MLB Draft Tomorrow
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by user Kelsdad
OK, so no one cares about the Major League Baseball Draft. ESPN2 will attempt to broadcast the first few picks of the first round, but at 2PM Eastern on a Wednesday afternoon, even a diehard fan will find it difficult to tune in. College basketball and football get all the National attention, and rightfully so. Some schools have nationally ranked programs in both basketball and football, these schools essentially finance all other athletic programs within the school, and likely some academic programs as well.
It's hard for college baseball to get attention, once the NCAA Final Four is over, people start looking forward to school getting out, the kids being home and a vacation. College baseball is only televised in the markets in which the school is located, there is no national TV contract for regular season games. Plus, given a choice, would you rather watch a Major League game, or a college game?
Another reason is with basketball and football, the players make immediate contributions to the teams selecting them. There is no minor league system. Baseball is by far a more difficult game to master, and requires a few years of minor league experience to perform at the Major League level. The talent level in other sports is lower, as referenced by high school players declaring for the draft and making a roster, or by a college football player starting, and starring, his first season as a professional.
With the first pick in the draft, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are likely to select David Price, a lefthanded pitcher from Vanderbilt University. Price, a junior, went 11-1 with a 2.63 ERA this season, with 194 strikeouts and only 31 walks in 133 innings. The Kansas City Royals draft second, and are expected to select New Jersey high school pitcher Rick Borcello, the first of Scott Boras' clients projected to go in the first round.
A rule change in affect this season regarding first round draft picks is they have to be signed by August 15th, or they go back into next year's draft. Up until this year, a team could negotiate with its most recent pick up until one week prior to the next draft, or almost a full year. Hopefully this change negates some of the bullshit negotiating tactics agents try on the teams. Now, they can cost a kid a year off his career by thinking of themself instead of the player.
