Draft Day

MLB is intent on turning its annual player draft into an NFL-like extravaganza, broadcast live, players and their new bosses shaking hands for the camera.  All that’s lacking is a good slogan, something like—They Lose Often So They Can Draft High.  Oh, wait, that might upset some fans.

I heard a story about Rick Renteria, the ex-Cubs’ manager now the bench coach for the White Sox.  When Renteria was a first-round draft choice for the Pirates in 1980, somebody had to go get him out of his high school math class and send him home so he could take the phone call.  Oh, for those simple days again.  That, or recognition that #1 picks don’t always work out, regardless the televised hoopla.  Carson Fulmer’s, the Sox #1 pick last June, has a 3-7 record for Double-A Birmingham, with a 5.37 ERA and 37 walks in 58.2 innings.  Here’s hoping Fulmer can turn it around.  Otherwise, he becomes bad trivia.

In the meantime, it always pays to remember Mark Buehrle, a 38^th (!) draft choice by the Sox in 1998.  Three years later, Buehrle was in the bigs on his way to a 214-160 record.  The man is so unassuming no one knows if he’s even retired officially.  And he can’t finish his career on the South Side why, exactly?

Speaking of connections, the Sox actually took a local product in the second round, pitcher Zack Burdi of Louisville. Burdi played for Downers Grove South High School, in the same conference as Clare.  They may even have crossed paths when Morton softball visited DGS.  Had he asked, Clare could’ve given him some good batting tips.  She was all-conference.