Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 4, 1990 TAG: 9006040103
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
Right-hander Todd Van Poppel has told the Atlanta Braves he plans to attend the University of Texas and dreams of pitching in the 1992 Olympics.
But the Braves, who have the No. 1 pick, have been persistent. Scout Red Murff was still calling Van Poppel late last week trying to find out if there's any chance he might change his mind.
Murff scouted and signed Ryan for the New York Mets in 1965, and says Van Poppel has the best stuff he's seen since. Ryan, by the way, was an eighth-round selection.
"He has the classic pitcher's body. Tall, rangy, loose arm, wide shoulders," Murff said. "I couldn't pass this kid if I had the first pick."
Van Poppel attends Martin High in Arlington, Texas, and his fastball has been clocked consistently at 90 mph. But the Braves would be taking a chance by taking him as the top pick. Atlanta, instead, is expected to pick high school shortstop Chipper Jones, out of The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Fla..
A team with lots of extra picks, perhaps Montreal, is more likely to take a shot at Van Poppel if the Braves are convinced he's going to play for the Longhorns.
The draft takes three days and about 1,500 players are expected to be selected. Last season, a record 1,490 college and high school players were picked. The top selection was LSU pitcher Ben McDonald by the Baltimore Orioles.
After months of negotiations, McDonald received a $350,000 signing bonus and pitched for the Orioles in September.
Drafting baseball players, whether college or high school, is risky business and only two or three players per team will ever make it to the big leagues.
In 1966, the New York Mets passed up Arizona State's Reggie Jackson for high school catcher Steve Chilcott. Chilcott dislocated his shoulder in the minors and never became a star.
But things don't always go wrong. Three years ago, Seattle made Ken Griffey Jr. the first pick and he's doing quite nicely. Montreal made Randy Johnson a second-round pick in 1985, and on Saturday night the 6-10 right-hander pitched a no-hitter for Seattle against Detroit.
The top position players for this year are outfielders Tony Clark and Chad Everett, third baseman Shane Andrews and shortstop Tim Costo.
The best pitching prospect after Van Poppel is right-hander Alex Fernandez of Miami-Dade South Community College. He was the Milwaukee Brewers' No. 1 pick in 1988, but chose college.
The top 10 picks in order of selection belong to: Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and the New York Yankees.
by CNB