Baseball: Round 3 of draft proves to be “Round of the Dirtbags”
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Just call Round 3 of Thursday’s Major League Baseball first-year player draft the ‘Round of the Dirtbags.’
Three members of the Big West co-champion Long Beach State 49ers were selected this time around.
After left-handed pitcher Edgar Olmos of Birmingham was drafted by the Florida Marlins with the 83rd pick, the first 49er was taken when shortstop Danny Espinoza, a former Mater Dei Monarch, was selected by the Washington Nationals with pick No. 87. Gotta love those Dirtbag shortstops -- Bobby Crosby, Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria.
Left-handed pitcher/outfielder Tim Murphy of UCLA was then selected by the Texas Rangers with pick No. 89, followed by another 49er, right-handed pitcher Andrew Leibel, by way of La Verne Damien High, by the Toronto Blue Jays with the No. 93 pick.
Azusa Pacific outfielder Kirk Nieuwwenhuis was the 100th player selected, by the New York Mets. Vance Woorley, a right-handed pitcher for Long Beach State, was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with pick No. 102. Robert (Cord) Phelps, an infielder at Stanford by way of Santa Barbara High, was tabbed by the Cleveland Indians with pick No. 107.
If I’ve missed any of our local players who have been drafted out of college, let me know!
-- Bob Rohwer