That Call From Cubs Never Came

The Chicago Cubs didn’t make Derek Parks their first-round pick Monday in the major league amateur free-agent draft as he expected. And Parks wasn’t the second high school player taken from California as had also been expected.

Instead, the Montclair catcher was the No. 1 prep selection from the state, going to the Minnesota Twins as the 10th pick overall, and three ahead of pitcher Ryan Bowen from Hanford. Bowen, who went to the Houston Astros, had been rated for most of the season as the top prep prospect in California.

“I was shocked when the Twins called,” said Parks, the fifth high school player selected. “I was expecting the Cubs. I guess they even called my coach (Tom McFadden) and said they were going to take me. I don’t care either way, though.”

Parks, who also pitched and led Montclair to the 2-A semifinals, took the day off from school and got the word about 10:15 a.m. The call didn’t wake him.

“I was up all morning,” he said. “I must have finally got out of bed at about 6 or 7. I was having a lot of trouble sleeping, but I don’t know why since I was pretty tired.”

The Kansas City Royals made shortstop Anthony Clements from Don Lugo of Chino the 24th pick and the 14th of 15 high school players chosen in the first round.

Among the others: Pitcher Kent Mercker of Dublin, Ohio, the No. 1 prep and fifth pick overall, to the Atlanta Braves; shortstop Gary Sheffield of Tampa, Fla., and the nephew of Dwight Gooden, sixth to the Milwaukee Brewers; outfielder Greg McMurtry of Brockton, Mass., a top wide receiver prospect who has signed a letter of intent with Michigan, 14th to the Boston Red Sox; outfielder Kevin Dean from Hogan High of Vallejo, Calif., 15th to the Montreal Expos; outfielder Michael White of Loudon, Tenn., 19th to the Dodgers; outfielder-first baseman Lee May Jr. of Cincinnati, the son of the former major leaguer and current batting coach for the Chicago White Sox, 21st to the New York Mets.

Clements, who batted .548 in Baseline League play for Don Lugo, is expected to decide this week whether he will turn pro or go to college. He has not signed a letter of intent but is being recruited by UCLA, Pepperdine and Cal State Fullerton among others.

“I was a little surprised,” Conquistador Coach Joe Marcos said. “I thought (Clements) would go in the second round, but he called me this morning at about 11 and said he had gone 24th. As I said, it was a bit of a surprise. But a good surprise.”

Subsequent rounds will not be announced until next week, and then only in alphabetical order on a club-by-club basis. Parks, meanwhile, has already begun contract negotiations with the Twins.

In a surprising move that will have a major effect on the race for the boys’ state track title, twin brothers Eric and Mark Mastalir of Jesuit in Carmichael, who have dominated distance running in California this year, announced that each will compete in only one event Friday and Saturday in the finals at Cerritos College.

Eric has dropped the 1,600, where he has the second-best time in the state behind Mark and is seven seconds better than the third-best time. Mark has dropped the 3,200, where he has the second-best time in the country behind Eric. In other words, they were almost assured of 1-2 finishes in both races--and 36 combined points--but now will get 20 at best with two first places.

Jesuit will bring a third distance runner to Cerritos in Paul Thomas, whose 9:05.27 in the 3,200 at the Sac-Joaquin Section finals Friday at UC Davis was good for third place in the race and the 10th-best time in California.