06/08/2002 11:04 AM Article By:
for immediate release: 8 June, 2002
Cape League Cleans House in 2002 Draft
Wareham, Y-D, Brewster and Falmouth Lead the Way
NEW YORK, NY - With all 50 rounds of the 2002 Major League First-Year Player Draft completed Wednesday night (June 5), it was anyone's guess at precisely how many Cape League players were selected overall.
Northeastern's Luke Carlin (Chatham A's 2001) was picked in the 10th Round (290) by the Detroit Tigers in yesterday's 2002 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Sean Walsh/CCBL 2002 |
On Day One of the draft, the Cape League made an exceptional showing, virtually matching the same number of picks taken in 2001 as a total of nine Cape Leaguers were taken in the first round in contrast to 10 Cape Leaguers taken in the first round in 2001. All totaled, the Cape League had 110 players drafted in rounds 1-22 Monday, with 36 players picked in rounds 23-50. In 2001, the Cape League had 113 players selected in rounds 1-22.
Paving the way was Wareham with the highest draft total in rounds 1-22 and 24 selections overall. The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox were not far behind with 21 selections in rounds 1-50, followed by Brewster with 19 and Falmouth with 18. Chatham had its strongest showing in the top 22 rounds and had 15 picks overall, including the first Cape Leaguer drafted with Drew Meyer (Chatham 2000-2001) at number 10 in the first round by the Texas Rangers. Chatham had 12 players selected in the first 22 rounds.
Behind Chatham came the Orleans Cardinals with 14 selections, Hyannis, Bourne and Cotuit each with 11 and Harwich with nine, eight of whom came in rounds 1-19.
The nine Cape Leaguers selected in the first round (Click Here to See List), included: Drew Meyer (Chatham/2000-01), Joe Saunders (Harwich/2001), Russ Adams (Orleans '01), Khalil Greene (Falmouth/2000), Nick Swisher (Wareham/2000), Bob Brownlie (Falmouth/2000), Joe Blanton (Bourne/2001), Dan Meyer (Cotuit/2001) and Chadd Blasko (Cotuit/2001).
Orleans Cardinals' all-star Russ Adams (UNC) was nabbed by the Toronto Blue Jays with the 14th overall pick.
Sean Walsh/CCBl 2001 |
Considered by many in professional and amateur baseball to have the best infield arm in the nation, Meyer's stock rose this spring when he led South Carolina to a 51-15 record (as of Monday, June 4) and a 4th in the Nation ranking.
Following right behind Meyer was Harwich Mariners' southpaw ace Saunders, a 2001 Cape League Eastern Division All-Star from Virginia Tech. Saunders was nabbed 12th overall in the first round by the Anaheim Angels. Falmouth's Greene (Clemson) was picked 13th overall by the San Diego Padres.
Named the 2001 Cape League Outstanding Pro Prospect after a stellar summer with the Orleans Cardinals last year, UNC's Adams was selected 14th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays. Highly touted by ESPN baseball guru peter Gammons as one of the top five collegiate draft picks for 2002, Adams was the first of eight Cape Leaguers to be selected by Toronto in rounds 1-22. The Blue Jays also picked up Chatham A's ace David Bush (2nd round, 55th overall) of Wake Forest, Falmouth Commodores former southpaw Justin Maureau of 23rd ranked Wichita State, Hyannis Mets' all-star slugger Jason Perry (6th round, 176th overall) of Georgia Tech, 2001 CCBL Outstanding Pitcher Chris Leonard of the Wareham Gatemen and Miami/Ohio, Rice University's Eric Arnold (2000 CCBL Champions Brewster Whitecaps), Wareham Gatemen third baseman Mike Galloway (Miami/Ohio), and Chatham A's catcher John Schneider (Delaware).
Chatham A's two-year veteran Drew Meyer (South Carolina) was picked 10th overall in the first round by the Texas Rangers.
Sean Walsh/CCBL 2001 |
Former Wareham Gatemen outfielder/1st baseman Swisher (2000), who played on Team USA last summer, was selected 16th overall in the first round by the Oakland A's, followed by the highly-touted former Falmouth all-star Brownlie (Rutgers) and Kentucky's Blanton (24th overall pick). Blanton, a 6'3" righty who helped pace the Bourne Braves to the Cape League playoffs last summer, ended leading the league in strikeouts with 77, just ahead of Wareham Gatemen two-year ace Ben Crockett (Harvard) who finished with 74 Ks in 2001 and 66 Ks in 2000 for a lifetime Cape League total of 140 whiffs in 120.1 innings pitched. Crockett was selected 328th overall by the Boston Red Sox, but the stellar righty held out and helped lead Wareham to the 2001 Cape League Championship title.
While 2001 Cotuit Kettleer backstop Alberto Concepcion (USC) was the first Cape League pick of the local favorite Boston Red Sox (21st round, 628th overall), it was Wareham, Y-D, Falmouth and Brewster that seemed to have scouts from coast to coast champing at the bit for Cape talent.
Most notably from the Whitecap pack was 2000 Cape League Batting Champion Steve Stanley of Notre Dame, who in 2001 went in the last round of the draft (1,473 overall) but this year saw his stock rise measurably as the Oakland A's nabbed the swift outfielder in the second round with the 67th overall pick. Helping lead Notre Dame to its first-ever second consecutive national ranking more than likely helped the speedy baserunner jump up more than a few notches in the draft.
Interestingly, many Cape Leaguers who were drafted in 2001 were also selected this time around, including: David Bush (Chatham 2000-2001), Rich Hill (Chatham 2000-2001), Rocky Cherry (Brewster 2000), Lance Cormier (Wareham 2000), Ben Crockett (Wareham 2000-2001), Khalil Greene (Falmouth 2000), Pete Montrenes (Chatham 2000), Trevor Hutchinson (Brewster-Orleans '99/Orleans 2001), Chad Oliva (Bourne 2001), Mike Huggins (Wareham 2001), Steve Ponder (Y-D 2001), Brian Stavisky (Hyannis 2000-2001), Trent Pratt (Brewster 1999-2000), Billy Biggs (Bourne 2000), Paul O'Toole (Brewster 2000-YD-2001) and Steve Stanley (Brewster 1999-2000).
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Harwich Mariners' all-star lefty Joe Saunders (VA Tech) was picked in the first round with the 12th overall selection
by the Anaheim Angels.
Sean Walsh/CCBL 2001
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2001 Cape League Batting Champion Eric Reed (Wareham/Texas A&M) was selected in the 9th round (263rd overall)
by the Florida Marlins.
Sean Walsh/CCBL 2001
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Interestingly, the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays organizations selected the most Cape Leaguers with 10 each, with Toronto selecting six Cape Leaguers out of the first 10 picks chosen.
The Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs each selected 9 Cape Leaguers overall, while the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks each selected 8. The Boston Red Sox selected only three Cape Leaguers.
Sean Walsh/CCBL 2002
