Grigsby Tops List of Locals In June Draft : Draft: Aztec pitcher selected by the Oakland Athletics in the first round. Several area players also were picked.

San Diego State pitcher Benji Grigsby’s dream came true Monday when the Oakland Athletics made him their first pick in baseball’s 1992 amateur free agent draft.

But don’t ask him to name names. He can’t remember who he talked to from his new organization.

“I was so excited I didn’t catch the name,” Grigsby said. “I don’t remember.

“He told me, and I was like ‘Yeah, yeah.’ ”

Grigsby--the 20th pick overall--wasn’t the only San Diego player with that reaction.

Other area players picked during the 15 rounds Monday included Morse shortstop Dwain Bostic (Dodgers in the second round, 49th pick overall), SDSU outfielder Derek Vinyard (Boston in the sixth round) and four pitchers:

* John Lynch, former Torrey Pines standout now at Stanford (Florida Marlins in the second round).

* Scott Karl, former Carlsbad star now at Hawaii, (Milwaukee in the sixth round).

* Tobias Price of Lincoln High, (Baltimore in the 13th round).

* Rick Navarro of SDSU, (Detroit in the 13th round).

After spending the week prior to the draft denying rumors that he had a bad arm, Grigsby was elated to learn he was picked in the first round. He hung up the telephone, gave his father a high five and then turned his thoughts toward a professional career.

“Shoot, I looked in the paper and saw I wasn’t even (predicted to go) in the first round,” Grigsby said. “And then I’m a first-round pick.

“The first pick overall of a club, that’s incredible. I’m honored just to be the first pick.”

He is particularly happy with Oakland.

“I hear their pitching coaches in the minor leagues are some of the best in the majors,” he said. “I hope I can learn a lot from them. I’m ready to learn.

“When you go to the pros, you gain even more knowledge on how to pitch and you can gain speed. I think it will improve me a lot. I hope it’s a quick way up there.”

His career could be delayed, at least through the end of this summer. He would like to pitch in the Olympics. Tryouts begin Sunday in Millington, Tenn., and Grigsby is one of 40 players invited. He told most of the teams scouting him this spring that even if they picked him, he wanted to pitch in the Olympics.

“I don’t think a major league team is going to say, ‘You can’t go to the Olympics,’ ” Grigsby said. “All of the teams I talked to had no problems with it.”

Grigsby, 6 feet, 200 pounds, was 9-3 with a 3.53 ERA at SDSU this spring. His ERA could have been a little better were it not for a miserable outing in Wyoming in which he allowed 11 runs--all earned--in five innings.

“I don’t like making excuses, but when you have that bad of an outing. . . . “ he said. “The umpire wasn’t calling the corners, the wind was blowing out about 15 or 20 miles an hour, the elevation is about 6,000 feet, it was raining and it was cold--about 35 or 40 degrees.”

The arm rumor started in Hawaii earlier this month, he said, when some people thought they saw bruises on his right (pitching) arm. What they saw, he said, was a scar from a “strawberry” he had sustained several weeks earlier while sliding into third base.

Although he says his arm is fine, the rumor reached both his community college coach in Northern California--who asked him about it--and his high school coach in Louisiana, who asked his father about it.

“His fastball is about 85 to 87 miles per hour, he has a good slider and he’s an excellent competitor,” said a San Diego-area scout who asked not to be identified.

As far as a contract, Grigsby said he researched drafts held over the last couple of years and he is guessing he will sign for somewhere in the neighborhood of $300,000.

But that--as well as the time and place Grigsby will report to his first professional stop--will be settled later. Oakland called Grigsby’s Lafayette, La., home Monday shortly after noon, told him they had picked him, and then said they would call later with more details.

More pressing was a trip to Grigsby’s uncle’s house, where family and friends were gathering for a cookout.

Bostic, who batted .465 with 18 stolen bases, learned that the Dodgers had picked him when he got home from school.

“I was really, really happy,” he said. “It’s been a lifelong dream for em to play pro ball, and now I’ve got the chance.”

Bostic said he will be happy to go to the Dodgers.

“There’s nothing wrong with that at all,” he said. “They’ve got a great organization. I wouldn’t mind playing for them at all.”

Perhaps the most surprising early round pick was Lynch, who also is a free safety on Stanford’s football team. The right-hander only pitched eight innings this season, striking out 12 and walking nine. His ERA was 7.88 and he didn’t have a record.

Lynch didn’t expect to go before the middle rounds.

“To be quite frank with you, I was really surprised that I went this high,” he said. “I threw only eight innings this year and probably only 16 in my career. I knew there was interest in me, but I figured I would go no higher than the fifth round.

“When I got the call, I was thrilled to death.”

Lynch said that before Monday, he was leaning toward staying at Stanford for his senior season because he wanted to play another year of football.

“Second-round (money), though, is probably a good offer,” he said. “Getting drafted this high might shed a new light.”

Lynch said, even if he decides to sign a professional contract, it will most likely be with the understanding that he be free to play his senior football season.

Karl, a lefty who was 14-3 with a 2.36 ERA as a junior for Hawaii this spring, was disappointed he lasted until the sixth round.

“I’m glad I went the first day, but after hearing some of the talent that went ahead of me, I wish I went sooner,” Karl said. “I’m open-minded to see what Milwaukee has to say. Hopefully, we can work something out.”

If not, Karl said, he will return to Hawaii for his senior season.

Vinyard is a junior outfielder at SDSU. He hit .305 this past season, stole 29 bases, and legged out two inside-the-park homers.

Price, a left-hander, was 4-7 this year with 100 strikeouts.

“My mom was all excited, but I was normal because I haven’t made it yet,” Price said. “I know I have to work hard to get where I want to go.”

Navarro was 9-1 with a 1.35 ERA at SDSU this year.