Today is the day that players have been anticipating since they first put on a glove and went outside for a game of catch.
For several local players, today could mark the beginning of a baseball career when their names are called during the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
"It is something I have been waiting for my whole life," said Tanner Robles of Cottonwood. "It is time to see a payoff for all the hard work I have put in for the last few years. I am a little nervous, but really just excited to see how it all plays out."
Robles and Garrett Nash of Jordan are expected to be early round picks. By all indications from scouts, teams and evaluators, both should be taken before the close of the third round. But anything is possible.
"Nobody will actually guarantee you anything when they talk to you," Nash said. "They try to hint that they will take you, and they talk about how much they like you and all that, but it is still just a wait-and-see approach because you never know what will actually happen."
Both players bring different talents to the bargaining table. Robles is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound left-handed pitcher who throws a fastball in the low to mid-90s and has a curveball and changeup to complement it.
"I guess one thing I have going for me is there are not as many good lefties," Robles. "There are a lot of clubs that are looking for left-handed pitching not only at the big-league level, but all through the minors as well."
Nash is a 6-foot, slick-fielding, speedy shortstop who is a terror on the bases and makes difficult plays in the field look routine.
"I think my biggest asset is probably my speed," he said. "I stole a lot of bases and can cause problems when I get on base. Plus, I have pretty good range and I think I play pretty good defense."
The interest in each varies depending on individual needs of the teams, but one club that has shown interest in both is the Boston Red Sox. Each named the Sox as his favorite team growing up, and both had a chance to realize part of a dream this week as they were brought in for individual workouts at the team's home field — Fenway Park.
"It was amazing," Nash said. "I got to watch the Yankees play the Red Sox Sunday night, and then the next day I got to take batting practice there on the field. I had to keep checking to make sure it was real. I just couldn't believe I was really there."
Although both would love to be picked by their favorite team, they also realize that to simply have an opportunity anywhere would be a dream come true.
"Sure, I'd love to play for Boston someday," Robles said, "But I just want to have someone take me that will give me a chance to play. I want to get picked by someone where it is the best situation possible for me, and then I want to go out and prove to that team that they made a good decision."
Should the situation not be to the liking of either, whether it be the organization, the money or falling too far, they both have a fall-back. The pair both signed to play at Oregon State, the defending national champion, before their senior seasons.
"I've always wanted to play professional baseball," Nash said. "Ever since I was a kid watching the games on TV with my dad, I wanted to grow up to be one of those guys. If it isn't right (after the draft), I'll go and keep playing baseball in college and hopefully keep getting better so that I can get that chance."
You can bet there will be a couple of households tuned to ESPN2 today. The network is airing the first four hours of the draft, televising the event for the first time. Even if their names aren't called during that span, only a phone call separates not only Robles and Nash, but several other locals from realizing a dream.
E-mail: mblack@desnews.com