Waiting for the call

Professional baseball scouts have completed their scrutinizing, home visits and physical and mental testing. The waiting now begins.

Major League Baseball conducts its annual first-year player draft starting today, leaving prospects such as high school stars Bryan Peterson (West Valley) and Beau Brett (Ferris) on pins and needles. They are among five potential draftees – Central Valley’s Rusty Shellhorn, Ferris’ Andrew Kittredge and Mt. Spokane’s Jarek Cunningham are the others – from the class of 2008, during a season that attracted substantial scouting interest this spring.

“This has been an exceptional year,” said Jeff McKay, a longtime area scout based in Oregon and 1995 founder of Baseball Northwest, which helps promote and showcase regional talent. “I’ve been here 25 years and don’t remember that many quality prospects (in Spokane).”

The draft will be televised on MLB.com with the first round simulcast on ESPN2 beginning at 11 a.m. Spokane Indians officials will also watch with interest the selections of the Texas Rangers, whose top choices are often assigned to the Northwest League short-season Class A franchise.

With 30 MLB teams projecting their futures over the next few days, those close to the process admit the draft is an inexact science.

“Everybody thinks they know what will happen in the draft, but no one can say for sure until it unfolds,” McKay said. “It’s a difficult business and a lonely feeling if you don’t get anybody.”

Several online baseball services have Peterson and Brett ranked highly among the United States’ top 300 players, college and high school (including Puerto Rico), in this year’s draft. Baseball Northwest has Peterson, an outfielder, and Brett, at first base, picked to go between the sixth and 10th rounds as Washington’s top two position players.

McKay said the scouting process begins with area Northwest scouts for each major league team, who cover a specific region and send reports on and ranks prospects.

“We look for overall athleticism,” McKay said.

Regional and national cross-checkers follow up and compare talent to prospects in other states. There are in-home visits to assess a prospect’s personality, and workout sessions, both individual and group, to assess his talent.

“You’re a private eye, essentially,” McKay said.

All five of the Spokane high school players have signed Division I college scholarships, so the pro scouts had to weigh in the rankings their seriousness about a professional career versus the desire for a secondary education.

Last spring, Brett’s father, Bobby, said Beau was leaning toward college and his scholarship to USC, but would have to consider pro ball if drafted high enough.

“College programs are in the business of winning, and professional baseball is in the developmental business,” Bobby Brett said.

All these things factor in for the club scouting director when he puts together the draft board.

Scuttlebutt over the winter was that Peterson, who has signed to play at Washington State and this summer is scheduled for the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League team in Corvallis, Ore., was the most likely local player to pursue the professional route if drafted high enough and the money was right.

The scouting experience proved eye-opening, said his dad, Mike.

“Scouts started showing some interest last summer,” Mike Peterson said. “Key events are the area code games and Mariners Cup.”

All five seniors played in at least one of those. Scouts from every level for 13 major league teams scheduled home visits with the Petersons from November through February. They were at his games all spring.

Mike Peterson said one scout advised his son to relax, have fun and not to get distracted.

“You try not to get caught in the game-to-game emotions,” Mike said.

Bryan went to Arizona for one workout. Another series that would have taken him to Camden Yards, Tropicana Field and Coors Field fell through. Several sessions, some jointly with Brett, were conducted here. He was given personality and eye tests and filmed by the major league scouting bureau.

Now he and his classmates play the waiting game while the draft transpires.

“It’s been very flattering,” Mike Peterson said.

MLB draft watch

Area high school and college players on various draft lists include:

Washington State – Matt Way, LHP; Paul Gran, 3B; Jared Prince, OF/RHP; Jim Murphy, 1B; Alex Burg, C/OF

Gonzaga University – Kyle Wiegand, 1B; Tyson Van Winkle, C

High school – Bryan Peterson, West Valley, OF; Beau Brett, Ferris, 1B; Rusty Shellhorn, Central Valley, LHP; Andrew Kittredge, Ferris, RHP; Jarek Cunningham, Mt. Spokane, SS