The Drubbing

Bud looks like a drunk speaker at the local Legion Club

For the first time ever, i decided to somewhat follow the MLB.  Partially because it was on the MLB network, and also because you could listen to it live on mlb.com.  I think it is great that MLB is trying to pump-up their product by broadcasting what normally was a conference call between teams.  Well, after watching and listening to the draft i can understand why this thing was dormant for so long.

The NFL and NBA drafts are somewhat spectacles, and veterans of making this a popular fan affair.  The MLB however, yowzers.  Bud Selig announced the first round in what looked like a miniature stadium filled with desks for each team.  It was the equivalent of a model UN at a local school, while the NFL and NBA drafts were the real UN.  His suit was partially off to the side, he stumbled with how he said each player’s school, name and position, it really was amateur hour.  I have no idea how many rounds good ole Bud announced as i could only sit through the first 20 picks before i found something more entertaining to do, like cleaning my bathroom.

Bud was not the only one who needed more practice.  The scouting and video department at the MLB network could use some help.  Top 20 picks had video footage of practices, bullpen sessions, popped up outs for hitters, all of which were maybe 10 seconds worth for each person.  I would rather they just show the player’s absurd metal bat statistics and call it a day.

Since the MLB draft is something like 520 rounds, and they have to carry it over a day.  Smartly, they realized that showing a Ken Burns film-like draft on air was a waste of money and decided to go to internet, twitter and radio feeds.  The audio feed sounded like FAA flight tower talking to planes.  It was hysterical.  The team rep would say a code, followed by the players last, then first name and their respective school.  The Draft announcer would then repeat the stated player and all the MLB teams on conference call would cross the guy off his list.  I’ve had fantasy drafts with more excitement and technology than this.  I did enjoy a few of the rep’s talking.  For instance, the Milwaukee Brewers representative sounded like a 10 year old kid who had yet to reach puberty.  And since this was done via conference call, it might of well could have been.  Meanwhile, the Washington Nats rep sounded like he was in a crowded bar downtown.  Considering how the Nats are run, this also may not have been too far from the truth.

I like the MLB a lot.  It is my favorite sport to both play and watch.  The draft however, just does not appeal to me and the appeal is even less to the casual fan.  These kids that get drafted high rarely live up to their hype (only after juicing do they reach their lofty potential) and the ones that do, typically do not make an immediate impact in the big leagues.  Other sports see immediate return on their draft investment, and that return can change a franchise right away.  In baseball, drafting solid players and trading for minor league players helps you out in 3-5 years.  Since we are a society with a “what have you done for me lately” attitude, we want to see immediate results and this draft is not that.