Dodger Draft Not as Bad as It Could Be

With Wednesday’s amateur draft, new Dodger scouting director Ed Creech and staff get their first opportunity to begin restocking a farm system admittedly barren of impact players and top prospects. They will not have a first-round selection, but the situation is not as bleak as it might have been.

The Dodgers, who would have had the 20th selection in the first round (based on reverse order of finish in 1998), lost that to the San Diego Padres as compensation for the signing of Kevin Brown. However, the Dodgers received a supplemental-round pick and a second-round pick--Nos. 37 and 69 overall--as compensation for the St. Louis Cardinals’ signing of Scott Radinsky, and a third-round pick, No. 83 overall, for the Colorado Rockies’ signing of Brian Bohanon.

“We dropped 17 places [from 20 to 37], but we’ll have the same number of picks in just a little different order,” assistant scouting director Matt Slater said. “By not having a first-round pick, we’ll just have to be a little more aggressive and creative.”

Slater, who accompanied General Manager Kevin Malone from the Baltimore Orioles to work under Creech, the former Cardinal scouting director, termed the overall talent level as average to slightly above average, particularly after the top 10.

“They’re all very similar, which is good for us, drafting where we are,” he said, adding Malone has put an emphasis on “athletic position players” and that the Dodgers are likely to select a high school player with a high ceiling. He said there was no pressure to avoid mistakes in their first at-bats, the draft being an inexact science at best.

“Kevin wants us to focus on guys with impact potential rather than taking the comfortable route with low-risk selections,” Slater said.

The Angels, who would have drafted 17th, lost that selection to the Boston Red Sox as compensation for the signing of Mo Vaughn and do not have a pick until late in the second round. The Padres emerged with three first-round picks--No. 20 (from the Dodgers), No. 28 (their own) and No. 29 (as compensation for the Houston Astros’ signing of Ken Caminiti)--and six of the first 51.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have the first selection and are leaning, sources said, toward Josh Hamilton, a North Carolina high school outfielder. However, they are also said to be considering USC catcher Eric Munson and high school pitcher Josh Beckett of Spring, Texas.

The Dodgers have now had four pitching coaches since Ron Perranoski was replaced at the end of the 1994 season after 13 years in the position. They are Dave Wallace, Glenn Gregson, Charlie Hough and Claude Osteen. Of the instability in that position and others, Perranoski, who is the San Francisco Giants’ pitching coach, said of the Dodgers: “The organization has changed. Now it’s like any other in baseball.”

Giant Manager Dusty Baker began the weekend seeking his 500th managerial victory--all with the same team.

“I look around at Tony La Russa, Jim Leyland, Bobby Cox, Davey Johnson,” Baker said. “They’re all with their third or fourth teams. If history repeats itself, I’ll probably [manage] more than one team too.” Baker is signed through 2000 and probably will receive an extension to provide a smooth transition as the Giants move into their new park next year.

He turns 50 on June 15 and recently became a new father. On staying in touch with the younger generation, he said: “You don’t want to be wearing baggy pants like the kids do today, but you don’t want to be wearing double-knit polyester, either.”