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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Thursday, June 5, 2003

Rainbows may lose Montgomery

 •  Hawai'i players selected in Major League draft

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

TIM MONTGOMERY

University of Hawai'i junior center fielder Tim Montgomery and five of UH's six recruits were selected in the final 30 rounds of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, which concluded yesterday.

Eleven players with ties to Hawai'i were selected yesterday, joining six who were picked in Tuesday's first 20 rounds.

Iolani senior catcher Kala Ka'aihue was chosen in the 22nd round by Boston, bringing the total of Hawai'i prep players selected to four. Kansas City drafted Baldwin shortstop Gered Mochizuki in the 49th round and Mid-Pacific Institute corner infielder Keven Whalen in the 50th. The Royals also took Kamehameha shortstop Keoni Ruth in the 17th round on Tuesday,

Montgomery, who has been touted as having the "tools" to play professionally since he joined the Rainbows as a freshman in 2001, was taken in the 23rd round by Cleveland. He appears to be leaning toward signing instead of returning for his senior year.

"I'm kind of ready to get started with this avenue, take this opportunity and run with it," said Montgomery, who is from Sammamish, Wash. "We'll see what happens. I'd like to get out there and test the waters.

"Hawai'i would be a tough place to leave, for sure, at this point. But it's my best interest to pursue this now. Twenty-third round is not the first round, but it's a shot. That's all you can ask for."

He said his mother found out about the selection by watching the MLB.com Web site, which has a draft tracker.

"I was watching (Tuesday), but it got kind of frustrating," he said. "But better late than never."

Montgomery batted .245 with a team-leading nine home runs. He struck out 44 times in 45 games. He is the last player linked to the Les Murakami era who is eligible to return next season.

"I'm happy for him," UH coach Mike Trapasso said. "He's earned that. After talking with him today, he feels it's time and we feel it's time. He wants to go and see what happens, and we don't disagree with that. It's time for him to put those tools to the test."

Besides Ka'aihue and right-handed pitcher Jeff Pry Jr., of Franklin High in Portland, Ore., who was picked in the 17th round by Cleveland on Tuesday, the other UH recruits who were drafted are:

• Infielder Travis Denker of Brea Olina High (Brea, Calif.) in the 21st round by Los Angeles. Trapasso said the Dodgers wanted to pick Denker Tuesday in the eighth or ninth round, but Denker and Los Angeles could not reach an agreement.

• Left-handed pitcher Evan Maclane of Feather River JC (Quincy, Calif.), in the 25th round by the New York Mets.

• Right-handed pitcher Steven Wright of Valley View High (Moreno Valley, Calif.) in the 26th round by San Diego. Wright was 11-0 with a 1.14 ERA, striking out 101 and walking 31 in 74 innings. He had hoped to get picked on Tuesday. "He told us he's coming to school," Trapasso said.

• Left-handed pitcher Matt Buck of Cactus Shadows High (Cave Creek, Ariz.) in the 30th round by Montreal.

Even though the recruits are bound by the letters of intent they signed, Trapasso said he still must continue to "recruit" the drafted players, to convince them that he can increase their draft status by their junior years, the next time they become eligible for the draft.

"Once you get past the 15th round, the player would help himself more by going to school," Trapasso said. "Three years might seem like a long time, but it really isn't. I've seen way too many times the success for college players to reach the majors is better than for high school players."

Still, the recruits aren't a lock until they step into the classroom on Aug. 25, the first day of UH's fall semester.

Also selected yesterday was a UH recruit from the previous year: Los Medanos JC (Pittsburg, Calif.) right-handed pitcher Kamaile Santos (Kailua '02) was taken by Seattle in the 30th round. He said problems with his SAT prevented him from enrolling at UH.

Former Rainbow outfielder Chad Boudon, who transferred after last season to Washington, was picked in the 42nd round by Baltimore. He set a UW record with 21 home runs.

Also drafted yesterday was Saddleback JC left-handed pitcher Dane Awana, who was taken in the 41st round by Seattle. He was drafted in the 32nd round out of Wai'anae High last year.

Notes: UH senior third baseman/outfielder Brent Cook was not drafted. Trapasso said he is working on getting Cook an undrafted free agent contract.

• • •

Hawai'i players selected in Major League draft

NAME POS. HAWAI'I TIE TEAM ROUND OVERALL
Justin Azze LHP U. of Hawai'i* Baltimore 7th 194th
Kainoa Obrey 3B BYU (Iolani) St. Louis 13th 395th
Brian Bock C U. of Hawai'i Baltimore 14th 404th
Keoni Ruth SS Kamehameha Kansas City 17th 492nd
Jeff Pry RHP UH recruit Cleveland 17th 498th
Micah Fertado 2B Lewis Clark St. (Kapa'a) Texas 20th 586th
Travis Denker INF UH recruit (B. Olinda) Los Angeles 21st 631st
Kala Ka‘aihue C UH recruit (Iolani) Boston 22nd 654th
Tim Montgomery OF U. of Hawai'i Cleveland 23rd 678th
Evan Maclane LHP UH recruit (F. River JC) New York 25th 739th
Steven Wright RHP UH recruit (V. View HS) San Diego 26th 761st
Kamaile Santos RHP Kailua '02 Seattle 30th 896th
Matt Buck LHP UH recruit (C. Shadows) Montreal 30th 897th
Dane Awana LHP Saddleback (Wai'anae) Seattle 41st 1,226th
Chad Boudon OF U. of Washington (ex-UH) Baltimore 42nd 1,243rd
Gered Mochizuki SS Baldwin Kansas City 49th 1,433rd
Keven Whalen 3B Mid-Pacific Kansas City 50th 1,459th
* Did not play because of ineligibility.