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It's a Tar Heel kind of day. Mariners take NC slugger Ackley
Posted
at
2:46 pm
by By Kirby Arnold
7:10 p.m.
The Mariners have finished their first day of the draft by taking a teammate of Ackley, North Carolina infielder Kyle Seager in the third round (82nd overall pick). He was rated the 97th overall talent by Baseball America. He played second and third base.
More to come tomorrow, when the draft resumes at 9 a.m. with rounds 4-30.
6:30 p.m.
The Mariners got power-hitting first baseman Rich Poythress with the 51st overall pick (second in the third round). The right-handed hitter from the University of Georgia fell in the eyes of some scouts who weren't impressed with his bat speed. Numbers-wise, he was pretty good -- 25 home runs and 86 RBI for the Bulldogs.
6 p.m.
The Mariners have taken Steven Baron, a catcher from Ferguson High School in the Miami area. He's a 6-2, 210-pounder who bats right-handed and is considered to be the most highly skilled high school defensive catcher in this year's draft.
5:45 p.m.
And now, a few words from the guy the Mariners would love to see pumping balls into the right-field seats at Safeco Field soon. We bring you Dustin Ackley via conference call from Chapel Hill, N.C.:
What's your reaction to being taken by the Mariners? "It’s just exciting to be the Mariners’ first overall pick. I’m excited about Omaha, and after that being ready to play for the Mariners."
What would it mean to play center field in the some organization where Griffey and Ichiro have starred? "It's crazy to think I’m following in their footsteps. It's exciting to think that I can fill that role"
Is center field your best position? "I’ve played all of them. If I had to play one of them, I’d play center field. But wherever they want to play me, that’s where I’ll play."
How is the elboe (after Tommy John surgery last summer)? "My arm now is the best it’s ever been and I feel like I could play every day out there if I needed to."
How far can you go in this game? "Hopefully I can play at the highest level. Pro ball definitely will be new to me. Hopefully I can make it at the highest level. But if not, I’ll give it my best."
What's the reason for the dramatic increase in your power numbers this year? "Last year we played in an enormous ballpark and that had an effect on my home runs. We’re in a new stadium this year and it’s a smaller stadium. I’m not a guy who’s going to put up enormous power numbers. I’ll hit balls that will get out on shorter fields. Squaring balls up and elevating helps me too."
Scott Boras is your agent. How do you see the negotiating process and how long might it take to sign? "I don’t know. I haven’t thought about that. The main thing I’ve though about is focusing on the College World Series and I’m putting that on the back burner right now. I’m just focused on winning a national championship."
5:10 p.m.
We're within minutes of not only learning the Mariners' selection with the 27th pick, but also speaking with Dustin Ackley via conference call.
First, the Mariners' pick: High school shortstop Nick Franklin of Lake Brantley High in Florida. He's 6-1, 170 pounds and a switch-hitter. He has committed to Auburn.
We'll feed you some Ackley quotes when we're finished speaking with him.
4:50 p.m.
Ackley just spoke with Harold Reynolds on the MLB Network and let me tell you, the conversation was riveting.
Harold: Were you surprised to go with the second pick?
Ackley: I was really surprised. I'm very fortunate they picked me and took a chance on me.
Harold: How about the distractions as you've gone through the (NCAA) regionals:
Ackley: I don't feel like the draft has been a distriction. I'm looking forward to playing out there (in Omaha).
Harold: You know, the pressure is one. You've got to bring it (the NCAA title) back.
Ackley: Yeah.
3:19 p.m.
It's official. The Mariners take Dustin Ackley. Here's what M's general manager Jack Zduriencik just said about Ackley:
"We think this kid was the best hitter in the draft. This was the guy we thought could be there in a short period of time and help this organization as we move forward. He’s an athleteic kid. He can run. He’got a great swing. He’s not going to be that far away (from the major leagues), but you don’t want to put labels and time frames on kids."
We're having problems with the main Heraldnet site, so here's a story on Ackley that was to be posted the moment the pick was made:
The Seattle Mariners have taken power-hitting first baseman/outfielder Dustin Ackley of North Carolina with the second overall pick in today’s amateur draft.
Ackley is considered the best hitter and second-best player overall in the draft behind pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who the Washington Nationals selected with the first pick. Ackley, a left-hander, has a .412 average with 22 home runs and 70 runs batted in this season for the Tar Heels.
The 6-foot-1, 184-pound junior had a .776 slugging percentage and a .513 on-base percentage in 250 at-bats this season. He has 12 steals.
He hit a three-run homer Sunday when the Tar Heels beat East Carolina 9-3 to win their NCAA super regional. They will begin play Saturday in the College World Series against Arizona State at Omaha, Neb.
While most of Ackley’s playing time has come at first base, scouts like his athleticism and he may play a considerable amount in the outfield as a pro.
The Mariners have the 27th overall pick in the draft and also will chose 33rd (supplemental pick between the first and second rounds) and 51st (second overall pick in the second round).
This is the third time in franchise history that the Mariners have made two picks in the first round. In 1983 they took pitcher Darrell Akerfelds with the seventh overall pick and catcher Terry Bell 17th, and in 1989 they took pitcher Roger Salkeld third overall and pitcher Scott Burrell 26th. Burrell chose basketball instead and went on to win an NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls in 1998.
3:15 p.m
Everything is falling into place for the Mariners. The Nationals have just taken Strasburg. The Mariners are, as commissioner Bud Selig says, "now on the clock." Is the hair starting to stand up on the back of your neck?
It's 2:50 p.m., and we're about 30 minutes from learning who the Mariners will take with the second overall pick in baseball's amateur draft.
Who will it be? As you'd expect, the Mariners are as mum as mummies. However, I'm looking for subliminal messages. One of the scouts passed through the media workroom a few minutes ago wearing a baby-blue tie (North Carolina colors), which can only mean the Mariners will take Tar Heel hitting star Dustin Ackley. Other executives walking through the room were wearing light blue shirts under their blazers (hmmmmmm). What's next, the Tar Heel fight song playing as someone's ringtone?
Of course, it doens't take a subliminal message to deduce that. Unless the Washington Nationals shock the world and pass on super pitcher Stephen Strasburg, Ackley will be there for the Mariners to take.
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