TORONTO - With 29 days to go until the June 7 draft, the Blue Jays — with nine selections in the first three rounds — have 36 amateur scouts criss-crossing North America looking for talent.
Besides general manager Alex Anthopoulos, his special assistant Dana Brown, assistant GM Tony LaCava, scouting director Andrew Tinnish, pro scouts Ed Lynch, Rick Down, Brian Parker, Gary Rajsich and scouting co-ordinator Ryan Mittleman have turned in reports on players.
Yet, none of these scouts has up-close and personal, first-hand knowledge of one prospect in particular. But another prominent member of the organization does.
While rehabbing last month, Jays second baseman Aaron Hill faced Windsor lefty Evan Rutckyj, of the Canadian junior team in a simulated game at the Bobby Mattick Facility in Dunedin, Fla.
“He had some nice velocity, maybe 90-91 m.p.h., with a good slider,” Hill said. “I got hit in the foot with a pitch and asked to stay in to hit.”
Leading off each inning, Hill popped up, grounded out and struck out in three at-bats against Rutckyj.
“The catcher was impressive, too,” Hill said of Kellin Deglan of Langley, B.C., expected to be the second Canadian selected behind lefty James Paxton of Ladner, B.C.
Paxton was selected 37th overall in North America in 2009, while Newmarket lefty Jake Eliopoulos was chosen 68th.
Both were drafted by the Jays. Both were unable to reach agreement on a signing bonus. Both returned to school. Both are no longer pitching at their school.
Paxton left Kentucky and will pitch for Grand Prairie of the independent American Association on May 14. Eliopoulos pitched in 11 games, making eight starts for Chipola College in Mariana, Fla.
Both turned down slot money: Paxton roughly $890,000 US and Eliopoulos $565,000.
“Whether you’re taken in the first round or the 50th, you have to get out and get into the system,” said Hill, when asked what advice he’d give any drafted youngster.
Hill was drafted on June 3, 2003 by scouting director Chris Buckley and scout Jaymie Bayne. Two weeks later, he signed a $1.675-million deal. High school right-hander Jeff Allison went three picks later and received $1.85 million from the Marlins.
“I could have waited, maybe signed for more,” said Hill. “If I’d signed later, I probably wouldn’t have started as high up the next season. You have to go out and play, take care of yourself.”
After 33 games at class-A Auburn and 32 at Dunedin, Hill began 2004 at double-A New Hampshire.
His draft-day experience was memorable. Told he’d go in the first round — “anywhere from 10th to 20th overall — Hill headed to his dorm between the LSU Tigers’ morning and afternoon workouts in Baton Rouge, La.
So, Hill and his father turned on the computer in the dorm to listen on the net as the draft unfolded:
Delmon Young, No. 1 to Tampa Bay. Rickie Weeks second to the Brewers. Kyle Sleeth, third to the Tigers. Tim Stauffer, fourth to the Padres. Chris Lubanski, fifth overall to the Royals. And then the computer crashed.
Hill had his cell phone on, but didn’t realize he was without service. Heading to the field, the messages began to arrive. One of the first was from LSU teammate Lance Mestepy, whose message said: “Congrats on going in the first round to the Texas Rangers.”
When Hill reached the field, coach Smoke Laval told Hill he had, in fact, been selected by the Jays.
“There was a message from J.P. Ricciardi, then another message from J.P. asking me to call him,” Hill said.
So, how did Mestepy get his wires crossed?
“I asked him. He’s a big ol’ Cajun from Louisiana and he said: ‘Well, I saw the big ‘T’ on the screen, I thought ‘T’ stood for Texas,’ ” Hill said.
Hill, meanwhile, now has to file a detailed report to scouting director Tinnish before the draft meetings, but he won’t be in the draft room.
The Jays will be in Florida to begin a series the next day against the Tampa Bay Rays.
