The search for the next Joba Chamberlain has begun.
The Yankees selected California high school pitcher Gerrit Cole in the first round of yesterday’s draft. Cole, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-hander with long arm action, attended Orange Lutheran High School. He is being advised by super agent Scott Boras and signed with UCLA last November, so expect Boras to use the Bruins scholarship as leverage.
Cole was 8-2 with a 0.47 ERA this year for Orange Lutheran. He struck out 121 in 75 innings, allowing 13 runs and issuing 18 walks. Baseball America rated Cole the fourth-best high school pitcher in the draft and rated his fastball as the best among high schoolers.
With their supplemental first-round pick (44th overall), the Yankees selected Stanford left-hander Jeremy Bleich. The 20-year-old was limited to five games this year because of tendinitis. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior was 2-2 with a 1.09 ERA. A starter with Stanford, Bleich struck out 26 in 33 innings, and ended the season with a 142/3 scoreless innings streak.
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Johnny Damon had a problem with the word “Bull” in a headline yesterday about a story on his opinion about Chamberlain leaving the bullpen for the rotation. “I know I didn’t use that word,” Damon said.
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Ian Kennedy (strained right lat muscle) played catch and reported no problem. He likely will long toss today and could begin throwing off a mound Monday.
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LaTroy Hawkins, who threw a scoreless inning yesterday, expects to hear about his appeal of a three-day suspension today.