Major League Baseball's amateur draft is big deal for Royals fans.
In a city like Boston, the draft is a side note to the dramas that unfold during a potentially championship season. Here it's a reason to get out of bed.
The 2010 draft felt especially notable because last year's No. 1 overall pick, pitcher Stephen Strasburg, made his big-league debut on Day Two of the draft. Strasburg exceeded the considerable hype, striking out 14 batters and holding the opponent to two runs.
Strasburg is the property of the Washington Nationals. No such
phenom awaited the Royals in 2006 when they had the No. 1 pick. The
organization ended up taking Luke Hochevar, who shares
Strasburg's jug ears but not his electric fingers. Sigh.
Wondering what might have been, I found a report indicating the the Royals were contemplating taking a different pitcher in '06. This pitcher was thought to demand less money than Andrew Miller, the most highly prized arm in the draft.
Who was the bargain-priced potential No. 1? Two-time Cy Young award-winner Tim Lincecum. Sigh again.
In '10, the Royals took a college infielder, Christian Colon, with the fourth overall pick. Colon's leadership skills draw comparisons to Derek Jeter. Sounds great, right? Problem is, Colon is built like Ronnie Belliard, and Jeter would have a hard time building his Clutchy McSteelcock persona in that physique.
One cool aspect of the Colon selection was that Royals fans got a chance to watch him play later that night on ESPNU. Colon, a junior at Cal State Fullerton, was competing in the NCAA regionals during the week of the draft.
This is what he looks like hitting a double.
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I'm fine with the Colon pick because there just wasn't anything there. The Royals need to make him an offer they feel comfortable with and not negotiate. If he takes it, we'll see how he pans out. If he wants more, just walk away and save that money for the #5 pick we'll get next year in compensation, which is supposed to be a deeper draft.
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