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Wednesday, June 4, 1997

Owl nests atop draft, Drews drawn twice


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By RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK, June 4 -- Money, family and team were the main themes for the
first round of baseball's amateur draft.

-- Rice reliever Matt Anderson was taken by Detroit with the first pick
Tuesday partly because the Tigers think they can sign him.

-- Florida State outfielder J.D. Drew, who some think has more
potential, went to Philadelphia with the second pick. His brother,
high-school right-hander Tim Drew, went to Cleveland on the 28th pick,
the first time brothers have been selected in the first round of the
draft, which began in 1965.

-- Shortstop Michael Cuddyer, picked ninth by Minnesota, and John
Curtice, a right-hander selected 17th by Boston, became the first pair
of draft picks taken in the first round from the same high school: Great
Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Va.

``It's very exciting for the family,'' J.D. Drew said. ``Maybe
everything will work out for the both of us.''

Anderson, a 20-year-old right-hander, was 10-2 with eight saves in 30
appearances this season, all in relief. He is the Owls' career leader in
wins (31), saves (14) and appearances (82).

``I've always thrown relatively hard for my age at the time,'' he said.
``Every year I've thrown a little harder, my arm's gotten a little
stronger.''

Kris Benson, the top pick in last year's draft, received a record $2
million signing bonus from Pittsburgh last year. But the financial
structure was broken by four first-round picks who were declared free
agents on technicalities and were able to deal with any team.

No. 2 pick Travis Lee got a $10 million signing bonus from the Arizona
Diamondbacks, No. 5 John Patterson got $6,075,000 from the Diamondbacks,
No. 7 Matt White got $10.2 million from Tampa Bay, and No. 12 Bobby Seay
got $3 million from the Devil Rays.

``My gut instinct tells me we will be a lot closer to (Benson) than to
the free agents and the unusual circumstances of a year ago,'' Smith
said. ``We feel comfortable we will be able to get our players signed.
I'm sure this player will receive the highest bonus of any drafted
player in the history of the game.''

If he falls in between Benson and the free agents, Anderson could get a
bonus of $4 million-$5 million. The Tigers plan to keep him a reliever.

``The game is pretty much on your shoulder,'' Anderson said of his
preference for the bullpen.

While Anderson is advised by Randy and Alan Hendricks, J.D. Drew is
advised by Scott Boras. Some baseball executives speculated that Drew
might have been the best available player, but was bypassed by the
Tigers, who didn't think they could make a deal with Boras. Philadelphia
selected Drew with the No. 2 pick.

``I wish the Phillies nothing but the best. I hope they get him
signed,'' Smith said.

Drew hit .455 for Florida State this season with 31 homers and 100 RBIs
in 233 at-bats. The 21-year-old junior is the only Division I player to
hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season.

``I know they're trying to rebuild,'' he said of the Phillies.
``Hopefully, I'll help them out in the near future.''

Anaheim used the third pick for Troy Glaus, a UCLA infielder who hit
.409 with 34 homers and 91 RBIs in 264 at-bats. Glaus, who started for
the U.S. Olympic team last year, homered against both Miami and
Mississippi State in the College World Series, but the Bruins lost both
games.

San Francisco, picking fourth, drafted Jason Grilli, a right-handed
pitcher from Seton Hall who went 6-4 with a 4.65 ERA and 125 strikeouts
in 81 1-3 innings.

``I was in my backyard pacing, filled with anxiety, waiting to see what
would happen,'' said Grilli, whose father, Steve, pitched for Detroit
and Toronto in the 1970s. ``I had a gut feeling that they would pick me,
but you never know.''

Vernon Wells, an outfielder from Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas,
was chosen fifth by Toronto and became the first to sign among the
first-round picks, agreeing to a $1.6 million bonus.

Among other interesting picks, the Tigers used their third-round
selection on third-baseman Matt Boone, the brother of Cincinnati
infielders Bret and Aaron Boone, the son of Kansas City Royals manager
Bob Boone and the grandson of former Tigers player Ray Boone.

Kevin Nicholson, a shortstop from Stetson taken No. 27 by San Diego,
became the first Canadian ever selected in the first round.

Only the results of the opening round were announced Tuesday. The
remainder of the draft, which lasted 100 rounds last year, will be
announced next week. (Copyright 1997 by The Associated Press)

Reds announce June dates
for tryout camps in area


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PECOS, June 4 -- The Cincinnati Reds will be holding four tryout camps
in a 200-mile area around Pecos in mid- to late-June, the team has
announced.

Reds scouting supervisor Lee Houser said camps will take place for
three weeks in West Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Players need to
attend only one camp, and any second camp invitations will be sent out
by Houser.

Camps in the area are: El Paso, June 15; Lubbock, June 20; Odessa, June
21; and Alpine June 22. Registration will be held at the begin¬ ning of
each camp, which will get underway at 9 a.m. CDT in Lub¬ bock, Odessa
and Alpine and 10 a.m. CDT in El Paso.

All players under 21 attending the camps must have a written re¬ lease
from a parent or legal guardian accepting full legal liability to work out.

Cantaloupe tennis seeks contestants


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PECOS, June 4 -- Entries are being accepted for the Pecos Cantaloupe
Tennis Tournament, which will take place June 28-29 at the Pecos High
School tennis courts.

The tournament will coincide with the annual Pecos Cantaloupe Festival,
which itself has been combined with the pre-rodeo Night in Old Pecos for
the first time this year.

Entry fee is $5 per singles event and $1 per doubles event, with a
two-event limit per individual. Entry deadline is June 25, and the
tournament will begin at 8 a.m. on June 28.

Divisions for juniors are ages 10-14 and 15-18 boys and girls, along
with mixed doubles. Adult divisions are men's 19-30 and 31 and over and
women's 19-30 and 31 and older in singles and doubles, as well as mixed
doubles in all four divisions.

For further information, call PHS tennis coach Bernadette Ornelas at
447-6175 or the Pecos Chamber of Commerce, at 45-2406.

State and Regional Sports Pages--San Angelo Standard-Times


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