Pro teams pluck former Miners

PALMER — The Major League Baseball first-year player draft has turned into a game of ‘find the former Miners’ for Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher.

On the first Thursday and Friday in June, Christopher anxiously scans the list of names of high school and college players selected in the two-day, 50-round draft, eager to find Miners of the past.

And in the last few years, Christopher has had pretty good luck finding his former players on Major League draft boards.

Earlier this week, a dozen former members of the Mat-Su Miners and one player on the 2008 roster were selected in the 2008 draft, marking the third time in four years that 12 or more former Miners have been picked.

“I guess we’re doing something right with recruiting,” Christopher said Saturday.

Three players from Mat-Su’s 2007 squad that finished in a first-place tie at the top of the Alaska Baseball League standings were selected.

Cincinnati picked California-Santa Barbara catcher Chris McMurray in the 18th round, Baltimore grabbed California Poly San Luis Obispo pitcher Jared Eskew in the 47th round and Colorado snagged California-Riverside center fielder Carl Uhl in the 49th round.

Seven players from the 2006 squad were chosen. Florida selected Washington State shortstop Paul Gran in the seventh round, Colorado picked California-Berkley pitcher Craig Bennigson in the ninth round, the New York Yankees found Notre Dame pitcher David Phelps in the 14th round, Milwaukee plucked Santa Clara pitcher Mark Willinsky in the 15th round, Boston grabbed Hawaii infielder Jon Hee in the 21st round, the New York Mets chose Oregon State pitcher Mark Grbavac in the 32nd round and the Mets also selected Catawba College pitcher Tim Smith in the 42nd round.

Louisville pitcher B.J. Rosenberg, a member of the 2005 squad, was selected by Philadelphia in the 13th round.

Josh Satin, who helped lead Mat-Su to a second-place finish in the 2004 National Baseball Congress World Series, was chosen by the Mets in the sixth round.

Christopher said Satin, the highest selection of any of the former Miners in the 2008 draft, is considered a top prospect, despite suffering some injuries early in his college career.

Steve Domecus, one of two catchers on the 2008 edition of the Miners, was also selected. The Chicago White Sox picked the Moorpack College product in the 38th round.

Christopher said Domecus has already arrived in the Valley, and is ready to take the field when the Miners open the 2008 season against the California Bears on June 14.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Miners in the minors

Michael Taylor (2005) is hitting .353 in 57 games for the Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia A) South Atlantic League … Pitcher Daniel Turpen (2006) is 3-3 with a 5.18 ERA for the Augusta Green Jackets (San Francisco A) of the South Atlantic League … Steven Calicutt (2005) is 2-3 with a 4.25 ERA for the Green Jackets … Nick Haley (2005) is hitting .261 in 37 games for the Modesto Nuts (Colorado A) of the Advanced California League … Pitcher Wayne Daman (2005) is 2-2 with a 3.45 ERA for the Quad City River Bandits (St. Louis A) of the Midwest League … Pitcher Marc Rzepczynski (2005) is 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA, with 26 strikeouts in six starts for the Lansing Lugnuts (Toronto A) of the Midwest League … Pitcher Ryan Edell (2004) is 3-4 with a 4.31 ERA for the Akron Aeros (Cleveland AA) of the Eastern League … Chris Mason (2004) is 2-6 with a 5.02 ERA for the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay AAA) of the International League … Kevin Tomaziewicz (2004) is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA for the St. Lucie Mets (NY Mets A) of the Florida State League … John Hester (2004) is hitting .213 with three home runs in 40 games for the Mobile Bay Bears (Arizona AA) of the Southern League … Brett Bigler (2004) is hitting .196 in 39 games with the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Kansas City A) of the Advanced Carolina League … Kenny Maigues (2004) is 0-1 with a 7.30 ERA for the Palm Beach Cardinals (St. Louis A) of the Advanced Florida State League … Chris Errecart (2004) is hitting .296 with 10 home runs in 50 games for the Huntsville Stars (Milwaukee AA) of the Southern League … Mike Paulk (2004) is hitting .287 fin 57 games for the Modesto Nuts (Colorado A) of the Advanced California League … Eddy Rodriguez (2004) is hitting .218 in 37 games for the Sarasota Reds (Cincinnati A) of the Advanced Florida State League … Matt Young (2003) is hitting .300 with 24 RBI in 61 games for the Mississippi Braves (Atlanta AA) of the Southern League … David Johnson (2003) is 2-2 with a 7.77 ERA for the Huntsville Stars (Milwaukee AA) of the Southern League … Cole Armstrong (2002) is hitting .230 with 25 RBI in 52 games for the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox AA) of the Southern League … Jed Lowrie (2003) is hitting .310 in 17 games for the Boston Red Sox.