NEW YORK -- MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, will once again offer fans an interactive media showcase with its coverage of Baseball's 40th annual First Year Player Draft on June 7 and 8.
Coverage will begin at 12:50 p.m. ET on Monday, June 7 with the 2004 free "MLB.com Draft Show," presented live in streaming video from the company's studios in New York City. The show will take fans inside the event with exclusive pick-by-pick coverage of the first five rounds as well as all-access features, exclusive highlights and interviews.
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo will be the show's host, joined by analysts Fred Claire (Dodgers general manager from 1987-98) and Darryl Hamilton (Milwaukee's 11th-round pick in 1986). They will provide a preview of the draft, giving a look at the top prospects as well as an interview with Roy Krasik, senior director of Major League Operations, who will explain how the process works.
The draft begins at 1 p.m. ET, and MLB.com is the only place where behind-the-scenes scouting video of the majority of players is made available for viewing on demand. In addition to that footage and the live Draft action, MLB.com's special section dedicated to the event will offer fans a variety of additional features including a video flashback of the top 10 Number 1 picks of all-time and video of some of the former draft picks who have attained stardom.
"For some 1500 young men and their families Baseball's annual First Year Player Draft is one of the most exciting events in their lives," said Allan H. "Bud" Selig, Commissioner of Major League Baseball. "Over a two-day period their dream of getting a chance to one day become a big leaguer becomes a reality for this talented group of athletes,"
"The draft has all the ingredients for phenomenal content; it's a jewel event that brings fans of every team and every prospect online," said Dinn Mann, senior vice president and editor-in-chief at MLB.com. "The draft gives us the privilege of collaborating with scouts, front-office executives, coaches and players at every level for information and insights that are second to none. Further, it provides a real-time, breaking-news stage, marrying the power of our searchable database with the depth and speed of our original text, audio and video coverage."
As always, the Major League clubs take turns selecting players in reverse order of their won-loss records at the close of the previous regular season, with National and American League clubs alternating selections -- so San Diego is on the clock first, immediately followed by Detroit. The draft concludes at the end of the 50th round of selections.
In addition to the "MLB.com Draft Show" for viewers, MLB.com Radio once again will broadcast exclusively the entire draft. That will include the live draft conference call throughout the event. Seth Everett will be the radio host and will be joined by Dave Rawnsley, scout/writer for Perfect Game USA, and also by Mayo. Everett and Mayo will be the commentators for the second day of the draft on MLB.com Radio.
MLB.com visitors also can find a recap of the draft on June 9, with Mayo's appearance on "The Show To Be Named Later." That addition to MLB.com's 2004 programming lineup airs at 1 p.m. ET each Wednesday.
http://mlb.mlb.com
Coverage will begin at 12:50 p.m. ET on Monday, June 7 with the 2004 free "MLB.com Draft Show," presented live in streaming video from the company's studios in New York City. The show will take fans inside the event with exclusive pick-by-pick coverage of the first five rounds as well as all-access features, exclusive highlights and interviews.
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo will be the show's host, joined by analysts Fred Claire (Dodgers general manager from 1987-98) and Darryl Hamilton (Milwaukee's 11th-round pick in 1986). They will provide a preview of the draft, giving a look at the top prospects as well as an interview with Roy Krasik, senior director of Major League Operations, who will explain how the process works.
The draft begins at 1 p.m. ET, and MLB.com is the only place where behind-the-scenes scouting video of the majority of players is made available for viewing on demand. In addition to that footage and the live Draft action, MLB.com's special section dedicated to the event will offer fans a variety of additional features including a video flashback of the top 10 Number 1 picks of all-time and video of some of the former draft picks who have attained stardom.
"For some 1500 young men and their families Baseball's annual First Year Player Draft is one of the most exciting events in their lives," said Allan H. "Bud" Selig, Commissioner of Major League Baseball. "Over a two-day period their dream of getting a chance to one day become a big leaguer becomes a reality for this talented group of athletes,"
"The draft has all the ingredients for phenomenal content; it's a jewel event that brings fans of every team and every prospect online," said Dinn Mann, senior vice president and editor-in-chief at MLB.com. "The draft gives us the privilege of collaborating with scouts, front-office executives, coaches and players at every level for information and insights that are second to none. Further, it provides a real-time, breaking-news stage, marrying the power of our searchable database with the depth and speed of our original text, audio and video coverage."
As always, the Major League clubs take turns selecting players in reverse order of their won-loss records at the close of the previous regular season, with National and American League clubs alternating selections -- so San Diego is on the clock first, immediately followed by Detroit. The draft concludes at the end of the 50th round of selections.
In addition to the "MLB.com Draft Show" for viewers, MLB.com Radio once again will broadcast exclusively the entire draft. That will include the live draft conference call throughout the event. Seth Everett will be the radio host and will be joined by Dave Rawnsley, scout/writer for Perfect Game USA, and also by Mayo. Everett and Mayo will be the commentators for the second day of the draft on MLB.com Radio.
MLB.com visitors also can find a recap of the draft on June 9, with Mayo's appearance on "The Show To Be Named Later." That addition to MLB.com's 2004 programming lineup airs at 1 p.m. ET each Wednesday.
http://mlb.mlb.com
