Aflac All-American Justin Upton Takes Top Spot in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft
June 08 2005 - 3:32PM
PR Newswire (US)
Aflac All-American Justin Upton Takes Top Spot in the 2005 Major
League Baseball Draft A Total of 8 Players from the 2004 Aflac
All-American Baseball Classic were taken in the Top Round COLUMBUS,
Ga., June 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For the second consecutive
year, an Aflac All-American baseball player has been selected as
the No. 1 overall draft pick by Major League Baseball. Justin
Upton, a shortstop from Chesapeake, Va., was chosen by the Arizona
Diamondbacks as the top pick in round one of the 2005 draft. A
senior at Great Bridge High School, Upton was a member of the 2004
Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic. Upton was also
named the Aflac National High School Player of the Year in 2004 and
was awarded the inaugural Jackie Robinson Award. The award is
presented to the player who demonstrates outstanding character,
exhibits leadership, and embodies the values of being a
student-athlete in both his schoolwork and community affairs.
"Aflac congratulates Justin Upton and all of our Aflac
All-Americans on their selection to the major league. We're very
proud of their accomplishments and are glad to have played a role
in showcasing America's most talented high school baseball
players," said Al Johnson, second vice president, Director of
Branding and Advertising at Aflac. Cameron Maybin, another 2004
Aflac All-American alumnus and an OF from TC Roberson High School
in Arden, N.C. was also among the top ten players drafted to the
major leagues. Maybin was selected by the Detroit Tigers. In all,
the 2004 Aflac All-American Baseball Classic produced 16 players in
the first five rounds, including a total of eight players taken in
the first round. Other Aflac All-American players drafted by the
major league were: First Round No. 11 - Andrew McCutchen, OF -
Pittsburgh Pirates No. 16 - Chris Volstad, RHP - Florida Marlins
No. 17 - CJ Henry, 3B - NY Yankees No. 33 - John Drennen, OF -
Cleveland Indians No. 34 - Ryan Tucker, RHP - Florida Marlins No.
41 - Beau Jones, LHP - Atlanta Braves Second Round No. 57 -
Jonathan Egan, C - Boston Red Sox No. 71 - PJ Phillips, SS - Los
Angeles Angels No. 72 - Ralph Henriquez, C - Houston Astros No. 77
- Jeff Lyman, RHP - Atlanta Braves Third Round No. 103 - Sean
O'Sullivan, RHP, 3B - Los Angeles Angels Fourth Round No. 118 -
Jeremy Hellickson, RHP - Devil Rays No. 129 - Shane Funk, RHP -
Rangers Fifth Round No. 144 - Ryan DeLaughter, RHP, OF - Washington
Nationals The 2004 Major League Baseball Draft saw 10 Aflac
All-Americans taken in the first and supplemental rounds, including
the No. 1 pick, Matt Bush of the San Diego Padres. Overall, the
2003 inaugural game played at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers, Fla.,
featured 31 players selected in the 2004 draft. Aflac is currently
in the midst of the 2005 Aflac All-American tour stop around the
nation, announcing the names of the rising seniors who will face
off in an East vs. West game on Aug. 13 at Ripken Stadium in
Aberdeen Md. The game is also a part of Aflac's ongoing commitment
to the fight against childhood cancer with all game proceeds
benefiting the Division of Pediatric Oncology at the Johns Hopkins
Kimmel Cancer Center in Baltimore. The Aflac All-American High
School Baseball Classic showcases the nation's top high school
baseball players. The annual event is endorsed by many of the
game's pillars, including Major League Baseball. Baseball legend
Cal Ripken Jr. will serve as the game's honorary chairman for the
second consecutive year. Baseball America and Perfect Game are the
official selection partners for the event and choose the players
for their accomplishments both on, and off the field, including
their involvement in their communities. Sports America, Inc., is a
sports marketing and event management firm based out of Rockville,
Md., that created and currently produces the Aflac Classic. Sports
America also produces the McDonald's All-American High School
Basketball Game and the Jordan Classic High School All-Star
Basketball Game. To learn more about the Aflac All-American High
School Baseball Classic, or to see dates and stops on the official
selection tour, visit http://www.aflacallamerican.com/. For 50
years, Aflac products have given policyholders the opportunity to
direct cash where it is needed most when a life-interrupting
medical event causes financial challenges. Aflac is the number one
provider of guaranteed- renewable insurance in the United States
and the number one insurance company in terms of individual
insurance policies in force in Japan. Aflac's insurance products
provide protection to more than 40 million people worldwide. In
January 2005, Aflac was included in Fortune magazine's list of the
100 Best Companies to Work For in America for the seventh
consecutive year. Aflac has also been included in both Forbes
magazine's Platinum 400 List of America's Best Big Companies and in
Fortune magazine's listing of America's Most Admired Companies for
five consecutive years. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company
listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find
out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050608/CLW052 ) (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO ) Media
Contacts: Mechell Clark Dan Sabreen Aflac Incorporated Sports
America 706-243-8004 301-424-9334
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050608/CLW052
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041202/CLTH019LOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Aflac CONTACT: Mechell
Clark of Aflac Incorporated, +1-706-243-8004, or ; or Dan Sabreen
of Sports America, +1-301-424-9334, or Web site:
http://www.aflac.com/ http://www.aflacallamerican.com/
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