Four Bruin players headed to the majors

  NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Junior pitcher Josh
Karp was selected sixth overall by the Montreal Expos in
Tuesday’s Major League Baseball draft.

By Jeff Agase, Scott Bair, Dylan
Hernandez
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Josh Canales was in court taking care of a parking ticket when
he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The senior middle
infielder learned of his 16th round selection when he exited the
courthouse.

“To say that I’m excited is an
understatement,” said Canales, a Carson native. “To be
drafted by the Dodgers surpassed all expectations. It’s like
a dream for me, playing for the home team.”

On having to be in court on one of the biggest days of his life,
he said, “It was just a reminder that real life goes on
despite all that’s happening.”

Canales was one of four Bruins taken in the first 25 rounds of
the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft Tuesday. Senior Matt Pearl
was taken in the second half of the draft Wednesday.

The first UCLA player to get his name called in the draft was
junior pitcher Josh Karp. “Baseball America” projected
Karp as a late first round choice, but he was selected by the
Montreal Expos with the sixth overall pick.

Despite being on a tight pitch count and skipping a couple of
starts due to a groin pull, Karp went 5-2 with a 3.26 ERA. He
struck out 92 batters in just 80 innings.

“I am really, really excited to be drafted by the
Expos,” Karp said in a statement. “This is a great
situation for me. To be the sixth pick overall, I am ecstatic. I
cannot wait to be part of the Expos organization.”

After Montreal took Karp, 15 rounds went by before another Bruin
was selected.

In round 16, the San Diego Padres took senior pitcher Jon Brandt
with the 480th overall pick. Brandt was a member on Team USA in the
summer of 1999, but went undrafted in the 2000 draft because of
concerns regarding his size. He returned this season and fought
through a bad back to register a 4.93 ERA.

“I expected the slip, so this is where I expected to
go,” Brandt said. “If I would have pitched the way I am
capable of, I would’ve gone a helluva lot higher.”

Brandt said he would either report to the Padres’
short-season class A team in Eugene, Ore. or the full-season low-A
squad in Indiana if there was a roster spot.

Canales was taken 10 slots down from Brandt at No. 250 overall.
Canales, who had 50 family members over at his house to celebrate,
said he had no idea the Dodgers would select him since many teams
were talking to him.

“I was hoping that the Dodgers would pick me up,” he
said. “It’s such a relief that the whole process is
over with. All of the politics and nervousness that I’ve been
going through is finally over, and I can get back to playing
baseball.”

Canales will report to either the Dodgers’ low-A affiliate
in Wilmington, Mont. or short-season A club in Great Falls, Idaho.
If Canales goes to Wilmington, he will leave this week and take his
final exams on the road. If he is sent to Great Falls, he will stay
in Westwood until graduation is over.

Junior third baseman Randall Shelley was taken in the following
round by the Texas Rangers. As a high school senior in the 1998
draft, Shelley was also selected by Texas.

Pearl, an athletic center fielder, was selected in the 34th
round.