Five Team Ontario Players Selected in Major League Draft
For the second consecutive year, five Team Ontario players have been selected in the Major League Baseball June Amateur Entry Draft. Leading the way was RHP John Axford from Port Dover Ontario. The hard throwing righthander was selected 219th overall by the Seattle Mariners. Axford, who has seen his stock rise throughout the last eighteen months, has also signed a letter of intent with Notre Dame University.
It was another seven rounds before the selection of catcher David Corrente (Chatham), who was picked 424th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays. David, who has hit the ball very well all spring, becomes the first catcher in the brief history of Team Ontario to be selected in the amateur draft.
While there might have been more irony had they been selected by the Twins (and I’m certain that they’ve never heard that one before) it was in fact the Toronto Blue Jays who selected Team Ontario brothers Mark and Paul McDonald, from Burlington. Mark a 6’4”, 250 lb right handed pitcher was selected in the 29th round, 871st overall while the hard hitting 3rd baseman Paul was chosen in the 43rd round as the 1286th overall selection.
Sandwiched in between the McDonald brothers was RHP Chris Kemlo (Oshawa). The World Series Champs, the New York Yankees selected Chris in the 34th round - 1025th overall.
The five players named above join Team Ontario alumni Scott Thorman, Tanner Watson, Michael and Steven Reiss and Danny Desclouds who were drafted in 2000.
