Drafts are rather boring events to watch, but you’d never hear that from the media or any of the professional leagues.
It seems there is no greater spectacle off the field in the world of sports. ESPN, which televises both the NFL and NBA drafts, ceaselessly covers the events with months of speculation.
And now, Major League Baseball has joined the over-hyped party, agreeing to televise four hours of its June 7 draft on ESPN2.
I was at last year’s NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden. It was tough to hear the ESPN commentary and impossible to catch a glimpse of the players waiting to hear their names called. The time between picks seemed endless and the selections themselves were not surprising.
But at least at that draft I knew enough about the teams’ choices. I was able to heckle Shelden Williams after the Hawks selected him instead of Washington’s Brandon Roy. And of course I smiled after hearing the commissioner call Jordan Farmar’s name, even though Farmar himself wasn’t actually there. Same goes for the NFL; the fans have the knowledge to appreciate the draft because of the popularity of college football.
On June 7, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays will most likely select Vanderbilt’s David Price first overall, and all the ESPN analysts will be there to discuss how valuable he is as a potential ace for a team loaded with young talent at the plate.
All the while, most fans will be asking, “Just who is David Price?”
And if you haven’t heard of Josh Vitters (high school third baseman from Cypress), Rick Porcello (high school pitcher from New Jersey) or Matt Wieters (star catcher at Georgia Tech), it won’t get much better after the first pick.
The obscurity of the selections makes it difficult for viewers to analyze the quality of the choice, making the coverage even more painfully boring.
But the problems with the MLB Draft don’t end there.
ESPN will be directing viewers to this draft while the NCAA baseball postseason reaches its dramatic College World Series in Omaha, Neb. It’s no wonder that coaches such as UCLA’s John Savage loathe the draft and its increased coverage in the media. As star Bruin pitcher Tyson Brummett tries to lead UCLA through the NCAA Tournament, he’ll also have to worry about his professional future as the draft occurs just a day before the Super Regionals.
And the rules of the MLB, which differ drastically from the NBA and NFL drafts, are frustrating.
Unlike the NBA’s rookie pay scale, baseball selections negotiate their own deals. Last year, the best pitcher in the nation fell to the Detroit Tigers at sixth overall because smaller market teams felt they couldn’t afford him. And it’s not like the players have to reach a deal. Current Red Sox right fielder J.D. Drew sat out a year instead of signing with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was rewarded, too, as the Cardinals took him in the next draft and met Drew’s lofty price tag.
Moreover, high school players have the option of choosing college even after being drafted. And junior-college players are eligible at any time while Division players need to have three years of college experience before they are eligible. These MLB rules make the recruiting task incredibly daunting for NCAA coaches and drive a lot of top players to junior college.
Then there’s the most basic problem of the baseball draft: The selections will take years to reach the Major League level. Price won’t be joining the D-Rays in June like any NBA or NFL selection would. He’ll probably wind up in A-ball with the Columbus Catfish for this season.
It seems that the spectacular portrayal of pro drafts is here to stay. But if ESPN believes that any draft is worthy of national coverage it should think again. The MLB Draft has all the dull elements of the NBA and NFL drafts and a whole host of confusing rules and technicalities.
Needless to say, I won’t be setting my TiVo.
E-mail Allen at sallen@media.ucla.edu if you religiously follow the Columbus Catfish.