DETROIT – Its the annual rite of the first week of June, baseballs amateur draft, where clubs take part in a three-day, 40-round marathon, selecting more than 1,000 players they hope will improve their fortunes in the years ahead. The Blue Jays had two picks in Thursday evenings first round – ninth and 11th overall – and used them to take a pitcher and a catcher. First, the club took right-hander Jeff Hoffman, a 21-year-old from Latham, New York, who attended East Carolina University. Two selections later, the Blue Jays selected Kennesaw State University product, 21-year-old catcher Max Pentecost from suburban Atlanta. Major League Baseball uses a slotting system – a recommended signing bonus value based on where a player is taken – and the Blue Jays, if they pay in full, will be on the hook for about $6 million for their two picks. Hoffman is an interesting case. He has a plus fastball, mid-90s miles per hour which can top out in the high 90s, a strong curveball and a developing changeup. But, just last month, Hoffman underwent Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery. The procedure, now so routine its rarely flawed, was hardly a concern to Torontos front office and top scouts. "We just felt like the talent was too big to walk away from," said Blue Jays director of amateur scouting, Brian Parker. "This guy was going to go top three, top four picks prior to his injury and we just felt like even with the Tommy John, we felt this was a good gamble for us." Pentecost was a seventh round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2011. He was projected to go higher but suffered a stress fracture in his throwing elbow, which dropped his stock. He didnt sign with Texas, choosing to go to school instead. The first catcher the Blue Jays have taken in the first round since, take a breath, J.P. Arencibia in 2007, Pentecost is a versatile player who projects to be a good hitter, although more gap-to-gap than for power. A.J. Jimenez is the Jays top catching prospect, currently toiling at Double-A New Hampshire more than a year removed from Tommy John surgery of his own, and the Blue Jays have shipped out catchers like Arencibia, Travis dArnaud (to the New York Mets in the R.A. Dickey trade), Yan Gomes (to Cleveland for Esmil Rogers) and Carlos Perez (to Houston in the J.A. Happ deal) in recent years. "Taking Max had nothing to do with any of those trades or getting rid of any of those players," said Parker. "When you pick nine and 11, you just have to line up your board and take the best player and thats what we did. We like Max, we scouted him pretty hard from last summer in the (Cape Cod League) and throughout this spring. Hes an athletic, two-way position player and we like the bat. I think theres a lot of positives with him. Obviously, a guy at a premium position that can help out offensively and defensively is something that attracted him to us." In two of the last three drafts, the Jays have failed to sign their first round pick. In 2011, it was Tyler Beede, who instead chose to go to Vanderbilt University and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants 14th overall on Thursday night. Last year, the Jays failed to land right-hander Phil Bickford, who instead went to California State-Fullerton. The pick that landed Pentecost was compensation for missing out on Bickford. Going with two college kids, including one coming off an injury, increases the likelihood of the player being willing to sign. Neither has a full school ride to fall back on. Hoffman, who is pleased with the progress hes making early in his rehabilitation from elbow surgery, sounds eager to put pen to paper. Chris Kline, the Blue Jays area scout in the Carolinas, did most of the legwork on Hoffman. Mike Pidick, an area scout whose region includes Georgia, watched Pentecost. Vance McDonald 49ers Jersey . McCann was hurt in the third inning Friday night against Cleveland but remained in the game until he was pinch hit for in the sixth. Manager Joe Girardi said McCann was feeling cloudy. Blaine Gabbert . A stick in the gut prevented him from getting off a clean drive, but it earned him the first penalty shot of his career. He converted, and Patrice Bergeron also scored a short-handed goal on Thursday night as the Bruins opened the defence of their Eastern Conference championship with a 3-1 victory over the Lightning. http://www.thesanfrancisco49ersproshop.com/kids-deion-sanders-black-jersey/ . 1. PHIL JACKSON: Would be a major coup of the NY Knicks to get him as their President. Bottom line, owner James Dolan needs to stay out of the way. Jackson must have the ability to select his GM, front office staff, coaches, support staff and have final say on all player issues. LaMichael James 49ers Jersey . - Once Gerald Green gets going, he doesnt think he can be stopped. LaMichael James Jersey . "There are a lot of kids out there in my situation, probably far worse situations," he said in a phone interview with The Associated Press.WORCESTER, Mass. -- Michael Hutchinson stopped 49 shots as the St. Johns IceCaps downed the host Worcester Sharks 3-1 on Saturday in American Hockey League action. Kyle MacKinnon scored once for the IceCaps (31-19-4) and assisted on goals by John Albert and Patrice Cormier. Freddie Hamilton recorded the lone goal for the Sharks (23-24-4), who dropped their fourth straight game and second in a row to St. Johns. Harri Sateri turned aside 18-of-21 shots for Worcester. Albert opened the scoring for the IceCaps with a shorthanded goal at 17:42 of the first period.dddddddddddd Hamilton responded for the Sharks 21 seconds into the second period. Cormier, however, gave St. Johns a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes of play. MacKinnon completed his three-point outing with an insurance goal at 5:12 of the third period. St. Johns went 0 for 7 on the power play while Worcester failed to score on six chances with the man advantage. ' ' '
