 06/05/2002 7:44 pm ET
Jays emphasize pitching
Priority now becomes getting prospects signed
By Spencer Fordin / MLB.com
TORONTO -- The Blue Jays turned the First-Year Player Draft into an arms
race, stockpiling as much pitching as they could get. They didn't get a
hurler with their first-round pick -- shortstop Russ Adams was the top
selection -- but they turned their attention toward the mound in the later
rounds.
"We tried to address some needs," said Chris Buckley, Toronto's director of
scouting. "We tried to load up on as much pitching as we can get,
particularly college pitchers. We tried to touch all the other areas. I think
we did the best we could."
In fact, if the right guy were available, they would've taken a pitcher with
their top pick, too. Toronto openly coveted Jeff Francis, a Canadian college
pitcher who was drafted by Colorado. If he had slipped five more spots, the
Jays would've snapped him up.
"If Francis was there, we would definitely have taken him," said J.P.
Ricciardi, the team's general manager. "It would've been nice to get Francis,
but we got a pretty good player."
They got more than one -- the Jays drafted 11 pitchers on day one, six from
four-year colleges. On the second day, they turned their attention to players
from smaller schools. Buckley said it was difficult to analyze the haul from
Wednesday's action.
"The second day's a lot tougher, because you're a lot deeper in the draft,” he said.
Some of those guys are draft-and-control players that we'll follow through
junior college next year. We'll be following up on them. It takes
longer to tell how the second day turns out."
All in all, the Jays were pleased with the results they got from the draft.
Now, they'll try to get the players signed and in their system as soon as possible.
"Like any other business, the sooner you get in, the sooner you get moved up
the ladder," Buckley said. "We picked them all -- we think they're all pretty
good."
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BLUE JAYS 2002 DRAFT PICKS |
 |
| 14 |
RUSS M ADAMS |
SS |
U NORTH CAROLINA |
| 55 |
DAVID T BUSH |
RHP |
WAKE FOREST U |
| 86 |
JUSTIN M MAUREAU |
LHP |
WICHITA ST U |
| 116 |
ADAM L PETERSON |
RHP |
WICHITA ST U |
| 146 |
CHAD M PLEINESS |
RHP |
CENTRAL MICHIGAN U |
| 176 |
JASON K PERRY |
LF |
GEORGIA TECH |
| 206 |
BRIAN R GRANT |
RHP SS |
C B AYCOCK HS |
| 236 |
CHRISTOPHER E LEONARD |
LHP |
MIAMI U |
| 266 |
RUSSELL D SAVICKAS |
RHP |
JOHNSTON HS |
| 296 |
ERIC D ARNOLD |
2B |
RICE U |
| 326 |
JASON D WAUGH |
CF |
ST MARYS COL |
| 356 |
MICHAEL F ROGA |
RHP |
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC ST U |
| 386 |
JOHN P SCHNEIDER |
C |
U DELAWARE |
| 416 |
MICHAEL R GALLOWAY |
1B LF |
MIAMI U |
| 446 |
DAVID L SMITH |
OF |
WEST VIRGINIA ST COL |
| 476 |
ARIC T VAN GAALEN |
LHP |
HARRY AINLAY HS |
| 506 |
RANDALL L BRAUN |
RF |
BELTON HS |
| 536 |
JORDAN J DE JONG |
RHP |
CALIFORNIA ST U |
| 566 |
BRAD W HASSEY |
SS |
U ARIZONA |
| 596 |
JESUS A CARNEVALE |
LHP |
FERNANDO SURIA CHAVEZ HS |
| 626 |
MELVIN D BURKHALTER |
1B |
SEMINOLE CC |
| 656 |
ERIC R RICO |
RF |
CORNELL U |
| 686 |
EDWARD D BUZACHERO |
RHP |
TENNESSEE TECH U |
| 716 |
MATTHEW D FARNUM |
RHP |
TEXAS A&M U |
| 746 |
ZEPHANIAH K ZINSMAN |
1B |
LEWIS & CLARK ST COL |
| 776 |
AMOS D DAY |
RHP |
SOUTHERN U A&M |
| 806 |
JARED D ODOM |
RHP |
VERO BEACH SENIOR HS |
| 836 |
PAUL C RICHMOND |
C |
BAYLOR U |
| 866 |
ERIK F KRATZ |
C |
EASTERN MENNONITE U |
| 896 |
ANGELO J PORFIRIO |
CF |
RICE U |
| 926 |
JEFFREY W TERRELL |
LHP |
U TENNESSEE |
| 956 |
MICHAEL D SEIFERT |
LHP |
REND LAKE COLLEGE |
| 986 |
CARLO I COTA |
2B |
SAN DIEGO ST U |
| 1016 |
JUSTIN L OWENS |
OF |
COASTAL CAROLINA U |
| 1046 |
ANDRES TORRES |
RHP |
LEWIS & CLARK ST COL |
| 1076 |
SCOTT C DRAGICEVICH |
SS |
STANFORD U |
| 1106 |
ROSS M SWISHER |
LHP |
HUDSON'S BAY HS |
| 1136 |
BRYAN M HANSEN |
LHP |
FONTANA HS |
| 1166 |
NICHOLAS E THOMAS |
RHP |
SACRAMENTO CITY CC |
| 1196 |
DANNY D ANDERSON |
RF |
SAN JOAQUIN DELTA COL |
| 1226 |
ADAM C CARR |
RHP |
SAN LORENZO HS |
| 1256 |
DIRK L KLEINMANN |
LHP |
KING COL |
| 1285 |
CHRISTOPHER R NICOLL |
RHP |
ERNEST RIGHETTI HS |
| 1313 |
BENJAMIN L HARRISON |
LHP |
COLEYVILLE HERITAGE HS |
| 1340 |
BRANDON K BAILEY |
C OF |
SACRAMENTO CC |
| 1367 |
JUSTIN D TORDI |
C |
DR PHILLIPS HS |
| 1393 |
TIMOTHY P MALONEY |
LF |
KANSAS ST U |
| 1419 |
ANDREW E BUTERA |
C |
BISHOP MOORE SCHOOL |
| 1445 |
JAMES E JEWELL |
CF |
THEODORE ROOSEVELT HS |
| 1469 |
JAMES B COX |
RHP |
BAY CITY HS |
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Spencer Fordin covers the Blue Jays for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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