MLB Draft Day One Is Over

The first three rounds of the major league draft is over and no local names were called.

For all of us who pull for for either Northern Nash or Rocky Mount we all wanted to hear their names called.

I have heard all spring that the Joyner family were sending vibes to scouts that they wanted to send Tyler to college and were not that interested in signing and playing minor league baseball at this time. Tyler has committed to the Nash County American Legion team this summer before Billy Godwin gets him in the fall at ECU.

I think even the Goodwin family had told scouts that Brian would have to be a high, high pick in order to sway him from Mike Fox and Chapel Hill.

When Charles Alston sent out the e-mail that Brian had decided to play select baseball this summer in Ohio I kind of thought that the Goodwin's after hearing what scouts were telling them where they thought Brian might go in the draft that they put out the word that they would spend the next three years in Chapel Hill.

I suspect we will hear their names called before the week is over since there are 50 rounds of players picked. 1600 players will get drafted by end of the day Thursday.

Major league teams don't have many quality picks and when family's send out messages that we are not interested most teams look in the direction of those that are. By the time the 10th round rolls around teams will start taking shots in the dark just to see if they can lure players to pro ball.

Round four starts at Noon on Wednesday.

The Tar Heels of North Carolina had three player drafted. As expected Dustin Ackley went as the second player taken to Seattle and D H Conley's Alex White was the fifteenth player taken. Carolina was the only school with two players taken in the first round. Kyle Seager was taken in the third round. As it turned out they were the only college players taken from any North Carolina College.

There was one thing very obvious in the draft. If you were six three and could throw ninty miles and hour or faster you got drafted. The ninty fifth pick in the draft was the first pitcher less than six feet three. Almost half of the draft were pitchers.

MLB Draft Starts Today

I think it is 6.00pm tonight the major league baseball draft begins. If either Brian Goodwin or Tyler Joyner go in the first round I will come back on this blog and announce where they were taken.

The preliminary draft experts are not showing Brian in the first round. As long as it takes to complete the first round and if neither player is drafted tonight then It will be late Wednesday before I know myself. I am limited on line during working hours.

It is my guess Brian will go about round two or three and Tyler may be in the top five rounds.

You know both have invites to play college ball next year so not going high in the draft as everyone thinks is not the end of the world for either.

If something pops I will post as soon as I know.

Carolina plays Sunday in the college world series. They are matched up with Arizona State the team that beat Clemson two straight in the super regional.

Virginia plays Saturday against LSU. Both Carolina and Virginia are in different brackets so they will not play each other unless the both make the championship series two out of three next weekend.

The Nash County American legion game for tonight at Northern Nash has been moved to Tarboro. The new Legion team started Saturday at New Bern and lost 14-4. When we look at the roster I think they have a good team it is sometimes a matter playing together and it falls into place. We will see. First home game is scheduled for 3.00pm Sunday afternoon at Wesyelan's Bauer Field.

Game time is 7.00pm tonight at Northern Nash. They also play at Northern Wednesday night and have another home game Sunday afternoon at NC Wesleyan

End Of An Era

Tuesday, June 9 is draft day for Major League Baseball. For the first time in a long while Nash County will be interested in what transpires. There is a possibility at least two area players may be taken. Perhaps one even in the first round.

Despite being from different teams, Rocky Mount's Brian Goodwin and Northern's Tyler Joyner have been teammates from way back. If you look at one team that they were teammates on, you will see that the entire team may be the best collection of amateur baseball talent ever assembled representing Nash County.

Back in 2004 and 2005, almost the entire team went to the Babe Ruth World Series two years in a row. But due to time constraints, will focus on the 2005 team that played for the Babe Ruth World Championship in Quincy, Mass.

Xavier Macklin – Nash Central grad. A rising sophomore at North Carolina A&T. He was voted to the MEAC All-Conference baseball team as a freshman. He very well could get drafted after his junior year. Travis Ward, the head coach of those Nash County teams, commented: ‘You had the Rocky Mount guys and then the Northern guys and then "X" kinda galvanized everyone. His smile and personality kept us all happy. He was our No. 3 pitcher and won many big ball games in his two years. He and Brian together in the outfield were something to watch.’

Tyler Clark - Starting catcher for Northern Nash for four years. Will play college ball at N.C. Wesleyan. Ward called him "the most complete player on the Babe Ruth team."

Mike Williams – Northern third baseman for three years. Ward called Mike the emotional leader. He will play at UNC-Pembroke next year

Ben Fish - Three-year starter at catcher for Rocky Mount. All-time RBI leader in Gryphon history (81). Ward called Ben a warrior, “Ben was a quiet guy by nature, but I tried to help him see that he could also be the leader we needed and ultimately at RMHS needed.”

Dillon Cockrell - Four-year starter at shortstop for Rocky Mount. Played more games for the Gryphons than any other player in history (106). When called upon, he was 9-0 in his career as a pitcher. In Quincy, his relief performance in extra innings propelled the Nash County team to the championship game.

Tyler Joyner - Won 30 games in his career at Northern. He has a baseball scholarship to ECU in back pocket. Maybe the best left-handed pitcher from this area since the 60s and Tarboro’s Mike Caldwell.. Travis says, “you always knew you had a chance to win when Tyler took to the hill. His desire to dominate hitters is his best strength."

Brian Goodwin - Will play for Mike Fox at Carolina next year? Nearly a career .400 hitter at Rocky Mount. MVP of State 3-A Championship in 2008. Ward called Brian, "the most talented player he has ever been around."

Gabe Brown - Was starting second basemen much of his career at Rocky Mount. I hear he plans to walk on next year. Was the leading hitter for much of the Babe Ruth run.

Cameron Ramsey - Backup utility player at Rocky Mount. I hear he will also try walking on next season. Ward: ‘he loved the game more than anyone that we had. He ate, drank and lived the game of baseball. He has a problem with asthma and anyone who has ever played for me will tell you that I demand lots of running, but Cambo never stopped. There were many days where he could hardly breathe and would be in tears, but he refused to stop running. Great, great kid and teammate.’

Parker Stallings - Travis Ward on Stallings: “Parker was very valuable to our pitching staff. He was used mainly in middle relief, but normally threw the ball over the plate and gave our defense a chance."

Hunter Browning - Got the winning hit an RBI in the regional final in Tennessee.

Hunter Perry - Ward called him the “Rev”. Defensive specialist.

Travis Ward, Jammy Mitchell and Greg Clark were the luckiest coaches of them all. They had them all on one team. They won the Babe Ruth State Championship in Rocky Mount. Then they took the Southeast Regional in Greenville, Tn. and finished second in the Babe Ruth World Series in Quincy.

Said Ward, "We had been through so much in the regional and then faced Tri-Valley (Cal.) drained us of whatever we had left in the tank. Tri-Valley had knocked us out the year before. There is no doubt our kids put all they had into beating them, but it was a great game going back and forth and was played so well and then the extra innings."

The extra innings depleted Nash County's pitching for the championship game the next day against Jefferson Parish, La.

Northern twice played in the NCHSAA 3-A eastern regional series (2007, 2009) and Rocky Mount won the NCHSAA 3-A state title in 2008. With this talent, they won or shared four conference titles between them.

Seven of the 12 will be playing baseball next season either in college on scholarship or the minors.

If they had of all played at one high school, there very well could have been three state championships in a row for Nash County.

It is the greatest team ever from Nash County.

Can you spell O-M-A-H-A!

North Carolina's baseball team is headed to the College World Series for the fourth year in a row.

The East Carolina Pirates were beaten twice this weekend by pitchers that could have easily chosen the Pirates over the Heels.

Saturday, Alex White, a D.H. Conley product from Pitt County, held the Pirate bats to one run. Today, Adam Warren, a senior form New Bern High School,held the bats down until the game was all but over. Carolina won the second game 9-3 to sweep ECU and win the Super regional two games to none.

The College World Series starts Saturday, June 13 and the Virginia Cavaliers will be joining their fellow ACC members theTar Heels in Nebraska. UVA beat Ole' Miss today in the third game of their Super Regional 5-1 in Oxford, Miss. Virginia will be the ninth team since the NCAA went to the super regional format to play on the road in the regional and super regional and make it to the World Series.

In the three-game series for Virginia, its pitchers gave up eight runs and in the two-game series for North Carolina's pitchers, they gave up just four.

If you look back to my Thursday blog, I predicted that the Pirates would not have enough pitching to beat the Heels. Carolina scored 19 runs in the two games.

Shifting to Rocky Mount ... The girls All-Conference team has been announced in soccer and RM's midfielder Kelsey Benson, goalie Holly Campbell and defender Michelle Karr made the first team. Lauren Campbell and Alllison Raper made second -team all-conference. Baseball's all-league team will be announced this week.

Don't forget my Monday blog will highhlight what I consider to be the greatest team ever in Nash County. I hope to have it up by 7 a.m.

White Too Much For The Pirates

Maybe pitching for the last time in front of the Carolina faithful in Chapel Hill, Greenville Native Alex White pitched maybe his best game ever as he lead the Tarheels of North Carolina to a 10-1 rout of the Pirates of ECU.

White struck out his twelfth batter his career high as the first out of the ninth inning and in a classy move by Mike Fox went to the mound and removed White from the game. Fox left White standing on the mound alone waiting for his replacement where the Carolina crowd plus Greenville supporters could applaud White as he walked off the mound for possibly the last time.

Tuesday is Major league draft day and White as a Junior is expected to be drafted in the first round.

ECU and Carolina play game two at noon Sunday and a Carolina victory will send the Heels to the College World Series for the third year in a row. If the Pirates win game three will be Monday but the time of the game is up in the air at this point depending on how many other regionals will need to be played also on Monday.

There will be no world Series for Florida State as the ACC regular season champs lose twice in a row to Arkansas a Southeastern Conference team that failed to win half of their conference games during the regular season.

Virginia is still alive and will play game three of their series Sunday after beating Mississippi 4-3 Saturday after losing 3-2 Friday.

Eastern Wayne on Saturday managed to survive in the 3-A baseball Championship at Mudcat stadium. They won game two 3-0 and in the second game of today's championship doubleheader they lose the second game 8-7.

Got a call from Joe Bell and Nash County American Legion starts their home schedule Tuesday night at Northern Nash.

I would like to let you know my Monday blog will feature the greatest baseball team in Nash County history. Check Monday and see if you agree.

TODAY IS JUNE 6TH AND MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT DATE OF WORLD WAR TWO OCCURRED SIXTY FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY D-DAY. NOT ONLY A THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO FOUGHT THEN BUT A HEART FELT THANK YOU TO ALL THAT HAVE SERVED IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME TO BE ABLE TO BABBLE ON BLOGS LIKE THIS TODAY.

Full Circle

Randy Johnson won his first Major league game in 1988 pitching for the Montreal Expos. Yesterday he won his 300th game beating the Washington team that use to be the Expos.
In his career Johnson has beaten every team in major league baseball that's all thirty teams at least once.

While Johnson was recording number 300 Tom Glavine was cut by the Braves. Glavine who has won 305 major league games now must wait and see if anyone will pick him up. I think it is time for Tom to pack up and go home.

Last night was a perfect example of why I hate the NBA. Orlando made twenty three shots in forty eight minutes of basketball. These guys all get paid millions of dollars. I think the first rule in order to make the sums of money they are paid is be able to shoot... If that doesn't work try shooting a layup.

NBA commissioner David Stern had a face to face meeting with Lebron James yesterday and the result is that Stern has decided to change his mind and fined James $25,000 for missing the game six post game interview with the media last Saturday night. I reallly don't know why it took almost a week for the fine.

Crosby and Maulkin played hockey last night like they did against the Hurricanes. Each had a goal and an assist as the Penguins tied the Stanley Cup finals at two games each.

College basketball has decided to eliminate the charge under the basket rule like the NBA has. I like that idea. However the college ranks will not draw a dotted line on the floor like the NBA does so there will be controversy over where the charge took place on every call.

Charles Alston sent out an e-mail yesterday stating that Mike Gainey had posted the football job on the North Carolina High School Athletic Association website with a deadline for applications as June 19th with hopes of a new coach by July one.

Now let me start using my old brain here and see what I make of this. Sounds to me as if either no one on the old coaching staff has applied for the job or no one will be promoted from the ranks to get the job. Why post a job if you can fill it from within your house?

We live in times where breaking even is money in the bank. There is a report on WRAL.COM that states North Carolina baseball will lose over a half million dollars this year. Hidden in the same story is where North Carolina's Women's basketball lost near 2 million.

I am sure every major school has difficulty in their minor sports getting close to break even. In our society today with all the layoffs I think image would serve college sports by playing closer to home instead of traveling for a weekend tournament in Hawaii. There is nothing wrong with Carolina playing North Carolina Central at home over traveling to New York to play in Madison Square Garden.

No Major Crisis So Far Today

The day has started and so far no major crisis to upset the world as I know it. I'm not talking about world events but I'm talking about my life as I live it every day.

I'm more worried about whether the next coach likes to be interviewed than whether we make world peace with the Arab world.

So far today there is peace in my world no major crisis.

The North Carolina-ECU super regional is starting at 12.00 noon Saturday. The first game is on ESPN-U and the second an if needed third will be at noon Sunday and Monday on ESPN-2.

I have mentioned this several times but I need to close the book on him this year. Xavier Macklin the former Nash Central baseball star was voted to the MEAC all conference team as a freshman. X-man hit 361 on the season, he lead the league in Home Runs 11, rbi's 46 and in total bases 129. Remember he was only a freshman this year.

Matt Hill the sophomore golfer for N C State who won the NCAA championship last week became only the second golfer in NCAA history to win his conference championship, the regional in which he played and then the national Championship. The only other golfer ever to do that? Tiger Woods.

Getting back to NCAA baseball coverage. All four ACC teams that are alive can be seen on some sort of TV this weekend on the ESPN network of channels. Starting at noon Friday ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and even on your computer ESPN-360. There will be some sort of game on starting at noon Friday until about midnight Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then Monday if the third games are needed until all series are over.

Regardless of which one it is there will be a North Carolina team in the College World Series which will make next weekend interesting.

I honestly don't think ECU has the pitching to beat Carolina.