and ahh moments as sexy women hit over the fence. And no one called anyone else a dickwad... at least not on TV. More about Maui Taco below.

The Sox did have some prospects visit Fenway. Francona reported that Kolbrin Vitek was excited to meet all the Sox... and in a Francona awarded dork-of-the-year moment called Dustin Pedroia a "cool guy". I don't see what is wrong with that. Shouldn't an amateur get excited to meet his favorite player?

The Sox picked up Vitek, a likely-third-basemen, possible-center-fielder, in pick 20. They also got right fielder Bryce Brentz in pick 36, and pitcher Anthony Ranaudotha (another Boras "advisee") in the 39th pick.

Day Two of the draft, Rounds 2-30, starts today at noon, and Day Three starts tomorrow at noon. The Sox have pick numbers 57, 110, and 143.

Maybe days two and three will be a little more like amateur night at the Maui Taco, a Mexican joint in NYC that serves pre-packaged cheese whiz with your nachos and real amateurs. Like one lady Susan who hated her mother and complained (really complained, not funny complained) about her life for 15 minutes. Her punchline was "Bill [the organizer] told me I didn't have to be funny. I just had to pay my five dollars."

Forget the big shots and the big bucks... wouldn't it be more inspiring (funny?) to let people like Susan try out.... comedy is definitely not her thing and it would help pinkhats get more involved in the sport if they knew even bipolar women in their 50s might catch a break in the majors.



*I think this (Scott Boras not my husband) warrants its own post... although if the beef with Boras is being exposed, perhaps Dave deserves a little dirty-laundry-airing too. Dave, remember that time...