Ryan Finan selected in 21st round

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jun 9, 2004 by Ken Corbitt Capital-Journal

Few things are as irritating as being awakened by a phone call early in the morning. It happened to Ryan Finan on Tuesday, but he was happy to take the call from a representative of the Baltimore Orioles.

Finan, a Topeka native who just completed his senior season on the Lamar University baseball team, was drafted by the Orioles in the 21st round.

"They called me this morning at 9:30 and woke me up," Finan said in a telephone interview from Beaumont, Texas on Tuesday afternoon. "They asked if they drafted me if I would sign and I said yes."

Finan, a Shawnee Heights graduate, was surprised to be selected by the Orioles and thrilled to go in the 21st round as the 619th player chosen in the two-day, 50-round draft.

"I thought I'd go much later," he said. "I was expecting to go in the 30s, so I was really not expecting to go in the 21st round.

"That was the first call I received from the Orioles. I filled out a couple of questionnaires and talked to some other teams, but I was surprised they took me that high."

Other players drafted Tuesday included Wichita State's Brandon Green (Seattle) and Logan Sorensen (Boston) in the 19th round; Kansas State pitcher Jared Brite by Houston in the 26th round and Kansas pitcher Ryan Knippschild by Cleveland in the 35th round.

Finan, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound left-handed hitter, was third team All-Southland Conference at first base for Lamar after earning third- team honors last year at third base. He batted .289 with eight home runs and 43 RBIs (second on the team) while starting every game for the Cardinals (41-16), who lost to Texas A&M and Rice in the NCAA regional. Finan led the Southland Conference in walks with 49.

"I think I was drafted higher than I thought I would be on my potential," said Finan, who played two years at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Lamar. "Coming from Kansas, I didn't get a lot of exposure like a lot of the guys from the South. But each year I think I was able to improve and this year was a good one for me."

Finan, the only first baseman among Baltimore's 50 draft picks, expects to sign a contract by the end of the week and begin his professional career. The Orioles' rookie league teams are in Sarasota, Fla., and Bluefield, W.Va.

"I have no idea where they'll send me but I'm ready," he said.

Ken Corbitt can be reached at (785) 295-1123 or ken.corbitt@cjonline.com.

Kansas draft picks

Players with Kansas connections taken in the Major League draft on Monday and Tuesday:

Round___Overall___Team__________Player_____________Pos.____School

3rd_____76________Milwaukee_____Joshua Wahpepah____RHP_____Cowley County CC

4th_____125_______Boston________Tommy Hottovoy_____LHP_____Wichita State

10th____289_______Baltimore_____Drew Moffitt_______OF______Wichita State

11th____321_______Texas_________Travis Metcalf_____3B______Kansas

11th____335_______Boston________Ryan Phillips______LHP_____Barton County CC

11th____337_______Oakland_______Steve Sharpe_______RHP_____Central Mo. (Stilwell)

12th____363_______Seattle_______Steve Uhlmansiek___LHP_____Wichita State

12th____367_______Oakland_______Nick Blasi_________OF______Wichita State

15th____449_______Chi. WSox_____Carlos Torres______RHP_____Kansas State

18th____527_______Cleveland_____Danny Calvert______RHP_____Hutchinson CC

19th____573_______Seattle_______Brandon Green______SS______Wichita State

19th____575_______Boston________Logan Sorensen_____1B______Wichita State

21st____619_______Baltimore_____Ryan Finan_________1B______Lamar (Topeka)

26th____784_______Houston_______Jared Brite________RHP_____Kansas State

30th____894_______Montreal______Brendan Murphy_____1B______Garden City CC

33rd____985_______Kansas City___Jimmy Wallace______RHP_____Pratt CC

35th____1037______Cleveland_____Ryan Knippschild___LHP_____Kansas

37th____1108______Los Angeles___Jeremy Brown_______OF______Pratt CC

41st____1235______Boston________Steven Edlefsen____SS______Barton County CC

42nd____1242______Detroit_______Trenton Love_______LHP_____Coffeyville CC

45th____1332______Milwaukee_____Deik Scram_________OF______Cowley County CC

45th____1343______Toronto_______Rodrick Ratliff____RHP_____Labette CC

46th____1357______San Diego_____Aaron Breit________RHP_____Hays (TMP-Marian)