06/20/2007 2:19 PM Article By:
20 June 2007
2007 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft
Record 202 Former CCBL Players Selected;
Previous High was 194 Draftees in 2006
CAPE COD, Mass. -- If the success of an amateur league is measured by how many players go on to play professionally, then the Cape Cod Baseball League undoubtedly sets the bar. In the 2007 Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft, 202 former Cape League players were chosen, representing all 10 Cape League teams.
Daniel Moskos |
James Simmons |
Matt Mangini |
Matt LaPorta |
Charlie Furbush |
This is a record for the CCBL, whose previous high was 194 in 2005 and before that 183 in 2005. These 202 young men will look to work their way up the ladder and join the 198 Cape League alumni occupying spots on Major League rosters today.
Seven players went in the first round alone, led by Daniel Moskos (Clemson), who played for Cotuit in 2005 and was picked at No. 4 by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The six other first-rounders were catcher Matt Wieters (George Tech) of Orleans selected by Baltimore at No. 5, LHP Ross Detwiler (Missouri State) of Falmouth by Washington at No. 6, first baseman Matt LaPorta (Florida) of Brewster and Y-D by Milwaukee at No. 7, slugging infielder Beau Mills (Lewis & Clark) of Bourne by Cleveland at No. 13, RHP James Simmons (Cal-Riverside) of Cotuit by Oakland at No. 26 and behemoth 6’10” RHP Andrew Brackman (North Carolina St) by the Yankees with the 30th and final selection of the first round.
Seven picks in the first round is impressive, but the 195 drafted after those seven illustrates the true strength of the CCBL -- its incredible depth. That depth applies to every team in the league. For instance, 16 former Hyannis Mets were picked, led by Matt Mangini (North Carolina St.), last year's Thurman Munson Award winner as league batting champ with a .310 average. Mangini went No. 52 overall to the Seattle Mariners.
Yarmouth-Dennis had the most former players drafted with 28. Terry Doyle (Boston College), the 2006 co-Outstanding Pitcher of the Year, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 21st round at No. 656. Doyle is currently pitching for the Y-D Red Sox again and awaiting a call from L.A., at which point he will have to make a decision of whether to stay on the Cape or sign with the Dodgers and enter their minor league system.
The Atlanta Braves took Doyle’s teammate, Josh Fields, winner of the Russ Ford Relief Pitcher of the Year award in 2006, at No. 69.
Other notables include Charlie Furbush (LSU), picked at in the fourth round at No. 151 by Detroit and who pitched two years in Hyannis and earned the New England Top Prospect Award last summer; Matt Rizzotti (Manhattan), who went to the Philadelphia Phillies after finishing third in the league last year with 27 RBI for the Chatham A's; and Matt Cusick (Southern Cal) of Brewster, the CCBL leader in on-base percentage (.425), taken by Houston with the 321st pick.
This year’s group of Cape alumni should be no different than those that have gone ahead of them, successful. With great players such as Mo Vaughn (Wareham '87-'88), Mike Flanagan ('72) , Bobby Valentine (Yarmouth '67) and Thurman Munson (Chatham ’67) having paved the way and standouts such as Tim Lincecum (Chatham '05), Barry Zito (Wareham ’97-'98), and Jason Varitek (Hyannis, ’91, '93) currently in the majors, it should be just a matter of time before many of these 202 draftees make their mark on the game.
By Kevin Wolfe, CCBL intern, [email protected]
