Mike Flacco was happy the Orioles drafted him yesterday, though it rankled the 22-year-old slugger that he lasted until the 31st round.
"Yeah, I was disappointed that I didn't go sooner," said Flacco, the CCBC-Catonsville third baseman and brother of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. "I thought I did pretty well at my workout at Camden Yards last week. Joe was pretty mad, too. But being ticked off is good motivation.
"Now I have to prove to [the Orioles] that I was a better pick than where they took me."
The Orioles were one of several teams interested in Flacco, who, as a freshman, hit .399 with 14 home runs and 51 RBIs for Catonsville. Big league scouts took notice, though this was the first time in three years Flacco had picked up a bat after suffering a back injury playing football.
The Orioles were his team of choice, and Flacco's selection will certainly create a buzz for the club given his brother's success as the Ravens' starting quarterback.
Reached yesterday in his hometown of Audubon, N.J., Mike Flacco said he had received cyber congratulations via text messages from a couple of dozen friends in the first hour after learning his baseball future.
"I was laying on the living room floor when my mom got on the computer and saw my name on mlb.com," he said. Orioles scout "Dean Albany called a couple of minutes later. He said they were happy to get me, that they like my athleticism - and for me to show them now what I can do."
Flacco's response: "I'm ready."
"I've got no timetable" for progress, he said. "I'll take things one day at a time and just try to get the barrel of the bat on the ball."
But playing "what-if" can be tantalizing, he said.
"Playing at Camden Yards would be awesome. If I were to get up there, I think a lot of people would show up just because I'm Joe's brother," Flacco said.
"Who knows, if I make it, maybe Joe and I can live [in Baltimore] together. Maybe we could get a mansion - though Joe would have to foot the bill for a while."
Said Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan: "He was out at the workout [on Saturday], and he is a good-looking kid. Good size, he ran [well]. He actually hit the ball out of the ballpark. He has got some things that, with professional instruction, we can help him."
At the very least, Mike Flacco said, his selection "definitely ensures that Joe will be an Orioles fan for the next couple of years."
Other players from the region who were selected in this week's draft:
* Braden Kline was selected as the 198th pick by the Boston Red Sox. Kline, a 6-foot-3 right-hander, attended Gov. Thomas Johnson High in Frederick.
* With the 356th pick, the Orioles selected Steve Bumbry, son of Al Bumbry, of Virginia Tech. The outfielder is a Dulaney alum.
* The Oakland Athletics drafted Connor Hoehn with the 363rd pick. The right-hander played at St. Petersburg Community College and St. John's Catholic High in Washington.
* The Washington Nationals took Chad Jenkins 502nd. He's a left-handed pitcher from Cecil Community College.
* Cody Holliday was drafted by the New York Mets as the 554th pick out of Wilmington College. The left-handed outfielder attended Havre de Grace High.
* Scott Krieger was chosen 586th by the Milwaukee Brewers. The left fielder played at George Mason and attended Calvert Hall.
* The Cardinals drafted Josh Squatrito with the 759th pick. The right-hander attended Towson University.
* With the 1,071st pick, the Angels selected Robbie Harris. The shortstop played at Cardinal Gibbons.
* The Chicago White Sox selected Anthony Casario with the 1,153rd pick. The outfielder played for Maryland.
* The Nationals selected Daniel Cropper with the 1,252nd pick. The right-hander played at UNC-Wilmington and is a native of Snow Hill.
* The Orioles selected Joseph Velleggia with the 1,256th pick. The catcher played at Old Dominion and attended Calvert Hall.
* The Braves selected Joshua Conway with the 1,258th pick. The outfielder played at Smithburg High.
* With the 1,363rd pick, the White Sox selected Harold Baines Jr. The outfielder played at McDaniel and is the son of former Orioles designated hitter Harold Baines.
* The Orioles selected Scott Swinson with the 1,376th pick. The right-hander played at Maryland.
Baltimore Sun reporters Aaron Wright and Dan Connolly contributed to this article.
