Of the professional drafts, technology probably has helped baseball’s the most.
However, things got a little rough Thursday for the Sample family, which was hunkered down in Elizabeth awaiting news on when Tyler Sample, a Mullen High School pitcher, would be chosen. Stormy weather played havoc with cellphones.
“It was chaotic,” said Mike Sample, Tyler’s father.
But seconds before he heard his name on television, Tyler got the word the Kansas City Royals would take him with the 80th pick.
“I’m pretty pleased,” Tyler said. “I was kind of hoping it would be them. They’re good at developing players.”
Sample was the only Colorado high school player taken Thursday, but five former state stars were picked, led by Highlands Ranch grad Daniel Schlereth, now a pitcher at the University of Arizona, who went in the first round (26th overall) to the Diamondbacks.
Anthony Capra, a pitcher at Wichita State who starred at Arvada West, went in the fourth round to Oakland; Niwot grad Sean Ratliff, now at Stanford, went in the fourth to the Mets; former Eaton star Shane Dyer, a pitcher at South Mountain (Ariz.) Community College, sixth round, Tampa Bay, and the Rockies picked catcher Kiel Roling, a Central (Grand Junction) grad now at Arizona State, in the sixth round. Neil H. Devlin, The Denver Post
