Not even ESPN is immune to the dry television season that is June to August. Next in the long line of “Hey, let’s go watch the grass grow” entertainment, which may have peaked with last summer’s dominos tournament, the worldwide leader in sports brings to you the first round of the Major League Baseball draft at 2 p.m. today.
It’s got all the drama of old men in suits reading names off of cards we see in the NBA and NFL drafts, but without the saving grace of actually knowing who anyone is or seeing anyone make an impact anytime soon.
You’re probably known as a baseball junkie if you can name even one player other than our own Andrew Brackman, who was once projected as a top-three pick but has since been seen anywhere from fifth to 24th.
David Price is projected by most mock-drafts — yeah, mock baseball drafts exist — as the No. 1-overall pick. Who? I’m not sure either (a left-handed pitcher from Vanderbilt, evidently), but I hope he has the same impact for Tampa Bay as last year’s No. 1-overall pick Luke Hochevar has had for Kansas City.
Oh, wait, he’s still in the minor leagues. Well, then the impact that 2005 No. 1-pick Justin Upton is having for Arizona. Wait, wait, he’s still in the minor leagues, too.
You have to go back to the 2003 draft before you find a No. 1-overall pick who’s actually in the major leagues: Delmon Young, and his biggest claim to fame to date is receiving a 50-game suspension for throwing a bat at an umpire after being ejected from a minor-league game for arguing a called strike.
These players will likely become big-impact pros, but why should anyone watch them get picked if they’re going to disappear from the public for two, three or eight seasons (Raleigh’s own Josh Hamilton, 1999’s first pick)?
Former New York Mets general manager and current ESPN analyst Steve Phillips said during a recent telecast that fans should watch the draft to see why scouts pick the way they do.
He said the baseball draft is different than other drafts because teams do not pick for their immediate needs, instead they go for “the best available talent because it takes five years for him to get [to the majors].”
He went on to say that unlike the NFL and NBA, MLB develops its own talent rather than relying on the NCAA; therefore, the MLB draft is more important. When asked if he preferred to draft a high school or college player, Phillips responded, “I preferred college players.” There goes not relying on the NCAA.
The best college players are likely still playing in the NCAA tournament, and will not be in attendance, and if they are they’re probably feeling salty after an early NCAA exit. So, you miss out on the huge smiles you see from the top picks in the other drafts as they hold their jerseys and wear their new hats with the commissioner.
Unless, of course, MLB invites the top high-school talent to the draft. But, what happens if a high school kid gets Brady Quinn-ed and isn’t selected as high as projected? Does anyone want to watch a high school guy — without the TV experience as Quinn — sit uncomfortably while everyone wonders when he’ll finally get the call?
Can’t ESPN find anything better in the “Wide World of Sports” to air besides the baseball draft? Although, I guess it is still better than dominos.
