Thursday, 6/5/97 An Angel among us DRAFT: Troy Glaus among
several Bruins chosen in first round
By Kristina Wilcox Daily Bruin Senior Staff The one noticeably
happy face in the parking lot outside of Jackie Robinson Stadium
after the team flew in from Omaha belonged to the Anaheim Angels’
first pick in the June baseball draft, Bruin shortstop Troy Glaus.
Glaus was at the top of the list of seven UCLA ballplayers who were
drafted in the first round of the June amateur baseball draft on
Tuesday. Glaus, the team leader in home runs (34) and errors (35),
was picked third overall by the Angels, who foresee the
6-foot-5-inch, 225-pound power hitter as a shortstop or third
baseman in their organization. "We’re gonna start him at
shortstop," Bob Fontaine, Jr., the Angels director of scouting and
personnel, said. "If he needs to move to another position, we’ll do
so at the time it comes up." "I’d like to play short to prove to
the organization, to me that I can play there," Glaus said. "The
comfort (of playing at either position) doesn’t matter to me. I’ve
played at both positions this year. But I prefer short."
Ironically, the big infielder says that he still has some physical
maturation to go through, although many attribute his numerous
errors to his large frame. "I need to get bigger and stronger,"
Glaus said. "I still have some growing to do, filling out to do.
I’m only 20. I need more of a fine-tuning of skills, I think."
Someone who really fine-tuned his skills this season was senior
left fielder Jon Heinrichs, who made a case for being one of the
top leadoff hitters in the country by hitting 28 home runs and a
team-high 28 doubles. Heinrichs’ reward came in the form of a
ninth-round by the Florida Marlins. "I can’t really complain,"
Heinrichs said. "I didn’t get drafted last year. But I did have
better numbers than some of the guys that went ahead of me." The
22-year-old then joked, "Maybe I’m too old." Someone who is not old
is fellow outfielder Eric Byrnes, who was drafted in the fourth
round by the Houston Astros. The junior right fielder, and the
Bruins’ top base stealer, is "pretty happy" about being drafted
that high, according to his roommate, sophomore Eric Valent, the
Bruins’ third outfielder. To be drafted out of college, a player
needs to have junior or senior standing, which makes Valent a
likely candidate for next year’s draft, when he will be eligible as
a junior. Left-handed starting pitcher Tom Jacquez is a redshirt
sophomore on the team, but he was drafted anyway, since he has
junior standing. The Philadelphia Phillies made him their
sixth-round pick, and he started the long process of negotiations
Wednesday night. Jacquez’ roommate Peter Zamora, who also plays
first base, and is the designated hitter when he pitches, says he
is not thinking about signing a contract yet. "I feel fine. I’m
just chillin’," Zamora said, as Jacquez played his guitar in the
background. Zamora, who went in the last round (20th) of the first
day of the draft, was a bit surprised about going that low. "I
believe I am better than some that went ahead of me," Zamora said.
"I think they (the teams) weren’t sure about my signability. I
wasn’t too up front about that." Meanwhile, Jim Parque has been up
front about his desire to sign with the White Sox after he was
drafted in the supplemental round between the first and second
rounds as the 46th pick overall. "It’s good," Parque said of his
drafting. "It’s a dream come true. I always wanted to be picked
high in the draft, and I have been. I’m content." Besides Jacquez,
Parque, Glaus and Heinrichs, another likely candidate for signing
now, according to head coach Gary Adams, is closer Jake Meyer, who
expressed concern over his upcoming final exams while standing in
the stadium parking lot. He was drafted by the White Sox in the
fifth round. "It’s time to get back on track and get ready for
everything next week," Meyer said. So, while most students are
worrying about passing classes, these players have to deal with
agents and negotiations. But they can all be happy and smiling like
Glaus, because they, too, were chosen on the first day of the June
draft.