M’s draft-day blog

6 p.m.
As the first round and compensation picks continue, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik and scouting director Tom McNamara won’t make their next pick until the second round tomorrow — No. 62 overall. This is no time to relax, though. They’re back in the war room pulling names off the board as other teams draft players, setting themselves up for tomorrow.

And, to those fans disappointed that the Mariners didn’t take a position player, Zduriencik leaves us with this: “We’ve got a lot of picks left. You don’t make the organization with one selection. We think we have a major league pitcher (in Hultzen).”

So that’s it from me — at least on the blog — for tonight from the Mariners’ draft headquarters. Time for a little dinner and then back to the laptop to write for tomorrow’s Herald sports section. We’ll be back online tomorrow afternoon as the Mariners make another 25 or so picks on Day 2 of the three-day draft.

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5:45 p.m.
Danny Hultzen, the Mariners’ top draft pick, just spoke with reporters via conference call. Here are a few highlights:

On his surprise at being drafted No. 2 overall: “I really didn’t have any expectations. I wasn’t looking at a specific spot or a specific team. But I’ll tell you what, I was’t looking at (No. 2). That’s what all the surprise came from, being picked so high.”

What do you know about the Mariners? “I remember the first major league hat I ever got was a Seattle Mariners hat. I remember watching Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner and Randy Johnson.

So you’re a fan of the Mariners? “I wouldn’t call myself a fan, but I was well aware of them. (The Mariners hat) was more of a Griffey thing. Griffey was my guy growing up. He’s a childhood hero of mine. I was like a lot of other kids who tried to copy his swing.”

How do you react to the experts who say you’re the closest pitcher to the big leagues in this draft: “That hasn’t even crossed my mind yet. I’m still focused 100 percent on helping my team win games. All that stuff will be worked out later.” (Note here: Virginia plays UC-Irvine on Friday in the NCAA Super Regional)

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5:20 p.m.
We’re awaiting a 5:30 conference call with Danny Hultzen, but here are a few quotes from Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik and scouting director Tom McNamara:

Zduriencik: “You can take the best position player and you can take the best pitcher. There was a debate. You had choices. In the end, to get a pitcher of this caliber, left-handed starter, with his history, it made sense to take a left-handed pitcher.”

McNamara: “He reminds me of a hockey player. On the mound he’s an intense competitor. But after that he’s a low-key, mild-mannered nice guy.”

McNamara on when he learned the Pirates would draft Gerrit Cole with the first overall pick: “Greg Smith (the Pirates’ scouting director) is a good friend of mine. I he told me around noon who they were taking. I told him, ‘Your pick is really good. But not as good as ours.'”

Zduriencik on why Anthony Rendon wasn’t a fit: “We can’t comment on a player under control of somebody else. But I will tell you there are several players we could have talken. We’d love to take an outfielder, loved to have taken a shortstop, loved to have taken a third basemanm. But at the end of the day, you have to make one pick. We had a choice and this is the choice we made. We think it’s a good one.”

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4:45 p.m.
Here’s what Anthony Rendon just said on the MLB Network about his health after Nationals took him with the No. 6 pick:

“I’m feeling great. No problems with me right now. My injuries are only going to make me stronger as a person. In baseball you’ve got to deal with adversity and as a player you have to overcome them.”

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4:40 p.m.
Some numbers on Hultzen from his three seasons at Virginia:

2011: 11-3, 1.57 ERA, 148 strikeouts and 17 walks in 108 1/3 innings.
2010: 11-1, 2.78, 123 strikeouts and 24 walks in 106 2/3 innings.
2009: 9-1, 2.17, 107 strikeouts and 28 walks in 95 1/3 innings

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4:35 p.m.
A few quotes from Hultzen off the MLB Network:

“It was completely unexpected. A tremendous honor. I don’t even know what to say right now.”

Asked if he models himself after another lefty, Hultzen said no. “I don’t like to compare myself to one pitcher. I watch TVv and if therer’s a left-handed pitcher pitching, I see what they’re doing (he mentions Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte).”

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4:30 p.m.
Four picks deep and Rendon hasn ‘t been picked. Are the medical reports/drop in hitting performance this season causing teams to shy away? I doubt the Mariners will address that directly because, on record, they probably won’t talk about someone they didn’t draft.

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4:25 p.m.
A little about Hultzen. He’s an academic All-American at Virginia who’s considered a “pitcher” more than a thrower. He throws a four-seam fastball at 91-93 mph, topping at 95, with late life; an above-average slider with a tight break; a changeup with late life and a curveball. Scouts see him settling in as a mid-rotation guy. Looking a few years down the road for the Mariners, he could fit nicely behind Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda if he develops as the Mariners hope.

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4:15 p.m.
Sweaty palms anyone? Mariners pull a surprise. They take Virginia left-handed pitcher Danny Hultzen. Surprised? Lot of people, including me, thought they’d go for Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon. Rice product David Aardsma must be disappointed. We expect to hear from Mariners execs soon. Should be interesting.

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4:10 p.m.
Pirates make their pick: UCLA pitcher Cole. Mariners are next, and everyone is guessing it’ll be Rice third baseman Rendon. We’ll know in just a few minutes.

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3:45 p.m.
Dangit. Money-making opportunity gone as someone from the Mariners brings a power strip for other writers to plug into. Brings back the memory of a basketball game I covered many, many, many years ago in the St. Louis Checkerdome (Missouri vs. Carolina). I sat alongside a writer from USA TODAY and finished my story before his, so I unplugged my old Teleram computer before leaving. Except it wasn’t my plug I pulled. It was the USA TODAY guy’s. His Teleram blinked and went dark, story gone. All I could say was, “Ooooppps. Sorry.” I never saw that guy again, so my final memory is of him rewriting … with steam coming out his ears.

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3:40 p.m.
The Herald already has scored a draft-day coup. There’s only one power outlet in the media work area in the interview room and, being the first one here, I took it. Larry Stone of the Times also plugged into it, so unless someone brings a power strip, I’ll take monetary offers from The Associated Press, Tacoma News Tribune and anyone else who needs a power fillup.

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We’ve arrived at Mariners Draft Central (my term). Really, this is the Mariners’ main interview room, the place where the club holds news conferences on days of signings, hirings, firings and other newsworthy moments … like today’s draft.

We’ll keep this blog running as the time ticks toward and after the Mariners’ first pick – No. 2 overall. Who’s it going to be? According to those who’ve taken part in our online poll this afternoon, 58 percent believe the Mariners will go for Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon.

Rendon is my guess, too, although I haven’t done my draft-day scientific research. What research, you ask?

Two years ago, about an hour before the 2009 draft when the Mariners had the second overall pick, I picked up a more-than subliminal message from a scout who walked through the interview room. That scout was wearing a baby blue tie. Carolina Blue.

I kidded him about giving me my story an hour before the draft, and he said not to read anything into it. An hour later, I read a lot into it when the Mariners selected Dustin Ackley. Carolina’s Dustin Ackley.

So today, I’m keeping an eye out for wardrobe color coordination. Is Jack Zduriencik wearing a UCLA blue-and-gold sweater vest (Gerrit Cole hint)? Is scouting director Tom McNamara the blue of Rice (Rendon)?

It’s about 3:30 p.m. and we’ll update this as needed.

Until then, here are tonight’s lineups for another event of importance, the Mariners’ game at the White Sox:

MARINERS
Ichiro Suzuki, DH
Brendan Ryan, shortstop
Justin Smoak, first base
Miguel Olivo, catcher
Franklin Gutierrez, center field
Mike Wilson, right field
Jack Wilson, second base
Chone Figgins, third base
Greg Halman, left field

Starting pitcher: right-hander Michael Pineda

WHITE SOX
Juan Pierre, left field
Alexi Ramirez, shortstop
Carlos Quentin, right field
Paul Konerko, DH
A.J. Pierzynski, catcher
Brent Lillibridge, center field
Adam Dunn, first base
Gordon Beckham, second base
Brent Morel, third base

Starting pitcher: Left-hander John Danks