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Orioles select Plant's Givens

News Channel 8 photo by BOB HANSEN

A shortstop and right-handed pitcher, Givens was rated the nation's No. 46 prospect by Baseball America.

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 10, 2009

TAMPA - Mychal Givens had a strong feeling that by the end of Tuesday the Baltimore Orioles would change his life.

There was good reason. Baltimore was the one team Givens met with Tuesday morning, and Givens said the organization made clear its intentions to select him in the second round if he was available.

Sure enough, when it came time for the Orioles to make their second-round pick later that night in the 2009 Major League Baseball first-year player draft, the big-league club used it to select the Plant High standout with the 54th overall pick.

"It's a relief," said Givens, who was drafted as a right-handed pitcher. "The only thing I wanted was to get this over with and just be able to go out there and do my thing."

That's what Givens will work on now. He said Tuesday "it's not definite yet" that he will bypass his scholarship to Oklahoma State to turn pro, but he'll begin meeting with Orioles representatives soon to work on a deal before the Aug. 17 deadline.

Though Givens was the first player with local ties selected, he wasn't the only one.

•The Minnesota Twins used their second-round pick (70th overall) to select Florida Gators junior right-handed pitcher Billy Bullock, a former Riverview High standout.

•The Pittsburgh Pirates used their third-round pick (84th overall) to select Hillsborough Community College sophomore outfielder Evan Chambers, a former Lakeland High standout.

•Florida Southern junior shortstop Robbie Shields, a former Pasco High standout, was a third-round pick by the New York Mets (103rd overall).

The draft resumes today with rounds 4-30.

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