Top News:
Jim Callis / Baseball America:
Draft Blog: Day One — Throughout the first day of the draft, Baseball America's reporters will keep you updated with an ongoing draft day blog. — Last Second Top 10 Projection — 12:57 p.m.: Our last-second projection for the Top 10 . . . 1. KC—Luke Hochevar — 2. Col—Greg Reynolds
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Baseball America:
Tuesday Morning Mock Draft — For the first time since 1999, when the Devil Rays deliberated between Josh Hamilton and Josh Beckett, scouting directors will wake up on draft day without knowing for sure who will go No. 1. The Royals own that pick, and if they've finalized their decision, they've kept it closely guarded.
Discussion:
Kansas City Star, Royals Review, The Orioles Warehouse, The Baseball Analysts and In George We Trust
Jim Molony / MLB.com:
Royals tab Hochevar as No. 1 pick — Right-hander has ability to arrive in Majors quickly — The Kansas City Royals surprised no one by selecting a pitcher with the franchise's first ever No. 1 pick of the draft Tuesday. But the Royals threw a curve by selecting not Andrew Miller …
Associated Press:
Royals select right-hander Hochevar with No. 1 pick — NEW YORK — Hard-throwing righty Luke Hochevar, back in the draft after failing to reach a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was selected by the Kansas City Royals with the No. 1 pick Tuesday. — Taken by the Dodgers as the 40th overall pick …
Kevin Goldstein / Baseball Prospectus:
Future Shock — Pre-Draft Pandemonium — I had an interesting afternoon yesterday, getting away from the phone long enough to put on the suit and talk about today's draft with the fine folks on ESPNews' Hot List. During my 12 minute segment I spoke briefly about many of the top players …
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Metstradamus / The Musings and Prophecies …:
Showoff — Alay Soler got the Mets a much needed victory...and convincing victory at that...tonight at Dodger Stadium. Soler went seven innings, striking out seven and giving up six hits and only one run in a 4-1 Mets victory over Los Angeles. It was only their second victory …
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Greg / Faith and Fear in Flushing:
All Apologies — The New York Mets would like to apologize to the Los Angeles Dodgers for taking a series-opening win from them Monday night. It was just, they swear, their way of soothing the hurt feelings of San Francisco Giants reliever Steve Kline who was critical of Lastings Milledge's momentary lapse …
Discussion:
LoneStar Mets
Adam Rubin / NY Daily News:Soler-powered — Rookie's gem lifts Mets in L.A.
Discussion:
Baseball Musings
Chris Snow / Boston Globe:
It's a Broadway stage for Pauley in Act 2 — NEW YORK — Until Thursday night in Toronto, David Pauley had never pitched above Double A. Until Sunday night, he had never set foot in New York City. In fact, until he was dealt to the Red Sox by San Diego in December 2004 …
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Jeff Horrigan / Boston Herald:
Beckett collapses — Yankees apply pressure — NEW YORK - The Red Sox parted with two of their top minor league prospects to land Josh Beckett from the Florida Marlins last November because the team believed it was receiving a big-game pitcher in return who would not wilt under pressure.
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David Lennon / Newsday:
Milledge defends his actions — LOS ANGELES — Any remorse that Lastings Milledge was feeling after high-fiving the fans along the rightfield line Sunday apparently had vanished by the time the Mets boarded their cross-country charter to the West Coast later that night.
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Jeff Passan / Yahoo! Sports:
Miller is draft's power pitcher — CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - At the mall last summer, Andrew Miller bought a three-pack of silicone bracelets. For a 21-year-old, he has a propensity to purchase ridiculous items, like cap guns and Velcro tennis-ball sets, and when he opened the bag and snaked the blue bracelet …
Discussion:
TigerBlog
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USA Today:
Former prep prospect now creating heat in the kitchen after shoulder surgeries — Persistent shoulder injuries early this decade prevented Ryan Anderson from throwing 100-mph heat in the major leagues. Now out of baseball, Anderson is ready to turn up the heat in a new career.
Discussion:
Mariner Minors
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Kevin Baxter / Miami Herald:
Searching for diamond in the rough — The Marlins have made shrewd draft picks recently, something they hope to duplicate considering that there is a relatively weak crop of players this year. — kbaxter@MiamiHerald.com — The conventional wisdom holds that the talent …
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Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:Rangers' GM faces old dilemma in 1st draft
Discussion:
Lone Star Ball
Thomas Boswell / Washington Post:
Wait Till Next Year, And the Year After — On July 27, four days before the trade deadline, the Nationals will be at .500 and on the edges of the NL wild-card race. And they'll also be in one heck of a quandary. Should they trade away veterans for prospects, as the team's brain trust will probably prefer?
Chris Marrero / Baseball America:
2006 Draft: Washington Nationals — TOTAL PICKS: — 2 (College: 0, High School: 2, Juco: 0, Other: 0) — Position Players: 1 Pitchers: 1 — Players signed indicated in Bold — Round — Overall — Player — Position — 3b — Monsignor Pace HS, Miami — FL
Discussion:
Capitol Punishment
Jay Jaffe / Baseball Prospectus:
Prospectus Hit List — Week of June 4 — Who doesn't love a rookie? Whether it's a highly touted prospect making his not-so-long-awaited arrival, a green stopgap fresh off the turnip truck, or a lifer finally catching a break, nobody grabs our attention like the new guy.
Carrie Muskat / MLB.com:
Cubs take outfielder Colvin with first pick — Clemson junior considered one of ACC's best this season — HOUSTON — The Chicago Cubs selected junior outfielder Tyler Colvin of Clemson University with the 13th pick in the first round of Tuesday's First-Year Amateur Player Draft.
Mike Downey / Chicago Tribune:
1 chance, 1 pitch, 1 dream deferred — 'Back then, I thought, 'Well, there'll be other days.' I didn't realize that that was the only day. Thus spoke Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, or at least a whimsical version of him brought to life by Burt Lancaster in the 1989 baseball—some would say cornball—film "Field of Dreams."
Discussion:
Bleed Cubbie Blue
Evan Grant / Dallas Morning News:
Alfonseca's return boosts Rangers' bullpen — IF Jimenez expected to be odd man out; move adds flexibility — Rangers manager Buck Showalter said he expects right-handed reliever Antonio Alfonseca to be activated from the disabled list today, giving the club an eight-man bullpen for the foreseeable future.
Mark Schlabach / Washington Post:
Nationals Win Fifth Game in a Row — Cordero Escapes Trouble in the Ninth: Nationals 5, Braves 4 — ATLANTA, June 5 — About three hours earlier, Washington Nationals Manager Frank Robinson sat in a small office in his team's clubhouse at Turner Field. Asked if he worried …
