06/13/2006 3:40 PM Article By:
for immediate release: 13 June, 2006
Cape League Makes History with 175 Total Picks
in 2006 MLB Draft
CAPE COD, Mass. - With 945 collegiate players selected in this year’s MLB draft, it’s really no surprise that 12 Cape Cod Baseball League alumni made their presence felt during the first round.
History was made this year as the first six picks, all former CCBL players, illustrated the talents presented each summer on the Cape, furthering the league’s tremendous reputation as a hotbed of top professional prospects.
The CCBL boasted a record 175 total picks throughout the draft from players who performed in the league during 2003, 2004, and of course, 2005. An impressive 16 Cape League alumni were selected in the first (12) and supplemental (4) rounds combined.
“This [total] doesn’t even include players who have signed contracts with Cape League teams this summer and who’ve never played in the league before, because they’re really not alumni,” said Wareham Gatemen President/GM John Wylde.
Former Tennessee right-handed pitcher and 2003 Cotuit Kettleer Luke Hochevar was selected No. 1 overall by the Kansas City Royals. Many were surprised by the pick, as Hochevar was selected 40th overall in 2005 by the Dodgers. His selection made him the first Cape Leaguer chosen first overall since Pat Burrell of Hyannis was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1998.
Following Kansas City, the Colorado Rockies selected Greg Reynolds, a two-year veteran of the Bourne Braves. During his two summers with Bourne, Reynolds went 6-6 with a 1.98 ERA.
Another former Brave, Brad Lincoln, joined his teammate when he was selected fourth overall by the Pirates. While playing for the Braves, the Houston star delegated his time between positions, including pitcher, designated hitter, and first base.
Evan Longoria’s stellar Cape League season with Chatham catapulted him to the No. 3 draft pick overall. Longoria, selected by Tampa Bay this year, was overlooked in both his high school and junior college career, but he was finally recognized this year after an outstanding summer on the Cape. Longoria, the 2005 CCBL MVP, led the league in home runs (8) and RBIs (35).
Rounding out the fifth and sixth spots were Brandon Morrow (California) of Y-D and Andrew Miller (North Carolina) of the Chatham A’s, selected by Seattle and Detroit, respectively. Morrow, tabbed by the Mariners, served as a relief pitcher for the Red Sox in 2005 and struck out 64 players in 47 innings over the course of two summers on the Cape.
Perhaps the biggest shock of the draft was that Tar Heel Andrew Miller, winner of the CCBL’s Outstanding Pro Prospect title, fell all the way to the Tigers at No. 6. Miller, expected by many pro scouts to be the top pick overall, may have dropped because of his anticipated bonus demands. In two summers for Chatham, Miller went an impressive 8-0, striking out 114 in 89 innings.
The Cape League will be well-represented in the Boston Red Sox organization this year. The Sox selected former Wareham right-handed hurlers Daniel Bard (28th overall) and Justin Masterson (71st overall) in the first two rounds. The Red Sox had seven picks through the first three rounds, including four extra they received as compensation for losing free agents Johnny Damon to the New York Yankees and Bill Mueller to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“The two boys [Bard and Masterson] were not only our best pitchers, but also outstanding people,” said Wylde. “They were co-winners of the Gatemen Bert Bigelow Award [for best pitcher of the year] and Masterson was co-winner of our Fran Tripp Award for outstanding community relations. We are absolutely delighted they will be in the Red Sox organization and I suspect a lot of Gatemen organization members and fans will make the journey to Lowell this summer.”
Of the 12 players selected in Round One, 10 were pitchers, illustrating the immense talent and the power arms present on the mound each summer on the Cape.
As they began their meteoric rises to stardom, the Cape Leaguers chosen this year hope to continue the success that area fans saw in summers past.
| 2006 Draft list by Round |
2006 Draft list by CCBL Team |
Courtney Reilly, CCBL Intern [email protected]
