"I'm shocked," Gavin McCourt told the Los Angeles Times. "I didn't see that coming."

McCourt, who noted that the Red Sox are his second-favorite team behind the Dodgers, also told the newspaper that he'll be represented by his father, and not by an agent.

"I don't think Scott Boras would fit well into the family dynamics," said McCourt, who will have to decide if he'd rather walk-on at Stanford. "I think I'll let my dad represent me."

An outstanding hitter as well as a big, strong right-handed pitcher, he earned first-team All-State honors in 2008 when his undefeated pitching record and .444 batting average led Hendricken to the state title.

This season he was undefeated on the mound once again with a 9-0 record and also was the Hawks leading hitter with a .542 average.... ]]> feeds@kickapps.com (TheGoldenGreek33) http://forum-soxprospects.com/sreply/181551 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:16:27 PST http://forum-soxprospects.com/reply/181549/t/Draft-Day-Thread-I.html#reply-181549 feeds@kickapps.com (CZink16) http://forum-soxprospects.com/sreply/181549 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:04:59 PST http://forum-soxprospects.com/reply/181543/t/Draft-Day-Thread-I.html#reply-181543

]]> feeds@kickapps.com (diehard24) http://forum-soxprospects.com/sreply/181543 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:33:12 PST http://forum-soxprospects.com/reply/181542/t/Draft-Day-Thread-I.html#reply-181542
I've gotten more draft coverage/analysis here than at every other site Ive been checking out the last three days combined.

Great work and thanks for doing it.
]]> feeds@kickapps.com (mcpickl) http://forum-soxprospects.com/sreply/181542 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:25:25 PST http://forum-soxprospects.com/reply/181538/t/Draft-Day-Thread-I.html#reply-181538 Puff piece on Wilson:

It took Wilson 10 months to throw full-throttle after the surgery, but five more to really pitch effectively. The surgery serves as constant motivation, and he reinforced it with a creative tattoo. He has baseball-like stitches on his surgery scar, accompanied by a slogan: "There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going."

]]> feeds@kickapps.com (diehard24) http://forum-soxprospects.com/sreply/181538 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:17:51 PST http://forum-soxprospects.com/reply/181537/t/Draft-Day-Thread-I.html#reply-181537 article on Luke Maile:

Maile, a University of Kentucky recruit, said if Boston is willing to meet his signing bonus requirement, he's ready to turn pro.

"Absolutely," he said. "There's a number out there, regardless of what the round is. You get a plan together and say, 'This amount is going to make me turn pro. If not, I'm going to college.'"

Maile was selected in the last hour of the three-day draft, which consisted of 50 rounds. Maile's father Rich, who has used agent Joe Bick as an adviser, said as the draft wore on that his son's signability issues dropped his stock.

"We really thought there was a good chance of Luke going in the first five rounds," he said. "Then we were thinking five through eight. After we got to the... ]]> feeds@kickapps.com (diehard24) http://forum-soxprospects.com/sreply/181537 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:14:18 PST http://forum-soxprospects.com/reply/181535/t/Draft-Day-Thread-I.html#reply-181535 The Red Sox selected Sallis, who will be a junior this season, in the 47th round with the 1,428th overall pick. He was the only current UA Fort Smith player to be drafted during the 50-round, three-day affair.

Sallis, who is from Muskogee, Okla., is a two-year starter for the Lions. The speedy 5-foot-8 infielder played in 46 of the Lions' 58 games this past spring and batted .280 (42 for 150) with 10 doubles, one home run and 23 RBIs.

Sallis drew a team-high 37 walks and, most importantly, had a team-high 38 stolen bases in 42 attempts. He was honorable mention All-Region. As a freshman, Sallis played in 50 games and batted .367 (65 for 177) with five doubles, three triples and one home run and 27 RBIs. He was second on the team with 27 steals in 32 attempts.

link ]]> feeds@kickapps.com (TheGoldenGreek33) http://forum-soxprospects.com/sreply/181535 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:55:45 PST http://forum-soxprospects.com/reply/181532/t/Draft-Day-Thread-I.html#reply-181532 Bayer, who features an 86-88 mph sinker, told the Average Joe Show on ESPN's Springfield affiliate 1450 WHLL that being drafted by the Red Sox is a dream come true.

"It was unbelievable," said Bayer. "I was just looking for a chance to play anywhere this summer. The fact that it's the Red Sox, the hometown team, the team I've been rooting for all my life makes it that much sweeter."

"I was playing a round of golf with my buddies. It was my brother that called me and he said, 'You're a Red Sox.' I was completely astounded, I said, 'No way,' but I got a call from the scout a minute after that and my dreams were confirmed."

Bayer finished his 2-year career at Trinity with a record of 21-1 and an ERA of 1.07. He recorded 165 strikeouts in 176.1 innings pitched and was the 2009 Division III Pitcher of the Year.