SPORTS

: ayers Gt nit

Jan-Christian Sorensen
Contributing Writer

THE North Shore
Twins are hitting
seven-for-seven in the
annual Major League
Baseball draft.

Since 1994, the senior
league baseball squad has
had one player each year
picked up at the annual
Major League Baseball draft.

“It’s been a dream come
true,” said head coach Dave
Empey, who has commanded
the troops since 1993.
“When we started we
thought if we could get some

photo supptied

NORTH Shore Twin and
MLS draftee Dustin
Schroer.

Phote www.majorleaguebaseball.com

FLORIDA Martins’ starter
Ryan Dempster.

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guys into college ball or have
one guy drafted that would
be a grear accomplishment.”

Since 1993, the organiza-
tien has helped put) more
than uwvo dosen plavers in
college baseball and kept the
Canadian national = ream
stocked with fresh West
Crast ralenr.

This year, keeping the
perfect. record alive was
pitcher-outticlder | Dustin
Schroer, who was claimed by
the Los Angeles Dodgers in
the 36th round.

In his first season with the
Twins, Schroer has posted a
team-best .405 batting aver-
age and swatted five homers.

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Wednesday, June14, 2000 -

The Dodgers now own
Schroer’s professional rights
for the next 51 weeks and
will follaw his progress
before offering him a con-
tract,

At that point, Schroer will
have ro weigh his options
caretully —he can play
junior college baseball down
south, go fo a four-year
school er opt to play another
year with the Twins,

And while outfielder.
third baseman Nom Siriveaw
was drafted last year by L.A.
in the 34th round, he decid-
ed te re-enter the draft this
year alongside Schroer and
was picked up by the
Toronte Blue jays in the 9th
round. The switch-hitring
power player is now negoti-
ating a contract with the
Jays.

The best success story by
far, however, has been rhat of
Ryan Dempster, wha was
drafted in the third round of
the 1995 draft by the Seattle
Mariners but bounced from
there to the Texas Rangers to
the Florida Marlins.

Last season for = the
Marlins Dempster went 7-8
with an ERA of 4.71 in 25
games. He logged 147
tnnings, serving up £26
strikcouts and walking bat-
ters 93 times.

What a difference a year
makes, though.

So far this season,
Dempster owns a 6-4 record
and an ERA of 3.52 in 13
games for the fish. He’s scat-
tered 83 hits through 87
innings, fanning 83, walking
34 and hurling one complete
game shutout.

His strikeout total is sec-

ond in the National League
only to 1999 Cy Young win-
ner Randy Johnson of the
Arizona Diamondbacks.

“Dempster’s had such
great success already,” said
Empey. “He’s the type of
guy that people ask ‘Can it
last?? and 1 know him and
not much can stop him in the
sense that his work ethic and
his attitude are so good that
if he stays healthy then he’s
got a great shot ar being a
multimillionaire before he’s
thirty years old.”

Empey said that he’s been
constantly surprised by the
success of his organization.

“After a while vou get to
the point where you look
back and think ‘How did this
ever happen?’ If someonc.
had cold me back in 1993

Korth Shore News - 53°

nue to get dratt notice

thar by 1998 we were going
ty have a guy in the big
Jeagues and all these guys
dratted } would've said they
were nuts.”

The first of the North
Shore boys to attract the
attention of MLB teams was
third baseman Simon Pond,
who was chimed by the
Expos in the eighth round of
the 1994 draft. Ar thar time,
Pond was the highest drafted
positional plaver ever in
Canada.

Pond, now 23, was traded
to the Cleveland Indians
organization in April and is
currently playing for the
Kinston tidians in the High
A Carolina League.

He’s off to a good start in
this campaign, stroking .403
with five homers and stcaling
six bags.

in 1996 righthander
Chris Mears went to the
Seattle Mariners in the fifth
round. Mears was voted the
1998 pitcher of the year in
the Seattle minor league sys- ©
em and pitched for Canada
in the Pan-Am:> Games fast
summer. He’s currently
throwing for Lancaster in the
Calitorma League.

The following year out-
ficlder Matt Huntingford —
the B.C, Player of the Year in
1996 — was drafted by
Seattle in the 28th round.

Huntingford played for
Central Arizona for two years
before transferring to Florida
International, one of. the
nation’s top 25 NCAA
schools.

Righthanded hurler Clint .
Hosford made it five in a row
two years ago when he was
drafted in the 41st round by
the Dodgers. He’s currently
awaiting assignment to
Dodger squads in either
Great Falls, Montana or
Yakima, Washington.

During spring training
this year, Hosford brutalized
opposing batters, giving up
only seven carned runs for a
miniscule 1.26 ERAin 50
innings work.

Empey said that the suc-
cess of his seven charges will
only help to inspire other
young players and = make
them realize that their goals
are attainable.

“Ifthe guys have the right
attitude and the talent is
there you just gotta go out
and develop it and give it an
opportunity,” said Empey.
“We tell the guys ‘Do the
work and you’l! be there.”

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